Have You Heard About B Flat

Check out this fun and interesting song that Andrew told me about. It was featured on NPR.

http://joshadam.com/Audio_Bflat.html

ETA-3 Concert

Makala and I enjoyed our evening together at the Jamestown Concert Association's presentation of ETA-3. The program by Tomoko Nakayama, piano; Emily Thomas, flute; and Alexey Gorokholinsky, clarinet was beautiful. The sounds from the very moment they began were breath taking. The atmosphere was set so beautifully when Emily Thomas began Debussy's Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun". She waited until all was quiet and then seemed to become the faun in her playing. Her playing of Ian Clarke's Zoom Tube later was so amuzing and in such a different character. She must be a very good actress as well. Makala enjoyed talking with her after the program and learning about how she got started in her music career and her acting on All My Children. Alexey Gorokholinsky displayed wonderful technique and velocity and musicality on the clarinet solo by Tchaikovsky, Russian Dance. He was fun to talk with afters also. Very down to earth and easy to communicate with. Being pianists, of course, Makala and I were watching Tomoko Nakayama very closely. Awesome! She was accompanist extrodinare! I sympathized with her on the page turning! She never missed a beat. Makala enjoyed seeing a professional's technique and watching her play was a delight.

All three were so friendly to both of us after the program during the reception. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the manager...now what was his name? He was very cute and fun! Oh yes, Reggie Bahl from Manhattan Music Ensemble, INC.

A very enjoyable evening.

Fall Lessons Begin

It's the beginning of another exciting year at Cindy's Piano Studio. I have plans for two recitals with my studio this year:

an ensemble recital - students will play in groups of four, each will have their own part and instrument

a techno party recital - we'll use all the technology I can for this one: video, slideshow, orchestrations, keyboards, lights, camera, action!

There are three APT recitals also; however, I think we will only participate in the November 14th recital at Loyalton.

This year we will focus on nine composers, one each month. We'll listen to their music, read about their lives, and play some of their pieces.

I'm really looking forward to seeing all my students this week.

Happy Practicing!

A.P.T. Presents A Music Salon

I just returned from a wonderful evening filled with talented Chautauqua County area musicians. The program sponsored by Jamestown Association of Piano Teachers was held at the Sheldon House. The program included works by Joplin, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Haydn, Rachmaninoff and others. Area performers ranged from teachers to students to business professionals such as a chemist and a construction worker. This was the third program presented by A.P.T. Each year gets better and better. Ruth Dodds did a wonderful job of setting it up and made all the delicious desserts. Yea Ruth!

For more information on A.P.T. go to http://www.cindyspianostudio.com/apt.html.

Anyone need a piano?

I just got a call regarding a good Baldwin console piano that is for sale for $850. If you are interested, call Sandy Brogan at 571-214-2480 (cell phone).

Adventures in Music Listening - Sweden

Goddag, Good Day! We traveled to Sweden this week. We found Sweden at the top of the globe at the same height as Canada. We saw pictures of the Riksdagshuset (house of Parliament) where the Nobel Peace Prizes are awarded. We also saw a lighthouse that reminded us of ours in Chautauqua County. After talking about the clothing for ceremonies in Sweden and in the US, we saw a picture of a Nyckelharpa and heard what it sounded like. Then we danced the Hambo to a song from the CD, Hambo in the Barn.

We discussed animals of Sweden like the Elk or reindeer, the Mediterranean Gull, and then colored a picture of the dala hast (horse), while I read the Swedish folk tale, Peder and the Water Sprite. After a game of Tic Tac Toe, which originated in Sweden, the children left with a snack of Swedish Fish.It was a fun day of learning with the children and moms. I'm hoping they had as much fun as I did.

Adventures in Music Listening - Australia

G'day Mate!

That was our password upon entering the class. It was fun to hear the children's voices speak it with joy.

After finding Australia on the globe, we learned about some animals and sang Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport while watching a YouTube video of the song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D-LmRNdQiQ sung by Rolf Harris. We then looked at some of the Aborginal art at http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/shop/region.php?type=10&local=14.
It was interesting to hear and see the didgeridoo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC9w4KWEgJE.

We then danced the pieman to Waltzing Matilda, Australia's unofficial national anthem. We talked about some slang terms used in the song like swagman and billy and tucker bag.

After a game of Ostrich Tag,


they colored a kookaburra while they listened to the song and the bird laugh at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iygkpxzbVt8.

They ate a snack of chocolate covered carmel (milk duds) which are popular in Australia and as they left they took a boomerang home.

It was a fun morning at Lakewood Memorial Library.