GrammaticArts-R-Performing Arts, Communication and Enterprise Training

Well done to D this weekend, making great strides with Grade 3 Piano

Well done R on excellent progress on Grade 4 Piano

Well done H on her Beginner Piano course

Well done C on her Singing course!

Well done all!

*Farnham studio now open, specialising in socio-emotional learning-based Performing Arts teaching for all ages! Led by a descendant of one of the early Farnham families!*

Well done Phoebe today in her Grade 3 Piano and musical analysis work, who is also discovering she has a beautiful voice!

A shout out to Helen today, working hard on her Grade 5 Piano, and at year 7 level already applying advanced concepts on the piano

Well done to Milo this week, a young composer, natural musician who is taking grade strides towards Grade 2 piano!

Well done Sadie this week for learning Santa Lucia, the famous Italian song, for her cross curricular work in Italian and Music- also working hard on her Grade 2!

Well done to Ruben, working hard on his Grade 4 and consistently disciplined and hard working!

Well done to Lewis, a natural singer who is learning how to release his voice and find his vocal power!

Excellent work Raph who is exploring new and exciting repertoire, and exploring different genres!

WELL DONE ALL!

Unique Young Musicians' and Actors' Showcase now booking in , for young people to gain performance practice experience. Home schooled and mainstream schooled young people welcome, a smattering of adult places. Concessionary places available. Please email [email protected], subject heading 'Showcase' for details. Council license confirmed today for safeguarding of young people's event, limited places available. Happy Humpday!

In memory of a special little man

Congratulations to Annie for passing her Grade 3 Trinity Singing exam with flying colours! All the hard work paid off, ell done!

Congratulations to all the students taking their ABRSM Piano exams this month, with glowing results across the board. All your hard work and dedication has paid off!

On , why not play the piano? And as it's also , why not eat some cereal at the same time (or just to keep you going)? Keep calm and play the piano! Above all, keep calm!

Well done to Helen today for your diligence as always, working towards ABRSM Grade 4.

Thoughts on the Tarantelle by Burgmuller, for all of those learning it:
- Make sure you are sitting high enough at the piano, this piece needs muscularity and well-defined rhythm, and that will help give you more control
- Make sure your nails aren't too long so that it's more of a Tarantelle and less of a Clicky-Click-click!

Early questions when starting to learn the piece:

Off-bench questions:
- What is the key of the piece? Play the scale, and the arpeggio, to help your musical ear get into that key before you play

- Can you see any chords or inversions in the music?

- Can you notice any repeated patterns?

- Where are the phrases and the sections?
On-bench:
- Try tapping out the rhythm, first hands separately, then together, to help you put the piece together - before any notes are played

- Remember that for 6/8 time, the pulse is 1-2, which will help keep you in time

- Don't forget to 'play your rests' - you might even want to say the word 'stop' or 'boop' or anything that helps you remember! In music, the silences are as important as the notes. Just like in speech!

- Stress the first of every three quavers to give the rhythm shape and muscularity
Moving on:

- Find the story in the music, or image in your mind. What is happening, then paint that on the piano in each stage of the story. Why has the composer used particular dynamics, and what story are they trying to tell? The piano is your creative canvas, and your space to 'play' - it's called 'playing the piano'!

- What is the 'character' of the music, would you say, and try and convey that in the music. E.g is it cheeky, lively, merry?

- Although the dynamic is marked forte, trying playing this one lightly and mezzo piano, like a frothy milkshake! No tension in the hands, as you skip over the notes

- Try playing the piece with separate hands, this attunes your ear to the music and helps you hear the different voices and harmonies

- Play the piece as if you wrote it yourself

- No one can play a piece like you, as no one is you!

Well done to Caroline today who learned a two octave scale on the piano, and is starting to improvise around chords. Great initiative learning a whole piece in your Disney book, and excellent progress! Also starting to improvise around the Walking Bass, with syncopated chords!

Well done to Sadie today for cracking this piece she wanted to learn for school. Some insight into the anatomy of a piece for all your pianists/ budding pianists:

- find the key of the music, and tempo
- get the ostinato going first in the bass clef (an ostinato is a repeated idea)
- add a lyric to your ostinato: in this case, we used 'how are you, how are you doin' there, and repeat!)
- separate the piece into phrases
- circle any 'unison' notes (the same note played at the same time)
- tap put the rhythm with hands together, to see how it fits together (no notes needed)
- go slowly
- feel the music!
Tips like these are your 'Pianist's Toolkit', and it's about finding what works for you. A good teacher shows you how to break the music down and learn it for yourself, so that you can apply the same 'treatment' to a new piece, and gain confidence.
Keep going guys, music is wonderful! Piano is your playground! And your solace! Phones off, piano on! = happy brain!!