Swift Creek Academy of the Performing Arts

It's always a good idea to mix things up a little in your practice. And it's been a while since I shared my Music Bingo card- So here it is.

How many of these ideas did you include in your practice sessions last week?

Great advice!

Quality of a Pianist
1)/ Patience
You must be patient because learning takes time and maturity.

Knowledge of the keyboard, learning notes, knowledge of the bass clef and the treble clef, learning and integrating rhythm, hand positioning, coordination of both hands, deciphering pieces etc.

So don't panic! All this can be learned with a teacher but it just takes time. Students who do not have patience risk skipping steps and instead of saving time they waste time...If you cannot play the scores that interest you right away, be patient with yourself and don't put the bar too high from the start otherwise you will put yourselfpressure. We just have to tell you that even if today it is a little difficult, you will be able to get there in a few months. (This of course depends on the difficulty of the piece!).

2/ Discipline
Does this word seem old-fashioned today? Yet discipline is essential to musicians. How could a musician achieve his goal without discipline? It is the same with athletes. Learning, listening, repetition, these cannot be improvised.

First of all, a musician needs to be disciplined and consistent. For some, learning notes may seem boring, but it is essential for reading sheet music! Also, it requires some effort to repeat a passage several times or for a certain period of time. However, if we manage to impose it on ourselves we will be satisfied with the result when the result is there :)

3 / Concentration
Forget your occupations! Be 100% in the music when you work out. Turn off your cell phone so you don't have to refocus on each new message received. Concentration will allow you to optimize your work and achieve your goal much faster. You will be able to increase your progress and your memory tenfold, but that rhymes with concentration! The advantage is that if you achieve this concentration on the piano, you will be able to concentrate much more easily in many other areas.

4/ The spirit of challenge
Does your piece have difficulties? Do not be discouraged ! On the contrary, overcome these difficulties with the help of your teacher, this will help you progress. You will only be satisfied with mastering the difficulties which at the beginning seemed insurmountable to you. If you always choose pieces that are too easy and avoid the slightest difficulty as much as possible, this will take away the spice of the challenge. A piece should not be too easy or too difficult.

5 / Love the attention to detail
Once you are comfortable with the text and your piece is well coordinated, it's like you are the tip of the iceberg. Finally you enter the depths of interpretation. Each note, each intention, each gesture is calculated to give an emotional dimension to your piece. It’s after editing your piece that the “real” work begins and it’s the most exciting part! When you master your piece in detail you develop a real pleasure in playing and interpreting. You are comfortable immersed in music in depth

So many good reasons!

The power of music.....thanks to Desert Valley Music Teachers' Association for sharing.....♫

No matter the age, great brain workout for all…

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True!

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via Music Makes Our Students Smarter

Great advice

True!

This is true….

Great time of year to start with a fresh new attitude!! 😎❤️

Glad Santa knows what every musician needs!

True!

This is one of the best practice tips but one of the hardest to accept.

We all need a little encouragement from time to time.

Bit by bit, success!

All you need to do is keep moving one step forwards at a time.

A bitesize practice tip.

So often, learners practice beyond their errors. If you make a mistake, stop straight away, and don't be tempted to go on.

You are wasting precious practice time and strengthening an incorrect neural pathway.

The second thing to avoid- Don't try a second attempt before you've done some thinking.

Talk yourself through the error. Ask yourself what went wrong and why it happened. For example, perhaps you played an F instead of a G. That happened because you used finger 4 rather than finger 5.

Then repeat only the spot which had the error until you can play it with ease. That usually takes more repetition than you think.

What made you fall in love with the piano?

Music is a language. Expression is it’s vocal inflection. Talk with your fingers on the piano.

Colour in music also makes a massive difference to the overall musicality of your playing.

Asking yourself questions such as:

"Where are the emotional intensities within the music, and how can I vary the volume" are great starting points.

As a general rule, more volume intensifies the emotional power of the music. Melodies that ascend often grow in intensity, while descending phrases often offer repose.

Therefore, a simple tip is to crescendo as the melody ascends and decrescendo as the phrase falls.

Rather than worry about all the things that need to be done, choose one thing to focus on. That way, you can get started and set the wheels in motion.

One to keep by your practice space.

A little music history

Did Mozart and Beethoven ever meet?

The short answer to this popular question is yes! They did meet in 1787 in Vienna when the 16-year-old Beethoven first visited the city. We are not sure, but apparently Beethoven was taken to meet Mozart and played for him. A Beethoven biographer reports, “Beethoven made his appearance in Vienna as a youthful musician of promise in the spring of 1787, but was only able to remain there a short time; he was introduced to Mozart, and played to him at his request. Mozart, considering the piece he performed to be a studied showpiece, was somewhat cold in his expressions of admiration. Beethoven, noticing this, begged for a theme for improvisation, and, inspired by the presence of the master he revered so highly, played in such a manner as gradually to engross Mozart’s whole attention; turning quietly to the bystanders, he said emphatically, mark that young man; he will make himself a name in the world!” Beethoven might also have had a few lessons with Mozart, but we can’t be entirely sure.

( Young Beethoven Playing for Mozart, 1787 )

An all weather, life time hobby!

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Yes, it’s practice!

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Cute.....thanks to Piano Teacher Humor for sharing.....

Playing piano is good for your brain!

THIS is your brain on :

Keep practicing no matter what….

This piano for bedridden musicians was a real-life 1930s invention As an invention, it was the height of science and logic.