2026-2027 Events
October 17-18, 2026 — Group Classes
December 5-6, 2026 — Group Classes
January 24, 2027 — Performance Class & Guest Artist Workshop
February 27-28, 2027 — Group Classes
April 10-11, 2027 — Group Classes
May 22, 2027 — Student Final Recital
How to Practice
Use the Practice Guide below. It logs your practice for you, no comments needed.
Press Start from # whatever number it shows. It picks up where you stopped last time.
Press Start, read the assignment, practice.
When you are finished, press Done.
Press Next practice item and go again.
Capped items count down and chime. Keep going if it's going well.
Some assignments finish. Those carry a Done for the Week button. Press it when the job is done and the assignment comes off your list. Technique and repertoire don't have one; those are every day.
Need the metronome, a recorder or the Section-Work colors? They are in Practice Tools. Tap one and it opens inside your assignment. Tap Close to put it away.
Got something to say about an assignment? Paste the line it gives you into the comments and add your note.
Log only what you actually did, on the day you did it. Five minutes is a real entry.
Log every practice session from today. Official tracking starts Monday, October 19, the Monday after our first group class. Logging now is how we get the kinks out.
🟩 on track · 🟨 needs extra attention · 🟪 didn't get to it at the lesson · 🟥 priority · ⬛️ on hold, don't practice this one · 🟧 mine, not yours
[PRACTICE TOOLS]
Technique
1. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 4 (RCM), D major scale
THIS WEEK: Two octaves, hands together, with the metronome at 92.
Practice type: Polishing.
On the way down, finger 4 goes on B. That is the spot that threw you the first two tries.
Metronome ♩ = 92. Smooth, like spreading icing across a cake.
2. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 4 (RCM), B harmonic minor
THIS WEEK: Notes, fingering and position, three correct in a row.
NFPER focus: notes, fingering, position.
Practice type: Learning.
Three correct in a row, or five correct in total.
Harmonic minor raises the seventh, going up and coming down.
Rhythm and expression are crossed out for this one.
3. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 4 (RCM), B melodic minor
THIS WEEK: Notes, fingering and position, three correct in a row.
NFPER focus: notes, fingering, position.
Practice type: Learning.
Three correct in a row, or five correct in total.
Melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh going up, and puts them back coming down.
Musicianship
4. 🟩 Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests, Level 4 (Berlin and Markow)
THIS WEEK: Unit 2. Keep going from where you stopped.
Practice type: Learning.
On the sight-playing test you kept going instead of stopping to fix. That is the right instinct and it is what the test is for.
Two things to watch, both from the second example: changing hand position too early, and G where the left hand should be A.
Go as slow as you want. There is no speed requirement.
5. 🟩 Piano Adventures Sightreading Book, Level 2B (Faber)
THIS WEEK: Pages 71 through 76. One page a day.
Practice type: Learning.
You left off at page 71, so start there.
If you get to the last day with two pages left, do both.
Press Done for the Week when page 76 is finished.
Repertoire
6. 🟩 Sonatina in F major, Op. 168 No. 1, I. Moderato cantabile (Diabelli), hands alone, mm. 5-7
THIS WEEK: Rhythm with the metronome at 52. Right hand alone, then left hand alone.
NFPER focus: rhythm.
Practice type: Polishing.
Metronome ♩ = 52.
Three correct in a row, or five correct in total, for each hand.
The metronome click is the quarter note, not the eighth. Whatever it is set to is the beat the composer wrote.
7. 🟩 Sonatina in F major, Op. 168 No. 1, I. Moderato cantabile (Diabelli), hands together, mm. 5-7
THIS WEEK: Speed building, 50 up to 56. Only after one round of hands alone.
Speed building: 50 to 56.
Practice type: Polishing.
Hands alone first. That is the stretching before the run.
Three correct in a row at a speed before you move up.
Playing through a mistake instead of stopping is the thing to keep doing.
8. 🟩 Solitude, No. 9 for right hand alone (Grill), m. 13
THIS WEEK: Notes, fingering and position. Three correct in a row.
NFPER focus: notes, fingering, position.
Practice type: Polishing.
Brick practice: combine the chunks after one round each.
Rhythm is crossed out. Not this one.
Right hand starts on B-flat 5, not the note you had been playing.
Right hand fingering is 5 then 1. Change the pedal.
Once all four single measures have a round, the guide puts them together into 13-14 and 15-16, then all four.
9. 🟩 Solitude, No. 9 for right hand alone (Grill), m. 14
THIS WEEK: Notes, fingering and position. Three correct in a row.
NFPER focus: notes, fingering, position.
Practice type: Polishing.
10. 🟩 Solitude, No. 9 for right hand alone (Grill), m. 15
THIS WEEK: Notes, fingering and position. Three correct in a row.
NFPER focus: notes, fingering, position.
Practice type: Polishing.
11. 🟩 Solitude, No. 9 for right hand alone (Grill), m. 16
THIS WEEK: Notes, fingering and position. Three correct in a row.
NFPER focus: notes, fingering, position.
Practice type: Polishing.
This is the measure that has been hard. One measure on its own is a small enough spot to fix.
12. 🟩 Solitude, No. 9 for right hand alone (Grill), mm. 7-8, the top line
THIS WEEK: Notes, fingering and position. Three correct in a row.
NFPER focus: notes, fingering, position.
Practice type: Polishing.
The fingering change is in. Keep it.
Put the energy at the top of the phrase. That top line is a flute, and it has to come through clearly.
13. 🟧 Gavotte in F major (Graupner)
I'm bringing it printed next lesson. This is your next List A piece.
14. ⬛️ Sonatina in B-flat major, Op. 29, I. Andante (Schmitt)
Not started. On deck.
15. ⬛️ Cool Cat Waltz (Pine)
Not started. On deck.
16. ⬛️ The Avalanche, Op. 45 No. 2 (Heller)
Not started. On deck.
17. ⬛️ Celebrate Theory, Level 4 (RCM)
On hold.
RCM Level 4, where the program stands
Started
Sonatina in F major, Op. 168 No. 1, I. Moderato cantabile (Diabelli)
Solitude, No. 9 for right hand alone (Grill)
Not started yet
Gavotte in F major (Graupner)
Sonatina in B-flat major, Op. 29, I. Andante (Schmitt)
Cool Cat Waltz (Pine)
The Avalanche, Op. 45 No. 2 (Heller)
Celebrate Theory, Level 4 (RCM)