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 writes your practice down for you, no comments needed.
Tap the first assignment on your list.
The timer starts by itself. Read it and practice.
When you are finished, press Done. It saves your time and opens the next one.
Need to stop for a minute? Press Pause.
If you pause and walk away, press Done when you come back, even if you forgot to press Resume. A run that is paused and never finished logs nothing at all.
Lost? Press My Assignment List at the top to go back.
Log only what you actually did, on the day you did it. Five minutes is a real entry.
Spread it across the week. Five days of short sessions beats two long ones. Repetition is what makes the difference, not total minutes.
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.
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.
Official tracking started Monday, October 19.
🟩 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), G melodic minor
THIS WEEK: G melodic minor, hands together, under control.
Left hand alone first, then right hand, then hands together.
The notes and the fingering are not the problem. The tempo is.
You start at a good speed and then push. Stay inside your own speed limit.
Slow it down and watch what happens when the thumb plays.
2. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 4 (RCM), E-flat major scale
THIS WEEK: E-flat major scale. Same assignment as last week.
It is on page 8. Three flats.
Left hand alone. Slow tempo, and watch the thumb.
The faster you go, the further ahead you have to think.
3. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 4 (RCM), C harmonic minor
THIS WEEK: C harmonic minor. Left hand alone, right hand alone, then hands together.
New this week. It is the next one after E-flat major.
Harmonic minor raises the seventh going up and coming down.
Musicianship
4. 🟩 Celebration Series, Preparatory B, Repertoire
THIS WEEK: At least 8 measures of sight reading per practice session.
New book. Celebration Series, 6th Edition, Preparatory B. It is mine, so no markings.
Pick your eight measures before you start. Here to here. More if you have time.
Plan it first: look at the key signature, look at the rhythms, look for anything awkward.
Sight reading does not have to be fast. Pick a speed you can hold.
Play it once without stopping, then go back and find your own errors.
5. 🟩 Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests, Level 4 (Berlin and Markow), Set 4
THIS WEEK: Set 4. One day per practice session.
Set 3 is finished. Days 1 through 5, one per session.
Press Done for the Week after day 5.
Repertoire
6. 🟩 Gavotte in F major (Graupner), mm. 1-8
THIS WEEK: Once through hands alone, then hands together very slowly.
Hands together is the new part. Very slowly, and only focus on the wrist.
Exaggerate every wrist movement. Bigger than feels normal.
Follow all the arrow markings on the page.
Land into the key from the air. Don't sit on the key and then play it.
7. 🟩 Gavotte in F major (Graupner), mm. 9-20, hands alone
THIS WEEK: Measures 9 to 20, hands alone, in chunks of four measures.
Four measures at a time. Three times left hand, then three times right hand, then move on.
Hands alone only. Not hands together yet.
Work out which arrow each marking is before you play it.
Three times in a row is what makes it stick. One pass does nothing.
8. 🟪 Sonatina in F major, Op. 168 No. 1, I. Moderato cantabile (Diabelli), mm. 8-12
THIS WEEK: Measures 8 to 12, with the wrist movements.
Same assignment as last week. We did not get to it at the lesson.
They are all staccato: up, then pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, then down.
Work out which arrow each one is before you play it.
9. 🟪 Sonatina in F major, Op. 168 No. 1, I. Moderato cantabile (Diabelli), mm. 1-7
THIS WEEK: Measures 1 to 7, slowly, with good wrist movements.
Same assignment as last week. We did not get to it at the lesson.
Keep the position changes smooth: slowly, with the wrist movements.
Right hand above the left. Left hand muffled, like it is playing through a pillow.
10. 🟩 Solitude, No. 9 for right hand alone (Grill)
THIS WEEK: Keep your heel on the floor when you pedal.
NFPER focus: position.
You are lifting your whole leg to pedal. Heel glued to the floor, ankle does the work.
Sit back a little on the bench so the leg has room.
Keep starting from random measures.
Keep working the memorization.
11. ⬛️ Sonatina in B-flat major, Op. 29, I. Andante (Schmitt)
Not started. On deck. The sooner the Gavotte is done, the sooner we start.
12. ⬛️ Cool Cat Waltz (Pine)
Not started. On deck.
13. ⬛️ The Avalanche, Op. 45 No. 2 (Heller)
Not started. On deck.
14. ⬛️ 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)
Gavotte in F major (Graupner)
Not started yet
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)
About Sight Reading
The Piano Adventures level numbers do not match the RCM levels. Level 2B is about an RCM Level 3 sight reading, and 3A and 3B are closer to Level 4.
We are going to move faster through these than one book per level.
If something is not a little bit difficult, it is not building anything. A little resistance is the point.