March 12, 2026

1 ❤️ = need lots of work, or, you didn’t practice this.

2 💛 = on the right track, but this needs more work.

3 💜 = we didn’t get to this. Please practice as usual.

4 💚 = on the right track! Good work. Practice as usual.

5 🖤 = don’t practice this. We’ll get to it when Dustin says.

RCM May ?

🟥“SIGHT-READING 2B

  1. Prepare pages 33-40

  2. GO NO FASTER THAN M.M. 60 PER QUARTER NOTE

🟩Mouse Dance by Jakub Metelka b. 1986 (L. 3, Etude)

  1. Last System: Hands together, at least three different practice sessions.

    1. Spot each color alone

    2. Put two colors together (all combinations)

    3. Then three colors together (all comb)

    4. Then entire system.

🟪Prelude VII by Barbara Arens (L. 3, Etude)

  1. Continue to practice memorization. Continue to practice the LH softly by playing it slowly with careful hand position!

🟩Minuet in G Minor BWV Anh. 115 by Christian Petzold (L 3, A)

  1. Measures 24-End, practice LH, RH, HT (three cycles) keep it very slow.

  2. Review entire piece with music, once daily.

🟩Musette in D Major BWV Anh. 126 by J. S. Bach (L 3, A)

  1. Practice at m.m. 50 and then 60, and then 72 with to help you play with a steady beat. This is per quarter note.

🟨Beethoven, Sonatina in G Major, Ahn. 5, I. Moderato (L. 3, B)

  1. Set metronome to 60 per quarter note. Play until you run into mistakes or pauses. Then stop and fix the issue before you move on. You might want to set a timer for this type of practice because it could take more an hour to get through the whole piece if you’re “spotting” correctly.

🟩Schumann, Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 1, Melody

  1. Learn mm. 5-12

  2. For Measures 1-4:

    1. RH should have a cantabile sound.

    2. LH should be much softer.

    3. Think about your phrases - softer at the ends of phrases and breathe between them.

🟩Theory Level 3

  1. Please complete Unit 8

🟨“RCM Technical Requirements Level 03”

  1. Practice all the scales on p. 6 in the PDF

🟪FOUR STAR Level 3

  1. Practice daily with the two audio examples in Newzik (tests). There are 8 for each playback and clapbacks. Spend at least 5 min on each one per day.

REVIEW

Review twice a week with your music.

You don’t need to review all of them in ONE practice session - just one PER WEEK.

  1. Invention in C Major by Renée Christopher (b. 1955) L. 2, C)

  2. Crocodile Tears by Christine Donkin (L. 2, B)

  3. Minuet G Major by JS Bach (L. 2, A)

  4. Etude in G Major, op. 166, no. 6 by Henri Bertini (1798-1876) (L. 2, Etude)

  5. Ecossaise in G Major by LV Beethoven (L. 2, A)

  6. Bourrée in D Minor by Christoph Graupner (1683-1760) (L. 1, A)

  7. Canon by Carlton Elliott

  8. Early One Morning (Level 1, B)

  9. Celebration by Anne Crosby-Gaudet (L. 1, Etude)

  10. Sleigh Bells by Christine Donkin (b. 1976) (L. A)

  11. What’s That Noise? B by Martha Mier (b. 1936) (L. A)

  12. Boots, by Yvonne Adair (L. A)

  13. To Fly Like and Eagle by Anne Crosby-Gaudet (L. B)

  14. The Haunted Mouse by Nancy and Randall Faber (b. 1955; 1954)(L. A)







🎨 Color-Focus Practice (NFPER)

At the top of your music, write NFPER using the following color system:

  • N – Notes – correct pitches and accidentals (🟦 Blue)

  • F – Fingering – consistent, effective finger choices (🟧 Orange)

  • P – Position – hand shape, posture, and keyboard geography (🟪 Purple)

  • E – Expression – phrasing, dynamics, articulation, tone, etc. (🟩 Green)

  • R – Rhythm – steady pulse, accurate timing, and rests (🟥 Red)

✅ If you're only recording audio, just use NER.

Step-by-Step Practice Flow

  1. Record your section once — video is best, but audio is fine too.

  2. Listen back with one color/goal in mind.

  3. As you listen, mark your music using that color anywhere it needs improvement.

  4. Repeat for each remaining color, one at a time, until all five have been addressed.

  5. Choose a small “spot” section from your markings — just a few measures or a tricky passage.

“Spot” until it’s solid — meaning:

  • ✅ 3 times in a row correctly, or

  • ✅ 5 total correct repetitions, then move on.



  1. Focus on one or two colors at a time while practicing that spot.

  2. Use the troubleshooting checklist below if you're stuck.

🔧 Troubleshooting Tips

🎯 If you’ve tried to fix something three times in-a-row and it’s still not working, don’t just repeat it — troubleshoot:

  • Do you need to slow down?

  • Should you practice hands alone?

  • Could you make the spot even smaller?

  • Would technical exercises help (staccato, accents, etc.)?

  • Do you need to think ahead more clearly?