May 16, 2025


  1. Position Focus:

    1. This week, think of “Bubble Wrist Pop” when we’re playing 5th fingers - especially at the end of a phrase or when it’s a single note - staccato or otherwise.

  2. RCM Level 2: May 27, 2025, 4:20 pm

  3. List A: Minuet

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

  5. List C: Invention in C Major by Renée Christopher (b. 1955) L. 2, C

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

💛“RCM Technical Requirements Level 02”

  1. 7 min a day: rotate through each item

  2. Metronome practice this week: Before you start ANY item, pause long enough to think about a steady beat. This will get points taken away from you if you don’t do this.

  3. Keep your wrist lower.

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

  1. Please make this softer. Don’t speed up and slow down within the phrases.

  2. Practice blocking every four measures, three times each correctly, then play as written.

  3. Listen for smooth notes / sound. Sometimes the top note of the RH will stick out.

  4. Make sure to practice the entire piece this way.

💚Minuet G Major by JS Bach (L. 2, A)

  1. Think about a pulse before you begin. This is throughout all of your assignments today. You’re doing so many things well - but keep the pulse in mind more than anything right now.

  2. Practice starting from the ends of sections and going into new ones for the sake of “pallet cleansing”

  3. Practice starting from 3 different places each practice session.

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

  1. Practice starting from any measure of the piece.

  2. once a day, play RH and LH alone, entire piece. Then hands together.

  3. With and without music, three times each day

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

  1. Good recovery at the end. More dynamics.

  4. Practice with metronome: 88, 92, 96, 100, 104 and 108.

  5. Next week we will speed-build from 100

  6. Tidy attacks, smooth sound.

  7. Hold the LH E for it’s full value in measure 5.

💜“SIGHT-READING 2A

  1. Prepare at least pages 62-66

  2. GO NO FASTER THAN M.M. 50 PER QUARTER NOTE

💜Interval & Playback Practice

  1. Go to your PDF in Newzik called Four Star Level 02 Tests

  2. See the audio titled “Playbacks Examples 1-6”

  3. See video for Playback and Clapback.

💜FOUR STAR Level 2

  1. Sight-reading

    1. NEVER start over in the middle of the exercise.

    2. Don’t play faster than m.m. 32 per quarter note. You can turn the metronome on to hear the beat then turn it off.

    3. Look at the rhythm and do it abstractly in your head. NOT fast.

    4. Then look at the intervals, key signature, etc.

    5. If you make a mistake, CONTINUE and pretend it didn’t happen. 😎

🖤Theory Level 2

  1. Complete Unit 6 pages 1-4

REVIEW

💚Review once a week with your music. You don’t need to review all of them in ONE practice session - just one PER WEEK.

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

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

  3. 💚Canon by Carlton Elliott

  4. 💚Early One Morning (Level 1, B)

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

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

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

  8. 💚💚Boots, by Yvonne Adair (L. A)

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

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

  1. 🖤Presto in 5/8 by Edwin McLean (L. 2, B)

  2. 🖤Atacama Desert by Wynn-Anne Rossi (L. 2, B)

RCMCP: May 29, 2024, 3:00 pm

  1. List A: Bourrée in D Minor

  2. List B: Early One Morning

  3. List C: Canon

  4. Etude: Celebration