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
Binder on the music stand, iPad to the right. That is the setup.
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.
Lost? Press My Assignment List at the top to go back.
30 minutes a day. At least 100 minutes a week.
Five practice days a week.
Something wrong with the guide? Open the video tool, record yourself explaining it, and press Send to Dustin. It emails me a link straight away.
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]
Theory
1. ⬛️ Theory Unit 7: Triads
Not yet. This is where we left off and we will come back to it.
Musicianship
2. ⬛️ RCM Online Ear Training
Not yet.
3. ⬛️ Rhythm: Basic Rhythmic Training (Newzik)
Not yet.
4. ⬛️ Piano Adventures Sightreading Book, Primer Level (Faber)
We are stopping this one for now and doing more in your Lesson and Musicianship book instead. We left off at pages 9 to 13.
5. 🟨 Note Reading Flashcards, Treble and Bass
THIS WEEK: Pass off drill 5 at normal speed.
🎥 Flash Card Video, Treble & Bass https://youtu.be/bPHgfe9bZ6Q
Drill 5 at normal speed now. Half speed is passed off.
Find the closest landmark instead of counting up from the bottom.
One or two wrong is a pass off.
6. 🟩 Piano Adventures Sightreading Book, Level 1 (Faber), pages 16 to 19
THIS WEEK: Pages 16, 17, 18 and 19. One piece per practice session.
Hands together every time. Sight reading is always hands together.
Study the page first, then pick a slow tempo and do not stop.
Repertoire
7. 🟨 Fairy Tale, from Celebrate Piano! Solos 1, page 13
THIS WEEK: Get rid of the last pauses. We pass it off next week.
m.m. 60.
Record yourself once, listen back, and mark an X where you pause.
Spot each X with the Section-Work tool, then record again.
Look ahead to the next note. That is what stops the pause.
8. 🟩 Flying, from Celebrate Piano! Lesson and Musicianship 1A, page 58
THIS WEEK: Be ready to pass it off next week, playing with me.
Everything is legato. Connect all of it.
Keep the beat going when you make a mistake.
9. 🟩 Trombones, from Celebrate Piano! Lesson and Musicianship 1A, page 61
THIS WEEK: Learn it. We pass it off in one lesson next week.
New this week.
Slur means connect. Keep it smooth.
Check which notes are played together and which are separate.
10. 🟩 Merrily We Roll Along, from Celebrate Piano! Lesson and Musicianship 1A, page 55
THIS WEEK: Learn the notes and the fingering.
New this week.
Long slurs. Connect the whole way.
Find the landmark C and E first, then read off them.
11. ⬛️ New Shoes (Niamath)
Still on hold. We come back to this when you can find middle C on the page quickly. Pass off your other assignments and we start it again.
Setup
12. 🟧 Your new books
Mine. I am bringing your Preparatory B sight reading and ear test book and your Preparatory technical requirements book to your next lesson.
13. 🟧 A new piece for you
Mine. I am picking a Preparatory B piece for you. You liked Sneaky Sam best.
Goals This Year
Look ahead to the next note, the way you look ahead crossing the street. Eyes stay on the music.
Finish your piece before you get off the bench or look at the audience.
Loud and soft — make a difference.
Speak loudly. Hold still while you speak. Eyes on one or two spots.
Review List
RCM Preparatory A
💚 The Haunted Mouse (List A)
💚 The Juggler (Nancy and Randall Faber) (List A)