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 here. It picks up where you stopped last time.
Read the assignment, press Start, practice.
Tap the kind of practice — learning, spotting, memorizing, polishing, run-through, review, brick or free write — then press Done.
Press Next practice item and go again.
Capped items count down and chime. Keep going if it's going well.
Some assignments are marked ONCE. Do them one time, press Finished with this one, and they come off your list.
Also in the panel: a metronome, a spotting counter, and recording.
Log every practice session from today. The competition starts October 1 — practicing and logging now is how we get the kinks out.
🟩 on track · 🟨 needs extra attention · 🟪 didn't get to it at the lesson · 🟥 priority · ⬛️ don't practice this one
[PRACTICE TOOLS]
Setup
1. 🟩 Three-ring binder — print your music
One-time assignment.
Get a three-ring binder and a hole punch.
Print and file: technical requirements, Clementi, Musette, Twilight Prelude, Arabesque.
Keep the binder open at the piano instead of working out of Newzik.
Technique
All four scales, same method
Hands alone first if you need it, then hands together.
Three times in a row correctly, using the spotting counter.
Focus on N, F and P. No tempo, no metronome yet.
Stay further inside the black keys. Your wrist is sitting low and the finger position is off after time away.
2. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 3 (RCM) — D major
Hands together.
3. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 3 (RCM) — B harmonic minor
Remind yourself this is the relative minor of D major.
4. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 3 (RCM) — B melodic minor
5. 🟩 Technical Requirements for Piano, Level 3 (RCM) — F major
Start where the book says two.
Theory
6. 🟩 Celebrate Theory, Level 2, Unit 6 (RCM)
⏱ Max 5 minutes per practice session.
Pages 59 to 63.
Work inside Newzik.
When the timer goes off, stop and move to the next assignment.
Finish the unit before the next lesson, then press Finished with this one.
Musicianship
7. 🟩 Four Star, Level 3, Set 7
One day of the set per practice session. No time limit — press Start and see how long it takes.
After the fifth day the set is done. Press Finished with this one.
Repertoire
Clementi — brick practice
Four small chunks. Spotting counter, NFPE, right hand then left hand then hands together, three correct in a row each. Skip R.
Do each chunk one time and the Practice Guide joins them into bigger ones by itself.
Goal for the week: measures 1 to 16 back in your fingers. Anywhere up to 24 is better.
8. 🟩 Sonatina in C major, Op. 36 No. 1, Vivace (Clementi) — listen
Once a day, first thing. Listen all the way through while you follow your music.
🎥 Clementi, hands together, measures 1 to 16 https://youtube.com/shorts/udVvwB3dX88
9. 🟩 Sonatina in C major, Op. 36 No. 1, Vivace (Clementi), mm. 1-4
Start here.
10. 🟩 Sonatina in C major, Op. 36 No. 1, Vivace (Clementi), mm. 5-8
Same as before.
11. 🟩 Sonatina in C major, Op. 36 No. 1, Vivace (Clementi), mm. 9-12
Same as before.
12. 🟩 Sonatina in C major, Op. 36 No. 1, Vivace (Clementi), mm. 13-16
Same as before.
13. 🟩 Musette in D major, BWV Anh. 126 (Anonymous), mm. 17-20
Spotting counter, NFPER — this one includes R.
Right hand, left hand, hands together.
For the rhythm pass, no faster than 96 per eighth note.
D.C. al Fine: play the repeat, then play through to the Fine.
14. 🟩 Twilight Prelude (Springer)
⏱ Max 4 minutes per practice session.
Relearn from the beginning, two to four measures at a time.
Right hand, left hand, hands together, in chunks, until it comes back.
No spotting counter on this one. Just the timer.
15. 🟩 Arabesque, Op. 100 No. 2 (Burgmüller)
⏱ Max 3 minutes per practice session.
Left hand only, through the whole piece.
Focus: the fifth finger actually sounding in the A minor triads.
Goals This Year
Aiming for RCM Level 3 in November.
Technique Toolbox
Close-loud — for fast scale-like passages that need finger independence.
Play the key with a strong attack, close the finger to the key, forward-motion wrist, then relax immediately while the key is still down.
Accent practice — for the same kind of passage.
Use close-loud on one note of a small group, rotating which note gets it while all the others stay fast and soft.
Review List
Practice starting from any measure of any piece below.
RCM Level 2
💚 Minuet in G major, K. 1e (Mozart) (List A)
💚 The Waltz That Floated Away (List B)
💚 Canon in D major (Czerny) (Etude)
RCM Level 1
💚 Angelfish (Anne Crosby Gaudet) (List B)
RCM Preparatory B
💚 Leaping the Waves with Dolphins (Barbara Arens)
💜 To Fly Like an Eagle
Duet
💚 Jingle Bells (duet)