July 1, 2024

Summer:

July 26th - Mid August away.

Genevieve: during the week and before next lesson, go through each item in your blog below and ask yourself, what would I say to Dustin if he asked me “how did Sight-Reading 2A practice go?” etc. Please keep your practice journal going! Nice work on this!

💜💜“Sight-Reading 2A”

  1. Left off on page 49 of 90

  2. Remember: the most important aspect of sight-reading is keeping a steady beat. Notes come second.

  3. PRACTICE SIGHT-READING NO FASTER THAN M.M. 50 PER QUARTER NOTE.

  4. Please use the metronome for EVERY assignment.

    1. Identify the time signature

    2. What is the shortest note-value?

    3. Clap the beat and ta the rhythm IN YOUR MIND

    4. Study the contour (shape) of the notes and the distance between them (intervals).

    5. Set a steady (slow) beat, then begin.

    6. Don’t correct anything in real-time.

💜🎹Technique: Level 2

  1. See the RCM Technical Requirements Level 02 PDF

    1. Lead with your wrist

      1. F major

      2. D harmonic minor

      3. D melodic minor

      4. E harmonic minor

      5. E melodic minor

        1. ONE TIME CLOSE LOUD (no faster than m.m. 50)

          1. From the key

          2. Attack very strong with a forward-motion wrist

          3. Immediately relax after the attack

          4. Fingers must be round and sound must be strong.

          5. If you make a mistake, go back at least one note.

        2. ONE TIME STACCATO

        3. ONE TIME LEGAGO

💚Rhyme Time (2. B)

  1. See the new “Practice Audio” files in Newzik. These are meant to be practiced with - pause the audio as you go along and follow all of the instructions carefully. It will take longer to complete each one in the first couple days of practice. After this, you should be playing the section fairly confidently!

  2. Practcie mm. 11-14 hands alone, then together, several times each day.

💚A Ditty of Yimeng Mountain (2. C)

  1. Please be able to answer the following questions at your next lesson:

    1. Compare the treble clef in measures 1-2 and 5-6. What is different and what is exactly the same?

    2. The treble clef in measures 1-8 is repeated but in a different register? Where is it? Is it exactly the same - rhythm AND melody?

    3. Practice the rhythm in measure 7. Clap the beat and ta the rhythm. You can practice this by thinking about the subdivisions of the beats: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.

💜Four Star: Level 2: “Four Star 02 00 02” (Review Set 1)

  1. Practice with the playback recording found in the PDF in Newzik

💚THEORY: Level 2, Unit 3

  1. See the audio answer in Newzik to your question about page 7, 4B

REVIEW PIECES:

  1. 💚The Snake by Renée Christopher (L. 1, C)

  2. 💚Angelfish (L. 1, B)

  3. 💚Andante in G Minor by Georg Philip Telemann (L. 1, A)

  4. 💚Detectives by Christine Donkin (L. 1, Etude)

  5. 💚Andante in G Minor by Georg Philip Telemann (L. 1, A)

  6. 💚Angelfish (L. 1, B)

  7. 💚The Snake by Renée Christopher (L. 1, C)

  8. 💚Celebration by Ann Crosby Gaudet (L. 1, Etude)

  9. 💜💚💚 The Calico Cat by Helen Marlais (b. 1966) (Prep B)

  10. 💚💚💚Freddie the Frog by Anne Crosby-Gaudet (b. 1968) (Prep B)

  11. 💚💚💚Allegro in C Major op. 1 no. 4 by Alexander Reinagle (1756-1809) (L. A)

  12. 💚💚💚A Skating Waltz by Boris Berlin (1907-2001) (L. A)

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

2023 Fall Milestones

  1. RCM Level B Exam in the Fall? Or Level 1 in the Spring.

Register for RCM Level 1 Exam by February 10th

RCM LEVEL 1 EXAM: May 29th 11:01 am

List A: Andante

List B: Angelfish

List C: The Snake

Etude: Detectives

Recital May 19th: 3 pm (or 1 pm if possible)

Angelfish

Detectives

The Snake

Andante

Celebration