April 3, 2026 (6.5 of 8)

Final Recital: May 30th at 2:30 pm

Group Class

  1. Happy Farmer: tried by memory - nice work!

  2. Sonatina in G Major - working on tempo changes and note learning.

Next week, choose an Etude

💚Sonatina in G Major op. 36 no. 2 III by Muzio Clementi (L. 4, B)

  1. Tril Practice:

    1. There steps: put on mm. 76 - play the bottom LH note A (as an 8th note) while you play the RH trill (slow-fast-slow-fast, etc). Then do the same thing with the top A in the LH, then play the LH as written.

  2. Fix m. 70 RH notes

  3. Practice the new expressive markings in the music in mm. 41-64

  4. 💛Be able to start, from memory, from measures: 1, 13, 25, 32, 41, 99. Play 6 measures.

💚THEORY_04_04: Rhythm (Genevieve only)

  1. Prepare pages. 33-37

  2. Rhythm: - needs a bit more focus in the future.

💚Minuet in D Minor BWV Anh. 132 by J. S. Bach (L. 4, A)

  1. practice with m.m. 80 per quarter note. Focus on expression and make the LH sticky staccato. Practice this in two parts: mm. 1-8 and 9 to the end.

  2. m. 14 - RH sliding off the B-flat to the A: make this a smoother transition to avoid accents and unevenness.

💚“Sight-Reading 2B”

  1. Prepare pgs. continue on from 60-64 - focus this week is identifying the beat

💚The Happy Farmer by Robert Schumann (L. 4, C) - recital.

  1. m. 11 - make sure the upbeat (anacrusis) is softer than the downbeat.

  2. Keep focused on RH chords being softer.

💚Four Star: Level 3

  1. Practice with the RCM Online Level 3 Ear Training examples.

    1. Rhythm: 💛clap closer to the iPad and loudly. Start right after the last beat. When you listen back, make sure you’re trying to say out loud what rhythm you did.

    2. Melody: practice these as well.

    3. Intervals: practice humming out loud, the notes of the scale (outline of the interval).

🎨 Color-Focus Practice (NFPER)

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

  • N – Notes – correct pitches and accidentals (🟥 Red)

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

  • P – Position – hand shape, posture, and keyboard geography (🟨 Yellow)

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

  • R – Rhythm – steady pulse, accurate timing, and rests (🟦 Blue)

✅ 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

  • ✅ 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?

REVIEW PIECES:

💚The First Noel, Traditional, arr. Edwin McLean

💚Bird in the Bebop by Wynn-Anne Rossi (L. 2, Etude)

  1. 2, List A: Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 114 by Christian Petzold (1677-1733)

  2. 2, List B: Sonatina in G Major, Anh. 5, no. 1. II. Romanze, attr. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

  3. 2, List C: Play by Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

  4. 2, Etude 1: Prelude No. 4 in F Major by Elvina Pearce

  5. 2, Etude 2: Arabesque, op. 100, no. 2 by Burgmuller

  6. 💚Bird in the Bebop by Wynn-Anne Rossi (L. 2, Etude)

  7. O Christmas Tree

  8. Etude in F Major, Op. 190, No. 27 by Christian Louis Heinrich Köhler (L. 2, Etude)

  9. 💚A Ditty of Yimeng Mountain (2. C)

  10. 💚Minuet in A Minor by Purcell (2, A)

  11. 💚Rhyme Time (2. B)

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

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

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

  15. 💚💜Angelfish (L. 1, B)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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