April 24, 2026 (1.5 of 8)

Final Recital: May 30th at 2:15 pm

Group Class: May 2nd or 3rd

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

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

💚Ballade, Op. 100 No. 15 by Burgmuller (L. 4, Etude)

  1. Finish learning the piece!

  2. Write measure numbers at the beginning of each system.

  3. See the black pen for corrections / comments in the music. (paper)

  4. Remember your wrist movement in mm. 2-3 in the LH. Ascending 4-note pattern = raise wrist.

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

  1. Measures 49-54: Technical work

    1. all 16th notes do the following (hands together)

    2. close-loud (each note strong forward motion wrist

    3. accent practice every other note, then switch the accent.

    4. The trill is now two notes per LH 16th.

    5. Then speed-build

  2. See the new pencil markings (expression) in measures 1-39.

💜THEORY_04_04: Rhythm (Genevieve only)

  1. Do a maximum of 60 minutes on theory preparation.

  2. Only a couple of errors in the last assignment (see red pen)

  3. Prepare pages 40-46

  4. Memorize circle of 5ths diagram on p. 34.

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

  1. Practice with and without music, and start from three random measures each practice session. Play for at least 5 measures, then move on.

  2. ❤️Fix the LH notes in m. 8

  3. Please do both the first and second endings both tims.

💜“Sight-Reading 2B”

  1. Prepare pgs. continue on from 64-67 of the PDF - focus this week is identifying the beat

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

  1. Practice talking through (in music theory terms) all the notes in the first measure of the piece. This helps secure your memory incase it fails during a concert! For example, LH starts on the dominant and moves to the tonic. The RH starts with a solid/blocked 2nd inversion tonic triad.

  2. Stronger dynamic (f) for LH and quieter RH. Otherwise, this is sounding very good!

  3. Practice with and without music, and start from three random measures each practice session. Play for at least 5 measures, then move on.

💜Four Star: Level 3

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

    1. Rhythm: (see #2 below)

    2. Melody: Practice remembering how you did after the example - Dustin will ask about this next time.

    3. Intervals: need a bit more practice.

🎨 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