May 2, 2026 (Group Class)

Final Recital: May 30th at 2:00 pm

Group Class: May 2nd or 3rd

đź’šBallade, Op. 100 No. 15 by Burgmuller (L. 4, Etude)

  1. mm. 87-90 - rotate accent practice on each note of the measure. Start slowly and increase your speed to your max

  2. Don’t speed up in 19 and 75

  3. Practice movement from 94-95

  4. mm. 31-56 - focus is expression.

    1. start with RH alone, exaggerating your dynamics.

    2. Left hand alone pp

    3. then together.

đź’šSonatina in G Major op. 36 no. 2 III by Muzio Clementi (L. 4, B)

  1. p. 1, last system, last two measures. Do close-loud, and then soft/slow.

    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 at least 5-7 min of theory per day to finish the two pages.

  2. ❤️Prepare pages 44-45

  3. ❤️Memorize circle of 5ths diagram on p. 34.

đź’šMinuet 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. Please do both the first and second endings both tims.

  3. Slow down slightly at the end.

💚“Sight-Reading 2B”

  1. Prepare pgs. continue on from 69-73 of the PDF - focus this week is identifying the beat

đź’śThe 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.

đź’šFour Star: Level 3

  1. Continue to practice with the RCM Online Level 3 Ear Training examples.

🎨 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. (đźź© Green)

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

âś… 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

  • âś… 3 times in a row correctly, or

  • âś… 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:

đź’šThe First Noel, Traditional, arr. Edwin McLean

đź’šBird 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 BĂ©la BartĂłk (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. đź’šBird 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. đź’šA Ditty of Yimeng Mountain (2. C)

  10. đź’šMinuet in A Minor by Purcell (2, A)

  11. đź’šRhyme Time (2. B)

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

  13. đź’šAndante in G Minor by Georg Philip Telemann (L. 1, A)

  14. đź’šDetectives by Christine Donkin (L. 1, Etude)

  15. đź’šđź’śAngelfish (L. 1, B)

  16. đź’šCelebration by Ann Crosby Gaudet (L. 1, Etude)

  17. đź’śđź’šđź’š The Calico Cat by Helen Marlais (b. 1966) (Prep B)

  18. đź’šđź’šđź’šFreddie the Frog by Anne Crosby-Gaudet (b. 1968) (Prep B)

  19. đź’šđź’šđź’šAllegro in C Major op. 1 no. 4 by Alexander Reinagle (1756-1809) (L. A)

  20. đź’šđź’šđź’šA 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