May 13, 2026 (4.75 of 8)

Final Recital: May 30th at 2:00 pm

💚“Sight-Reading 2B”

  1. Prepare pgs. continue on from 75-80 of the PDF - focus this week is identifying the beat

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

  1. mm. 28-30 - don’t speed up (see the comment below re. m. 53).

  2. m. 53 - don’t suddenly go faster. When you play mm. 51-52 - think of three pulses to not rush in m. 53.

  3. m. 34 - Please do the crescendo.

  4. mm. 19-23, and mm. 75-79 - please play very short - staccato

  5. Please practice with metronome 50 until the dolce - hands in lap thinking about three pulses per measure. Then begin. You may need to take this hands apart at first.

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

  1. Trill section - hands alone, then together, using metronome 108 per 8th note, and focusing on the LH whe playing the trill hands together.

đź’šTHEORY_04_04: Rhythm (Genevieve only)

  1. Memorize circle of 5ths diagram on p. 34. Please be able to quickly tell me the number of sharps or flats in any of the indicated major or minor scales. The test will be no more than 2 second pause for your response. 🥸

đź’šMinuet in D Minor BWV Anh. 132 by J. S. Bach (L. 4, A) - recital memorized

  1. Approx. 98 per quarter note.

  2. All quarter notes sticky please.

  3. Practice from any measure of the piece and see the purple dynamics in the second half.

đź’śThe Happy Farmer by Robert Schumann (L. 4, C) - recital memorized

  1. LH first note (c) is quieter.

  2. RH softer in the first two systems.

  3. System 3 in the RH should be melodic focus.

  4. 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.

⬛️Resume technique after the recital

🎨 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