Blog Posts - Piano Prodigies

Let It Snow! (Online Holiday Recital)

12/22/2017

Congrats to all the kids practicing "Let it Snow" - you did it! The Upper Valley is blanketed in several inches of fluffy white snow. It's beautiful to look at, less fun to drive in, hence a regretfully cancelled holiday recital at The Greens. Although I truly missed seeing everyone in person I'm excited to share these home videos my students made so that we could present an "online" recital. Keep up the beautiful music making!

Stay tuned for updates :)

Bonus video: my siblings and I performing my trio arrangement of "What Child Is This" in Baltimore this past Sunday!

MTNA New Hampshire Composition Winners

10/15/2017

Music Teachers National Association is pleased to announce the results of the composition competition for New Hampshire, Junior Division, as per appointed judge Mr. William Fletcher.

Winner: Liana Lansigan, Student of Elizabeth Borowsky
Honorable mention: Amica Lansigan, Student of Elizabeth Borowsky

UPDATE: WORLD-PREMIERE PERFORMANCE

On Friday, March 16, 2018, Liana Lansigan performed the world-premiere of her composition "Fire and Ice" during a recital at Norwich Congregational Church (Norwich, Vermont). Live performance video below!

Masterclass Performance for ZOFO

10/15/2017

Thank you to the ZOFO duet for presenting an outstanding masterclass for pianists in the Upper Valley! Piano Prodigies student Amica performed Emmanuel Chabrier's acrobatic work for piano, four-hands, "Bouree Fantasque" together with her teacher Elizabeth Borowsky. ZOFO had great feedback for all participants, reminding pianists to always take your audience on a journey and make use of dynamic contrast and the element of surprise!

Summer Project Celebration

9/3/2017

On Thursday, we celebrated the end of the summer, start of the fall, AND the successful participation in the first ever Amazing & Incredible, Piano Prodigies Obstacle Course, Treasure Hunt Challenge! Students had the opportunity to participate in a number of fun challenges that allowed them to explore piano and music from perspectives a little different than what they are used to in lessons (e.g playing a public piano, creating music-themed artwork, attending an opera, writing a composition, or teaching piano to a family member or friend). We celebrated with an ice cream party and there were prizes for everyone, with the top five participants receiving special acknowledgement. Congratulations, Prodigies!

2017 Young Artist Piano Competition

5/2/2017

Congratulations to three Piano Prodigies students who participated at the 2017 Young Artist Piano Competition for New England Students on Saturday, April 29.

Grace, age 6, received first place
Amica, age 10, received first place
Liana, age 13, received Honorable Mention
Amica & Liana, received first place in the duet division

These students exhibited exemplary focus, determination, and patience in their weekly work towards the goal of mastering their competition repertoire. It took several months of digging deep into their pieces, coming to lessons each week and hearing what still needs to be improved, and working diligently to make the requested improvements.

Our goal was simply to learn and grow through the experience, and present the best results of all our efforts in practice and preparations. All three students met and exceeded expectations with their performances. Bravo, and congratulations!

Masterclass by Dr. Chad Bowles

4/9/2017

Piano Prodigies hosted a masterclass by pianist and teacher Chad Bowles on Friday, April 7, 2017. Three students performed for Dr. Bowles and received feedback on how to practice and work to improve their playing:

Grace (age 6)
Sonatina Humoresque (Preambulum: Allegro) by Christos Tsitsaros
Sonatina Op. 55, No. 3 (Allegro con spirito) by Friedrich Kuhlau
Amica (age 10)
Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy
Prelude Op. 12 No. 7 ("Harp") by Sergei Prokofiev
Liana (age 13)
Fantasie Impromptu by Frederic Chopin
Sonata No. 4 Op. 128, Movement IV by Diane Rahbee

Summary:

Be aware of your surroundings (acoustics!)
The production of sound (especially fast-moving notes) in a resonant space must be extra clear (articulated) so that everyone can understand what you're saying!
Know your score and be aware of all slurs, breaks in slurs, accents... all expressive markings and their meanings and language!
The bass of the piano is louder due to the size and length of the strings. Thus, for a descending scale that is diminuendo you have to try extra hard
When you're nervous your fingers are harder to control... and you think "faster." You need to work in your practicing to set things in place so that under pressure they still function. And... have a plan to avoid rushing. Practicing with metronome is good, but you can't perform with metronome... so you need backup methods. Count the sub-beats of longer note values so that you don't skip ahead.
You as performer have to be sensitive to the harmonic/dynamic surprises in the music so that you can surprise the audience.
Experiment with "expected" harmony vs. what is written so that you can feel the difference, and then convey it to the audience.
If there is repetition, be sure to say it differently each time. This is a given in life (conversation) and music.
Work on voicing by shifting weight and exaggerating the difference between notes.
Be sure that you feel character changes. In your practicing, express them as specific adjectives.
Where is each phrase leading?
We hear better and more accurately if we sit still. Be careful not to move too much, for no good reason.
For maximum emotional impact of a special note, delay it. Use time to highlight it.
COUNT! Always count! Don't stop counting. One of the most important things about playing music is playing at the right time.

Music is Vitamin M!

4/9/2017

Piano Prodigies students presented an inspiring program of beautiful music at First Congregational Church in Lebanon on April 7, 2015. Thank you for students for giving your best, and sharing all of your hard work and excitement about your pieces with the audience. Sometimes, I wonder what I can do as a musician and a teacher to make the world a better place... You reminded me that music builds empathy, music builds community, and every moment spent investing in our youth is a moment well spent.

Piano Prodigies' Liana Lansigan Wins Prize at PSU Contemporary Piano Competition

3/8/2017

Congratulations to Piano Prodigies student Liana Lansigan on a winning performance at the Plymouth State University Contemporary Piano Competition this past Saturday (March 4). The competition, which is open to students in grades 7-12, brought in thirteen talented young pianists from across New Hampshire. Liana, currently 13 years old, performed "Ruvido," the electrically fourth movement of Diane Rahbee's Sonata No. 4, Op. 128. Judges characterized her performance as having "boundless energy," and "excellent musicianship and stage presence" and awarded her the second prize. Congratulations, Liana!

The Power of an Awe-Inspiring Performance

2/15/2017

Last night, I had the opportunity to hear a performance by renowned pianist Piotr Anderszewski with three of my students.

As a musician (pianist) who is usually hard at work on stage, I sometimes forget what it feels like to be in the audience... much less what it's like to experience a profound and total feeling of awe. It brought to mind an article I recently read on the health-benefits of awe in our lives (http://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/01/30/feeling-awe-may-be-the-secret-to-health-happiness/).

Although I've heard great things about Anderszewski's playing, I wasn't at all prepared for what I was going to hear. I expected nice piano music. Impressive playing. Solid memorization. A large range of dynamics.

What he created was actually an expertly crafted novel, from the first note to the last. We hung on to every "word" as it was told to us, waiting for more, and spinning wilding through the adventures he shared with us (and, as I knew some of the repertoire quite well, this effect especially impressed me!). We transcended time and space. His beautiful choreography paired with an infinite color-wheel of sound, that seemed to defy the possibilities of even the best of pianos.

I asked them my students at intermission, "Do you... Can you... feel what he is doing with the music?" They did. We talked about everything from memorization to practicing to style, program order, and life on the road. What a gift to be able to open the door to curiosity and possibility through this performance!

The Bach did indeed prove his brilliant ability to take us on a tour of an enchanted castle, visiting rooms of ornate decor full of beautifully-dressed dancing to live music (a new ensemble for each). Anderszewski created a new acoustic for each room, and took on the role of choreographer and conductor.

The performance was followed by Q&A, giving us a chance to learn more about the performer as a person. Here are some of his highlights:

Order and form come first. Freedom comes second. Don't be fooled: Chopin is not freer than Bach!
Few (if any) pieces are "abstract." Imagination and storytelling are indeed a part of the process and performance.
Performers always feel guilt for not practicing enough. We have to think about the long-term investment. Day-of practicing won't cut it; it's more about the six-months leading to the performance. You work hard, then let it rest and come to fruition.
You can't control the audience (who they are, what they expect, what they think of you). You have to just accept it.
Meeting a new piano just a few hours before a performance is hard. Sometimes... it's a nightmare. A concert is a combination of the performer, instrument, space (acoustics) and audience. It's chemistry...
Fave pianists: Richter, Michelangeli, Sokolov
Ideally, the pianist performers the composer, but also is giving their own voice to the music. It is a balance; the composer is not performing the music through the pianist, but the pianist is seeking to find the natural voice of the music. And the music affects the performer.
Look and/or Listen? It's your choice. Just enjoy the concert experience :)

Organ Workshop

1/29/2017

Thank you to Peter Beardsley for a fabulous "intro to organ" workshop for Piano Prodigies. We had so much fun, and learned a lot!