The best kind of a weekend. Great weather, amazing people, beautiful music, a fun setting, and delicious food! Kudos to all my Piano Prodigies for sharing their music this weekend. 

WOW. Incredible music-making tonight at the joint recital between Piano Prodigies and students of violinist Kathy Andrew. Such passion, beautiful moments of timing, gorgeous phrasing, and incredible virtuosity. Congrats to all performers!

On Friday, Piano Prodigies students shared beautiful music with the residents of Kendal at Hanover. 

On Saturday, we enjoyed exploring yoga and movement for musicians through ah-mazing workshops led by Elizabeth Borowsky and Reina Lansigan. It was especially fun to mix students AND parents in these classes (aren't we all just big kids?!). Lots of smiles, laughs, and left these workshops with stronger and inspired.

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!

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! 

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!

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!

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.​

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.

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!