http://www.wikio.com

The Musical Adjectives Project: click here to check out our new Sound Images page!

Wikispaces

Review: Sound Sketches, Supersonics, Soundwaves, & Soundscapes

Sound Sketches Books 1 & 3: Graham Lynch

Graham writes the following about his Sound Sketches:

The inspirations behind the series were in part the ordres of Couperin …and the Debussy Preludes. These were both close to what I wanted to do in terms of writing short character pieces that had a lot of poetry and atmosphere in them, as well as a sense of fun and drama at the keyboard. I’d felt from my own teaching that pupils at the early grade levels in particular didn’t have access to much serious music that used a rich harmonic language, and in a way these pieces are a kind of ‘harmony manual’ in which pupils can subconsciously pick up and learn to interpret exactly how harmony speaks to a musician …Above all, I wanted students to be enchanted by the sound world and the possibilities of what a piano can do, even at a basic level.

What immediately struck me about both of these volumes was the enormous variety of patterns. The harmonies in these pieces are broken in inventive and colorful ways. A pianist will master accompaniments and gestures in LH, in RH, as well as multiple voices in either hand without even realizing it. The titles and descriptions appeal to a wide variety of interests and experience and truly help the pianist to paint musical pictures. I loved the markings in measure 23 of Clouds (Bk 1), perhaps a little louder… (so polite!) and in Lago di Como (Bk 3) like the stillness of a lake untroubled by the wind. I am going to have to add some new musical adjectives to The Musical Adjectives Project after playing through these pieces.

My favorite pieces are the very atmospheric ones in each volume: Sleeping Cat, Paris Valse, Silk Road, Dangerous Mountain Ascent, Clouds, Once and Again, and Cavern (with Dragon) from Bk 1, and Kite Surfing, Delfi, Marin, Lago di Coma, Storm Scene with Mountains, and Goodbye Ullapool from Bk 3. All the pieces (23 in Bk 1 and 17 in Bk 3) have a sense of drama and movement that draws you in and keeps you playing and wanting more. An enchanted world indeed!

The pieces range from 1-3 pages in length and are cleanly printed and clear of distractions. Pedaling is left mostly up to the pianist however there are suggestions throughout for using both the damper and una corda pedals. Tempo and expressive markings are a mix of Italian and English. These pieces are not beginner pieces. Volume 1 is appropriate for later elementary/early intermediate players. With so many pieces and variety in each volume, there is absolutely room for growth within them. A student would not progress out of them overly quickly, which can be a problem with large collections.

Check them out! You can find them at the Sound Sketches link above and Graham assures me that he has kept the postage to the USA exactly the same as in the UK to keep them easy and inexpensive (9.99£) to obtain.

Supersonics, Soundwaves, & Soundscapes: Daniel McFarlane

The pieces in these books have a very popular, sometimes hard edged urban vibe. They range in level from elementary to late intermediate and are filled with syncopations and interesting rhythms. Be warned! There are loads of 16ths in complex combinations (even in the level 1 books). Players who love television and movie scores will love these pieces.

Styles include rock, jazz, pattern based new age, pop song, boogie, funk, salsa, and more. Soundscapes One includes pieces with the titles, Hacked, Urban Beat, Nitro, and Behind Enemy Lines–examples of the aforementioned hard edged urban vibe. I especially was struck by the Soundwaves volume which includes a longer piece entitled Monsoon and two suites (for want of a better word). The first is entitled The Lake and includes Mist, Reflections, and Undercurrent. The second, Lost, includes Lost, Round and Round, SOS, and The End. I love that these pieces tell entire stories and spark the imagination in the process.

You can purchase digital and print editions of these books at Daniel McFarlane’s link above. I used my iPad to view and play through them and it worked just fine in my music reader. Sound files are available for each piece by way of the link. Just click on the cover of each book see a list of the pieces. If you purchase the digital copies, be sure and keep your receipt as proof of purchase. Apparently, Daniel’s first volume was illegally distributed in Hong Kong and even arranged for Harp without permission! He says to look out for periodic promotions on the site and hopes you enjoy the pieces.

 

Share

SuiteLinks: January 21

david.loudon@googlemail.com (via morgueFile)

In this SuiteLinks: Book of pianist interviews, Remembering Gustav Leonhardt, Slenczynska celebrates 87th, Eight handed pianist, Hear the lost Brahms piece, Why Schiff won’t play in Hungary any longer, First Love after 25 years, and more!

Schiff puts his foot down

Schiff plays lost Brahms Albumblatt

Yamaha launches interactive sheet music app

Ruth Slenczynska celebrates 87th with original debut program

A musical life restarts at 60

Interivew: Andrew Harbridge

Selling a 300 yr old instrument

Eight handed pianist

Stunning new Hall

Remembering Gustav Leonhardt

The Bark Side

Book: At the Piano Interviews with 21st Century Pianists

Ambassador for Bach

First Love: Sue Perkins

Share

Thoughts On An Upcoming Competition

Some thoughts for my student as she prepares for a competition…

Welcome to the next step of your personal musical journey. You will meet some colleagues who are musically much more mature and experienced than yourself. You will also meet those who are less experienced and mature. You have to be strong enough to be who you are at the moment you perform. You cannot try to please or be like anybody else or your playing will sound insincere, disjointed, and possibly a bit insane.

It has been a joy for me to change my role from one who helps you see the possibilities in your repertoire to that of one who listens to your unique ideas and helps you implement them.  I will always tell you what I think does and doesn’t work and give you ideas for resolving issues. However, it will be up to you to use those ideas creatively and incorporate them into your interpretation.

As you take the next step in speaking with your own musical voice use everything you have learned about music and being human—your whole self. Remember what you learned when you played Mama in The Music Man: that stranger with the suitcase who may be your very last chance. Let the voices interact. Make them sing to and with each other, interrupt, support, echo, argue, console, and more. Record yourself a couple times a week to see if your ideas can be clearly heard.

You need to balance your practice between disciplined nitty gritty work and large scale creative work. When you attack the nitty gritty (even in small sections), don’t forget to play beautifully (even with the metronome). If you merely drill, then drilling is what your final playing will sound like. Remember that you are drilling body, heart, and mind together as a whole.

Half of practice is facing that which we don’t do well and admitting we need to change. Don’t forget the other half though. Be sure you know which things you really do well and give yourself credit. When you record yourself make notes of the good stuff as well as that which needs attention.

Don’t forget the role of rhythm in a musical performance. You can voice exquisitely, use fabulous dynamics, incorporate a wide tonal palatte, phrase wonderfully, and have all the fingers in the world but if the meter is incorrect, there are false accents in passagework, or the overall tempo is not steady and logical, your playing will sound heavy, awkward, flat and/or dull.

Take breaks, drink lots of water, and do stretches during your practice hours. Consider alternating between sessions of practice at the piano and sessions away from the piano where you imagine every detail of your performance. If there is a spot you can’t imagine well, spend some extra time on it at the piano because that spot is a guaranteed danger in performance.

Most of all, embrace the solitude, in practice at the piano and away from it, that is a part of every creative person’s life. You need boatloads of time away from others to find your deepest self and connect it to your music. Only then will you receive the insights we know as true creativity. And, don’t be surprised if you are awakened at 3 am with an idea either!

 

Share

SuiteLinks: January 14

In this SuiteLinks: Remembering Alexis Weissenberg, Musical law & order, Afghan music academy rebuilds post Taliban, Premier of “new” Brahms piano piece, Music for LH, and more!

Weissenberg: of fire and ice

Weissenberg’s music saved him from death camps

Sharing a keyboard

Ohlsson eyes Liszt

Afghanistan music academy rebuilds post Taliban

“New” Brahms piece gets premier

Haimovitz & O’Riley team up

Law and Order music style

Piano from Apps for Hunger

Music for LH

Share

One Year Later: What’s Your Policy?

Saturday January 8, 2011 was a sad day in Tucson and for the country. The massacre took place at the Safeway where my family shopped for many years. One of my fellow piano teachers and her husband were there when the shots rang out. Our Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head and despite . . . → Read More: One Year Later: What’s Your Policy?

Share

SuiteLinks: Jan. 6

In this SuiteLinks: Ax retraces steps, The bold yet undersung, Brubeck goody, Pianist’s temptation, Geri Allen at the Vanguard, What a discarded piano can do, Pianistic happy birthdays, Fleisher interview, and more!

Thibaudet incredibly close

Behind Cherry’s piano desk

Piano journey fills the heart

Ax retraces steps

Brubeck goody

John Cage on I’ve Got A . . . → Read More: SuiteLinks: Jan. 6

Share

PA Shorts: Ye Olde Rules

Whew! All the end of term and holiday recital craziness is past us.

Years ago I read a group of entertaining rules of performance etiquette in the style of Jolly Olde England. I have no idea what the original source was at this point. (Someone once told me that after 5 years of using an . . . → Read More: PA Shorts: Ye Olde Rules

Share

Happy New Year: 2011 Top Posts

The Happiest Of New Years To All My Fellow Piano Addicts!

My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you for stopping by and reading the blog, following @pianoaddictblog on Twitter, and liking Piano Addict on Facebook. I truly appreciate all the post comments and unexpected personal notes of support. You are inspirational, insightful, witty, . . . → Read More: Happy New Year: 2011 Top Posts

Share

SuiteLinks: Dec. 30

In this SuiteLinks: Don Cherry + piano effects, Gabriel Kahane’s two worlds, Piano as Art, Cliburn Foundation moving forward again, Piano Jazz gets a makeover, Music of Sebastian Currier, Toy pianists, and more!

Don’t play it again Sam

Cliburn foundation regaining footing

Makeover for Piano Jazz on NPR

Masters of the Keyboard Series

Piano music . . . → Read More: SuiteLinks: Dec. 30

Share

Chestnuts: Becoming A Rubato Geek

OK, I admit it, I was streaming Christmas music again during my commute this week. Alright, alright—a few other times too…

Lots of mid-century renditions of classic holiday songs were in the mix. You know the ones—Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Baby It’s Cold Outside, Silver Bells, Winter Wonderland, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Sleigh . . . → Read More: Chestnuts: Becoming A Rubato Geek

Share

SuiteLinks: December 17

In this SuiteLinks: Jazz Christmas at the Kennedy Center, Biss plays all 32, How to live in harmony with your pianos, Pressler at the National Gallery, and more!

Best piano pieces of 2011

Kennedy Jazz Piano Christmas

Coal in stockings of these Bartok performers

Billy Joel gets portrait in Steinway Hall

Prokofiev Sonata marathon

Best . . . → Read More: SuiteLinks: December 17

Share

Guest Post: Teaching Students From Different Backgrounds, Neeki Bey

Those of you who know me, know that I am totally against, what my friend calls, “drive by arts experiences”. These experiences can encompass a range of genres; the Chopin Waltz, the 12 Bar Blues piece, The “by ear” piece, Sakura… You get the picture. I also believe in respecting a student’s background and finding . . . → Read More: Guest Post: Teaching Students From Different Backgrounds, Neeki Bey

Share

SuiteLinks: December 10

In this SuiteLinks: Christmas Mash-ups, How the greats chose their instruments, What Iyer told piano students, Interviews with Gabby Gifford’s music therapist & Cliburn Amateur winner Shih, Stevie Wonder auctions piano to help kids, Musician’s most important piece of holiday equipment, Big break for 85 year old pianist, A ghostly collaboration, and more!

Piano Lessons . . . → Read More: SuiteLinks: December 10

Share

A Surge of Holiday Spirit

The past week has consisted of a myriad of small annoyances: a student tried to cover not practicing by saying she couldn’t figure out notes she had been reading successfully for quite some time, an entire jury/final schedule had to be redone at the last minute because one student didn’t check the online finals schedule . . . → Read More: A Surge of Holiday Spirit

Share

SuiteLinks: December 3

In this SuiteLinks: Jason Moran’s new gig, Playing with toys (pianos that is), Tweeting along with the symphony?, Musical gifts to avoid this season, Airport piano playoff, Piano leg redesign yields acoustic benefits, Magnetic resonator piano attracts attention, and more!

Music, mental illness, & magic

Pianistic Guinness Record

Tweeting along with the Symphony

Why music . . . → Read More: SuiteLinks: December 3

Share

Fun Is A Policy

My daughter and I were texting about important logistical stuff yesterday when I suddenly realized that I had to leave to go teach. “Gotta go teach!”, I typed. “Have fun!”, she replied.

“Hmmm”, I thought. “Will they have practiced?” Then I reminded myself that I do enjoy teaching very much and having fun is a . . . → Read More: Fun Is A Policy

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Share