Greyson Chance

I stepped into the house and heard this sensational voice singing and piano playing, It was not like I heard sweet vibratos and rich tone voice but it was impressive enough. I liked how he did his falsettos and he does have a nice tone for his age what more I also heard he does not have any vocal training background. Sensational,I thought it was an adult singing, well above 18 anyway. Little did I know its only a 14 year old boy singing. He is Greyson Chance. Most of you would know him and personally I find his voice better than Justin Bieber. I watched his interview with Ellen DeGeneres and I found him speaking well like a matured adult. He also into acting and recently acted in Raising Hope- click here for a preview. Enjoy watching his version of Alicia Keys's Empire State of Mind below. Superb!

Piano Exams On The Way

 It is that time of the year again where my students and many other students are having their piano exams.Along comes the butterflies in the stomach and jitters prior to it. All have practice more or less throughout the year  and the duration of the exam takes less than half hour including the wait. As for the lower grades, it is even shorter. Nevertheless, the achievement is what matters, knowing you have the ability to play at your current level.

I can only pray that my students' jitters do not get to them and that they play their best to their ability. My expectation is for them to play their best and nothing less. The exam room seems scary like walking into a doctor's room but be at ease that the examiners are normally compassionate and there will be no sign of negativity in the room. No sighs, no grunts, it is either an encouragement or a respected silence.

I remembered how I went through as a student and the higher the grade the more nervous it was for me. Knowing that I have a mild problem with my fingers getting stiff easily when its cold, I try to wear warmer garments and i wake up early in the morning so that I don't feel rushed. Can you imagine your fingers stiffen as you play those runs and frills. But by God's grace I manage to pull through each time, no matter how many times my fingers stiffens.

We just got to do our best in practicing our hardest and let God handle the rest. So i wish all of you who are taking your piano practical exams the best in all you do. Practice everyday as much as you can with considerably ample rest. Consistency is the key to success and even if you are tight on schedule on some days, a few minutes doing the scales and technical plays will keep your fingers in good condition. Just as runners have to train each day to build up muscles and stamina, so do we as pianist and learners of music.

--- Chill out with Schroeder --- 

Benefits of Music Education

I came across a pearl of wisdom browsing through the web ..

Music expresses that which cannot be said
and on which it is impossible to be silent.
~Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885) ~

 

Parents, 

Take time to read this article, the importance and the benefits of your child being exposed to music. Music education is essential as an extracuriccular in a child's life and even from the mother's womb the child begins to learn of sounds of different kinds. The priviledge is mine to express how much I agree with it and how it has benefited me eventhough I learn music later as an adult but a lover of music since young.

You may not think your child is cut out for music instruments lesson for some but the exposure will contribute to the growth of the child immensely. 

Click on this link to read more - Benefits of Music Education

Feet on the Piano

Murmurs, complaints, grumbles, these are the vocabularies we utter when things don't go our way. Sometimes even the slightest extra work we need to do would vex us and we start to grumble to our colleagues or family of how we wish it wouldn't be such a bothersome.

How do you think a boy with no hands does his work everyday let alone play? How frustrated he would be when he needs to wear his clothes or watching his friends play games that he's not able to. The hardships of not having the basic limbs, of not being normal. How he would cry to himself each time he thinks of what he could do if he had hands.

This is what I can imagined but this guy shows me his determination to live a normal life with the limbs he has and to work his dreams against all odds. He plays the piano with his feet. I complained when I have to practice the piano and now I think to myself, I better not complain so much because I could never imagine how I would face life if I'm left with no arms. Oh My!  

Appreciate what we have while we have it. This video is an inspiration and I hope you can share it with you family and friends.

Allegro Assai by JCF Bach

This is the other piece which I have to attempt for Grade 7 exam this week. I have posted two other songs which is La Saranbande & Lowside Blues which are also my exam pieces.
The problem with learning classical piano as an adult is our hands are not as flexible compared to those trained from young, but I do believe if time permits, it is possible to achieve through dedicated practice. Like the saying goes ' Practice makes Perfect'.


This is one of the videos I can find on this piece, probably not alot of people chose it. Mmmm....

Lowside Blues by Joanna McGregor

Grade 7 - it is an accomplishment! Then comes the Number 8. Complete and a new beginning.

Exams give us the butterflies in the stomach and the queasy motion drives us mad. The jitters does not stop until we walk out of the 'pressure cooker'. Then at last, a huge relief like a sack of potatoes off your back.

This is one of the piece of grade 7 piano. Love the bluesy feel but the aim is to not feel the blues after the exams.

Favourite piece of all! Someone posted the song fr the original CD. All I did was to paste the code. mmmm...

PIANO IS FUN

STEVIE WONDER AND HIS HISTORY:
www.weboshawa.com/stevie_wonder.htm

It's always a goose-bump experience when we watch, listen to great musicians at their work. Some people have this thought that only the young ones are able to pick-up music and not the older ones. The truth is, when you have a desire to learn an instrument and you are not totally tone deaf, there is always hope for you.

I started learning keyboard by ear when i was in college then proceed to classical training. It was a struggle but nevertheless rewarding. With time constraints and other commitments, i may not join the orchestra or become music professor but there are other avenues for me.

Well, i stumbled upon this website selling software on how to read music using FUN computer software. I saw the features and its screenshots, i must say its attractive.
So you have children who is playing piano or adults who are starting on it, this is a good investment. Though it may seem so 'kiddish' like but the contents are good. And it has a 30 day money back guarantee. It cost US29.95. You make your own conversion wherever you are.

Click here to find out more
funmusicpiano

This cat looks like she is enjoying herself!!