We are getting ready for our first fall meeting of Piano PALS.  That stands for “People Always Learning Something”. 

Generally, you could call us a “duet club”.  More specifically, it is a group for adult piano players to meet, practice a bit and inspire each other.   We meet once a month for a couple of hours at Batchelder’s Plummer Piano in downtown Rapid City.  It’s fun to meet there because everyone can play on their own  grand piano.  We usually have 2 or three people playing each portion of a duet.  Some of us are playing works that require 2 or three pianos.  Others are practicing ensembles that require just one piano (but a roomy bench).  We haven’t established a membership charge yet; we just share the cost for renting the space each month.

This Sunday, October 5, from 4 to 6 p.m. we’ll be polishing up our playing skills and making plans for the year.  At our last session in the spring, we handed out parts for an advanced work to practice on.  We try to have three levels of practice going - for beginner, intermediate and advanced.

There is a core group that attended all the meetings last year and we look forward to sitting down for a bit of sight-reading.  That can be pretty entertaining as we adjust our glasses (and our minds) to the task at hand.

We encourage any adult piano player to join us.  Just bring your music and join us - this Sunday, October 5, 4 to 6 p.m. at Batchelder’s Plummer Piano on the corner of St. Joe and 7th Street in downtown Rapid City.  

Please join us and make new friends in the piano world.  mlt

 

School is well underway now and it’s time to help your child succeed by practicing the piano.  There are a variety of ways to promote good habits.  Here are some simple suggestions.

1. The Magic Three. For students who have just begun, I recommend that they play each new song three times each day.  For most students that will take all of five minutes.

2. Listen to the new songs.  On the day your child has a piano lesson, ask them to play all of their new songs.  That will reinforce what they have just learned and give you an idea of what to listen for.

3. Don’t be too tidy. Allow your child to leave the books out.  That way if they just walk past the piano they will be tempted to sit down and practice.  Keep it open like a working office.

4. Keep the piano in a lively place.  If your piano is in the livingroom or family room, spontaneous practice is more likely to happen.  If you have the piano shut away in a separate room (or in the basement) it will seem like a punishment to be locked up with.  You can even keep it close to the television.  Whenever there is a commercial break, hit the mute button and ask for a little concert.

5. Prepare for the next lesson. On the night before the next lesson sit down and ask your child to play everything they should have ready.  Then help them put their books together and place them by the front door so that you remember to take them along before school in the morning.

6. Praise, praise, praise.  Even if you don’t know how to play or read music, you can praise your child for the good habit of practicing.  Some parents reward their children with a special treat if they practice every day.  My students know that if they practice every day they will be rewarded with a trip to the “prize box” at my house.

7. Choose a regular time to practice.  Help your child to find a good time to practice daily.   Immediately after school is good, but if you have after-school activities, you may want to set up a regular piano practice time after supper.  Some of my students practice regularly in the morning BEFORE school.  My mother had a great method:  I could wipe the dishes or provide music while my sisters cleared up after supper.  You can imagine which I chose. My father always asked me to play one more song before I went to bed.

These are just a few suggestions for beginners. In later posts we’ll discuss practice and performance for more advanced students.

My students are settled in to their routines and I am very please with their progress.  Just today I ordered new Christmas music and I am excited to get the delivery and play through the new works.

Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.

Thanks for stopping by.  mlt

 

curt-bauer-completes-tuning

A good piano will last longer than you - if you take good care of it.  The most important thing is to tune it regularly: at least once a year.  I have mine tuned at least twice a year, just before recital time.   This unusually humid season prompted  an extra tuning.  Besides, I wanted it moved.

My piano tuner understands my penchant for rearranging the furniture.  Curt Bauer is very accommodating and helps me move my baby grand; he makes sure that it is centered on the carpet “just so”.  His visits are always fun. We talk about different types and brands, how long the wood is aged before it becomes a piano, what new things we are practicing.    Over the years, we’ve become good friends.

The best part is when he is finished and plays a bit to make sure everything sounds good.  What a treat.  Many of my piano students comment that their piano sounds so wonderful when Curt plays.  It’s true.   Just click on the top line and you’ll see a little video of Curt finishing the tuning.

cbauer@rap.midco.net Here is Curt’s e-mail address.  Let him know that you watched the video….we’re curious about how many people actually read a blog about piano playing.  You’ll need to get on his list for tuning NOW - ’tis the season for schools and churches to get their instruments ready.

If you’d like to leave a comment, scroll down and click on the comment box.

Thanks for stopping by.  mlt