I can’t wait for tonight! I love the group meetings.  I can’t wait to play my song too

I know many of us have heard this phrase before, but it’s ever so true!
My first week of piano lessons this year was pretty bad (due to having surgery); however, it had a good result…

I REALLY LOOKED FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO PRACTICE THE NEXT WEEK! (This was very strange for me, because even though I try to have a good practice record, I have never really enjoyed practicing.) Not only did I end up looking forward to practicing for “that” week, but each and every day, too. And, after I had my second lesson…my enthusiasm sky-rocketed!
Here are some reasons why:

-I saw significant improvement in my songs/piano playing. (Why? Because I made a point to practice six, long hard days.)
-I looked forward to practicing with an even greater reason this time. (Why? I wanted that same great result.)
-I could play my songs with joy. (Why? Because I pushed myself the week before to know them and get the gritty work done, that now I could play them much easier.)

You see, there was and still is much reason for me to be enthusiastic: I see progress!

This might be very difficult to do, but instead of dreading practicing, try to get excited. Put lots of effort into your pieces and assignments. Try playing the hard songs first and save your favorite or easiest one for last. Switch your routine up; be creative.

MAKE YOUR PIANO PRACTICING FUN & ENJOYABLE!

One of the most well-known Romantic composers, Frederic Chopin, was born in the village of Żelazowa Wola, in what was then the Duchy of Warsaw, on the 1^st of March in 1810.

Although his mother taught piano, Chopin was first instructed by his older sister, Ludwika. He began taking from his first professional tutor, Wojciech Żywny, at the age of 7 but quickly surpassed his teacher’s abilities. It was also at age 7 that Chopin wrote his first compositions: Polonaises in G minor and B-flat major. Throughout his life he composed 15 other Polonaises, one with orchestra accompaniment, and one for cello with accompanying piano.

Chopin moved to Paris in September 1831, and began lessons in an attempt to gain entrance and notice within the musical society. During his time in Paris Chopin taught many students as well as performing in various capacities.

For most of his life Chopin was ill and sickly, struggling with tuberculosis. He died at age 39 in Paris from the disease. Frederic Chopin wrote an astonishing number of songs, more than 50 mazurkas alone, considering the short time he lived.

Lately, I’ve been playing “Be Thou My Vision” and have really been working on NOT looking at my left hand while playing so that that hand’s *topography improves. Well, it hasn’t been very easy, and sometimes I just want to give up and look. But I don’t, because there’s that little inside voice that keeps telling myself, “I can do it! I can do it!” However, even after that, I feel like looking, but I just have to keep saying, “Don’t, DON’T, DON’T! Just keep playing! DON’T look down!”

I was a couple days into practicing this way, when a parallel came to mind:

Many times throughout our life we’re tempted to give-up and be done with tough trials, but then our faithful God comes to our side. And he whispers, “You can do it! Don’t give up. I’m here, just trust in me-have faith.” Sometimes, that’s all we need to keep running the race strong.

So when you get discouraged and feel like giving up…DON’T!!! Keep your chin up and instead of saying, “I can’t.” say, “I can!”

(*feeling/playing the keys without looking.)

Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. When he was three he played clavier. When he was five, he composed a beautiful piece. When he was eight, he had learned two more instruments. He played the clavier, violin, and the organ. His father was very strict, and his father was a composer and violinist. Mozart got married to Constanze Weber in 1782. They moved to Vienna.

I chose to sight read five pieces for my cosmic challenge – and love the ones I picked!!!

These facts are so amazing, you might find it hard to believe them to be true, but they are! Just read some of them and you, like me, will be astonished at what this great composer did in his life!

• Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria.
• His full name is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
• He had begun to play the piano by the age of three.
• By age five, Mozart was beginning to compose pieces.
• By the time he was ten, Mozart was already playing in all the major courts of Europe!
• When Mozart was 14, he wrote his first main opera, Mitridate Re di Ponto.   
• Over his career, Mozart wrote 17 operas, including The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, and Don Giovanni.
• Mozart composed over 600 works. Of these, 41 were symphonies.
• He got married to Constanze Weber in 1782.
• Mozart died in 1791 at the age of 35.
• He is believed to have most likely died because of kidney failure.

During the Romantic Era of music there were many different styles of songs that were written. Chopin composed more music than almost any other Romantic Era composer.

Prelude

The definition of a Prelude is: “An introductory section or movement.”  However, during the Romantic era it could also be, “A non-descriptive title used by Chopin and others for instrumental solo music, usually piano.”

Chopin composed many preludes, the most famous probably being his 24 Preludes which are in the 24 different keys and each convey a different idea or emotion.

Etude

Etude is a French word meaning “study,” thus the style of an Etude is as a piece to strengthen and enhance your playing skills in some technical capacity.  An Etude is generally a more difficult piece to master because of the fact that it is written to challenge the correctness of your playing style.

An Etude is; “A study, usually focusing on a single technical problem.”

Waltz

Waltzes written for the piano usually consist of flowery melodic passages in the right hand, accompanied by left-hand chords, and are composed in ¾ time.

First introduced in the late 17^th century as a new dance, it was often considered indecent by those in the upper classes due to the closeness of the “closed” position of the dance steps, the “open” position was not considered as improper.  It was not until 1825 or later, though, that those in Britain’s upper class accepted the dance.

Polonaise

Originally used as carnival dances, the Polonaise is a lively, festive dance in triple meter.  Chopin is one of the most well known composers of the songs.  His later compositions of Polonaises developed a more somber tone.  And this style of the song became very popular in other countries’ classical music.

Nocturne

Most Nocturnes (Night pieces) are thought to be evocative of the night, or night sounds, with a lyrical melody over a broken-chord accompaniment.  One of the more famous composers of Nocturnes was Chopin who wrote 21 of the style.  Bartok, in a movement entitled “The Night’s Music,” imitated the sounds of the night, with croaking and twittering.  Many other composers also wrote Nocturnes, the songs often lyrical, tranquil and sometimes slightly gloomy or haunting.

Mazurka

Although the Mazurka is best represented by Chopin for his amazing 58 Mazurkas, many of the surrounding countries also had Mazurkas or songs of similar origin.

A Polish folk dance in triple meter, the Mazurka is always found to have a triplet, trill, dotted eighth note pair, or an ordinary eighth note pair before two quarter notes.