21st Century Piano Repertoire Workshops

excerpt from Sketches, “Daydream” for solo piano by Yours Truly

As promised, I am going to discuss the highlights of this we weeks workshops that Marvin and I both presented.  Okay, so it was Marvin’s workshops and I was more like his wacky side kick.  I say this because Marvin is a pro at this stuff and is like a walking encyclopedia when it comes to 21st century music.  I, on the other hand, am just getting started in terms of “getting out there” and still have lots to learn.  However, both workshops went extremely well and were a success.

Just to recap, Marvin and I presented two workshops: one was on Monday for his musical styles piano pedagogy class at Westminster Conservatory of Music in Princeton, NJ and the other was for The Bucks County Association of piano Teachers at Jacobs Music in Willow Grove, PA.  Marvin presented some selections of 21st century piano repertoire, which he intends to record on CD in the future.  The pieces he presented were intended to serve as an introduction to the vast amount of music that is available for both piano students as well as professionals.  He did a great job and gave some useful resources where piano teachers could find and learn more about the available repertoire.  Marvin introduced me as a living composers and his piano partner.  I had the opportunity to present a few selections of my original piano works and to discuss the importance of color in my music.  Marvin even opened both workshops with his performance of one of my early works, The Castle at Sunrise.  He uses the opening of this piece as his music theme for Classical Discoveries.  Furthermore, Marvin and I also presented some 20th/21st piano literature for one piano four hands.

We got a lot of positive feedback and had a great turn out on both workshops, especially the one we did in Pennsylvania.  I had the pleasure of finally meeting Joe Barron of Mongomery News in person.  After we finished our workshop for The Bucks County Association of Piano Teachers, Joe, Marvin, Beata (Marvin’s wife), and I all went out for a nice lunch together.  It was a great day and it was my first time ever visiting Philadelphia.  I was pretty excited about that.

I owe a lot to Marvin for helping me share my story with people.  Opportunities like that don’t come around that often in life.  He truly holds great esteem for what I do and I am very lucky to know him both as a music professional and friend.

Still Alive and Kicking

Vivaldi Summer – The Storm by Donald Rainville

Okay, so I know that it has been forever since I posted.  Let me tell why I took so long.  A small part of the problem was coming up with an idea of what my next post would be about.  I know that sounds really bad but sometimes, it helps when you get a little feedback from your audience.  So I am going to say to you now: “What would you like for me to talk about?”  Ask for my opinion on something.  Keep in mind, it should have some relationship with color or sound or hearing and seeing as this is kind of the focus of my blog.

However, my lack of imagination really is not the big reason why I have not been on here for quite awhile.  I have been totally busy!  Let me tell you the latest events going on in my life.  For starters, I put together a special event for a friend of mine, Marvin, from New Jersey.  He is a pianist, radio host, and educator (yeah, he pretty much does it all).  Anyway, I had been arranging for him to do a performance in New York near where I live (Westchester County) to celebrate Alan Hovhaness’ 100th-year Anniversary of his birth.   Marvin has been promoting the music of Alan Hovhaness for much of his life and was friends with the late composer.  So if there is anything you want to know about Alan Hovhaness, he would be a good source of information.   He is like a walking encyclopedia and also knows lots about contemporary music as that is what he presents on his radio show Classical Discoveries.  Anyway, Marvin’s concert was this past Sunday and let me tell you.  It was GREAT!  He was a real hit and had a great crowd and it was overall a very nice day.  I was very happy with how everything went.

Then, at the end of May, I started recording my first CD.  Yeah, I am serious!  Let me just say that I am very fortunate to be an alumna of Purchase College (I did graduate work there).  After I graduated, the music conservatory purchased a kiosk for students and alumni to use for recording.  It is actually pretty easy to use.  I am having it edited, mixed and mastered by Andrew Cardenas at his studio in Peekskill, NY.  Andy and I completing the editing phase and will be mixing and mastering the CD together this Sunday.  It is pretty exciting!

My CD is basically a collection of all my piano compositions.  I figure, they have not been available on recording to the public so I might as well be the first to do it LOL!  I hope all turns out well.  I am still keeping my fingers crossed.  It is going to be called Spectrum as it will include my piano piece with that title.  I would also like to think that I would have a nice variety of pieces, too.  Besides Spectrum, most of the pieces visual influences as well.  These pieces include: Conflicting Colors, Sketches, and The Castle at Sunrise.  Now that I think of it, they all have some relationship to the union of sight and sound.  Perhaps that will be the topic for my next post.  Hello, I’ve got it LOL!

So yes, in addition to work and my everyday life, these have been my two biggest projects.  And of course, Sunny and Nikki always keep things interesting.  It is breeding season now and though there are no male parrots around, the girls are still exhibiting hormonal behavior.  They can get a bit moody from time to time.  Today they were pretty good but occasionally they can get nippy.  There was also one summer when Nikki laid 5 eggs.  Even in the absence of a male, a  female can lay eggs.   Breeding season starts in May and lasts till the end of August.  The girls  usually get the most hormonal though in June and July though.  Once I pass mid July, things start to calm down.

So what are my plans for summer?  Well, I am doing Summit Music Festival and will be playing some chamber music this summer.  I will be doing some new repertoire for 1 piano 4 hands with Marvin too.  On Sunday, we played 3 duets at the Hovhaness concert: Child in the Garden, Ko-ola-u and Psalm and Fugue for String Orchestra (piano transcription).  I guess I will also be writing some music.  I don’t have any ideas or inspirations yet though so I have to wait for them to hit me.  You really can’t plan that stuff.  It happens when it happens.  I would like to write some poetry too.  Yes, I have been writing poetry since I was 10 years old.  I don’t know if I am particularly good but my great aunt always said that I was good so I guess I will take her word for it.

So here is to the weeks ahead!