by Claudia Deltregia

History: Background information about the composer’s life, accomplishments, and any significant historical background about the piece.

• José Siqueira was born in Conceição, a small town in Paraíba State. He later moved to Rio de Janeiro as a military musician. 
• After graduating from the National School of Music, he composed outstanding nationalist works as a result of  research from different Brazillian cultures and regions.
• Some of his works include: Concerto para orquestra, the series Brasilianas, and the opera A Compadecida

Features: Notes on the style and/or genre of the piece.

• It is a character piece.
• The form is A A’ CODA
• It is based on folk elements, mainly from the northeast of Brazil. Some of the folk elements contain similarities to Gregorian Chants due to the influence of Jesuit priests arriving from Portugal.

Compare: Pieces that are comparable in level and style from the standard repertoire. 

• Bela Bartók: Ten Easy Piano Pieces

Skills: Technical and musical skills that will be developed through this piece. 

• It is a good piece to practice 7th arpeggios.
• It is a good piece to explore creating a beautiful legato in arpeggios patterns, while having good balance between the hands.
• The phrases should be kept flexible, like the melodies of the folk songs they are based on.
• New musical terms can be explored. For example, “Enérgico” (measure 24) means “with energy”.

by John Ellis

Preparation and Presentation

Context: Pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Burgmüller Ballade (Magrath Level 4): Provides work on keeping sixteenth notes even in the LH (with RH eighth note chords accompanying them) and also provides work with keeping hands together when playing sixteenth notes. Similar effect as in Knecht Ruprecht at an earlier level.
• Heller’s Avalanche (RCM Level 4, Magrath Level 6): Provides practice in playing fluid passagework following accentuated notes as well as strong, chord playing.
• Burgmüller Tarantella (Magrath Level 6): Provides practice keeping hands together in the unison passage at the beginning; also offers practice performing two-note slurs in the RH.

Get Ready: Creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Find web resources that tell different stories about Knecht Ruprecht throughout history.
• Find web resources to see different pictorial representations of Knecht Ruprecht.
• Ask the student to come up with their own story after having read some of the above.

Initial Focus: Features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Perform the piece for the student several times while they read the score. Ask them to note different aspects each time (i.e. pedal, voicing, dynamics, phrase shaping, etc.).
• Perform the piece for the student while they develop their own narrative. Have them direct your playing (i.e. softer, louder, faster) and experiment with playing to help them come up with their aesthetic judgments earlier in the process.

Coordination Essentials: Physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• Five finger scale patterns and full scales, hands together in the keys represented in the piece, and at the performance tempo (sixteenth notes). Focus on keeping hands together.
• Five finger patterns and full scales in two-note slurs at the performance tempo (eighth notes). Focus on keeping the hands together.
• Rotation in contrary motion (as required in the B section) in thirds, ascending through the scale, repeating each rotating third at least 4 times. Focus on the clarity and ease of the rotation and keeping the hands together.

Expressivity: Ideas to connect and re-connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

• Isolate and practice different types of “fierce” cadences at the ends of phrases in the A section. Have them try different approaches to voicing, staccato and accents and work with them to make each one different.

Look Forward: Approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• After the above has been gone over, present a practice plan to have them learn each phrase by heart one or two weeks at a time while practicing the next phrase hands apart at a slow tempo.
• Make sure that all musical and theoretical elements are integrated in the technical approach.

Additional Resources

• Resources cited for leveling: 
  • Jane Magrath, The Pianist’s Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature (Alfred Music: 1995) 
  • Royal Conservatory of Music Piano Syllabus, 2015 edition (Frederick Harris Music: 2015)
• Resources for information on the legendary character Knecht Ruprecht:
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knecht_Ruprecht
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companions_of_Saint_Nicholas
  • https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Knecht+Ruprecht

Process and Practice

Fully Present: Tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Create a story line with your student. Align the narrative with each phrase.
• Find key affective words with your student to apply to each phrase to give a clear motivation for them.

Break it Up: Useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• “Stop/Start” practicing on the first measure: extend the first sixteenth note of each beat to release any tension immediately after the accents and to keep the hands together.
• Play first beat accents with a free fall if the hand is stable. Otherwise, start on the key and begin with a wrist accent.
• Practice position shifts on two-note slurs in m. 2 and in similar spots: use “silent set” practice (i.e. jump to the new position, landing on top of the keys without depressing them).
• Chords in m. 4: voice the top notes in the RH by tilting the hand toward the fifth finger.
• Practice the B section by phrase: each phrase as a chorale, blocking the broken chords, voicing the top. First phrase of the B section: Do “stop/start” practice again to keep hands together. “Add-a-note” practice to ensure security and the legato quality of the frequent position shifts. For smaller hands, redistribute the RH afterbeats to the LH (A-flats at m. 38 and Fs at m. 46).

Layers and outlines: Tips for focusing on how the parts make up the whole

• Have your student play the underlying chord progression for each phrase.
• Have your student play the key centers corresponding to each section and subsection.
• Have the student sing in rhythm while playing the chord progressions discussed above. (The pitches can be approximated due to the range–it should be about the student getting the feeling of the line).
• In the B section, have the student play the strong beat notes without the sixteenth note afterbeats in order to hear the melodic line and its LH bass line accompaniment.

Achieving flow: Ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Use the metronome to pulse eighth notes, quarter notes, half notes (i.e. one measure) and whole notes (i.e. two measures) in order to move from solidifying the tone on each note to achieving flow and direction throughout the phrases.

Make it mine: Tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• The storyline development, referenced above, goes a long way towards helping the student feel engaged in the story of Knecht Ruprecht by uncovering what the music is saying to her or him in terms of affect.

Deep knowing: Tips for securing memory

• Have a student write out the chord analysis of the score and take note of the cadences and keys.
• Have the student sing while playing.
• Play the piece by phrase (4 measures at a time) trading off between you and the student (this is easiest when teacher and student are at separate pianos, but it can be done at one).
• Ask the student to play the piece in their head at the piano, in a tempo you decide on together. Have them to play out loud after 8 measures and then stop at the end of the A section. Then do the same for the B section.

Final stages: Tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• Have the student play the piece at a very slow adagio tempo with expression.
• Have the student play with a much louder dynamic level in the A section and a much softer dynamic level in the B section (experimentation with dynamics and touch in order to open up their creative listening). Record each one and discuss the effects with the student.
• Have the student play at a slower tempo and with a light staccato touch to confirm the fingering.
• Focus the student on expressive phrasing in 2 measure units.

by Hannah Creviston

Preparation and Presentation

Context: Pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Le Sommeil de l’Enfant (Berceuse), Op. 35 by Teresa Carreño 
• Prelude Op. 29, No. 6 by Frederic Chopin 
• Abschied von Rom by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel 
• Humming Song Op. 68, No. 3 by Robert Schumann 
• Mazurka Op. 39, No. 10 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky 

Get Ready: Creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Listen and move to mazurkas – the 3/4 feel is different than that of a waltz. 
• Practice voicing exercises: Strong, legato melody while keeping other voices light and staccato.

Initial Focus: Features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Figure out and write in RH fingerings in sections like mm. 21-22, 26-27, 47-49, etc. 
• Be aware of (and mark, if necessary) clef changes in both hands. 
• Identify which voice has the melody and where changes occur. 
• Recognize phrase structure and where the focal points of each phrase are. 

Coordination Essentials: Physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• Practice LH leaps separately for accuracy. 
• Isolate sections such as mm. 23-26 and repeat the voicing exercise in context. 
• Focus on alignment of the hands, particularly in measures where the RH has many more notes than the LH or is 3:2. Tip: Identify which notes in the RH are most important and which are more ornamental. 
• Be sure to notice when the LH downbeat is held and when it is not.

Expressivity: Ideas to connect and re-connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

• How many characters can you identify in this piece? How can you make each one sound different? 
• Think of rubato like speaking or driving a car. There shouldn’t be any sudden. accelerations or decelerations; it should all feel smooth and organic.

Look Forward: Approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• The return of the A section is a bit tricky to coordinate with the grace notes and voicing. Practice without the grace note first. 
• Be aware of pedaling and make sure that harmonies are not blurred together. 
• Listen for clarity of each melodic voice. 

Process and Practice 

 Fully Present: Tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Imagine being all dressed up and attending a stately ball. How would you feel? 
• Create a story about the different characters you have identified in the piece. 

Break it Up: Useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• Use phrase shaping, dynamic contrasts and timbre changes even at a very slow tempo. 
• Practice LH and pedal separately. 
• Practice RH separately focusing on voicing and smoothness of phrasing. 
• When putting hands together, be aware of how the LH can support the phrasing and colors of the RH. 

Layers and outlines: Tips for focusing on how the parts make up the whole

• Identify the form of the piece and the repeated patterns which occur in each section. 
• How are the A and B sections similar? How are they different? 
• How are the A and A’ sections similar? How are they different? 

Achieving flow: Ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Keep the LH as steady and consistent as possible. 
• Choose a tempo which allows for clarity in and matches the character of all the sections. 

Make it mine: Tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Experiment with different applications of rubato, particularly in the measures with more florid or ornamented right hand passages. 
• Exaggerate the color/timbre changes. 

Deep knowing: Tips for securing memory

• Play LH while singing RH melody. 
• Know and understand the harmonic progression of each section, especially cadences. 
• Start from different places. 

Final stages: Tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• In all the sections which are marked “rubato” or which have melismatic passages, try to make it slightly different each time. 
• Use a wide dynamic and color range. 
• Have fun!

by Pamela Pike

Preparation and Presentation

Context: Pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Berens: Op. 70, No. 8 & No. 23
• Christopher Norton: Duet for One (from The Microjazz Collection 1)
• Czerny: Op. 777, No. 3
• Konrad Kuhner: School of Etudes, No. 1
• (right before or after) Schumann: Op. 68, No. 3

Get Ready: creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Blocking LH harmonic intervals (2nd through 7ths)
• Transposing these to other keys in LH
• Playing LH melodic intervals (shadow thumb; then play softly)
• Connecting bass line notes: Sing and play bass line
• Listening: Identify when thumb is too loud or melody note sticks out (note gentle crescendo or diminuendo)

Initial Focus: features to pay attention to first, priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Look, Listen & Identify: Melody, bass line & inner voice (repeated notes)
• Hear, sing, understand melody and bass line relationship
• LH Prep Exercises (bass line only; shadow thumb)
• Shaping each phrase
• Breathing musically

Coordination essentials: physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• LH voicing of intervals (harmonic & melodic – light thumb)
• Legato bass line; appropriate fingering
• Balance between RH melody & LH bass line
• Identify small practice chunks (based on melodic line)

Keep it musical: ways to connect and re-connect with the expressive nature of the piece

• Sing the melody
• Play the melodic line and the bass line on different instrument sounds on a digital piano (instruments that can sustain dynamic level on held note) or imagine these sounds
• Harmonic surprises – how do these impact shaping of the phrase?

Look forward: ways to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• Student listens for & answers the following:
• How is the balance between melody & bass line?
• Is the LH thumb soft and not intruding?
• Are we breathing at correct spots in the phrase? Is melody legato?
• Is bass line legato?

Process and Practice 

Fully Present: Tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Isolate, play & repeat only a few phrases (or small chunks) at a time to reassess sound and coordination.
• Review/play melody & bass line only.
• Practice LH shadowing thumb.
• Imagine & re-create how the melody and bass line would sound on different instruments.
• Sing and play; Breathe appropriately.

Break it up: useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• Play 2-4 measures at a time (using steps above).
• Our edition uses fingering suggested by Clara Schumann; Are we using this fingering? How does it help us achieve our musical goals?
• Compare & contrast similar sections (i.e., measures 1-2 & 13-14); what is the same? what is different?
• Can you memorize these small sections?

Layers and outlines: tips for focusing on how the parts make up the whole

• Draw a music “map” of the form of this piece.
• Consider the overall dynamic plan; try different dynamics and explore which might work best.

Achieving flow: ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Sing and breathe; Try this at different tempi. Which feels most natural?
• Explore using rubato at some climaxes and cadences points; where does it work & why?

Make it mine: tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Is the tempo appropriate to convey the melodic shape of the piece?
• How might we signal different sections?
• Where might rubato be appropriate, based on melodic line and harmonic progression?
• How might slight changes in harmony change your performance and interpretation?

Deep knowing: tips for securing memory

• Explore the harmonic progression.
• Identify sections & segments (label).
• Play the piece referring only to your music “map.”
• Understand & explore slight harmonic variations in the accompaniment to the melodic line.

Final stages: tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• Understand the form & architecture of the piece.
• Create dynamic plan.
• Listen for shaping of each phrase, within the dynamic plan.
• Record yourself and listen to the recording with the score.
• Watch the video of your playing; do your gestures support the intended musical expression of this piece?

by Melody Ng

Preparation and Presentation

Context: Pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Pagoda Bells by Mona Rejino 
• La candeur, Op. 100, No. 1 by Freidrich Burgmuller
• The Sleepy Groundhog by Martin Kutnowski

Get Ready: Creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Ask if the student has experienced any sad moments that relate to the word ‘elegy’ and explore the meaning of this word.
• Play the piece for the student, ask them to imagine being a film director and setting the scene for the music.
• While they listen to your performance of the piece, have them draw different contour lines with colored pencils to trace the ups and downs of what they hear on a piece of paper. 

Initial Focus: Features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Ask the student to add in hairpin dynamics markings in appropriate spots on the score to shape the music visually.
• Become familiar with the rhythmic pattern (tied note followed by 8th notes) by tapping the music with the RH melodic line only, then hands together.
• Analyze the chords and harmonic progressions of the piece before playing any notes. 

Coordination Essentials: Physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• Explore the anti-clockwise rotation of RH melody in m.1-2, m. 5-6, m.9-10 to avoid metronomic sounding and direct “finger-attack” on the keyboards.
• Play with different voicing for the chords on the LH by emphasizing different notes of the chord in segments such as m. 11-12.
• Ask the students to block all the notes together in both hands to create cluster-chords of each measure to learn about the harmony and the big picture of the piece.
• Roll the dyad/chords of LH to learn the contour lines of the top and bottom voices in m.1-10.
• Arpeggiate the LH chords in m. 11-16 while playing the RH as written both in top-down and bottom-up directions. 

Expressivity: Ideas to connect and re-connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

•  In m. 1-8, play the LH chord in the 1st beat and the RH note of the 3rd beat to connect with the lamenting expression of the piece as well as the 4-bar phrasing.
• Practice in between measures instead of the established phrases. E.g. Play from the 2nd beat of m. 12 going into the 1st beat of m.13; 2nd beat of m. 13 going into m. 14. 

Look Forward: Approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• Explore the tone quality and balance of each chord in the left hand by slightly shifting weights on different fingers while holding a slanted “C-shape” curvature between thumb and second finger.
• Discuss how to shape the music differently when the A section returns in m. 17.
• Sing the silent tied note when playing the RH melody. 

Process and Practice 

 Fully Present: Tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Ask students to make a video recording of different 4-bar segments and then evaluate the clip as if they were the teacher.
• Practice all staccato, hands separately first, then hands together.
• Play the LH only and sing the RH melody, starting with small 2-bar segments then building to the entire piece. 

Break it Up: Useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• Create short segments with just 2 measures at a time, expanding it to 4-bar and 8-bar phrasing.
• Practice the end of a musical phrase going into the new one. E.g. m. 3-5
• Add on pedaling practice that focuses on the transition of phrases. E.g. play only m. 4-5, m.12-13 with pedal

Layers and outlines: Tips for focusing on how the parts make up the whole

• Discover the purpose of the downbeat rest in the beginning of each phrase from m.1-12, and how it fosters the meaning of the composition title ‘Elegy’ with the eventual appearance of the downbeat of m. 13-16.
• Identify the chords and notes that do or do not belong to the implied harmony of each measure.
• Recognize the rise and fall of the LH chords and how it shapes against the LH melody. 

Achieving flow: Ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Ask students to indicate the breath marks on the score as if they were a woodwind player or a vocalist
• Practice with various tempi 

Make it mine: Tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Create lyrics that can go with the RH melody
• Silently play the piece on the keyboard without pressing down the keys to purely imagine the shaping of phrases and various breathing time in between the musical lines.

Deep knowing: Tips for securing memory

• Beginning with a 2-measure segment, silently play the RH while the LH plays the chords, and vice versa. Then challenge the students to silently play with alternating hands going from 2 measures at a time to the entire piece.
• Alternating playing and singing of the melody – e.g. m. 1 sing the RH line then m.2 play the melody. 

Final stages: Tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• Create a variety of rhythmic patterns on the melody while adding LH accompaniment.
• Run through the whole piece by challenging students to close their eyes and play through it.
• Encourage mental practice techniques such as visualizing the student’s own performance as an audience member.
• Write out the melodic phrases and accompaniment for as little as one measure at a time on staff paper without using the score. 

by Cole Burger

Preparation and Presentation

Context: pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Florence Price: #5 from 6 Pieces for Piano
• William Gillock: “Soaring in E-flat major” from Lyric Preludes
• Edward MacDowell: To A Wild Rose, op. 51, no. 1
• Enrique Granados: Dedication, op. 1, no. 1
• Artina McCain: any of the African American Spiritual arrangements

Get Ready: creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Learn more about Price in the Oxford Dictionary of Music or in Heart of a Woman: The Life and Music of Florence B. Price by Rae Linda Brown.
• Watch a black and white movie (not a comedy!) to connect with the theme of nostalgia and the time period when Price wrote this piece.
• Improvise legato melodies in E-flat major with repeated notes.

Initial Focus: features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• A A’ B A” Form
• Harmony – play a I-iv-I-V7-I cadence. What note makes it iv instead of IV? How does that change the mood?

Coordination Essentials: physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• Melody and accompaniment in the RH
• RH expressive 2-note slurs
• LH chromatic scale

Expressivity: ideas to connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

• Discuss nostalgia and how to make music sound nostalgic.
• How is the register, harmony, and mood different in the B section?

Look Forward: approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• Work on the B section (mm. 18-25).
• Finger substitutions in LH m. 13 and RH m. 32

Process and Practice 

Fully present: tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Practice with a metronome slightly under tempo. This can help feel what it would sound like to “play it straight.” It might also identify “emergency rubato,” which can lead to learning those spots more thoroughly.
• Incorporate more or less rubato, or vary where you use it. Use the music to guide this.

Break it up: useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• Before and after difficult spots such as m. 4, 13, and 23
• Much of the piece divides nicely into 2, 4, and 8-bar musical units. Practice across those phrases, such as mm. 3-6.

Layers and outlines: tips for focusing on how the parts makeup the whole

• Create a story using the music.
• Sing mm. 6-8 and 22-25 in one breath.

Achieving flow: ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Play with the metronome on eighth, quarter, half, and whole notes.
• Play one hand while the student plays the other.
• Speak the rhythm of the RH.

Make it mine: tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Play short sections 2-3 times, varying the volume or timing each time.
• Play the melody:
  • As if it were sung (choose different vocal types for more variety, such as young, old, longing, or urgent)
  • As if it were played by a cello
  • As if it were played by a French horn

Deep knowing: tips for securing memory

• Start in the middle of each of the four sections.
• Practice the differences between each section (for example, practice m. 1, then m. 9).
• Focus on the LH by analyzing the harmonies and playing it while speaking the RH.

Final stages: tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• Play both hands as the teacher plays the RH one octave higher.
• Transpose part of it to C major and talk about how it feels different.
• Play at different times of day or with different lighting.
• Start at the end and work backwards.

by Leah Claiborne

Preparation and Presentation

Context: Pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Burgmuller: Ballade Op. 100 No.15 from 25 Progressive Pieces
• Catherine Rollin: Prelude in D Flat Major

Get Ready: Creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success​

• “Storytime” Have the student come up with a short narrative that showcases their understanding of ABA form. What elements from the B section were contrasting from the A section? What specific words did the student choose to help illustrate those contrasting features?
• “Composer Time” Have the student take their own written narrative and ask how their words and imagery would translate musically. Guide their ideas and responses by using contrasting rhythms, key relations, harmony and texture.
• Historical Discussion: What is an “Organ Grinder?” Have the student research what an organ grinder looked like, what it could be used for, and its unique timbre.
• Piano Literature Discussion: Before a student begins learning this piece, they would have most likely been exposed to many other “children’s pieces” by other composers. Discuss some similar features of Memories of Childhood to other collections composed with children in mind. (ie: are there descriptive titles, is there a narrative guiding the piece, what form are the pieces in, how is texture, harmony, key relation used to convey these pieces).

Initial Focus: Features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music​

• Alternating Hand Patterns in the A section: the hands are never playing simultaneously together in this section. At the return of the A section, (mm. 79-81) the hands are now playing together.
• Time Signature and Key Change: Note the tonal key centers for the A and B sections. Mark change in meter at m.36
• Rhythmic Variation: Have the student be able to understand and demonstrate the difference between the rhythm in measure 40 verses the rhythm in measure 43.

Coordination Essentials: Physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece 

• Thumb Scales: Have the student play a C major scale and an A natural minor scale using alternating thumbs only. Watch to make sure that the thumb remains relaxed and the wrists are engaged.
• Melodic Patterns: During the lesson, come up with simple stepwise melodic patterns for the student to play with alternating thumbs only. Have the student shape the contour of the melody.
• “Imaginative Playing” Have the student play an imaginative chord on their own arm. Have them feel what it’s like to put more weight or emphasis on one particular finger. This is great preparation for being able to voice particular melodic notes within a chord. 

Expressivity: Ideas to connect and re-connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece​

• Narrative: Read the narrative of this movement and discuss with the student what images come to mind. What does the student expect to hear before even looking at the score. Direct the discussion with cue words from the narrative. Ie: “what might ‘sunshine’ sound like?” What would be a good example of a ‘sorrowful song’?”
• Organ Grinder: Once the research has been done on the sound of an organ grinder, discuss what musical aspects bring out this imagery in the B section. Focus on the harmonies and texture of this section.

Look Forward: Approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road 

• Triadic Movement: As the student gains more fluency, they will want to push the tempo. Be sure that the student remains relaxed and there is no tension building in the hands as they play the triads.
• Small Hands: Teachers must take note of students with small hands while they play the B section. Be sure that the right hand is not remaining stretched out and tense while trying to leap down to play the harmony ie: measure 36. The pedal will help in this section for our students with small hands. 

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Process and Practice 

Fully Present: Tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Transpose: Once the student has secured the memory, have the student be able to transpose the A section of the piece to G or F Major. This will solidify the triadic patterns and help them to feel more secure.
• Sometimes when our students practice a section over and over again, they begin to rely on muscle memory and we need to find ways to engage their ear to keep them fully present. Have the student play the left hand while the right hand only plays the melodic notes in the B Section (Make sure they still use the correct ngering!)
• Sing: Have the student play the left hand while the right hand plays the harmony only. Have the student sing the melody. (again, be sure the student is still using the correct ngering even though they are only playing the harmony in the right hand)

Break it Up: Useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole 

• “Broken Triad” After the student is able to play the A Section with the thumbs only, have them play both thumbs together at the same time, then the remaining thirds in both hands together at the same time. Have the student be able to play the entire A section in this way. This really helps to eliminate any tension that may be starting to build up ie: measure 1 -left hand thumb plays G, with right hand thumb A -Thumbs are held down while remaining thirds are play -left hand plays C and E together with right hand C and E -continue playing a section in this “broken” way.

Layers and outlines: Tips for focusing on how the parts make up the whole 

• The Thumb is A Finger: Sometimes our students forget that the thumb is a working, engaged finger. It’s not just “along for the ride!” Have the student be able to play the entire A section using the thumbs only. Be sure that the wrist is engaged and there is no tension building as they play with the thumbs only.

Achieving flow: Ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically 

• Gestures: Students often have trouble coordinating the nal glissando in the right hand with the triads in the left hand. The pacing of the triads at measures 79-80 should be a good indication of how fast they are able to handle the triads throughout the piece.
• Have the student make the gesture of the glissando while playing the left hand triads so that they can feel how long (or how short) they have to actually play the glissando.
• Pedal: As stated before, the B section can be a challenging section for students with small hands. Rely on artistic pedaling to help keep the melodic notes. 

Make it mine: Tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Visualization: Can the student visualize a particular outside game that could take place while this music is being performed? What movements are taking place during the game and how do those movements correspond with the hand movements?
  • ie: “Duck, Duck, Goose!”
  • ie: measure 1-4 could represent moving around the circle as the child gets ready to select the ‘goose”
  • mm. 4-8 is another lap around the circle, with excitement building.
  • mm. 9, the “goose” is chosen and the chase begins
  • mm.9-15 the “chase”
  • mm. 16 one child makes it back to their seat safely, and the game continues for another round! 

​Deep knowing: Tips for securing memory

• Map it Out: Analyze the triadic patterns in the A Section and be able to verbally explain the movement of the patterns away from the piano.
• Jumping: I like to have my students find “safety” spots in the score. These are several measures marked in the score where they know at in moment in time they can “jump” to the safety measure and then continue on. I will have them play in tempo and say, “Jump” and then they will have to be able to start at the next “safety” measure that was marked in the score. This is great for solidifying memory. It also gives a great sense of security if memory slips come up during a performance.

​Final stages: Tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection​

• African American Spiritual Listening: The B section is incredibly expressive and the narrative explains that the song is ‘sorrowful’. Sorrow Songs represent a specific type of Spiritual which has many of the same features found in the B section of this piece Ie: falling melodic line triplet figures (mm. 46, 48, 50) and expressive ornamental melodic notes (m.45).
• Have the student research some other Sorrow Songs and compare/contrast the African American Spiritual to this section. How is the vocalist bringing out expressive qualities in their performance? How can the student translate some of those performance practices to this section?

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by Lisa-Jensen-Abbott

Preparation and Presentation

Context: pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• William Gillock: Deserted Plantation
• Aarm Khatchaturian: Ivan Sings
• Frédéric Chopin: Mazurka in G Minor, Op. 67, No. 2
• Frédéric Chopin: Waltz in A Minor, Op. Posth.
• Robert Schumann: Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, Nos. 1, 2, and 3

Get Ready: creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Look up pictures online of a southern lane and have the student write or draw pictures of their mental image after seeing pictures.
• Students should listen to ragtime genres to prepare for the B section, as well as hymn and spiritual genres for the A section.
• Have the students read and learn about Florence Price’s life.

Initial Focus: features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Have the student discover the large section divisions of the piece (ABA Coda). Using the keys of E-flat major and C minor, work on constructing an expressive narrative for the piece.
• Once the large structural divisions are determined, help the student label every phrase in each section.
• The A section is difficult due to uneven phrase lengths. One possibility is a mm. 1-4, a1 mm. 5-12, b mm. 13-18, and a2 in mm. 19-26.
• The B section has four phrases: x mm. 27-30, x1 mm. 31-34, x2 mm. 35-38, and x3, mm. 39-47.
• The Coda has 2-3 phrases depending on the ending chosen.

Coordination Essentials: physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• A section: practice one phrase at a time. Voicing of the opening chord/melody: E-flat in m. 1 which moves to a D b. 2 m. 2. Note that the high Bb is not the main melodic line.
• To practice voicing chords in the A section, first play the melodic pitch in the RH while the LH plays the other parts of the chord. Then, while singing the melody, play all notes in the RH chord with correct balance/voicing. See video for demonstration.
• B section: practice silently blocking the LH by itself.
• B section: practice RH inflection in mm. 27-28 and silently block RH mm. 29-30 for good finger preparation.

Expressivity: ideas to connect and reconnect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

• All sections: syncopated pedaling practice. Students should say “up down” with each pedaling gesture, beginning with isolated measures and then moving to full phrases. At first, have the student coach the teacher.
• The B section can be first learned by tapping RH/LH in phrases on the keyboard cover and counting out loud. When playing, students should count or sing to help with tempo internalization.
• At mm. 35-40 of the B section, the LH pattern changes. Isolate the accompaniment between two hands (all phrases for B) to hear the secondary chromatic line.
• A section: have the student count/sing one phrase at a time in beat subdivisions to help create tempo security, even with the long note values in a moderato setting.

Look Forward: approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• As the student learns phrases fluently and accurately, continue to practice the B section phrases slowly for accurate shifting, counting, and finger preparation.
• In the A section, students can practice individual phrases HT in a faster tempo in order to hear the melodic lines and shape them more clearly. If that is not possible technically, have the student play only the melody in a quicker tempo to secure phrase shape decisions.
• In the B section, work on 1-2 beats at a time for tempo increases. For example: at m. 29, play beats 1-3 at the desired tempo and then stop. Once fluent, try m. 29, beat 3 to m. 30, beat 1 with a metronome at the desired tempo and then stop. Then play the entire measure stopping on m. 30, beat 1 up to tempo. Splice the entire phrase together in this manner up to tempo.

Process and Practice 

Fully Present: tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Work on both micro-details and larger structural units. Work on specific beats for technical/musical security one day, then another day practice a whole phrase.
• Spend time in a practice session listening for consistent tone in all voices. This can be done, for instance, in m. 5 to hear all voices clearly, but with the melody voiced.
• In all phases of practice, devote time to count-singing at various rhythmic levels in all sections.

Break it up: useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• A section: find and locate all melody notes, ex. mm. 1-2. Voice the E-flat by isolating between the hands, singing, and then adding voices in the RH for balance.
• All sections: pedaling drills. Speak the pedal coordination by saying “up-down.”
• B section: practice LH shifting in mm. 27-42 within four bar phrases. Block silently. Work on RH finger preparation in the second half of each phrase slowly.
• Coda: learn both endings and choose which one best fits your narrative concept.

Layers and outlines: tips for focusing on how the parts makeup the whole

• Once all phrases are learned slowly, fluently, and accurately, use the concept of an extra practice measure to work on shifts within and between difficult phrases. See the video for an example.
• Work with a metronome slowly, one phrase at a time, count-singing out loud. The metronome can be used in all sections to help students internalize tempo. Count-singing helps as well.
• Have the student conduct phrases and sections away from the piano to physically understand the differences in tempo between parts.

Achieving flow: ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Concept of dynamic tiers: work on fine-tuning dynamic inflections within each phrase, then transfer to the overall section’s musical decisions. For example, in the B section, all four phrases could be one large crescendo.
• Once the piece is in a fluent and accurate stage of learning, it is now a good time to go back to practicing in small segments for security. Isolate phrases for finger legato, balance between all voices in the texture, and drill shifts.
• Begin to work the transitions between sections by first conducting away from the piano, then having the student conduct the teacher, then having the student play and pace these moments. Example: mm. 25-26 and mm. 44-47.

Make it mine: tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Begin the memorization process, if it has not begun already. Work one phrase at a time. The phrase labels will help immensely.
• Continue to count-sing in the A section in subdivisions and divisions of the beat, and in the B section to help control rushing and to maintain rhythmic integrity inside each beat.
• Discuss with the student how A and B might be motivically related for them to understand unity. Thirds are present in both sections as well as low pedal points, and C is prominent from the first chord as a foreshadowing of the B section key area.

Deep knowing: tips for securing memory

• Continue memory work one phrase at a time by striving to play each phase 3-4 times in a row perfectly.
• Be able to start on any phrase in any section at any time. This will secure structural “pick-up” spots if a memory slip occurs.
• Know details about each section: B section LH has a counter chromatic melody in offbeat chords (mm. 27-34), and in the half note chords (mm. 35-38).
• Have the student record themselves performing either the entire piece or large sections from memory 3-5 times in a row for security.

Final stages: tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• Have the student record a performance in the lesson and then ask the student to assume the role of teacher and critique the performance.
• The student could revisit their original narrative and listen to several recorded performances to make sure they are satisfied with their interpretation, or if anything needs to be changed.
• Practice performance situations are always helpful. Have the students play for family, over google meets, or for friends, school, or church situations.
• Return to basics: go back to some HS drills in all sections, count-sing one phrase at a time to maintain solid tempo, and practice slowly to keep fingers and mind engaged.

by Desireé González-Miller

Desireé González-Miller presents 20 Piezas fáciles sobre temas mexicanos by Manuel M. Ponce, a composer from Mexico.

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by Claudia Deltregia

History: Background information about the composer’s life, accomplishments, and any significant historical background about the piece.

• Marco Padilha was born on November 21, 1955, in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. 
• In Campinas, he began the study of music theory, piano and composition with pianist and composer Orlando Fagnani. 
• He received a Bachelor in Composition by State University of Campinas.. 
• At State University of Campinas, Padilha studied with Almeida Prado, one of the most important composers of his generation. 
• His works have been performed by renowned interpreters such as Antonio Meneses, Sônia Rubinsky, Nahim Marun, Celina Charlier, Rafael Altino, Lars Hoefs, Emerson de Biaggi, Davi Barreto and Jessé Máximo Pereira.

Features: Notes on the style and/or genre of the piece.

• The pieces are homophonic . 
• The first piece, “Um sonho” is in C major. According to the composer, the most important task for the student should be the work on tone. It is in a slow tempo, with the continued resonance of the notes through the pedal. 
• The second piece, “Um olhar” is in A minor with a 3/4 time signature and a tempo similar to a valse. The form is A A´ and, according to the composer, it also requires work on tone. 
• The third piece, “Um Sorriso”, according to the composer is similar to a Russian dance and should communicate a smile of joy, admiration, and care.

Compare: Pieces that are comparable in level and style from the standard repertoire.

• 24 Pieces for Children, Op. 39, by Kabalevsky

Skills: Technical and musical skills that will be developed through this piece. 

• Develops good balance and control between the hands. 
• Requires work on tone and ability to play slowly. 
• Encourages work on tone and work on expressivity. 
• Students should be able to play two note slurs.

by Diana Dumlavwalla

Preparation and Presentation

Context: Pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Nakada, The Song of Twilight
• Tchaikovsky, Old French Song, op. 39, no. 16
• Grechaninov, Waltz, from Glass Beads, op. 123
• Tchaikovsky,Sweet Dreams, op. 39, no. 21

Get Ready: Creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Tap the rhythm of the RH against slow steady triplets in the LH. Feel how the dotted rhythm in the RH fits against the triplets in the LH.
• Create lyrics to go along with the melody. This will help one feel the natural phrasing of the line.

Initial Focus: Features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Voice leading of the LH chords.
• Balance between the hands; it is important for the LH to be soft but it also must be supportive of the RH melody.
• Maintaining a beautiful legato line.

Coordination Essentials: Physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• It may be helpful to split the LH chords between two hands to help hear the intricacies of the harmonic movement.
• Ghost play the LH while playing the RH with a seamless legato touch and natural arm weight.

Expressivity: Ideas to connect and re-connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

• Play around with the use of rubato; it does not always have to occur in the same place.
• Create a story that will go along with the music.
• Trace the melody with a colored pencil in order to really see the contour of the line.

Look Forward: Approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• Pay attention to how the speed of the descent into the key affects the dynamic level. Practice playing chords at various dynamic levels but always maintaining a beautiful tone quality.
• Take note of mm. 4, 13, 26, 35. Towards the end of these measures, the RH will have to take over some of the LH notes. Ensure that the hand arrangement is comfortable and that the melody is still voiced on top.

Process and Practice 

 Fully Present: Tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Sing the melody while playing only the LH.
• Listen to how the LH can help the dynamic contour of the dotted eighth notes in the RH that are supposed to crescendo (e.g. mm. 1, 5, 15, etc.)

Break it Up: Useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• Practice using the pedal with just the LH, just the RH and then HT. This way, one can hear what to avoid blurring in the LH chords and the RH melody.
• Pay special attention to the final chords which are piu lento. They form a tragic end to this solemn piece. They should be played with great care and attention to sound quality and voicing.

Layers and outlines: Tips for focusing on how the parts make up the whole

• Pay attention to the form of the piece (ABA). Take note of how the A sections are similar and when they are slightly different.
• Identify the cadence at the end of each phrase; then listen to how each phrase relates to the next.

Achieving flow: Ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Experiment with playing a relatively quick tempo as well as a very slow tempo. Note how the fast tempo does not allow the expressivity to blossom and the very slow tempo makes the piece feel like it is dragging.

Make it mine: Tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Experiment with different dynamic plans.
• Although some slurs and phrasing are indicated in the score, mark the long phrases with a colored pencil. This will provide some visual indication of how long the line needs to last.
• Bring out some of the secondary melodies in the LH.

Deep knowing: Tips for securing memory

• Conduct an elementary harmonic analysis of the piece.
• Sing the melody with solfege.
• Pay attention to the voice leading in the LH chords.

Final stages: Tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• If possible, practice playing this piece on different pianos. This will help to develop artistic responsiveness to the differences in keyboard action.

by Sean Schulze

Preparation and Presentation

Context: Pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Clementi: Sonatina Op. 36, No. 6
• Burgmuller: The Knight Errant Op.100, No. 25
• Tchaikovsky: Album for the Young (The New Doll, Reverie)
• Kuhlau Sonatina Op.20, No. 1
• JS Bach: Short Prelude BWV 925

Get Ready: Creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• This work has such a strong operatic flavor – listening to excerpts from a Mozart opera is essential. Don Giovanni is especially helpful given the key and mood similarity.
• Hearing a Mozart piano concerto and particularly a cadenza within one of these works is helpful in order to connect with the improvisatory elements within this work.
• Play the work for the student and ask them to create a narrative or a story. This Fantasie lends itself especially well to this exercise!
• Following on from this I ask students to assign character types and specific moods to the various sections of this work – perhaps even connecting it to the characters in Don Giovanni.
• Listening to various great artists perform the work is always inspiring and illuminating and helps a student understand the interpretive leeway that is possible.

Initial Focus: Features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Having a good urtext edition is important before commencing the exploration of this work.
• I like to ask my students to go through the score and identify the different articulation types that are present in the score (legato, staccato, portato, unmarked notes).
• Similarly, I ask my students to identify the different types of textures that are present in the score and to determine how many voices/instruments would be necessary to play various passages.
• Making sure that the clefs are accurately identified can save a lot of time in this work where it is so easy for students to learn entire passages in the wrong clef!
• Developing a good fingering plan and hand distribution arrangement is very helpful before starting to practice the work.

Coordination Essentials: Physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece 

•  Playing scales and arpeggios in the key of the work along with closely related keys is essential for most students.
• Playing those scales with different articulations is very helpful preparation for this work:playing scales with a two-note slur pattern or with staccato or portato touch for example.
• Playing a standard chord progression with beautiful voicing is helpful given some of the textures in this work
• Practicing an alberti bass figure in D major and related keys is useful to prepare form.70-83, one of the trickier passages in this work.

Expressivity: Ideas to connect and re-connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

• I enjoy asking my students to assign different orchestral or vocal sounds (song or speech) to the different sections in this work.
• It is fun to ask students to write their own cadenza for the passage at m.86.
• Following on from earlier, listening to other works (especially non-piano works) by the Mozart is very helpful in expanding the imagination and developing an appropriate stylistic vocabulary from which to draw.
• Playing just the harmonic background as blocked chords is a useful tool in determining the general direction and shaping requirements of the work (M.1-11 is a good example).

Look Forward: Approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road 

• Writing in the counts with clear note alignment is a helpful task for most students. The most prominent example is at m.52-53 which is notoriously tricky!
• I ask my students to identify carefully all passages where one hand takes care of two independent voices ensuring they understand exactly what needs to be held and what can be released (m.57 is a great example).
• It is helpful to ask students to create a skyline of the work identifying the dynamic high and low points.

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Process and Practice 

Fully Present: Tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Try to keep interpretive possibilities open by listening to a variety of recordings with thestudent. It can be counter productive to become too attached to a single performanceby a great artist thereby limiting interpretive possibilities.
• Experiment with a variety of different phrasing/direction plans. For example theascending arpeggio in m.34 might work equally well with either a crescendo or a diminuendo. There are many other instances where a variety of options would be appropriate.
• Try out different tempi where appropriate. For example, the passage starting at m. 23 could work with the same tempo as previously or equally as well with a feeling of piu mosso (given that this is a fantasy, some leeway is available with regard to these matters). The same would apply to the improvisatory passages that occur at m.34, m.44 and m.86.

Break it Up: Useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole 

• The LH in m.12-15 can be practiced on its own in order to hear the two distinct sound layers that are present. When the RH melody is reintroduced, the possibility for moresophisticated listening that is attentive to all the parts becomes a possibility. The same approach would apply of course to m.29-33 and 45-48.
• A sense of gesture is important with the descending passage in m.34. Each 10-notesegment should be conceived in a single physical gesture. The same principle would apply at m.44. Both of these passages will generally benefit from rhythmic pattern practice.
• The ascending arpeggio at the end of m.34 can be distributed between the two hands: LH takes the first 4 notes, followed by 4 notes in the RH. The RH would end up taking the last 6 notes of this passage. This would also apply at m.53.
• The passage from m.41-43 is tricky for most pianists. Firstly, the LH needs a well thought out fingering to negotiate the double notes. The RH also needs individual attention to ensure that the variety of articulation is realized: 2-note slurs, staccatos and unmarked 1/16th notes need to be carefully differentiated. Only when these independent parts are well prepared should the two hands be combined. It can be a good idea to address this passage before the similar passage at m. 26-27 which will feel easier once the former is mastered.
• The LH figure in m.70-83 needs some specialized attention for most of my students.There are at least a couple of fingering possibilities for the first measure: 5-1-3-1 or 5-2-4-2. The hand size of the student will be decisive with this decision. Once the fingering is decided on, a gentle rotation should be achieved by exaggerating a little at first. This will facilitate ease and the speed necessary later on.

Layers and outlines: Tips for focusing on how the parts make up the whole 

• I love showing students how the contour of the D major section at m.55 isforeshadowed with the crest of the D minor arpeggio that opens the work in m.1
• Given that similar material occurs in different keys during this work, it is helpful to thinkof how D minor (m.12-15) will compare with A minor (m.29 onwards) or how the A minor of m.20-27 compares with the equivalent G minor passage in m. 35-42. This can help map out a large-scale sense of structure for the whole work.
• I like my students to hear how the D major theme at m.55 occurs again at m.87 and once more at m.98. On each of these occasions it is preceded by different material and this in turn will influence the approach and the prevailing mood.

Achieving flow: Ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically 

• The tempo at the outset of the work should be thought of as a slow 2-beats permeasure. This can facilitate a sense of harmonic flow and horizontal direction with this passage. In a similar vein, the adagio at m. 12 should be felt in 4, and not in 8 beats per measure which results in an overly vertical approach to the phrase.
• While I like to conduct when my students are playing, it can be fun to reverse roles and ask the student to conduct in order that they might physically experience the sense of gesture that is needed.
• Finding a tasteful rubato can be facilitated by drawing an analogy with the punctuation that governs written language. For example, the deceptive cadence at m.52 is clearly a question mark while the fortissimo chords that conclude the work are the musical equivalent of an exclamation point!
• There are various places in this work that require a dramatic silence, most notably at m.28. Until this is internalized, it can be helpful to have students silently count out the measure of silence or to consciously breathe deeply at these moments.

Make it mine: Tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

•  Mental practice can be encouraged at this point in the journey. Sitting away from thepiano and hearing a beautiful performance from beginning to end with the inner ear canhelp develop a wider grasp of the entire structure.
• Playing other pieces by Mozart and his contemporaries can nourish one’s understandingand provide a fresh perspective of this work. In the later stages of working on this I assign another work to my students such as the Mozart Sonata in G major K.283 (I) or the Haydn Sonata in e minor Hob.XVI:3.
• Identifying places in the work that allow for artistic license can be helpful in establishing a scaffolding from which to play with freedom and spontaneity. I like to signpost a few places in this work where a spontaneous approach to the pacing can be implemented. For example, m.10 (take some time or not?), m.19 (slight slowing?) or m.32-33 (gentle accelerando?)
• I enjoy having my students record their own performance and then have them self-critique their playing. This is useful in terms of developing deeper and more critical listening skills which are essential tools for building a sophisticated performance.

Deep knowing: Tips for securing memory

• I always ask my students to know what key any given passage is in. Adding to this, it isimportant to know what arpeggio or scale various passages are constructed from.
• Dividing the work into sections and then being able to start randomly from thosesections is a tried and tested procedure for securing the memory.
• My students are encouraged to be able to play the LH alone by memory before aperformance. Adding to this, it is very helpful to play the LH on the piano while “ghost-playing” the RH on one’s lap. This is invaluable in terms of securing memory and coordination.
• Practicing the work at a very slow tempo is helpful to truly test the security of the memory.
• It is very helpful to ask students to play similar passages that occur in different keys alongside each other in order to compare and contrast the fingering/hand shape. For example the passage from m.20-27 alongside the passage from m.35-43.

Final stages: Tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• If possible I provide opportunities for my students to play on different pianos and in different acoustical settings prior to a performance. This can dilute the surprise of having to adjust to a new instrument for the first time at a performance.
• I always ask my students to try out the shoes and outfit they will be wearing in the performance ahead of time to ensure maximum comfort and to avoid the possibility of an unexpected and uncomfortable distraction.
• Playing at exaggeratedly fast or slow tempos can be useful in preparing for a performance – if one can develop security at these extremes, then the regular tempo starts feeling easy and comfortable.
• I enjoy having my students do a performance for their classmate who has a lesson immediately before or after their lesson in order that they can try out the work for a friendly set of ears.
• Finally I always tell my students that it is a privilege to play this great repertoire and to treat a performance as an opportunity to share the miracle of Mozart with a grateful listener. Ideally the performance should not be about us but about the composer!

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by Juan Pablo Andrade

Juan Pablo Andrade presents 15 Invenciones Ticas by Manuel Matarrita, a composer from Costa Rica. 

by Danny Milan

Preparation and Presentation

Context: pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Béla Bartók, easier selections from For Children such as Nos. 2, 3, 6, and 10 from Book I, and Nos. 3, 7, 22, and 38 from Book II
• Dmitry Kabalevsky: “Clowns,” Op. 39, No. 20
• Octavio Pinto, “Prelude” from Children’s Festival
• J.S. Bach: the easier stand-alone works that introduce examples of simple, two-part counterpoint and imitation. Some examples include Polonaise in G Minor (Anh. 119), Minuet in A Minor (Anh. 120), Minuet in C Minor (Anh. 121), and March in G Major (Anh. 124).

Get Ready: creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Create a robust imagery of Romanian culture by exploring photographs of Romanian landscapes, mountains, traditional clothing, and architecture.
• Learn about Romanian history and traditions. There are numerous videos available on YouTube that include brief but effective information.
• Listen to and watch recordings of Romanian folk music and dance.

Initial Focus: features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Identify the structure of the piece in addition to any transitional material, repetition, and key and meter variations.
• Watch carefully for the frequent and various types of articulation markings throughout. These nuances are important to fully capture the essence of the folk influence.
• Take the time to establish proper fingering: some areas are intuitive while others are not.

Coordination Essentials: physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• Five finger patterns, hands together, with one hand staccato and one hand legato can be an effective exercise for different simultaneous articulations between the hands.
• Practice smaller sections in repetition with careful attention on pedaling. Accurate pedaling, especially precise releases of the pedal, are crucial to the clarity of the various articulations.
• For some of the more complex syncopations, count out loud in subdivisions to get rhythms accurate and consistent.

Expressivity: ideas to connect and re­connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

• Return to the introductory activity of creating a robust imagery of Romanian culture by exploring photographs of Romanian landscapes, mountains, traditional clothing, and architecture. Having a specific image in mind can give a great amount of character and meaning to these works.
• Along with the imagery, try to imagine what action or activity is taking place amidst this mental picture.
• Fermatas and breaths between phrases are a common device in these pieces and crucial in their expression. Take time and freedom for these long sounds to indulge and resonate. Let the silences hold the listener on the edge of their seat, waiting for what is next.

Looking Forward: Approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• Practice without the damper pedal to get a strong handle on the different articulations and phrasing first.
• When the pedal is added, listen for clarity of the articulations and melody. Be sure that the pedaling is not impacting the effect of the various articulations or blurring sounds together that should not be blurred.
• Loud and soft sounds alone are not enough! Explore the whole palette of potential dynamics and tone, and carefully plan how and when to use them.

Process and Practice 

Fully present: tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Explore traditional Romanian instruments and their performance and try to imagine which ones may be represented in different parts and textures of the piece. This will also supplement the aspects of imagery and expression.
• Play the piece in different ways and with different interpretations. Have an open conversation with the student about what still works, what doesn’t work, and why or why not. These different manners of playing could include changing the tempo, more or less rubato, alterations of tone, differences in pedaling, etc.

Break it up: useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• Practice each phrase independently, always going to the down-beat of the next one so that the transition is built in when putting phrases together later on.
• Practice hands separate when there is imitation or counterpoint to ensure awareness and consistency of the articulations and phrasing, focusing on melodic voicing, articulation, and phrase shaping.
• Don’t always start from the beginning! Practice from different structural points to assist in understanding form, strengthening memory, and giving an equal amount of dedicated practice to every part.

Layers and outlines: tips for focusing on how the parts makeup the whole

• Review the structure of the piece and recognize occurrences of other factors such as repetition, transitional material, melody versus accompaniment figures, countermelodies, and harmony.
• There are frequent instances of imitation between the hands: note and highlight them in a way similar to a Bach two-part invention, for example.
• Know clearly where the beginnings and endings of phrases are and exactly how they will be shaped. Knowing and understanding this will also inform how the music should “breathe” between phrases, demonstrating a coherent cadence of events in the overall form.

Achieving flow: ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Tap or conduct the piece while singing the melody. From there, play everything but the melody on the piano while singing the melody.
• Occasionally play the melody alone with the utmost sense of shape and expression (like it were being sung). When putting the left hand back into the mix, this can result in a revitalization of overall expression and shaping.
• Continue to periodically count aloud with subdivisions to hold the tempo accountable. This act of subdivision also can help the pacing of the numerous ritardandos, accelerandos, instances of rubato, and other tempo alterations found throughout the Opus 16 set.
• Hear the tempo clearly in your mind before playing to ensure a strong and consistent start.

Make it mine: tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Be able to clearly describe a mental picture and/or action of what the music is presenting. Is it a dance, a lake between the mountains, and traditional wedding song, an evening in the country (to reference Bartók), and so forth.
• Commit the piece to memory and practice performing it this way. Being off of the score can allow for even more spontaneous expression and perspective.

Deep knowing: tips for securing memory

• Be able to start by memory at numerous structural points in the piece.
• Play for different friends and family members frequently when the piece is performance ready.
• Play on different pianos and in different settings (different lighting, quiet and loud spaces, and bigger and larger spaces when possible) to make the performance more adaptable and ready for any changes, discomfort, or unexpected factors that could occur.

Final stages: tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• Have the student record their own performance and listen back. Are they actually doing everything they think they are doing? Does the sound fit their own imagery and idea of the work? Does the playback evoke the emotions they have in mind for the piece?
• Listen to the playback of the student’s performance and then listen to a Romanian folk tune of a similar character. Do the two performances match up in aesthetic and overall effect?

by Laura Amoriello

Video 1: Preparation & Presentation

Video 2: Performance

Preparation and Presentation

Context: pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: “Reverie” from Album for the Young
• Robert Schumann: “Little Romance” from Album for the Young

Get Ready: creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score, to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

• Discover: What is an arabesque? It is a ballet position with the body in profile, supported on one leg, while the other leg extends behind it. This is based on early Islamic art featuring ornamental scrolls that interlace. You and your student might look for images of both before playing the piece. How does an arabesque relate to the multi-voice texture of the piece?
• Discover: Who was Josephine Lang? She was a German composer who lived 1815-1880. Her teachers included Felix Mendelssohn and Ferdinand Hiller. Lang composed lieder for solo voice and piano music, as well as two choral works.

Initial Focus: features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

• Notice the form (A-B-A1) and key structure of the piece: The A and A1 sections are in F Major, while the B section is written in A-flat Major and F Minor. For this reason, you might divide the middle section into two parts–B (m. 16) and B1 (m. 36).
• Circle all accidentals, dynamics, and clef changes. You might use different colors for a helpful visual cue.
• Be sure you know the translation of all expressive markings! For example, lasingando = sweet.
• Explore the layers of the piece. As an alternative to hands separate sight-reading, for example, you might play the soprano, bass, and middle voices separately and in combinations of two. You can also block the right hand to hear the harmonic structure.

Coordination Essentials: physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

• Warm up with scales and arpeggios in F Major, A-flat Major, and F Minor.
• This piece utilizes a short-short-long phrase structure, providing convenient practice units. For each phrase, practice blocking the right hand to get comfortable with shifts and hear the harmonies. (You can do the same for the left hand in the middle section at mm. 20-22 and 28-34).
• When you are ready, block hands together. This is especially useful for the more challenging phrases, such as mm. 28-36 in the B-section, which includes accidentals and frequent position changes.
• Continuing to take one phrase at a time, slowly practice “springing” into the top note while keeping the inner voices soft. As you increase the tempo, you can minimize the springing motion but keep a firm fingertip for clear voicing.

Expressivity: ideas to connect with the expressive and musical nature of the piece

• Observe all dynamics, articulation, and expressive markings, from hands separate through hands together phases.
• The short-short-long phrase structure also provides expressive guidance: Follow the crescendo-decrescendo markings and keep singing! Vocalizing the top voice will guide you in how you might like to phrase.
• Notice the half-steps in the left hand throughout, which can be phrased with a slight decrescendo: pickup into m. 1, mm. 2-3, mm. 8-9, mm. 10-11, mm. 12-13, m. 17, mm. 36-37.

Look Forward: approaches to set up for success with refinements that will need attention a few weeks down the road

• Generally, changing the pedal on each beat will provide clarity. Depending on your instrument and the acoustics of the space, you might change less frequently, especially at drops to low bass notes (mm. 18, 28, and 38, for example). Keep listening for clarity and pedal tastefully. Your teacher can help you!
• Continue to engage with the layers of the piece throughout the preparation, practice, and performance stages. Keep singing the top voice to guide your phrasing. Play combinations of voices, and for a special challenge, play one voice while singing another! Can you see how the layers of this piece might represent an arabesque?

Process and Practice 

Fully present: tips for maintaining focus and engagement over time

• Try interleaved practice: Alternate between the three sections of the piece rather than always starting from the beginning.
• Continue to engage with the layers of the piece: sing the top voice, play combinations of voices, and block the harmonies. Pick a different strategy each time you practice to keep the mind, body, and ear engaged over time. If you haven’t already, move on to the challenge of playing one voice while singing another!

Break it up: useful practice segments; how to connect them and plug them back into the whole

• The short-short-long phrase structure of this piece provides convenient practice units. Master each phrase individually first. Then, combine the phrases: short + short, short + long. As your combinations become more secure, group all three phrases together.
• When you can comfortably play three phrases with fluidity and expression, move on to sectional practice. Can you play each section fluidly and musically? Try interleaved practice: Alternate between sections rather than always starting from the A-section.

Layers and outlines: tips for focusing on how the parts makeup the whole

• By this point, you have probably engaged quite a bit with the layers of this piece! Continue utilizing the strategies discussed above: sing the top voice, play combinations of voices, block the harmonies, and sing one voice while playing another. Always include singing as part of your practice: keeping the ear actively engaged is critical to voicing and expression in this piece.
• As you block the harmonies, jot in chord names or Roman numerals. Harmonic analysis will facilitate flow and memory in this piece.

Achieving flow: ideas for finding and maintaining tempo, managing modifications artistically

• Be sure to observe the composer’s tempo and timing indications throughout the piece.
• To facilitate phrasing over the barline, practicing grouping: Take a slight pause on the downbeat of each measure, making sure not to pause before the downbeat. You can apply this practice strategy by phrase first, then section as you get more comfortable. After grouping, play the phrase or section as written to assess your flow.
• For an extra challenge: Practice without looking at the keys! This is especially useful for the leaps to low bass notes in the B-section (mm. 18 and 38, for example).

Make it mine: tips for developing and refining a personal, internal sense of the piece

• Keep singing! Maintaining an aural, inner connection to the top line is essential for heartfelt expression in this piece.
• Alter the chord in m. 69 as needed to fit your hand size. Options include: roll the chord, leave out the RH B-flat and/or LH E.
• Connect with a sense of what it meant for a woman to compose and publish at this time in history. What challenges do you think Josephine Lang faced? What do you think she was thinking or feeling as she continued to compose through her personal challenges?

Deep knowing: tips for securing memory

• Memorize one phrase at a time. Use your harmonic analysis to guide you.
• Study the score away from the piano. Can you visualize and/or audiate each phrase without playing?
• Continue exploring the layers of the piece and playing with voices: Sing the top line, play combinations of voices, sing one line while playing another.

Final stages: tips for ensuring performance readiness, maintaining freshness and spontaneity, and reinforcing an expressive personal connection

• Continue to connect with the composer, her personal and professional challenges. What challenges have you faced? How can you share this deep meaning with your audience?
• Sometimes it can be helpful to “take a break.” Resting from a piece often provides new ways of playing it. If you have the time before any performance deadlines to do so, give it a try!
• You can also practice performing for others, record yourself, or practice playing the piece “cold” (with no warm-up).