Summit Day 5 - Structure in Bach

Just had my second lesson with David Krieger. We worked on the 2nd Bach suite, and the theoretical structure in it (which he says I need before thinking of the spiritual aspects of it) we also worked on not letting the sound die out ... but basically on thinking about and realizing things like sequences and inner melodies & scales & stuff of that sort ... basically the same kind of stuff that Inna talked about, only more specific ... he also gave me some fingerings to use, which is very helpful..

We also spent half the lesson resetting my soundpost (first time in 4 years that I've ever knocked it down!)

We're going to work on Elgar on saturday after the concert ... he told me to skip the 2nd movement for now... he also told me to go bach (back, whoops!) to working on the Haydn Concerto, b/c it will really develop my thumb position (now that I think about it, the third movement is perfect for this!) ... I'm also gonna keep at doing the Dotzaeur etudes in thumb.

I find the quality of my intonation really varies based on how much I practice... but basically the more I practice, the better it is ... and it bother's me when it isn't ...

The lecture/concert was really cool ... made me care about the piece more ... it was Adam Kent & he did Schumann's Kresleriana ... I kind of want to put him in touch w/ Steven Isserlis ... I bet they'd like a lot of the same things...

Somebody asked me to find a harp teacher around my area ... if anyone's got any suggestions ...

Summit Day 4 - Don't Skip Lunch!

Today I learned that skipping lunch is a bad idea ... especially when I haven't actually had breakfast ... I think I would have practiced/played better if I hadn't ...

but on that note, I played in Inna Nasidze's masterclass & learned a lot! I played the 2nd Bach suite, and despite the faulty intonation (it really was like I was physically struggling against myself) & a technique thing here or there, what I was really seeking was some musical advice. And that's exactly what I got ... I hope I can remember everything, but basically it was like taking a 1-dimensional sketch and making it into 3d...

Some things I took away:

Prelude -
-Start at nothing
-Each restatement of the beginning motive becomes more "real"

Allemande -
-Sense of phrasing and not letting the phrase die prematurely
-Continuity of sound
-Don't rush! Especially for double-stops in Allemande
-Always have a concept in mind
-Cadenza at the end of the Allemande shouldn't be rushed
-Don't press w/ bow
-Don't stop bow - this results in "tch" sound (which is related to pressing...)

I still feel like I need a better set of fingerings/some technique help in the Prelude, but I have a lesson w/ David Krieger tomorrow. He walked into the masterclass right as I was about to start the piece - made me incredibly nervous ... also, I felt ... like I let me/him down b/c I wasn't able to incorporate what we talked about regarding bowing into this performance, b/c I was so tense/exhausted ...

Weber/Chausson rehearsal could have been better ... I still wasn't feeling/playing so great at that point though & I haven't had a chance to metronome the music ... gonna do that tonight ...

The lecture with David Dubal was very interesting ... I liked his ideas that we had to be more than just technical machines & that we had to have lives outside of music and be conscious of the world around us ... he commented a lot on how people used to be surprised if you didn't compose/improvise & now it's the other way around ... I couldn't always hear everything, because, in addition to doing lights, I also had to do sound... was stressful, but fun ... I really like that kind of work

That's the end of the cello masterclasses this week - which is good, cuz I'll get to practice more ... I'm gonna thank Inna for listening to me when I get a chance & *maybe* ask her if I can play Bach for her again next week ... she's a very nice/approachable person ...

That's all for now ...

Summit Day 3

Today has consisted of Practicing the 2nd Bach Suite a lot ... also copied the cello parts for the Brahms/Beethoven Clarinet Trio ... just need to find a pianist to do those with ...


I'm supposed to play it for David Krieger at some point today, and may be playing it in a masterclass tomorrow ... I don't know yet ...

also have Chausson rehearsal at 7 .. tomorrow's Weber - ahhh! I need to get that up to tempo & haven't had any chance to practice it ...

They've started carding people for meals :( not fun ... that's all for now...

Edit: Didn't get to play for Mr. Krieger, but still going to play in the masterclass w/ Inna Nasidze tomorrow ... that means I've got to do a lot of practice ... and holy crap, I need to get the Weber up to tempo by tomorrow!! ahh...

I'm exhausted ... but good...
I've finally got that bloody light board figure out ... now I just have to explain it to someone else in case I'm not gonna be here...

Summit Day 2 - Lessons & Limitations

So today consisted of:

2.5 hrs of practice
Learning the lightboard
Lesson with David Krieger
Lunch
Nathaniel Rosen Masterclass
11 hr of practice

It will also have a concert ... I'll add that later...

In my lesson, we talked about what I had/hadn't done & about the need for a fundamental technique/foundation ... which is perfect, because this is exactly what I'm seeking ... We went over a new way of doing scales... First, he wants me to use the more traditional Scale fingerings, plus he showed me a new way of doing them ... but the basic gyst is 2/4/6/8/12/24 notes to a bow ... all within the context of 2 beat measures ...

We also talked about bowing itself and particularly about the "X" motion (which goes along w/ the concept of the upside down U bowing motion). We also talked about not raising the elbow, which is my big problem on the A string (well, all the others too!)

I'm going to play Bach 2nd suite for him & he's going to give me double stop/position exercises!


The Rosen Masterclass went well, though I could have been in better shape with the piece ...

I played Elgar mov. 1 & learned the following:
-For the opening double stops use a small portion of the bow, then change for the chord, then slow the speed so you can surge
-Use familiar areas for fingerings (I'm not sure I want to do this, but I'll give it a try ... he suggested a new fingering for the Upward run, based on shifting at harmonics ...
We also talked about releasing the 3rd & 4th finger on the bow at times ... particularly for that run...
-He also said I was over-using slides & this was "slowing" down the piece ... he showed me how to lift the bow to allow for clean shifts & the sound I want, and said i need to choose when we hear the shift

David Krieger told me afterwards that I played well, but that we should have had at least 2 lessons before I played that for a masterclass ... I told him that I agreed ... I really want to sign up to play the 2nd Bach Suite for the thursday masterclass, but I'm afraid it won't be ready.... time to go play it & see ... and then I'll see if I can play it for Krieger tomorrow...
That's all I can remember for now...

The concert was amazing!! I don't want to write more about it now, b/c I'm exhausted ... the light board on the other hand really is a pain in the ass ... but I think I've gotten the hang of it!

I need to practice ... severely

Summit Day 1

Most of the day consisted of running around & helping the administration ... also doing the lights for the concert, because nobody could figure out how to (I love being a tech-y person)

I had the Weber rehearsal today ... went well ... the scherzo is good, but the pianist needs to bring it up to speed ... once we're there, we're there! The finale is good, but *none* of us realized it was in cut time before! So lots of work to do there ... but once it's there, it's there ... both are going well!

Nathaniel Rosen, and the other artists who played with him gave an amazing concert!! Highlight of it was definitely the Kodaly Duo (best cello/violin duo ever written in my opinion)

I have my first lesson w/ David Krieger - very exciting ... we haven't discussed rep, but I'm going to bring in Elgar Mov. 2 (How do I do this spiccato thing anyway ...) & Popper 1 & have elgar 1 & bach as my extra things to do ...

Speaking of Elgar ... I'm going to be playing for Nathaniel Rosen in a masterclass tomorrow ... the first movement ... this is incredible, and really scary at the same time ... and I told another cellist I was nervous about it, and she said "Don't Be" ... quite surprising ... I'm always on the other end of that ...

I've never played in a masterclass before ...

Met a bunch of neat people, including a *ton* of cellists today ... and this is only the 1st week ... so very cool...

My Bible

I've decided that Metallica + Popper + Dotzauer in thumb position is gonna be my bible from now on ... it's how I'm gonna start my cello days ...

Metallica, b/c it's insanely hard, and because it's my musical core (even more than nightwish & dream theater)
Popper, b/c it's insanely hard and fast and pushes my technique
Dotzauer because it helps blaze open the doors for thumb position and really again causes me to push ... I feel like most things I'll come across will be easy after that ...

I'm trying to decide on what role scales will play in all of this ... whatever role that is though, i want Metallica to start off the day...

Goals

Taken from an email I wrote to a friend:
(context, she asked what my cellistic goals were ... I formatted it so that it's a bit more readable here...) ... I think I've watched a couple too many Metallica documentaries recently ... but hey, that's my inspiration...

My immediate goals are to be able to play the following: Elgar mov. 2, Popper 1, Metallica Kill 'Em All (all the Rhythm Parts for the whole album) & this Weber trio I'm working on.

My broader goals are that:
-I want to develop an amazing technique that will let me play whatever I want;
-I want to be be able to get into any conservatory in the country when I apply for grad school;
-I want to develop the ability to shred faster than any guitar player, the way guitarists like Kirk Hammet or Dave Mustaine or John Petrucci or like a billion others are capable of (physics is of course against me on that one);
-I want to develop a strong tone and loud sound; I want to keep writing original, interesting music for solo cello;
-finally, I want to be in some kind of heavy metal/rock band, and really push people's conception of what the cello's capable of in that format, cuz a lot of what I've seen so far has come off to me as: "oh hey look we have a cello, doesn't that make us cool" ... as opposed to amazing bands that just happen to have a cellist as one of their players. ...
-I'd like to be able to earn my income solely from cello 1 day

What do Metallica, Popper, Elgar & Weber have in common?

Their music is kicking my ass on cello!

Played along with a good amt. of the Kill 'Em All album earlier - which is cool ... just a few more things to learn and a little more technique pushing, and I'll be there ...

Popper is way hard ... and it's only #1!! It's really just down to a few measures ... and the fact that it's in triplets ... but anyway, once I get those measures down, I'll have the whole etude and can start speeding it up...

Dotzauer's a nice challenge/exercise in general ... moving it to thumb position is fucking hard!

Weber is yet to come ...

I'm also really tight from exercising the last couple of days, so it's making all this harder ...

I played at the library park earlier for like a good hour or so ... lots of playing today ... was fun, and occasionally a person or two took interest ... the little kids (as always) were the ones who took the most interest...
Alright, time for a small break, and then practice!

Movement While Playing

So I was watching this vid: http://youtube.com/watch?v=G8fR-WOIsfA

And the guy moves around like crazy ... it's quite fun

Then I was watching cello versions of Muse's "Time is Running Out" ... and honestly, what the hell ... those were some wimpy versions ... completely ignored the fact that like the overdriven bass line is what's driving the song ...

So then I decided to go figure it out ... and well Muse's music is the type that makes you (me) want to move around ... and then it occurred to me ... I don't move anymore when I play ... why?

I love players who move around while they play, I love moving around while I play ... so let's get some movement on ...

Edit: Also ... video #6!! - http://youtube.com/watch?v=vRmuKnZGIjY

Another Elgar Realization

I realized that it's all about strong, purposeful attack w/ the left hand ... reminded me of this Amit Peled interview... (I'd really love to study with him at some pt ... but Peabody is all the way in Maryland ... plus I'd have to manage to get in...) ... but anyway, he talks about something called the Cobra Technique:

Look at the cobra, lifting the head before attacking. That is exactly what I mean by the cobra technique. The finger that is about to play, that is not playing yet, is going into a cobra position, which means it is going up in the air before going down. Instead of keeping it close, before putting it down. Exactly like the feet. Before you put the foot on the ground, you lift it. The same thing with the finger. Let us go back to the D string. If you play E with the 1st finger, then you are going to play G with the 4th finger, you lift the 4th finger into cobra position and then you put it down and immediately when it goes down, the 1st finger goes up. It did its job.

I'm thinking I might start labelling posts so that I can reference old ones ... that sounds really time consuming though... I also really need to practice more ... just under 4 hrs. today ... that should be 6...

Elgar Technique & Double Stops

So a few realizations occurred while practicing


Elgar Mov. 1:
For the main Melody, there are four very important things -

1. Rhythm - Being very precise & in control of the Rhythm is important to keep it (main melody) flowing .. being in 9/8 means you nead to count the 8ths and it's got 3 beats ..
2. Flat Fingered is good - Particularly for the main melody, but really for just about the whole thing ... it creates the mood/tone and lets you control the texture a lot more, plus is essential for getting a big sound ... only with those crazy upward scale runs is it a good idea to curved (maybe)
3. Bow pressure/arm weight determines a lot of the sound ... also attack ... I've tried focusing on speed/distribution before and was not having success ... it's partially because I was missing this, and partially because...
4. Bow placement - as in proximity to fingerboard/bridge ... regardless of what you do in certain areas, it's impossible to create some of the textures (particularly the lighter/more ethereal ones necessary for a lot of it...)
5. For those ending Pizz, the string has to be firmly stopped, and it needs a firm, strong attack with the thumb - a minimal amt. of vibrato after the note has rung is useful


Now for double stops -

I was doing my usually barred 5ths and discovered 2 things: 8ths are easy, triplets are hard (not for long!) ... 16ths are next ..... Next thing ... Do some freakin' ear training with this things ... otherwise there's no point ... pull out the top line & the bottom, switch randomly, and hear them as one unit & know every note being played ... it's all about the mapping of the fingers and the ear ...

That's all for now ... got to get something to drink ... it's waaaay hot in here...

Off the string strokes are hard!!

Weber is coming along well, but not as well as I'd like ... rhythmically/note-wise it's not bad, but there's a lot of bowing stuff that I'm really honing in on

I'm up to 4.5 hrs ... just another hour and a half ... I'm gonna do some slow scales & then spend the rest on Weber ... if I somehow go above 6, then depending on how Weber's going, I might dedicate that to Elgar ...

Another Great Feuermann Quote

A scale made up of clean tones, the fingers going down in such a way that the unequal strength of the fingers is hidden; a scale in which audible string crossings do not exist and in which the position is changed so quickly that the difference between a finger placed on the string and a change of position can hardly be felt; thus a row of notes of uniform strength, perfect in intonation and without disrupting, extraneous noises, these are the fundamentals of a scale, the ideal!

I've spent essentially the whole day working on p. 2 of Elgar mov. 2 ... I'm trying to get it up to tempo ... so far, I'm somewhere in between 100 & 120 ... it needs to be at 160 ...then there's the whole issue of making it spicatto, but one step at a time ...

I'm gonna take a break, work on the Weber a bit, and then do more Elgar .. 3 hrs. so far ... 3 to go..

Edit: more from Feuermann:

What must be practiced, watched for, and accomplished to dojustice to a scale according to the very highest of musical demands?

1) Even articulation for each individual note, whether fingering, change in positions, or open strings are concerned.
2) As little difference as possible between going up the scale and going down.
3) Rhythmical independence of string and position change arranged so that, the notes are played on a string or in a position, groups of two or three note are formed.
4) No break in the scale because of bow changes.
5) Secure intonation.
6) Rhythm: a scale as practiced is a matter of mechanics.

What could I do better?

Is now the official question that I'm going to ask myself after every phrase/everytime I work on something ... a lot of getting good at cello is repetition, but more of it is analysis ... I need to do more of that ... and listening/phrasing is incredibly important too ...

I think I'm going to have an hour each day where my practice is to focus on listening ... anyway, I *really* need to go to sleep...

Frustrating Hour of Practice

Elgar is beyond challenging ... tomorrow's technique work is all about 16ths at fast tempos ... I'm making it my goal to get through that damn 160!

I still have to really learn Weber too ... Summit's just a week away at this point!

Do extensions actually make sense? And a clean crisp attack on every note..

So two things came from my most recent practice ...

First, it's challenging to get a clean, strong, crisp attack on every note, and I noticed in particular, that when I'm shift back (especially to the fourth finger), my LH goes out of alignment/I collapse my wrist, and if it's an up-bow it always sounds muddy ... So there's a challenge to work towards

Second, I was thinking about Feuermann and his left hand technique & I remember that he didn't use extensions ... so I thought I'd give it a try while doing A major (regular scale, and 3rds) ... what I realized is this: the extension is essentially stretching between the 1st and 2nd finger and then moving the thumb/whole hand up a half step. Essentially this is taking you out of a closed hand position and causing tension between the first and second fingers just so you can move ... so why do you need it ... Why not just move the hand up a half step, since that's what you're doing anyway?? The one justification I can see for extensions at this point is minor third double stops or other things of the sort, but otherwise, I'm thinking they are in fact counter-productive and actually make playing harder ... I'm going to check out some vids. of some cellists and see what they do ... I know DuPre definitely uses them in the Elgar, and I think that might be related to the attack & not creating a new loud attack in the middle of a slurred phrase ...

Edit: I've got the following

Greenhouse about Feuermann: He discussed and demonstrated the technique of the left hand in a completely new way, minimizing the use of extensions. Before him old-school German teachers like Klengel and Becker relied much more upon extensions, which required that you practice eight hours a day in order to build up enormous strength and endurance. With Feuermann the left hand was supple and moved freely. He showed me the technique of how to get around the instrument with minimal effort, taking advantage of arm weight when fingering.

Brinton Smith about Feuermann: Feuermann's hand only extends just before certain shifts or before playing a rapid passage requiring extensions, and it is returned to the 'natural' position whenever possible.

....

More Brinton Smith: Feuermann's vibrato seems very much produced by a 'whole hand' motion. While the fingers besides the one stopping the string are raised off the string, they come up only slightly and remain close to each other in the 'natural' Feuermann hand position. When Feuermann vibrates in thumb position, the thumb is not pressed down into the string but remains on top of the string, making light contact.

You can definitely see those in Greenhouse's technique ... I'm gonna make an effort to incorporate them as well...

Extraneous Noises & Collapsed Wrist

So, thank you to Mr. Carl Maria Von Weber ... while practicing his piece (and a very focused practice - this is what I should be doing all the time!), I noticed two things:

1. I have lots of extraneous bow noise, and so I worked for a good 20 minutes on about 4 measures ... by the end, it was mostly gone
2. I tend to collapse my Left wrist a lot, thus making it harder to play and reducing the quality of my tone ... it doesn't feel as secure when I consciously try to change it, but I'm pretty sure that that's just because I'm not used to it ... this came up back when I did the Alexander workshop too...

Also ... slow practice for intonation is essential before moving on to other aspects ... I find it tends to be what I focus on the most, and so it hampers me the most if I don't have it down!

In general, I need to pay more attention to bow distribution and practice playing more in the middle of the bow (at the balance point), and eventually at the tip...

Equal Power of Attack

So how do you gain equal power of attack at the frog & the tip ... a lot of the answer has to do with the shoulder ... it initiates everything, it has to be loose and you almost throw it into your stroke ... I realized that from watching Tortelier: http://youtube.com/watch?v=VWWbcvlQGm4 ... it gives you a really powerful/sharp attack ... from there it's all about balance and keeping the bow straight ...

Hi Wrist vs. Low Wrist & A Stiff Left Thumb

I finally actually really understand what Mr. O was saying with the High Wrist vs. Low Wrist ... I finally get it ... the breakthrough came from a combination of watching a Tortellier masterclass where he says you have to have the same power of attack at the tip as the frog & from working on Dotzauer Etude #4 and struggling to add the bounce in ... which led to me thinking about how I used to get it, and how I used to get the bounce in the bourees from Bach Suite 3 ... then I though about initiating the stroke with the middle two fingers, then I started doing double stop open string exercises, and took the music away, and it all clicked ... I finally completely get it...

So Low Wrist is when (at the tip) the wrist is lower than elbow level ... high wrist is when it's higher than elbow level ... apparently some people like the high wrist approach ... I think it's been the most debilitating aspect of my bow technique, and I'm so glad I've finally consciously identified it, so that I can go back to the way I used to bow (in that regard) and go forward to developing good bow technique.

General principles for bowing:
-Elbow is like a door hinge
-Motion of the bow arm is like snake

These were like 2 of the very first things anybody ever told me about bowing ...

Also, I figured out why I've suddenly developed a tea-cup pinky in my left hand technique (this was confusing the crap since the beginning of this week) ... the answer: not bending my thumb...

So there we go ... 2 major problems solved ... This has been such an amazing day of practice ... can't wait for tomorrow ...

Weber!

So getting ready for Summit, I took my first read through the Weber! Man I have got my work cut out for me! (not in an overwhelming way, but it's a good challenge) ... only doing the Scherzo & the Finale (b/c we've previously done the other too) ... the scherzo is pretty easy for the most part ...

It's the Finale that's the challenge, and it's challenging in a fun, I can really get into practicing this, kind of way ... I feel certain that with enough work, I can have it under my fingers ... and wow did my Elgar 1st movement get so much better from practicing the Weber!! That's freakin' cool!

Done 4 hours today so far..

Flat vs. Curved Fingers

So recently, I've taken to playing on my finger tips a lot ... and the great thing to that approach is that you get a very focused pitch ... the not great thing is that you can not get a big sound & that in order to do so, you have to force a lot ...

So I had a bit of a epiphany & returned one step closer to where I used to be ... Slow scales = flat finger ... this means wider vibrato + better sound (hence why double stops were so relaxing), plus helps w/ callous building (it seems) ... fast stuff is on the fingertips (I swear I really just need to study w/ Mr. O again ... I wish I had the money to do something like that ...)

Speaking of which, I'm really missing my teacher/taking lessons in general ... I can't wait to get back to it ... can't wait to really explore the advanced rep ... I'm making good progress with Elgar ... I feel like I'm really accomplishing something ... like I'm capable of learning on my own ... I definitely still need more guidance though, and I realize that more and more as I progress ...

So far my practice time is averaging 3 hours a day for this week ... I'm gonna push that up & keep pushing ... Relaxed technique and focus is the key!

Can't wait for Summit...

Double Stops are now Mandatory

In 1 hour, I think I did more with barred 5ths and minor 6ths than I've done in my last 2 4 hr practice days ... they're mandatory from now on ... all the time ... just 1.5 weeks until Summit ... which means I have to be really amazing by next week ... so much work ... it will be worth it...

Edit: They also force me to breathe and relax/release tension in a way that other exercises do not ... I think they're the key to pushing myself to the next level...

Also Edit: I emailed Steven Isserlis about a composer that I can't seem to find any information on or proof that he exists (besides that I've played one of his piano trios) ... and ... he actually emailed me back ... apparently he doesn't know anything about him either, but still, my favorite cellist emailed me back ... how cool is that

He's also playing in NYC on my birthday ... that is going to be beyond amazing...

Less than three is worthless

Lots to blog about ... so here goes ...

Firstly, I've decided that less than 3 hours of daily practice is worthless ... to clarify, I don't mean that as a judgement of anyone else's playing or practicing, I only mean it related to mine. I also don't mean that I have the option between practicing 1-2 hrs or not at all that I'm not going to practice at all. What I mean, is that I don't really improve substantially with less than 3 hours & I'm not going to become amazing unless I put in at least 3 hours a day ... I averaged 3 hours a day last month ... so far I'm averaging less than that this month...

In a lot of ways, my cello playing is the best it's ever been - mechanically, consistency, understanding of tension, breathing - what's still lacking is this: speed, tone, callouses ... these things are literally all related, and all just a matter of how much time I put in ... they're also what's holding me back from saying that I'm playing at my very best ... actually, there's one more thing: rate of progression ... back in high school, I was constantly making tremendous leaps and progress ... I am working on getting back to that point, and I have 2 weeks to do it ... I need to go to Summit and play amazingly and impress people .. or at least be able to to hold my ground compared to the other really amazing players ... I'm on the road to that, but I'm not there yet... I also need to be able to go back to school 3 weeks after that and be one of the best in the department. There's no reason I can't, and it will really help raise the level (hopefully) & I'm a senior at this point ... people are going to form their opinions of the department based off of what I & the other upper-classmen show that they're capable of ... I also know that if I go in with a strong practice system, then I'll stick to it and possibly even go beyond it, but if I come in having slacked off, then it will be a wasted year, and given that I want to go to conservatory for grad that would be a tremendously bad thing...


Next on the list is Etudes ... been working through the Dotzauer Etudes lately, it's incredibly fun! Great way to work on sight-reading and technique at the same time ... when I get through them, I'm going to get back to working on Popper, since that covers the intermediate (in pitch, not difficulty!) region of the cello

I've been doing my video series for about a month now ... been getting some pretty positive feedback, and a good number of views ... it's great to get a chance to see what I'm doing and how I'm progressing ... and I'm realizing that the quality of my improv is largely determined by my technique & how much I've practiced... I also now no longer have an amp :( ... hopefully at the end of summer I'll be buying a very pretty (read: amazing) one...

Practicing Intervals - I now understand why cellists practice 3rds & 6ths in particular ... so I'm starting to work on Mm 3rds, 6ths, 7ths ... I do this as a chromatic exercise (which I'm also doing with scales now ... ie I go up a half step for scale choice each day ... I need to practice modes more and get more familiar with jazz chords...

Teaching: Emily Wright suggested a "drill sargeant" approach to working with students ... I'm glad she did ... I'm realizing that the really amazing lessons I've had have utilized this approach to some extent, and I've gotten some really positive feedback from my students (who've all been practicing more than they used to) ... also, I've come up with "Say It While You Play It" ... whenever my younger students are doing a technical exercise, or learning a new piece, I make them do things like say the note names out loud or count out loud & tell them to say it while you play it ... it rhymes, which they delight in pointing out & I think it's very important to be able to do these two things at once ... I was first turned on to this by Jordan Rudess and his Online Conservatory... teaching is one of the most rewarding/fulfilling things in the world...

Goals (for the next 2 weeks):
1. Develop amazing technique and tone
2. Read through all the Dotzauer exercises & be able to play them at tempo
3. Be able to play the 2nd movement of the Elgar at tempo
4. Be able to play a good chunk of the first movement of Saint-Saens at tempo
5. Develop a stronger knowledge of modes & chords and incorporate that into my improvisations

It's a lot, but I know I can do it!

I want to write more in general, but I've been having tendon problems, and have determined that those are being caused from computer use ... so I need to cut down on it ( and remember to stretch and take breaks and avoid soda!!!)...

That's all for now...

Oh, and please check out my improv series here: http://www.youtube.com/mlunapiena01