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The Eclipse - Piano Six Hands

5/18/2015

I wrote this piano six hands composition for the 2015 Spring Recital with these young men in mind. After practicing it together a couple times, I asked them to think about the overall sound of the piece and choose a title. One of them brought up the change in the piece between minor and major which made him think of light vs. darkness. It wasn't too long before they decided on "The Eclipse".

Their piece was a highlight at the recital because the audience could tell they were having fun playing it together.

The sheet music is available for FREE here.

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Ode to Joy - Guitar/Piano Duet

5/18/2015

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One of my piano students recently began taking guitar lessons. To encourage her in her guitar studies, I arranged "Ode to Joy" into a beautiful guitar/piano duet for her and her sister to perform at our 2015 Spring Recital. My brother plays guitar and he helped me write the guitar part – in fact, he actually taught me how to play it on the guitar.

They both did a great job at the recital!

The sheet music is available for FREE here.

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2015 Spring Recital

5/17/2015

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The recital program was divided into two sections: piano solos and piano ensembles. My goal in having piano ensembles was to teach the students how to work with other musicians and enjoy performing as a team.

There were twelve solos and seven ensembles. Among the piano duets and trios, I was able to involve some of my student's siblings, who play other instruments, to form a guitar/piano duet and violins/piano trio. I composed/arranged four of the ensembles for my students and found it so rewarding! It was fun to personalize the part just for them.

Each student worked very hard and did a fabulous job!

My students often perform for church, home school group programs, and other similar events. However, this year, with encouragement from my students, I organized our first piano studio recital.

For the recital, my brother and I created a special surprise for my students - a choreographed juggling act! My brother juggles as a hobby. Below is some clips from the show. Enjoy!

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Quick Tips for Composing Classical Hymn Arrangements

4/10/2015

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Introduction:

One of my hobbies is creating piano pieces that beautifully combine both familiar hymns with classical masterpieces. When I first started creating classical hymn arrangements, I used this basic framework (begin with an excerpt of the classical piece, weave in the hymn tune, and finish with another excerpt of the classical piece) as a guide. Looking back, I now realize my creativity and originality were hindered by not arranging the classical piece.

Last year, my music composition instructor gave me a whole new way of looking at my classical hymn arrangements and how to compose them. She suggested I arrange the classical piece itself (not just weaving in the hymn tune), so the entire arrangement would be more unique and original. Ever since I began using this new way of composing classical hymn arrangements, I find them much more enjoyable to play because they have a familiar, yet fresh sound.

Quick Tips for Composing Classical Hymn Arrangements:

Find a hymn tune and classical piece that sound like a nice "match". Sometimes, this is easier said than done. However, "My Faith Looks Up to Thee" and "Piano Sonata No. 16" by W. A. Mozart are simply made for each other. The beginning melody line of the sonata clearly corresponds with the tune of the hymn. For this reason, several classical hymn arrangements have been made using this combination by various pianists.

To keep the style of a classical piece when weaving in the hymn tune, use similar rhythmic patterns or other distinguishing elements from the original piece. I often try to keep the base line as similar as possible and only adjust it when the hymn tune conflicts or needs a little creative spark.
Adding a twist to a classical piece can be really fun and as simple as using a different rhythm or altering the tonality from major to minor, or vice versa.

If a classical piece is lengthy, consider arranging only your favorite sections of the classical piece with the hymn tune. In the "My Faith Looks Up to Thee in the Style of Mozart" arrangement, I did not include every section from Mozart's original Piano Sonata No.16 in C Major.

Arranging familiar tunes is a great way for pianists to experiment with the musical elements that create different styles and moods.

Do you create classical hymn arrangements?
Please leave a comment with your own tips or questions!

"My Faith Looks Up to Thee in the Style of Mozart" arranges both Piano Sonata No.16 in C Major, K.545 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and hymn My Faith Looks Up to Thee by Lowell Mason into a beautiful piece for late intermediate pianists.

[You can purchase sheet music to this arrangement at Sheet Music Plus]

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2015 Winter Piano Party

3/21/2015

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The party went very well - we had plenty of food, good weather, and a wonderful time together playing Musical Clay-to-Win, Piano Puzzlers, and Musical Masterpiece. I'm already looking forward to the next opportunity to get together again. The music games we played at the party are explained in detail below.

After having a Piano Party geared for my younger students last summer, it has been on my heart to have a special time for my three piano students over 18 years old. They are very dear to me and I am blessed to be their piano teacher. This party was designed for them to have an enjoyable afternoon of fellowship with each other.

2015 Winter Piano Party!

Musical Clay-to-Win is a musical version of Clay-to-Win (1988). It is similar to pictionary except you sculpt clay instead of draw. I made special cards to make it "musical". The four categories I chose were: music notation (i.e. quarter note), musical instruments (i.e. violin), "things" associated with piano (i.e. chair), and "You Choose a Category" (any item from the categories listed above). This game is a favorite with teens and adults.

Materials needed to play:
2 equal amounts of Play-doh (same color)
Musical Clay-to-Win cards
2 placemats
2 plastic knives
1 very small cookie cutter
1 die

Musical Clay To Win.pdf
File Size:	291 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Instructions for the original Clay-to-Win Game can be found at boardgamegeek.com

Piano Puzzlers, created and performed by Bruce Adolphe on American Public Media's Performance Today, takes a familiar tune and transforms it into the style of a great composer. After a friend shared these piano puzzler podcasts with me, I was so excited to share these musical gems with my students.

To play this game, a Piano Puzzler is played and the students guess the familiar tune and composer whose style it is played. I selected fifteen of these FREE music composer flashcards to use as a list for them to pick from and added a couple composer cards not associated with any Piano Puzzler to make it more interesting.

As a fond reminder of the 2015 Winter Piano Party and encouragement to listen to more Piano Puzzlers, I gave each student a CD containing several Piano Puzzlers.

Musical Masterpiece takes a musical twist on an older board game, called "Masterpiece: The Art Auction Game". The "twist" is bidding on musical pieces, instead of bidding on paintings. To personalize the game, I chose musical pieces that my students and I would enjoy bidding on. This game turned out to be a favorite at the Winter Piano Party and I am looking forward to playing it with them again.

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Forward>>

The Eclipse - Piano Six Hands

Ode to Joy - Guitar/Piano Duet

2015 Spring Recital

Quick Tips for Composing Classical Hymn Arrangements

2015 Winter Piano Party

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