Extra Blog- Piano

What I have discovered with learning specific kinds of pieces of piano is that no matter how long it takes you to learn a classical piece from Chopin or Beethoven, someone will always somehow do it better. Why is it that some end up doing it better? Often times, it is because they have had plenty of experience with that specific composer, and so they are familiar with the technique required for that composer's style, or have been playing for so long that no kind of composer can really challenge their expertise or versatility. For me, as a semi novice learner having started a little later in my life, at least being serious about it, I struggle with being able to execute proper hand techniques including trills with two fingers, turns, mordents, and toccatta, which is more demanding of precision with three different fingers that strike a key much faster than possible, as demonstrated with the works of Domenico Scarlatti, among others. I'm not saying that the professional concert pianists can learn faster than I, they've just been doing it longer. As for learning a piece, for most professionals, it can take from seven months to one year to not only memorize a piece, but to also execute it perfectly with timing, pitch, dynamics, as well as with emotion. I suppose I still have a lot more to learn, or at least a lot more practice time to make for learning my pieces that will hopefully get me into Juilliard or NYU.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1. I plan on interviewing my former music teacher Mr. Ogden specifically because he has helped me so much these past three years with piano, and has a vast amount of knowledge of music. Not only does he know how to play, but he also knows the approach to properly learning piano, both through reading music and preventing injuries when playing any instrument.

2. Some additional questions I would ask are:

• How did you come to know so much about piano?
• When did you become passionate about music?
• How do you know so much about music?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Semester 1 ESLR Goals

1. List your topic here:

Piano

2. What do you plan to do this year to show growth in each of the ESLR's? Be specific and use an example. Examples can come from senior project, model assembly, core, and/or participation in senior class ASB or other organizations on campus (clubs etc).

• As an Effective iPoly Citizen, I will get more involved with community service, such as helping out music students with learning the basics of music before they can start playing an instrument, and maybe helping the drama community with rehearsals. Hopefully I can also be more involved with the senior class in preparing events such as iFest and the Talent Show.
• As an Effective Learner, I plan to take thorough notes that will help me become a better test taker, be consistent with all of my assignments, and have very good SAT and ACT test scores in order to be accepted into a private university.
• As an Effective User of Technology, I will continuously be checking the senior blog, my emails, and will use technology to to my advantage when it comes to research and other forms of communicating with teachers and peers.
• As an Effective Communicator, I will be open minded to everyone's ideas and thoughts, and will be an understanding and supportive group member with my model assembly group.

Summer Mentorship

Summer Mentorship

1.  My first ten hours were completed at the San Dimas Music store during private lessons with my instructor every Tuesday ranging from an hour to an hour and a half lessons.

Summer Mentorship Hours

 2.  Contact

 Stacey Ulmer:

 (626)991-0242  

3.  Questions

• What kind of career can I do with piano?
• Is it possible to apply my musical knowledge to something else like therapy or physics?
• Will this field provide a stable job for me whether or not I have a degree?
• Will working in a music field pay me well enough?

4. The most important thing I gained from this experience was approaching many new ways of learning techniques, pieces, and how to play in time effectively by adopting new methods of thorough study through trial and error. I also learned how much effort must be put into practice for classical pieces, as well as how much time. For the most part, well executed performances don't take a day or less to perfectly master. It takes a lot of dedication, observance, time, practice, and repetition to master a technique or certain piece to near perfection, especially in the case of major concerts or college auditions.

5. Initially, learning the dynamics of piano helped give me an idea to pick a music topic. Since I really had no other options, and only had two other people who are also musicians that were readily available, I decided to go with something along the lines of music. Initially, I wanted to do music education, but found it to be a broad yet vague topic since it can include a variety of different things, and decided to go with something more specific, like piano. I chose to stay with piano because I feel that it will help me improve majorly this year with performance as well as even passing auditions with schools such as NYU, USC, Juilliard, and many other notable music schools.