I think I've settled on the music I want to study this year!  The list is heavily romantic, which I love, but mostly filled with new-to-me pieces.  I started work on the Bach Toccata in C Minor in college, but never finished, and have decided to pick it up again.  Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu No. 4 in c# minor, op. 66 has always been a favorite of mine to listen to, as I grew up listening to my dad play it (and the slow section is featured in Parent Trap II, a movie I watched many times as a kid!).  Brahms is one of my favorite composers, and I can't make up my mind on just one piece, so have chosen his two Rhapsodies (Op. 79) and the Scherzo, Op. 4.  I absolutely adore the third movement of Charles Ives' "Concord Sonata."  Entitled "The Alcotts," and filled with quotes from Beethoven, it's a lovely fusion of classical-romantic-contemporary elements.  I also love its association with Louisa May Alcott's family.  A few years ago I stumbled across Leonard Bernstein's Four Anniversaries, and I'm eager to dive into actual study of them.  And lastly, I recently found Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Twenty-Four Negro Melodies and was drawn to "Deep River" and "Wade in the Water," the most familiar of the set to me.

So!  I've photocopied my scores and put them in a notebook for easy access (and so that I can mark up my music without ruining the originals), downloaded recordings off of iTunes, and begun reading through the music at the piano and marking fingerings.  It will be a long process, as my practicing must needs run in fits and starts with two young children at home, but I've given myself the year to really dig when I can, and hopefully bring a few to performance-ready status for sometime next year!

In looking for some new music to work on this year, I stumbled across this piece on youtube.  I have always loved Amy Beach, having become acquainted with her songs for singers in college.  This Romance for Violin and Piano is just divine.  Enjoy!

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is now on sale at CD Baby! Your first CD is $10 and all other copies are only $8 apiece! I hope you enjoy this compilation of some of my favorite Christmas music recorded at Icicle Creek Music Center a few years ago.  Click the button below to order!
 

I've updated my Bio page to include links to my resume and repertoire list.  You can view them by clicking here.

My repertoire list is sadly lacking in instrumental chamber music.  I have played mainly with violinists and horns, but unfortunately have not kept track of what exactly I've played!  And because I used their music each time, I have no record of it.  I'm hoping to remedy this in the future, as well as begin working on new-to-me chamber music pieces!

I came across another pianist's blog today:Susan Tomes.  She has a great post illustrating the challenge of balancing "involvement" and "detachment" during a performance.  I laughed at the end because I can so relate!  I remember my piano teacher in college once told me that I needed to play with passion but not "lose control."  There is a point where one must restrain one's passion during a performance or the playing will become sloppy.  However, a performance lacking passion quickly becomes boring, so one must not be too "controlled" or focused solely on the technical aspects of the music.  I can recall many performances, particularly in college, when I was thinking about what I was going to eat afterwards instead of being "into" the music.  Invariably I would get a comment afterwards about how wonderfully expressive and focused my playing was! 

Interesting article over at Geraldine in a Bottle about whether musicians should play for free (Her answer is no!).  Check it out here.

I just booked two tickets to see Murray Perahia at the University of Washington's Meany Hall in October!  I am so excited to see this piano "great" after having listened to his recordings for many years.  My dad, fellow pianist and classical music enthusiast, will be joining me.  Unfortunately for us, we will be sitting near the back; however, the recital hall has an intimate feel and will be featuring a close-up look at all the pianists in the series via a screen mounted above the stage!  A couple other pianists I hope to see this year:

Simone Dinnerstein, busy wife and mom who also manages an active performing career!  In addition to recording with Sony and touring, she has launched a concert series at her son's school that features classical musicians and raises funds for the PTA.  But I digress.  According to her website, "The New York-based pianist gained an international following because of the remarkable success of her recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, which she raised the funds to record. Released in 2007 on Telarc, it ranked No. 1 on the US Billboard Classical Chart in its first week of sales and was named to many "Best of 2007" lists including those of The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The New Yorker."  She will be performing at the UW in January.  (Don't miss her website, which highlights her many accomplishments and offers free downloads of some of her music!)

Lara Downes is another woman I would like to see this fall.  She performs a lot of American music and comes up with really innovative programs.  I love her "think out of the classical music box" mentality and the vibrance she is bringing to the classical music world.  She will be performing at the UW in December.  Her website also offers free downloads of her music!

Martin Katz, pianist-accompanist-collaborator extraordinaire, has a new book out!  And thanks to Amazon.com, it arrived in my mailbox last week!  I am thrilled to be the new owner of The Complete Collaborator: The Pianist as Partner and am trying to savour it bit by bit rather than devour it in a single sitting as I am apt to do.  The book has a companion website where you can download and stream the musical examples.  Ingenious!  It's like taking an at-home accompanying course (or should I say "collaborative piano course," as Katz would?).  The first chapter discusses the role of the collaborative pianist and how the title of "accompanist" has morphed (reminding me of the constant shifts in education jargon concerning "learning disabled-special education-special needs students").  He then moves into chapter two with a discussion of breathing and singing.  My take-away?  '...the only truly guaranteed way for the pianist to categorize breathing situations and to know how to behave, is - you guessed it - singing!  Your own singing!  It is always the surefire passport to your most musical decisions."  (page 20)  I think I was given that advice once upon a time, but what a great reminder, that to truly be able to collaborate effectively, a pianist should be able to sing and play the music at the same time.  Breathing "with the singer" then becomes second nature and allows the music to flow naturally.

Though probably not grammatically correct, that is the question I am pondering right now.  Is graduate school in my future? 

I have my bachelor's of music degree in piano performance and have always been intrigued by the prospect of graduate school.  I have researched schools from time to time, applied to a couple, and was even accepted to one and offered a graduate assistantship, but for various reasons I never actually took the plunge.  Now, after over 10 years of freelancing and, more recently, becoming a mom, I am considering my options for professional development.  I am location-bound, which limits my choice of schools quite drastically.  Further, the university closest to me offers only a MM in piano performance, not in accompanying or collaborative piano.

What I am looking for are:

• a teacher to study with
• a network of musicians to collaborate with
• in-depth study of instrumental chamber music
• performing opportunities

Can I create these opportunities on my own?  Is a university the best place to pursue them?  Do I need a degree to validate my musicianship? 

Eventually I would love to form a chamber ensemble and perform and record regularly in the Seattle area.  I would also like to accompany a professional choir.  What is the best avenue for me to pursue these goals?

I didn't know there was such a thing until tonight: a collaborative piano blog!  I found some good resources to print out, among them:

How to Get Work as a Freelance Collaborative Pianist
10+1 Ways to Advertise Your Services as a Collaborative Pianist
Recital Fee Question
9 Places to Connect Online With Other Pianists
Piano Quartet Lists and Resources
Christopher Foley's Resume (pianist, creator of the above-mentioned blog)

And...The Musician's Resume Handbook from Eastman School of Music! 

I am so excited to dig into these resources, follow the links, and enjoy some online networking!