Do you need a theme for your next recital? Or maybe you just want to mix things up a bit…beyond the usual chronological or leveled order? Try some of these ideas:
- Melodic Exposition. Choose pieces with a strong or memorable…
Do you need a theme for your next recital? Or maybe you just want to mix things up a bit…beyond the usual chronological or leveled order? Try some of these ideas:
How do you figure out what key you are playing (or singing) in?
Often a piece will begin or end on the tonic, or the “home” note of a scale. A scale is an arrangement of pitches, or notes, that…
Read moreI am preparing Margaret Bonds' "Troubled Water" for performance at the Katherine L. White Invitational, and in doing so I have been reflecting on the words of the spiritual she quotes in the work:
Wade in the water,
Wade in…
How do you prepare your music for a choir rehearsal? Do you prepare, or do you just show up and hope everything works out okay? Rather than flying by the seat of your pants, there are things you can do…
Read moreWhere does this peace come from, O my God?
Where does this faith come from, with which my heart overflows?
To me who just now, uncertain, agitated,
And on the waves of doubt with every tossed wind,
Was looking for…
Merry Christmas Eve!
Christmas is coming! With Thanksgiving being early this year, it seems as if we have been in a long season of anticipation, and with it came the annual assault on Christmas. I am not talking about attempts…
Read moreHappy Fall Y'all!
My October is packed with volleyball games, fall school events, and music! I am enjoying my new piano students, and am looking forward to performing at a private house concert tomorrow and a Hispanic Heritage Concert a…
Read moreHappy “New” Year!
As summer draws to a close, those of us with school-age children gear up for a new year. Stores have been anticipating this for the last two months, displaying school supplies just a week or two after…
Read moreHappy 4th of July!
As we celebrate the birth of our country, it is a great time to reflect on the many freedoms we enjoy because of the sacrifices of so many men and women who came before us.
During…
Happy May!
April showers bring...May flowers! We are experiencing glorious sunshine and blooming flowers in this beautiful Pacific Northwest spring...and what better way to complement the beauty of God's creation than an offering of music?
My May is full of…
Spring Renewal
"Like Adam, we have all lost Paradise;
and yet we carry Paradise around inside of us
in the form of a longing for, almost a memory of,
a blessedness that is no more,
or the dream of blessedness…
Refreshed
"The mountains are calling and I must go." John Muir
Well, maybe not the mountains exactly, but the redwoods! My family and I spent last week in the bay area enjoying a rental house nestled in the California redwoods.…
Read moreThe Piano: A History in 100 Pieces
Pianist-writer Susan Tomes has put together a wonderful compilation of mini-essays on 100 pieces written for piano in her newest book. Though not a strictly "solo piano" list, each piece that she…
Read moreMerry Christmas!
Twelve days left until the new year, twelve musical gifts for your enjoyment!
This is my second newsletter of 2022 - I apologize for being absent for so long! I have packed this newsletter full of musical gifts…
Read moreGetting Back in Shape
New Year, new habits! I have started to incorporate some daily habits on my way back to physical and musical shape! Moving a little more each day: tracking steps with a step counter, a couple days…
Read moreCulture Shapers
Happy Summer! I have been thinking of the many conversations going on these days about identity, history, truth, and morality. There is so much ugliness and division happening in and amongst it all. It has made me think…
Read moreReflecting Light
My dad is a rockhound and silversmith. As his daughter, I have been the happy beneficiary of many of his gifts of handmade earrings, necklaces, and rings. Although he cuts and shapes stones, he does not facet them…
Read moreHappy New Year!
I hope this finds you busy with new projects and some fun things to look forward to in 2021! Although circumstances may not have changed much since turning the calendar page, I find it is always good…
Read moreAs musicians, we wear many hats: performer, student, teacher, collaborator, music director, producer…Perhaps you also wear some of these: blogger, promoter, accountant, website developer, recording artist. Maybe you have been fortunate enough to be the Artistic Director at some point…
Read moreA Bit of Light
I am enjoying the return of the sun after a week or so of cloudy, smoky skies, especially as we are soon to head into the drizzly, dreary days of fall in the Northwest (but not…
Read moreLemonade from Lemons
A big THANK YOU to all who joined us for the premiere of "God Bless America," our first ever Indie Musikhaus virtual concert! We had over 50 people join us for the premiere, and the YouTube video…
Read moreGod Bless America
Next Sunday, July 19th, at 3:00 pm, is our "God Bless America" virtual concert! Seiko and I have been having so much fun putting this together. The spirituals are such a wonderful reminder of hope in dark…
Read moreForward Motion
Happy Summer! The weight of virtual homeschooling has been lifted (for now) and we have been loving the sunshine, as well as some recovered freedom of movement as our county entered Phase 2: salons opened, in-person gymnastics classes…
Read moreA Moment in Time
What strange times we are living in! This “pause” has been, for some, a time for reflection and new projects. For me, it has been more of a shift in how I spend my time. Music…
Read moreO Love
On the heels of Valentine's Day, I am preparing for a set of two "love" concerts with Kirkland Choral Society. On Saturday and Sunday, February 22-23, we will give performances of songs celebrating love and community (accompanied by…
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