Summer Piano Ideas.

Summer Piano Ideas.

·        Play a concert; choose an easy piece, a well-known piece and a fun piece. You can invite family and friends and design and print a programme for it.

·        Find out about one of your favourite composers. Write a potted biography of them.

·        Learn a piece you haven’t played before- surprise me!

·        Compose your own simple piece, it can be long or short, you can write it down or memorise it. Give it a name and play it at our next lesson.

·        Find a piano playing friend or family member and play some easy peasy duets with them.

·        Teach your parents or your younger brothers and sisters an easy tune from your first books.

·        Go to a concert and write down what instruments you see.

·        Find some new piano apps, try them out and come back and tell me all about them.

·        Teach yourself to play a favourite TV or film theme tune by ear, or learn Happy Birthday!

·        Video yourself playing a piece and upload it to YouTube or send it to me and I will put it on my blog!

·        Watch the Piano Guys on Youtube with your parents.

·        Play the piano every time you are wearing your pajamas!

·        With your parents, listen to a piece of music on the computer or tablet, by Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt and Rachmaninoff. Circle your favourites.

·        Enjoy your summer!

 

Mrs Lau Summer 2014

Summer Concert and Medal Presentation

The Salvation Army Hall, Baddow Road, Chelmsford. 7.30 pm.

I look forward to hearing those who have been invited to play and to celebrating the achievements of those who have won medals in the 30 Piece Challenge. You will have received an emailing giving the details for this if you are playing or receiving a medal.

This is a lovely way to end the year and to celebrate all the playing that has taken place during the year. It's also a chance to say goodbye to pupils who are leaving me for new schools and university life.

Please bring your family and friends to join the audience, there is plenty of room and The Salvation Army always make us very welcome.

I look forward to seeing you there,

Fiona Lau.

Preparing for Performance

As it's nearly time for my Summer Concert, I thought that this might be useful:

Preparing for Performance Handout

Before the performance:

·  Choose pieces you enjoy and that are well within your technical ability.

·  Know them inside out and if possible from memory, listen to other performances, practise performing them, analyse them and secure the starts and ends.

·  Rehearse everything- what to wear, walking on, tweaking the stool, and bowing.

 

On the day:

·  Have a countdown plan; think what you are going to do, wear, play or practise, eat.

·  Arrive in time but not so early that you jitter.

·  Keep fingers warm

·  Do the candle breath.

 

In the performance:

·  Do like the top athletes (sprinters especially); walk the walk, pretend you are confident through your body language, smile (it does work), shoulders down, walk tall!

·  Take your time setting up and preparing.

·  Focus and concentrate. Play each piece with character, style and confidence.

 

Generally:

As you practise performing, determine what your typical anxiety levels and symptoms are and sort out physical solutions for physical symptoms and cognitive solutions to cognitive symptoms e.g. if you imagine that all will go wrong, slot in a good thought about a decent performance.

Further lit: Holding Your Nerve- Jones, The Musical Temperament- Kemp,

The Perfect Wrong Note- Westney, Stage Fright- Havas,

Musical Excellence- Williamon, Musical Performance- Rink.

 

Fiona Lau 2014

Exam preparation- Mrs Lau's Guide to piano exams.

It's that time of year again so here's my exam survival guide. I will be using it for my own grade 1 cello exam!

 

Mrs Lau’s Guide to Surviving Exams

 

Before the exam:

·         Make sure you have chosen pieces you enjoy from the correct syllabus.

·         Be sure that you know your pieces inside out and, if possible, from memory (even if you have the music), that you know 4 bars either side of page turns and that the starts and endings are particularly secure.

·         Practise your scales, arpeggios etc really thoroughly; they are the first element of your exam and a good chance to get it started well.

·         Try to play some sight reading every day.

·         Make sure that you are familiar with the aural tests. You can buy a CD of them or register on www.hofnote.co.uk for extra practice.

·         Play your pieces on different pianos and get used to adapting to them.

·         Practise performing- to yourself with no stops, to family and to friends.

·         Make sure that you know where the exam is to be held. Have a dummy run of the journey.

On the day:

• Have a countdown plan; think about what you are going to do, if you are going to practice, what you are going to wear, what you are going to eat etc.
• Arrive in plenty of time but not so early that you jitter!

At the exam:

• Keep your fingers warm and do some deep breathing.
• Smile at the examiner and talk clearly and confidently to him/her.
• Take your time adjusting the piano stool and your music.
• Focus and concentrate. Play each piece with character, style and confidence.

All done! That wasn’t so bad was it? Now go and treat yourself. Well done!

Summer Concert and 30 Piece Challenge Medal Presentation.

Hi everyone,

Monday 30th June 7.30pm.

I have managed to book the Salvation Army Hall, Baddow Road, again for our concert. This term it will also include medal presentations to those who learnt 20, 25 or 30 pieces since September 2013.

I would like to follow a similar format to last summer, that is, give performing priority to those who have piano exams this term and to those who will be leaving me. I would also love it if we could have a balance of piano and other instruments. So if you sing or play an orchestral instrument, we would love to hear you. Let me know!

If you are to be presented with a medal make sure that you come whether or not you are playing. 

As ever, family and friends are most welcome and refreshments will be available after the concert. I look forward to seeing you all there,

best wishes,

Fiona Lau.