October 2016

We had a wonderful first group lesson at Charlene Cox's house on Sept. 28th!  How wonderful to see all the students using relaxed hands and proper hand technique!  (Please check out the Five Basic Elements of a Correct Piano Posture)

This month we will review our individual goals and class goals.  Our class goals are:

• Clavier Piano Explorer Magazine.  How can we get the most out of our magazine? How should we read this magazine?  I'm looking for your ideas.   We will make a list of ideas at our next group lesson.
• How to write a record report.  It is a good idea to listen to a selection of music several times before you write your record report.  In October we will work on two concepts: mood and tempo.  Mood describes how we feel when we listen to the music.  Google up "mood" and you will get many descriptions that convey emotion:  Is this music cheerful?  Or dark and scary?  Funny?  Calm and peaceful?  The other term we will try to better understand is Tempo.    Tempo describes how fast or how slow your music selection is.  You may use your metronome to try to guess what the tempo of your music selection is.  

Happy Halloween!

2016-2017 Calendar

Here is the group class schedule and schedule for student performances offered by the Los Alamos Music Teachers Association:





Spring 2017

The 5 Basic Elements of a Correct Piano Posture

Forms

These are the forms that we use often:

• Manuscript Paper
• Record Report
• Ear Training 
• Cycle of 5ths
• Road maps (a system to memorize tunes)
• Scales
• Music Bowl questions

PMTNM Music Bowl

The PMTNM Music Bowl

This year's PMTNM Music Bowl is Saturday, November 12, 1-2 p.m., Music Building, Albuquerque Academy. Fee is $10/student.  Interested students must enroll by first week in October.  Please check Mamie's Piano Studio  forms, which includes two study guides for the music bowl.  Also please purchase, Fundamentals of Piano Theory, Level 4, Keith Snell.  Below is information about the Music Bowl.

Music Bowl

Calling all students: Come one, come all to the Music Bowl!
Have fun and win prizes for answering questions about theory and history. 

All are welcome!

The Music Bowl is held every year at the state conference. This fun competition is split into two levels:

Level one is comprised of material that appears in books 1-4 of the Keith Snell theory book series, such as:

•   Major and minor key signatures up to 4 sharps or flats
•   Spelling triads that appear in the above keys
•   Rhythms that include sixteenth notes
•   Basic information about composers such as where they were born and
  whether they belong to the baroque, classical, romantic or modern period
• Various musical terms such as subito, a tempo, etc.

Level two is comprised of more advanced material than the level one concepts listed above. Questions may include:

• Major and minor key signatures (all)
• Spelling triads in the above keys
• Complex rhythms that may include dotted or syncopated patterns
• Basic information about composers such as where they were born and
  whether they belong to the baroque, classical, romantic or modern period
• Various musical terms such as D.C al Fine, giocoso, etc.

Study guides are available here, https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B1DZz4d4tO50dFdJQWR5bmJFWkE?usp=sharing