Avril – Your focus this week should be on the first few pages of the Czerny book. Also continue to practice Auld Lang Syne (With pedal, if you have access to a piano), and Bohemian Rhapsody.
Julie – Practice oscillating between two notes like this: 60BPM, 121, 131, 141, 151, 232, 242, 252, 343, 353, 454 – on both hands. Focus on allowing the oscillation come from rotation of the wrist, rather than your fingers alone. Keep playing with ‘Functional Ear Trainer’. Review the baroque ornamentation chart which can be found on this page, just scroll down http://www.pennuto.com/music/jsb_ornm.htm
Kristen – Continue to practice Czerny repertoire, and transpose every Czerny piece into another key. In addition to this, practice ALL white key major scales and their relative minor scales – harmonic and melodic, 4 octaves (that is C, D, E, F, G, A, B majors, and a, b, c#, d, e, f#, g# melodic and harmonic minors). SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SHARP KEYS. Do this with your metronome at a slow tempo (60 max), 1 octave at quarter notes, then 2 octaves at 8th notes, then 3 octaves at triplets, then 4 octaves at 16th notes. All fully white triad sequences, broken and solid. Upcoming jazz gigs: Claire Daily with Adrean Farrugia on piano on February 7th and 8th at The Rex. Bernie Senensky Group on February 23rd at The Rex. He is a marvelous pianist and organist. Barry Romberg group on February 24th.