Monday, January 27, 2014

Pictures from the 3 pm Jan. 19th, 2014 Formal Recital

These are pictures from the end of the 3 pm,  Jan19th , 2014 formal recital.













What happens if we don't practice our piano?


                                                          Non Practice Times
Fred Barnett

As often heard in conservatories everywhere “a day without practice is a day lost”
No doubt mostly true, but is that the whole story?

Two legendary pianists come to mind who had secondary thoughts, each doing most preparatory work away from the keyboard. From Glenn Gould “mental work and creativity far surpasses any actual relationship with the instrument. I do almost no practicing at all really” Walter Gieseking, considered by many as the most supreme colorist ever, adhered to pedagogue
Karl Leimer’s system of visualization, surpassing countless hours of physical drudgery at the instrument.

Of much greater pertinence, strongly advocated by pedagogues worldwide, is for pianists to also live a full and meaningful life away from music: diverse reading, cultural interests, and experiencing the highs and lows of living life to the fullest. Thus, combined with the essential discipline of preparation, increasing the potential of reaching deeper levels and core of composers’ mindsets and emotions.

Carrying the view further, musical growth and development may still occur, to extents, during periods of non practice times. How comforting, if true.  Yet perhaps, primarily for the most talented and gifted. Also perhaps encouraging to adult beginners who bring more experience, maturity, and substance to their musical quests.

In the final analysis, the counsel of legendary pianist Ferruccio Busoni’s dictum may still be the last word “if possible, allow no day to pass without touching your piano”   


Friday, January 17, 2014

Guild Dates are posted - mark your calendars







Guild Audition Dates are now settled and are:  June 1st through June 10th.  June 1st thru 8th are at the Music Department, Stony Brook Univ., second floor as it has been in the past.  The Stony Brook Univ. parking garage will be open.  Sundays are 9:00 to 7:00 and weekdays start at either 10:00 or 11:00, depending on demand, until 8:00   

June 9th and 10th will be at Tamara Slobodkin's house, 163 Old Field Rd., Setauket, NY 11733,   from 10:00 to 7:00 and of course there is no warm up here.  Please park in  her driveway since there is NO parking on Old Field Rd. itself and use the front entrance.  Just come in and wait in the living room.  Tamara will be there to assist.

Please send an email  to Tamara Slobodkin  or telephone her at 631-751-5972 if you have any questions at all about the Guild Auditions.  She is available to answer all questions.

For more general information about the Guild Auditions go to this website:



Thursday, January 16, 2014

February Meeting has been posted

Dear all teachers, 

Our next SPTF general meeting is as follows.

Wednesday, February 5th at 10am-noon.
Location: Selden Library, meeting room
Topic: Artistry and expression
Presenters: Esther Marks and Tami Slobodkin

Johanna Kosak
SPTF president

Ellen Spergel

Corresponding Secretary

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

The Upcoming Clavinova Festival on Long Island


Information by Pat Cestaro

Here is the student registration form for the Clavinova festival. The festival is going to run like a recital. Each student may play any piece that the teacher and student have agreed upon. It is necessary for the student to know how to set the settings on the Clavinova before the concert. Tami Levy is able to do this at her studio. Students may also go to Faust Harrison and learn how to do this. There are 2 dates set up as rehearsals. The rehearsal is time for the student to practice setting the settings and performing their piece.  

Have a great day




    Playing from a Lead Sheet
                                                                        Fake Book Style         

By Fred Barnett                                               

                                                                                       
Does learning to play from a lead sheet, fake book style, serve any constructive purpose to those of us who teach classical music?





Absolutely!

In addition to the joy of creating instant music (holiday, patriotic, pop songs, etc.), students potentially learn chords, symbols, progressions, applicable theory, improvisation, compositional techniques, etc.

A logical format could include -

1) Teaching and drilling standard chords in all keys. Inversions and arpeggios to follow.
     E.g. C, Cm, C7, Cm7, C+, C dim 7, C6, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths










Following the chord symbols -

2) Playing simple tunes using “Blocked Chords”
     From Happy Birthday to Broadway tunes to the Beatles.









3) Playing in 3/4 Waltz tempo time.
     From “Hello, Young Lovers” (”The King and I”) to “Of, What a Beautiful Morning” (Oklahoma), 
     etc. 
 4) Playing in 4/4 Common Time.
      Zillions of tunes: moderate and up-tempos.
 5) Arpeggiating the left hand bass for ballades.
      from “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (”Carousel”) to ”Romeo and Juliet,” etc.
 6) The Alberti Bass alla Mozart
      From “Music Box Dancer” to the “Titanic Theme,” etc. 

Additional ideas appear in the Nov./Dec. issue of Clavier Companion, p. 42, by 

pianist/composer Bradley Sowash. 

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Members concert - please attend!

The Amicizia Piano Trio, which consists of Stephanie Iovine on cello, Song-A Cho 
 on violin and Johanna Kosak on piano will be performing at the North 
 Shore Public Library 250 Rte 25A Shoreham on Sunday January 12th at 3pm. 
 The title of our program is "Incarnations" and will feature works of 
composers from around the globe, including the world premiere of a work 
written for the Amicizia Piano Trio by up-and-coming Californian 
 composer Durwynne Hsieh. Admission is free.


Monday, January 6, 2014

Concerts our Members are giving this Spring

Our group has many talented piano teachers and many of these talented teachers also continue to practice their piano and perform their instrument in public.  I hope you plan to attend these upcoming performances and support all our colleagues as they continue to express their art.


SPTF Vice President, Esther Chung Marks, will be a soloist on the upcoming Triad Concert Series.  The program will include works by Beethoven, Muczynski, Debussy and Khachaturian.  She will also be performing some of the same works on the Shigeru Concert Series at Frank and Camille’s in Huntington on March 29.




A second February Meeting Presentation to make up for December's cancelled topic

Dear all teachers,

December meeting topic that were cancelled due to presenter's illness is rescheduled as follows. Please save the date. Terry put a lot of efforts and thoughts to this presentation and I heard it will be very good.

Wednesday, February 12 at 10am-noon.
Location: Home Studio of Teresa Dybvig
20 Mills Road
Stony Brook, NY
631-941-1482

Topic: Sound Production and Pedalling
Presenter: Teresa Dybvig

NOTE: Please No Perfume or any scent in Terry's home. Studio is in 2nd floor of the house.


Johanna Kosak

Next Meeting This Wednesday

Dear all SPTF members,

Our January general meeting information is as follows.

Wednesday, January 8th at 10am-noon.
Location: Home studio of Fred Barnett
1 Half Hollow Court
Lake Grove, NY 11755
631-467-1012

Topic: "Why Students Cannot Practice?" "Getting Students to Practice"
Presenter: Pat Cestaro


Due: Creative Showcase & SPTF competitiong Registration due on January 8th 
Registration info will be sent in separate e-mail.

Thank you.

Johanna Kosak