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National Guild Recitals: I encourage everyone to do one or two (or more!) performances of your wonderful Guild Repertoire for family, friends, neighbors, etc!
Phoebe performed at Stonewell last week!
Landon performed for friends a few days ago, along with a few other activities - we called it the Piano, Pizza, Popsicle, Pokemon, Ping Pong, 3D Printing, and food Pantry Recital!
National Guild Auditions Update: Kudos to all for a Guild Audition well-done and well-prepared! All students passed with high marks. The practice and extra effort paid off.
These are pins awarded to National Guild participants. The top octagonal one is for the 15-piece International Programs, such as the High School Diploma Audition. The bottom left is for all students who do the 10-piece National Level Program. The bottom right is the Composer Pin awarded to all students who have 5 or more National Level Auditions. This year’s composer is Mendelssohn. Congratulations, Everyone!
Another National Guild Audition in the books! Here are some of the students with their Superior ribbons - 10 to 15 memorized pieces - well done!
Some mini pianos have been spotted around the studio! L to R: Lego Jazz Quartet, 3D printed upright, paper and tape piano made by Landon.
Part of our recital included celebrating our amazing senior - CONGRATULATIONS, CHLOE!
Check out the Spring Newsletter to read more on Chloe’s many accomplishments. The future is bright!
Rotary Scholarship Recipients: Congrats to Chloe and Simone, both recipients of the Les Armstrong Rotary Scholarship!
MCE Youth Competition update: Good job to Phoebe, Grant and Alexander!
The end of the Spring Quarter is approaching, and we have some exciting culminating events coming up!
RECITALS AND NATIONAL GUILD
*June 1 (Sunday) @ 3pm: Spring Recital! Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church - this is only a couple weeks away, and everyone has been working hard to prepare!
*June 8 (Sunday) @ 9-3pm: National Guild Auditions. Location: St. Martins University - students are performing International, National and District level memorized programs, a huge accomplishment! This is only about 3 weeks away, so I have been encouraging all students to put in extra practice every day, +30 would be great!
*June 13 (Friday) @ 6:30pm: Chloe's Senior Recital. Location: Gospel Outreach Church. Come support Chloe as she presents an amazing program before taking off for college!
END OF SPRING QUARTER
The final private lessons of Spring Quarter will take place the last week of May (5/26-30) - regular lesson schedule. We will be changing our Group Performance Class to June 3. If anyone needs an extra lesson, we will add that on the week of June 2.
SUMMER LESSONS
Summer lessons will be offered on these weeks. Sign up for a minimum of 4 if you plan to take part in the Concerto Competition, and please let me know ASAP which weeks you would like lessons.
Week of: June 9 & 16; July 1 & 21; August 4 & 25
PERFORMANCES
Consider putting on a small recital (or two) for family and friends! It's a fun way to celebrate the talent and hard work of each of our young pianists. I would love to see photos and/or recordings of any such events! Also, congratulations to our students who performed in the District IV Conference Recital in Chehalis, the Pop/Jazz/Duet Recital in Olympia, and the MCE Competition at SPSCC!
Let me know if you have any questions, and let's finish out the quarter strong!
It’s been a great weekend of music with the Pop/Jazz/Duet Recitals on May 3rd, followed by the District IV Conference Recital on May 4th.
Landon and Seiya played a duet by Czerny, full of sparkling runs and flashy fingers. Sebastien played the cello with Landon on the piano for a rendition of Vince Guaraldi’s Linus and Lucy for a very cool finale to the recital. Everyone got to celebrate the Pop/Duet recital with a soda “pop”!
All Winners (Chloe), First Alternates (Alexander) and Honorable Mentions (Grant) from the WSMTA State Conference Competitions were invited to be showcased in the District IV Conference Recital. Winners came from about 6 different counties. Alexander performed Chopin’s Waltz in Ab, and he will represent Olympia at the State Conference this June - congrats! Chloe performed Pletnev-Tchaikovsky’s Pas de Deux, much to the delight of the audience (and just a week after winning at State with this piece!). A delicious cookie reception followed (chocolate strawberry whoopie pies, anyone?)
Congratulations to all of these fine young pianists!
State Solo & Ensemble: April 26 at CWU - Congratulations to Chloe - 2nd Place Winner (Solo Piano Division) in the whole state 🏆! This annual state-wide competition features the winners from every Washington state high school, the best in each region.
Our studio also had some student winners in the orchestral and chamber divisions - well done!
The annual Scale Olympics took place at our April Group Performance Class. Students raced through their Guild technical requirements - it’s amazing how much faster and stronger everyone’s fingers have gotten this year! From scales, to Dominant and diminished 7th chords, arpeggios, modulations, and cadences, these skills help in the formation of '“fine-motor athletes”. Good job to everyone!
Gold: Chloe
Silver: Alexander
Bronze: Phoebe
The “Pianorama” started with 2 hands, progressing to 4 hands (Bach Sheep May Safely Graze), to 6 hands (Rachmaninoff Trio), and lastly 8 hands (Souvenir de Hot Springs)!
Nobuyuki Tsujii was in town during Spring Break for 3 performances of Rach 3 with the Seattle Symphony. Blind from birth, Tsujii grabbed the world’s attention when he won the Van Cliburn in 2009. Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano concerto is one of the hardest in the repertoire, and it was a STUNNING and INSPIRING performance! We were lucky to get some of the last tickets available. Brahms 4th Symphony comprised the 2nd half of the program - Seattle Symphony is so good! After a standing ovation and repeated calls for an encore, Tsujii played a Kapustin Concert Etude, making it look easy.
An added treat was being able to see Sky. Now in her first year of the engineering program at UW, she toured us through some of the campus, the beautiful cherry blossoms, and some yummy Korean food nearby. She still finds time to enjoy music weekly with the university orchestra!
Earlier in the spring, the OG AP Music Theory study group met up for some pastries downtown- so proud of how these three persevered and took the exam during the pandemic, with a 100% pass rate! It was fun to hear what everyone is up to post college, all navigating careers and adult life!
The WSMTA State Honor Recital Competition takes place every year the Sunday before MAP. Students from the Music Artistry Program are eligible for this contest, and winners are announced after MAP is over.
This year, our judge Dr. Susan Chan, was pleased to hear a number of exceptionally talented Olympia students in two afternoon recitals. The 2 winners of the competition will go on to the State Conference in June to perform with other honors students from all around Washington. Students are also given awards and travel stipends.
Winner, Alternates and Hon Mention from our studio:
Winner: Chloe! First Alternate: Alexander! Hon. Mention: Grant!
Great job to all performers!
MAP (Music Artistry Program) is an annual event that happens in Chapters like ours all around the country. It is primarily an educational event rather than a competition, where students can prepare and perform their selected repertoire, and celebrate their progress from year to year.
Our Visiting Artist this year was Dr. Yuna Roh from Washington State University. Her bio is below. She was absolutely fantastic, with practical and fun insights into how to make our pieces sound even better. She really enjoyed listening and working with all of our students - great job to all!
Dr. Roh selected awards to give to students:
Winners - selected to perform in the OMTA Honor Recital: Chloe and Anoova!
Alternates - 1st: Gracie! 2nd: Phoebe!
Honorable Mention: Alexander, Grant, and Landon!
Well done, everyone!
I will give you your comment sheets and the notes I took from Dr. Roh to give you next week.
BIO FOR DR ROH:
Acclaimed as “a pianist who lets her piano work do the talking, transporting her audience not only to a clearly defined place but also into a colorful adventure” (Hyde Park Herald), Yoon-Wha Roh has been acknowledged for her versatile and sophisticated performances. Roh has appeared as a celebrated soloist with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, New Jersey Garden State Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Korean Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul National Symphony Orchestra, Sungnam Philharmonic Orchestra, and New York Classical Symphony Orchestra. She has also been featured in Korean monthly music magazines, <Eumak Journal> and <The Piano>, for her orchestra performances and
interviews.
Roh has won awards and prizes from numerous competitions including, London International Music Competition, Clara Schumann International Competition, Manhattan International Music Competition, National Artists Competition, American Prize, International Moscow Music Competition, Carles and Sofia Piano Competition, Piano Texas Concerto Competition, and Hakata Fukuoka International Piano Competition among others.
Other notable performances have been presented at the Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center Bruno Walter Auditorium, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Seoul Arts Center, Aspen Harris Concert Hall, New York Steinway Hall, Jordan Hall, and Barnes Hall in Cornell University. She has appeared in major music festivals including Prague Music Performance, Aspen Music Festival, GMMFS, Piano Texas International Academy & Festival, Schlern International Music Festival, Banff Center, New Paltz International Summer Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and International Keyboard Institute & Festival. Her international appearances include performances in Prague, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and South Korea.
Active as a chamber musician, Roh has served as a pianist in several ensembles such as Anonim Trio, Palouse Trio, Selway Trio, Cipriani Trio, and Baltimore Trio. She is also active as a clinician and competition judge. She has served as a competition judge for Manhattan International Music Concours, East Coast International Competition, and New York International Music Concours among others. Roh has received Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition Award, New York State Assembly Certificate of Merit, New Jersey Senator Award, and Certificate of Achievement from the Mayor of New Jersey, Bergen County.
Roh holds Doctor of Music in Piano Performance and Literature, with minors in music theory and art administration from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has earned Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory and Performance Diploma from Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. Roh currently teaches at Washington State University as Assistant Professor of Piano. Previously, she has taught at the University of Idaho, Towson University, Phillips Academy of Andover, and New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School and Continuing Education. She is an active member of College Music Society and Music Teachers National Association.
Group Performance Class March 2, included a chocolate fountain! We heard some amazing performances at the group lesson! Chopin Waltz in Ab, Chopin Minute Waltz, Chopin Fantasie Impromptu, Pletnev Pas de Deux, Vince Guaraldi’s Linus and Lucy, Mozart Sonata in F, Allegro.
We tried out BREATHING before playing - keep practicing this at home and see if it helps. Some other helpful practice techniques: Practice slowly with metronome! Hands Alone practice! Record yourself and play for an audience! Passagework - staccatos, accents, and rhythms! And of course make sure you are getting enough practice in. These techniques will help you perform your best!
Big week coming up! Here are the three important dates/times. I am so impressed with how hard everyone has been working to sound their best!
Just a reminder that we have WSMTA Honor Recital Competition tomorrow, March 9 at St. Martins University. There are two recital times, 12:30 and 1:45, and you are welcome to stay for one or both and invite friends and family. Two winners will be chosen to represent Olympia at the State Conference Honor Recitals at the end of June. Two Alternates and Honorable Mentions will be chosen as well. Best wishes to all participants - everyone was sounding GREAT last Sunday!
12:30pm recital: Landon, Alexander, Phoebe, Chloe
1:45pm recital: Grant, Gracie, Anoova
Monday, March 10 (same location) is our annual MAP/Adjudications! Each student will perform 2 memorized pieces for our Visiting Artist, Dr. Yuna Roh from WSU. Please bring your books with measured numbered, dress neatly, and come ready with a smile and any questions Dr. Roh can help you with! After MAP, the Visiting Artists will choose students from each studio to perform at the local OMTA Honor Recital.
The OMTA Honor Recital will take place on Sunday, March 16 at Westwood Baptist Church. Winners will be chosen from each studio. The times will be announced later in the week, but will be around 1-4pm in the afternoon, in 2 or 3 recitals. Good luck to everyone!
See you all tomorrow, have fun with your music, and please remember the three B's we talked about in Performance Class (Bow, Bench, Breathe!) Let me know if you have any questions!
Sunday, February 23 @ Capitol High School PAC
The Olympia Chamber Orchestra concert capped off an exciting weekend of music in town. The day before, hundreds of students from local high schools took part in the annual Solo & Ensemble Contest. Then Sunday afternoon, the concert of the winners of the OMTA Concerto Competition - featuring our own Phoebe and Chloe! The audience was delighted by the amazing music.
Following Cimarosa’s Overture to “The Secret Wedding”, Phoebe performed Hummel’s sparkling and vivacious 2nd Piano Concerto. After intermission, Chloe played Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue. Applause and cheers filled the auditorium as they took their bows and received flowers and scholarship checks from both the OCO and the OMTA. Congratulations to all the performers for a wonderful concert!
Phoebe performs Hummel’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Chloe performs Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
It’s always a special occasion to have former students drop by! Yesterday, Hannah stopped for a visit. Eight years ago, she graduated from our studio, after giving a wonderful senior recital, receiving the High School Diploma in Music from the American College of Musicians, along with earning the Paderewski Medal and a Guild Scholarship, among her other many accolades in academics and athletics! She is currently finishing her PhD in Physics at UW, working on some exciting laser technology (which is way over my head), enjoying her music along the way. Wishing our soon to be Dr. Rarick the best as she completes her degree!
PIANO PALS
For our January Group Performance Class, our annual composition project “Piano Pals” were revealed! The dedicatees were amazed and delighted with what their secret pals created! We even had a few first-time composers in our midst, and a great effort by all young composers.
BACH FESTIVAL MEDALS ARE HERE
Our Bach Festival participants received their medals in class as well: Gold to Chloe for WTC2! Silver to Landon for AMB book! Bronze to Phoebe for WTC1! Alexander received an Honorable Mention for his Inventions, and Grant an HM for Other Baroque Composers. Good job, everyone!
Eight young students participated in the Play-a-thon at the local Olympia Barnes & Noble during the 10 o’clock hour. Grant, Alexander, Megan, Ellie, Eleanor, Linnea, Lilia, and Chloe performed music from the “Charlie Brown Christmas Album”, Christmas carols, and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, to the delight of the audience. It was a special treat to have two former students join us - Lilia and Megan are both graduates of our studio (and now recent college grads!) who performed beautifully, bringing back great memories. B&N graciously donated a portion of proceeds to OMTA’s student programs during the performances.
We have two more opportunities to share our Christmas, classic and jazz tunes with the community - both at Stonewell Senior Care on 12/13 and 12/19 @ 4pm. See you then!
It's almost Thanksgiving, and I am so thankful for my wonderful piano students and families! It is a great reward to be part of the musical life and growth of these amazing young people. Everyone has been working very hard to finish several big events this fall, most notably the OMTA Concerto Competition, the Seattle Bach Competition, and the studio MASHAR Practice Challenge.
Updates:
1. Concerto Competition - EVERY student succeeded in playing so musically and playing their hearts out. I am so proud of each, and they are all winners🎉! Alexander won First Prize in the Intermediate B Division with his expressive "Blues Concerto". Phoebe won First Prize in the Advanced A Division with her scintillating "Hummel Concerto No. 2". Chloe won First Prize in the Advanced B Division with a stunning rendition of "Rhapsody in Blue". Anoova won 2nd Prize with her dramatic Arensky Fantasia. Grant and Landon performed beautifully. CONGRATULATIONS! The 2 Advanced Division (Phoebe and Chloe) will perform with orchestra on February 23rd. Keep an eye out for updates, so we can all go and support them!
2. The Seattle Bach Competition results are in: Landon won the Silver Medal in the 10-11 year (AMB) Category. Grant received Honorable Mention in the 12-13 year (Baroque Composer) Category. Alexander received Honorable Mention in the 12-13 year (multiple Invention) Category. Phoebe won the Bronze Medal in the 14-18 (Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1) Category. Chloe received the Gold Medal in the 14-18 (Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2) Category. WAY TO GO!!! We are so happy to see your hard work recognized 👏!
3. The last studio ("MASHAR") practice challenge was to inspire amazing technique practice, and it has been gratifying to see and hear fingers becoming stronger and fine motor skills being whipped into shape🤓! Three students were able to complete it - Phoebe, Alex, and Landon. Good job! And Phoebe is the winner for turning in the most practice minutes @ 14 hours - hooray!
Now we are off to the start of the holiday season! We have 3 community Christmas performance opportunities on 12/7, 12/13 and 12/19. Please see our website for more details @ www.lakesidepiano.com
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! © 2016 Ramona Allen