Your Custom Text Here
For the Silver Anniversary of Benaroya Hall, superstar pianist Lang Lang was the featured guest artist. He is a true artist in every sense of the word! The audience was blown away by his Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 2 with the stunning Seattle Symphony. He played 2 encores: Moon over the Lake, and Rainbow Connection!
Yes, we’re fans! We signed up for a subscription to Seattle Symphony just for Lang Lang. (There’s a great lineup of artists!)
There are three upcoming concerts this October! Everyone is invited!
First Concert, October 15, 3pm: Chloe and the OSO! As the inaugural winner of the Olympia Symphony Young Artist competition, Chloe will be performing the Tchaikovsky 1st Piano Concerto with them at their October concert. Tickets and more information can be found here: https://www.olympiasymphony.org/23-24-season. Let’s all come out and support our own Chloe!
Second Concert, Oct. 23, 6:15pm: Ramona and Friends will perform chamber music by Bach, Dvorak, de Falla, and Behrens. The theme will be “Storytelling in Music”! This series always sells out and is preceded by a delicious wine and h’ors-d’oeuvre buffet. Ticket infomation is below, and the deadline for purchase is October 9.
Third Concert, October 29 @ 2:30pm: Olympia Chamber Orchestra performs Saint-Saens beloved “Carnival of the Animals”. Ramona & Hannah will perform as duo-pianists in this piece. Tickets and information can be found here! https://www.olympiachamberorchestra.org/performances
Dear Piano Families:
Welcome to Fall Lessons! I hope it’s been a great summer, and I can’t wait to hear all about it and get started for the new school year! This email contains info on TWO events.
MASTER LESSONS OCT 13-14
Lessons are just starting up, and we already have a Master Lesson opportunity to sign up for! Dr. William Chapman Nyaho will be here Oct. 13 and 14 to share his expertise. He is back by popular demand and is EXCELLENT! This would be a great opportunity to perform your concerto for a nationally-recognized pedagogue. Friday, Oct. 13 is a No-School day for OSD! Lessons are $85/hour, which is a greatly discounted rate for us. Please let me know if you would like 30, 45, or 60 min. Time slots are available at:
Friday Oct. 13: 2-6pm
Saturday Oct. 14: 9-10:30am
STONEWELL SENIOR CARE PERFORMANCES
Many of you have performed for the lovely senior citizens at Stonewell Senior Home, near my house. We have been providing music for them weekly for the past 2+ years, and they sure do appreciate seeing and hearing you. This is a wonderful low-key performance opportunity, as well as a chance to do some community service through sharing your music. I would encourage everyone to do it at least a few times, especially before recitals, MAP, and competitions. Everyone taking part in Concerto Competition in November should sign up, and you can take a friend, family member or another student with you. Please let me know which weeks you are available.
Day and Time: Friday afternoons, 4-4:30pm
Address: 4931 Stonewell Ln SE, Olympia, 98501
Available Dates:
9/15
9/22
9/29
10/6
10/13
10/20
10/27
11/10
11/17
12/1
12/15
12/22
I’m looking forward to another fantastic year of music-making!
WSMTA Conference, Winthrop: June 26-28. A refreshing and educational time for the piano teachers - lots of classes, recitals and meeting old and new colleagues!
Alexander performs at WSMTA Convention, June 28 @ 11am, Sun Mountain Lodge (Winthrop). This recital features winners and alternate of the Honors Competitions around the state. Congratulations!
Alexander nailed his performance of “Laser Light Show” - awesome job - the audience loved it! Here, we are enjoying the beautiful scenery and sunshine after the concert!
Students who participated in the MLP exam in the spring received beautiful ribbons and certificates from the State. Those scoring above 94% will have their names listed on the state newsletter, and their certificates will have a gold seal (see below).
Landon shows off his gold seal and certificate for MLP - good job!
Our studio participants were Grant, Josie, Landon, Alexander, Charles and Sally.
The final MCE concert of the season featured two winners of the Youth Music Competition…including our own Chloe! Chloe won the Middle School division back in 2019, but her performance was delayed due to the pandemic. She performed Debussy’s Toccata from “Pour le Piano” to wild applause!
What a fantastic showcase of our young students’ piano talents! I’m so proud of each one, who worked hard and accomplished much in the past year. See “Studio Newsletter” for bios of each student and other studio news!
Special recognition goes to our Student-Teachers, Sky and Chloe! Both of them received a scholarship from the Olympia Music Teachers Association, for the 2nd time - congratulations! They successfully prepared young elementary students for recitals, group class performances, and MAP/Adjudications.
Sky holds up her National Guild ribbon and OMTA Scholarship!
A reminder that our final Group Performance lesson will be this coming Tuesday, May 30, 4:30-6pm...one last chance to practice performing before the National Guild Auditions and our Spring Studio Recital! This will be a combined class for Elementary, Middle and High school; students are welcome to stay for all or just part of it. Come ready to perform and also give feedback to your fellow young pianists!
Next Sunday, June 4, is National Guild Auditions (St. Martins University)! This is our big culminating project, reflecting the amazing work of the past 9 months. I am so proud of these incredible students. Only a week and a half to go, so push yourself to do your very best!
The week of June 5 is our last week of Spring Quarter lessons, ending with our Studio Recital on June 11, featuring all of our talented students (1-2pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran). It's free and open to the public, so bring family and friends!
It has been a fantastic and awesome year of piano music-making! I have enjoyed working with the students immensely! Let me know if you have any questions.
National Guild Auditions are Sunday, June 4 from 9-4pm at St. Martins University. Our judge this year is Linda Chu. Only the student and judge will be allowed in the room, with parent/family seating outside.
Please remember to:
1. Bring all of your music pieces, with the scores marked. Measures should be numbered for pieces longer than 1 page.
2. Dress nicely.
3. Be prepared to play your technique (technical phases). All pieces are to be played from memory.
4. Smile! Have confidence for all of your hard work - you will do GREAT!
9:00 Grace (1st year! EA)
9:15 Josie (2nd year - EC)
9:35 Landon (4th year - EF)
10:00 Grant (1st year! IA)
10:30 BREAK
10:45 Max (5/8th year - Int)
11:15 Chloe (12th year - PS)
12:05 LUNCH
1:05 Sky (6/8th year - PC)
1:50 Judah (1st year! EA)
2:05 Judson (8th year - IF)
2:35 BREAK
2:50 Alexander (3rd year - IA)
3:17 Charles (1st year! IA)
3:45 Sally (1st year! EB)
I am so proud of these students and this huge accomplishment! Since everyone has learned a 10-piece program, I encourage all of the students to put on informal recitals for family and friends before (and after) the Guild Auditions. This will help to practice poise and performance practice, as well as sharing their beautiful music with their loved ones.
Talk about a busy day! May 13 had at least three piano/musical events going on in Olympia.
Pop, Jazz, Ensemble Recital at Gloria Dei - Grant, Landon, Grace, Sally, Josie, Charles, and Alexander all gave the audience toe-tapping renditions of songs such as: “Weeping Willow Rag”, “Chocolate Eatin’ Piano Player Blues”, “This Land is Your Land”, “The Chicken Dance”, “River Flows in You”, and “Don’t Stop Believin’” Quartet! All students got to celebrate with a soda “pop” of their choice.
Before and after the Pop Recital, six of our students participated in the Music Literacy Program theory tests, from levels 1 to 7. Congratulations to all of them, everyone passed with 90% or higher! We even had one 100%. Students received a beautiful ribbon for passing.
Sally, Level 1 - 100%; Charles, Level 4 - 99%; Alexander, Level 7 - 98%; Josie, Level 2 - 90%; Grant, Level 5 - 90%; Landon, Level 4 - 94% - AMAZING JOB, everyone!
Lastly, props to Alexander who took part in the Masterworks Chorale Ensemble Youth Competition, performing “Laser Light Show” by Jennifer Bowman. Fantastic job!
Clinks and cheers for a great recital!
In the past year and a half, quite a few our students have gone to perform at Stonewell Senior Home. This lovely residence for the elderly has an old grand piano, and students are welcomed and their music is always appreciated! The residents also love to talk to the students and share about their lives. We go almost every Friday afternoon. It’s a great way to spread our music and love to our community. I hope all students have a chance to go! Here is a photo of 3 students who went this past week.
The District IV Honor Recital featured some of the top students from Clark County, Mason County, Lewis County and Olympia. Lasting about 45 min, students performed a wide range of repertoire beautifully. Chloe and Alexander represented Olympia and our studio very well! All of these students were selected from the regional WSMTA Honor Recital Competitions back in March, and all were the top prizewinners and alternates. In addition, they are invited to be honored and perform at the State Conference recitals on June. What a fun and inspiring concert!
Chloe and Alexander are all smiles after their fabulous performances at Centralia Church of the Nazarene!
As May arrives, the end of the school year is in sight! We have only 6 more weeks until the end of our Piano Year. All of these wonderful students have worked hard and made amazing progress in the past months. It has been delightful to see them every week, growing and learning as pianists and human beings!
This month and next, we have quite a few events, both optional and not!
May 7 @ 3pm: District IV Honors Recital - features winners of the regional honors competitions. Winners will be eligible to perform at the State Conference! Centralia, Church of the Nazarene. Congrats to Chloe and Alexander who will represent Olympia and our studio! Free and open to the public!
May 13 @ 11:15: Pop/Jazz/Duet Festival at Gloria Dei Lutheran, followed by the Music Literacy Program Theory exam. This fun and exciting event is free and open to the public. Grace, Sally, Charles, Landon, Alexander, Grant, and Josie will be taking part, playing pieces such as “This Land is Your Land”, “The Chicken Dance”, “Don’t Stop Believin’”, “River Flows in You”, “Weeping Willow Rag”, and more!
May 13 @ 10am: Masterworks Chorale Ensemble Competition - Good Luck to Alexander!
June 4, all day: National Guild Auditions! This is the big day we’ve all been preparing for. All students will perform up to 10 memorized pieces/phases for a wonderful judge. What a huge accomplishment!
June 11, 1pm: Studio Spring Recital - An awesome culmination of the piano year! End of Spring Quarter.
Other newsworthy items…Congratulations to our Scale Olympians! See “News” below for who won Gold, Silver, and Bronze!
“4 Pianists For Piano”
Thanks to all who came out for our “4 Pianists For Piano” concert. What a great crowd!
Congrats to Luke!
He was featured in the most recent Piano Guild Magazine as a scholarship winner, and recipient of both the High School Diploma and Paderewski Medal. He is now finishing his first year at UW as an engineering major, and enjoys playing the piano frequently in his spare time!
Here is recap of our April Group Performance Classes. Everyone had a chance to perform a piece for the class, as well as give feedback and comments to their fellow musicians. And Scale Olympics was back in session! Student had 2 minutes to perform as many technical phases from their Guild levels. Congratulations to everyone for their hard work, much improvement was made. Winners are listed below!
Elem/Middle Class:
Gold: Alexander (35 points); Silver: Grant (25 points); Bronze: Judah (24 points)
Middle/High Class:
Gold: Judson (30 points); Silver: Chloe (18 points); Bronze: Charles (17 points)
For our last class, we had a new monthly challenge - the Scale Challenge! Three students successfully completed it. Congratulations to Grace, Landon, and Judah!
March 29, 2023: HAPPY PIANO DAY!!! This is the 88th day of the year, an appropriate day to celebrate the piano. It was created by German pianist, Nils Frahm, in 2015. Go hug your piano and play something beautiful!
MAP/Adjudications 2023 is a wrap! Every student in our studio presented two pieces to our Visiting Artist, Dr. Renato Fabbro, a culmination of many hours of practice. Dr. Fabbro told me that he was impressed with everyone’s playing and had helpful comments for students. Good job to Judah, Alexander, Sky, Grant, Landon, Josie, Sally, Max, Charles, Grace, Chloe, Justin, and Judson, and Derek and Sam!
HONOR RECITAL WINNERS: Chloe (Chopin Ballade in Gm), Sky (Ufie III by Onieji) and Judson (Kolling Autumn Leaves)! These three performed beautifully at the Honor Recital! Congratulations!
ALTERNATES Selected: Grant (Joplin’s Weeping Willow Rag) and Judah (Misty Morning) - yeay!
Honorable Mentions: Justin (Linus and Lucy), Alexander (Laser Light Show), Josie (Fur Elise), Grace (Indian Feather Dance). Way to go!
For a complete list of Winners, Alternates, and Hon. Mentions from the OMTA MAP, please see: www.olymusicteachers.org.
Absolutely stunning performances by Sky (Ufie III), Chloe (Ballade in Gm), and Judson (Flying Leaves)!
Dr. Fabbro shares expert tips with Landon! Below, a short snippet of Sky’s riveting “Ufie III” by Christian Onieji.
Judson, Alexander, Grant, and Chloe represented our studio at the WSMTA Honor Recital Competition a Sunday in early March. All played the best I had heard them! Our two judges were Margee Webster and Dr. Renato Fabbro.
Results:
Chloe (Debussy Toccata from Pour le Piano)- WINNER! She will perform at the State Convention in Sun Mountain Lodge (Winthrop) in June. CONGRATULATIONS!
Alexander (Laser Light Show)- 2nd Alternate! GOOD JOB - to all of our young pianists!
Judson and Alexander gave great performances of Claude Debussy’s Prelude “Girl with the Flaxen Hair” and Jennifer Bowman’s “Laser Light Show”!
It was an honor to have the composer of Alexander’s piece, Jennifer Bowman, in the audience. She loved his performance, as did the whole audience!
Chloe and Grant performance Debussy’s “Toccata from Pour le Piano” and Joplin’s “Weeping Willow Rag”, delighting the audience!
COMPOSITION CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
First Annual Composition Contest
Congratulations to these students!!!
Elementary/Middle Group:
1st Prize: Alexander
2nd Prize: Landon
3rd Prize: Grant
HM: Sally
Middle/High School:
1st Prize: Chloe
2nd Prize: Justin
3rd Prize: Charles
HM: Judson, Sky
Elementary Silver and Bronze Winners: Landon (“Pink Space”) and Grant (“Flight”)
High School Silver and Bronze Winners: Justin (“Fever Dream”) and Charles (“Shades of Green”)
We had some GREAT March performance classes before MAP! All of the students have clearly been practicing hard and making noticeable improvement - way to go, students!
During our performances, students were reminded to do the THREE B's - BOW (announce piece and composer), BENCH (take time to adjust as needed), and BREATHE (2x, to calm yourself and focus)! Practice doing these at home! The students and I shared some tips for staying focused - like "Don't think about each note, think of the bigger sections instead." "Think of the mood or story you want people to hear!" "Practice performing in front of others." "Record yourself and listen back." "Practice a lot!"
MAP/WSMTA THIS SUNDAY AND MONDAY
As you know, our WSMTA Honors Competition and MAP/Adjudications will take place this Sunday and Monday at St. Martin's University (see schedule on website). Please:
1. Come 10-15 min early to give yourself enough time to get situated.
2. Park in Visitor Lot N (near Marcus Pavilion in order to avoid a ticket.
3. Bring your music, and dress neatly, nails trimmed. No photocopies (I will bring originals).
4. Do the Three B’s before starting your piece (see above).
5. Be ready to ask questions of our Visiting Artist - this is your chance!
I am so happy to hear how everyone is sounding, and it will be a wonderful MAP!
TECHNIQUE PIANO CHALLENGE
Lastly, we have a new piano challenge for our next group class - "The Technique Challenge"! Our April 24 Group Class will once again feature the Scale Olympics, so this challenge will motivate students to prepare for this, as well as our National Guild Auditions in June. Each student will practice technique *at their own level* for a certain number of minutes during practice. For example, an Elementary level student would practice 5-finger or 1-octave scales, chords, etc for 4 minutes, while a Prep level student would do 4-octave scales, chords, etc, for 12 min. Follow instructions on the sheet, and there will be a prize! There are 22+ practice ideas listed on the sheet.
Good luck to everyone, and let me know if you have any questions!
© 2016 Ramona Allen