Newsletter of the Peoria Area Music Teachers Association March, 2018

Editor: Pam Dunlap Website: pamta.org

2017-2018 Officers: President – Rosa Chang

Past President – Philippa Williams First Vice President (Programs) – Pam Dunlap

Second Vice President (Membership) – Joyce Schupp Secretary – Brenda Conroy

Treasurer – Karen Thompson

MARCH MEETING

March 26, 2018, 10 AM Dr. Garold Fowler

The Double Bass: From the 16th Century to the Present

Piano Network, 4640 N Brandywine Dr., Peoria

This presentation will highlight significant periods in the history of the double bass. Questions that often arise about the use of the double bass

versus the cello in music from the Baroque period through the early Classical period will be clarified or at least answered from the standpoint

of composition/orchestration. We will discuss what happened in the Classical period, and how we have come to the double bass we have today.

Dr. Fowler will be accompanied by Justin Kothenbeutel, Piano

Link to a fascinating article on the Double Bass:

http://earlybass.com/articles-bibliographies/back-to-the-future/

Dr. Garold Fowler

Dr. Garold Fowler is a string specialist and orchestra teacher with the Decatur Public School District. He is also a double bassist with the Peoria

Symphony Orchestra, Peoria Bach Festival and the Millikin Decatur Symphony. He has an extensive performance background that includes

tango, jazz, blues, musical theatre, opera orchestras and chamber music.

Garold’s musical activities also include composing and arranging. His doctoral research involved editing and transcribing a selection of

compositions for quintet by Astor Piazzolla. He composed music and arranged classic tangos for the short film Deadly Embrace.

Garold also composes, and arranges music for his middle school orchestra with Decatur Public Schools.

Currently, he is writing a modern “Complete Method” for strings that will be used in the Decatur Public Schools.

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April Monster Concert Rehearsal Times:

Sundays April 15th, April 22nd:

1:30 Group 1 1:50 Group 2 2:10 Group 7 2:30 Group 3 2:50 Group 5 3:10 Group 8 3:30 Group 6 3:50 Group 9 4:10 Teachers

Young Artist Competition The competition was held Saturday February 24th at ICC. Brenda Conroy would like to thank all the Guild members who assisted with their time, talents and energy to create a very success event! Fifteen young musicians between 14 and 18 years of age auditioned in the morning, each performing by memory a concerto or aria between 6 to 9 minutes in length. Each contestant provided their own accompanist. The Lecture Recital Hall in the Academic Building at ICC is home to the auditions, where we have the availability of 2 Yamaha grand pianos and several practice rooms.

The instrumental makeup of the competition included: 2 piano concertos, 4 violin, 2 cello, 1 clarinet, 1 oboe, 1 French Horn, and 4 Sopranos. The contestants were from a 100 mile radius of Peoria.

Three judges were hired including a Professor of Piano from WIU and Associate Professors of Cello and Voice from Millikin University. Six finalists auditioned in a second round of auditions, which was open to the public at 1 p.m. This afternoon audition was a spectacular listening experience for those present. We were treated to an exceptional display of talent and it was obvious that these young people were in awe listening to each other perform.

First Place: Olivia Bolles on violin Mendelssohn Concerto in E minor, Allegro Molto Mvt 1

Olivia is from Bloomington and has been home schooled. She is now a freshman at University High School in Normal. Olivia studies violin with Dr. Sarah Gentry.

Second Place: Matthew Suh on violin Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Allegro Mvt 1

Matthew lives in Normal and is in 11th grade at University High School. He studies violin with Paul Zafer at Wheaton College Conservatory of Music.

Third Place: Amy Zhou on clarinet Premiere Rhapsodie by Debussy

Heartland Festival Orchestra

Jazz in Spring

April 21,2018, 7:30 PM

Five points Washington 360 North Wilmor Rd. Washington, Illinois

Mendelssohn- Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture

Copland - Appalachian Spring

Grieg - Peer Gynt, Youth Music Illinois side-by-side

Ellington - Peer Gynt, Invitational Youth Jazz Ensemble

An exquisite evening featuring to masterpiece tone pictures, and the fascinating interplay of the original and Ellington’s jazz version of Peer Gynt

Meeting Minutes, Monday, February 26, 2018

Rosa Chang, President opened our meeting at 9:35 at the Piano Network Center. There were no minutes from the last meeting due to the fact that we had it at ICC and the speaker Geoffrey Duce from ISU needed all our allotted time. Treasurer report read: $3223.49 with savings balance of $7511.53. There were no expenses or any revenue.

We had a total of 16 in attendance with 1 guest, Jeff McSweeney from YMI. Our AIM sheets and checks were due today and Pam Eyerly said we could get them in no later than that Friday if we forgot today.

The Monster Concert was discussed at length due to the fact that we are no longer going to have our performance at ICC. We are looking for a different venue. Our 88 Keys from around the world recital was a hit and many new students participated. This was held at the Christian Church due to the water damage at the Apollo Theatre. This recital will continue because the students really like it.

Our program today was a discussion of technique for the younger students and Pam Dunlap was in charge. This was an excellent discussion and all participated. Meeting adjourned at 11:00.

Secretary, Brenda Conroy

PEDAGOGICAL TECHNIQUE SURVEY RESULTS

1. Do you use method books for elementary technique?

9 respondents answered yes:

6 use Faber Technique and Artistry 2 use A Dozen a Day, Edna Mae Burnham 2 use Alfred‘s premier performer series 1 uses Alfred’s Basic 1 uses Hal Leonard Technique 2 use Easy Hanon 1 uses Bastien 1 uses Helen Marlais Succeeding at the piano 1 uses Hanon and sometimes Czerny

3 do not use method books for elementary technique.

Comments:

“The students often just want to practice the notes and rhythms. I have to really hammer home what the point of the exercises are, and then show them the application in their lesson book and other repertoire.”

2. If you do use method books for technique, how affective do you feel they are?

6 answered “somewhat effective” 4 answered “very effective”

Comments:

“The students often just want to practice the notes and rhythms. I have to really hammer home what the point of the exercises are, and then show them the application in their lesson book and other repertoire.”

“I like them because they go along with what they are learning in their other books.”

“I address specific issues I see with other suggestions”

“I like Faber’s approach to arm weight”

“Czerny and Fingerpower plus Hanon”

3. If you do not use method books, how do you incorporate technique into lessons?

“I use Hanon and sometimes Czerny”

“Along with Dozen a Day, I incorporate leveled technique from the AIM syllabus”

“5 finger patterns after a few beginning lessons to watch hand position and encourage playing on tips”

“Scales, chord inversions, arpeggios”

“I use AIM materials and address technical issues as they arise.”

“I demonstrate the difference in tone from “pushing” on the keys versus dropping on the keys; also talk about lateral movement”

“Depends on the age and their desired outcomes.”

“I use the Festival Collection”

4. How do you demonstrate hand, finger, wrist, etc. position?

“Word pictures: "holding a bubble", "tabletop wrists", "wrist circles", "dropping the wrist", "play to the bottom of the key bed"

“Like a bubble or ball under palm of hand. Curved fingers especially pinky fingers”

“I use a stress ball (squeezy ball) or imagine holding a bubble very gently in the student’s hand to get that rounded feel.”

“Hand shape/curved fingers - hold a bubble, or bear claws. Play on the tippy top of the fingers. Wrist - floating table top. Intermediate/Advanced door knob, make a rainbow for a whole hand leaps. Sticky fingers or wet spaghetti for wrist action at ends of phrases.”

“If wrist is too low, I will put my hand underneath the student’s wrist a little bit to raise it up”

“I show them myself; i.e., how I do it.” “By example”

“By sitting at the piano myself and showing the student. Sometimes I will have the student rest their hand on my hand and I demonstrate the motion, movement, etc., then have the student try.”

“Mouse house (give them a picture of a mouse and say only this cute little mouse can fit); loose fist opening gradually until fingers rest on the keys; student’s hand on their knee and then on keyboard; firm fingertips – don’t let me move your finger; speed easier with fingertips as opposed to flat fingers; pretend you’re holding a bubble; don’t let your joints collapse”

5. How do you demonstrate arm weight and tone production to beginners?

“Sink to the bottom of the key. Do not hit the keys but press them.”

“I have the students drop their hands to the keyboard with a relaxed hand and then support the hand with the other hand.”

“Have a student drop their arms to their sides and pretend they are elephant trunks. Telling students their arms are connected from their collar bones to their finger tips.”

“I tell them to put the weights on. Think of heavy arms.”

“I demonstrate, and then evaluate their success in replication.”

“Heavy arms; “flop” onto a key; demonstrate and then have them experiment with the difference in sound between hitting the key and dropping onto it.”

“On the students forearm--as if it's the piano.”

6. How do you address posture? Do you have a specific method?

“Sit up tall, shoulders down. You will sound better this way. With shoulders up you will have neck pain.”

“Sometimes I refer to an invisible string attached to top of their head, pulling up on their head and torso. Also I encourage them to sit near the edge of the bench, supporting their body with their feet which are placed flat on the floor with one foot slightly ahead of the other.”

“Arm punch away from the lid (knock knock on the lid). Seat height - forearms/elbows level with the keys. Sit tall.”

“Feet flat on the floor and sitting up straight.”

“Sitting on your “sit” bones. Immediately the back becomes straight.”

“Constant demonstration and admonishment.”

“I show the student myself.”

“Sit straight like a soldier, then relax into the pose without letting your back curve; at the piano, your bottom is your center of gravity; stretch your neck and let the rest of your torso follow.”

“Not usually a problem.”

“Yes. Example I show them.”

“Imagine a string coming out the top of your head like a marionette. (Though most of my students say they don't know what a marionette is and have never seen Pinochio, kids these days ;))”

7. Do your students find it difficult to maintain a relaxed body while playing? If so, how do you deal with that?

“Some are more natural than others. Gentle, frequent reminders when needed.”

“Yes, sometimes their shoulders get a little tense and begin to rise up toward their head. Most often a gentle touch on their shoulders releases some of that tension. Also just remembering to breathe will relax the players, too.”

“I find some students more tense than others. I’ll have them shake out their arms down at their sides and try again.”

“Talk about it so they’re aware.”

“I just put my hand on their back and they immediately straighten up.”

“Constant correction upon observation.”

“Some do, some don't. Usually they can feel how tense they are if I draw their attention to their shoulders. They can feel them pop up.”

“My hand on their shoulder and ask the student to listen to the music they’re making; tense up and then relax - feel the difference.”

“Very much so. Breathing exercises while we play.”

“No we worked on that at the beginning.”

8. How do you help students with double jointed fingers?

“Continue working on curving fingers and not letting them collapse.”

“If their knuckles are collapsing, I find they often aren’t curving their fingers enough. Encourage them to play on the tippy tip of their fingers, on the tip of the nail. Do isometric exercises, pushing curved hands together to try to keep the knuckles strong. Or curved hand on a tabletop, try to press on the joint and ask them to resist the collapse.”

“Taking the condition into consideration, I gently urge the student to emulate desirable form.”

“This continues to be a problem even though I suggest simple exercise from day one.”

“Work with them on exercises.”

9. How do you ensure that the student practices good technique at home?

8 answered: “Reinforce good technique during lessons.”

“Ask parents to help oversee this at home if possible, and of course reinforce good technique during lessons.”

“Reinforce during lessons; talk to parents – if they don’t help at home, then nag, nag, nag.”

10. Do you assign technique exercises?

“Faber technique books, Hanon and Czerny.”

“5-note patterns for beginners, AIM leveled technique.”

“I use the method book that goes with the series I use. Assignment every week. I will assign finger exercises occasionally outside of that as well.”

“Hanon exercises, Lemoine Etudes for older students.”

“Scales and arpeggios.”

“Each student is unique. I assign technical exercises as needed.”

“AIM, some Hanon.”

“Hanon, scales, Czerny, or Fingerpower.”

“Sometimes, usually scales or arpeggios.”