Mozart’s Memos
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Music That’s Out Of This World! - Mozart’s Monthly Memo-Volume 28
This Memo includes
Feature Article: Music That’s Out Of This World!
Student Hall of Fame
Practice Tip
Registration start dates for our in-person Crescendo Kids Classes
Sign up link for our 2023 Spring Recital
Parents Ask Pam - My child is 4 years old, but I think they are ready for 5 year old piano material. Can they be moved into the older class?
Feature Article - Music That’s Out Of This World!
Written by Sean Kenney, son of our piano teacher, Mr. Kevin.
There has been a great deal of music made over the course of human civilization; songs devised with thousands of miles separating them, and almost all of it created on earth. Almost.
Chris Hadfield is one of those people who seems to have pushed the limits of what a human can do in one lifetime. He is a writer, a mountain climber, an engineer, the first Canadian to walk in space, and a musician; he is perhaps most well known for that last one. Back in May of 2013 a music video was recorded - something Chris thought would be fun to do with his son - of Chris singing Space Oddity by David Bowie while on the International Space Station (ISS).
Fanny Mendelssohn - One Chromosome Away From Fame - Mozart’s Monthly Memo-Volume 27
New session of Crescendo Kids Online begins Tuesday, February 14!❤️
This Memo includes
Feature Article: Fanny Mendelssohn - One Chromosome Away From Fame
Student Hall of Fame
Practice Tip
Parents Ask Pam - Do you teach children under age 3.5 years old?
Feature Article - Fanny Mendelssohn - One Chromosome Away From Fame
You may be familiar with Felix Mendelssohn, who wrote "Wedding March," the song frequently played at weddings as the wedding party exits the ceremony. However, his sister, Fanny Mendelssohn, was also a great performer and composer.
She was born in 1805, in Hamburg, Germany. Her mother claimed she had “Bach fugal fingers,” (Long, skinny fingers ready to easily to play a Bach Fugue.) correctly predicting her daughter’s talent and life ambition. By the age of 14, she had memorized all 24 preludes . . . .
Piano Lessons: How To Put Fun Into Practice Repetition - Volume 26
This Memo includes:
Feature Article: How To Put Fun Into Practice Repetition
Students Hall of Fame
Practice Tip
Parents Ask Pam - We very much enjoyed the fall session of piano lessons at the community center. Today I went to sign up for this winter session and was dismayed to see that there are no available openings for my child’s age. I will attempt to add us to a wait list if that is available.
What options can you offer for us to continue lessons? I don't want to lose momentum from the gains he has made so far in your course.
Feature Article - How To Put Fun Into Practice Repetition
It is January, the month of new beginnings and resolutions to do life better. For children, it is about getting back into their regular routine of school, home life, and early bedtimes. When a child is returning to their routine for learning piano, it can seem like they have forgotten everything and are starting all over. To parents and teachers, this is frustrating because it feels like the child is slacking and not very interested. However, from the child’s perspective, it can feel quite overwhelming with so many things changing all at once, even if the change is just going back to “normal.” After all the holiday excitement, “normal” may seem “boring” and so there is this additional lack of enthusiasm. Since practicing is about playing the same thing over and over, it is very easy to see why it seems so hard to get back to the routine that was established previously. Here are some ideas to help get back into the piano routine and maybe even look forward to it.
Piano Lessons: For Vocation or Avocation - Volume 25
This Memo includes:
Feature Article: Piano Lessons: For Vocation or Avocation
Students Hall of Fame
Practice Tip
Parents Ask Pam - Our regular lesson time is on a holiday next week. May we reschedule for a different day?
Feature Article - Piano Lessons: For Vocation or Avocation
Condoleezza Rice is a prominent African-American woman in our country’s politics and education. She is probably best known as Secretary of State under George W. Bush in 2005-2009, the first black woman to hold this position, and National Security Advisor in 2001 - 2005, the first woman to hold this position. Since then she continues to serve on various company’s boards as well as teaching political science at Stanford University. What I find is so fascinating about Ms. Rice, is that in addition to her career in politics and education, she is also an accomplished musician performing with musical professionals such as cellist Yo Yo Ma and singer Aretha Franklin.