New apps find a home on my iPad

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The following apps are now at home on my iPad and will be added to my growing iPad apps Page.

1) Love the format of Yamaha’s new Song Chords

“Song Chords is Yamaha’s solution for aspiring keyboard and guitar players who want to practice or perform with a backing band, on stage or at home. The app features a 16 track MIDI song mixer, a player with easy-to-read chord symbols that change in sync with the music, and chord dictionaries for both keyboard and guitar.”

The “Song store” claims to have over 1,000 “awesome” songs from which to choose.

2) NoteStar is a brand new app–too new for me to say much about it except that I believe it will rock the digital sheet music world.

“NoteStar is Yamaha’s application for the iPad that features hands-free, smooth-flowing, easy to read digital sheet music matched with real audio backing tracks, complete with lead vocals. NoteStar provides a playing experience that feels like you’re actually in the band!“

FYI: If you need something to hook your iPad or iPhone to your MIDI keyboard, the i-MX1 USB-MIDI interface may be what your looking for.

3) A good friend hooked me up with Dropbox but my Mom (who recently acquired an iPad thanks to her daughters) actually filled me in on the latest Dropbox app. This makes it SO easy to move any files from my compter to my iPad–my new favorite app.

4) The same good friend as above–namely Bradley Sowash–filled me in on iRealb, a fantastic “jazzer” app.

The description of this amazing app begins below:

  • “Create, edit, print, share and collect chord charts of your favorite songs for reference while practicing or performing.
  • Practice with a full rhythm section (Piano or Guitar plus Bass and Drums) with realistic sounding accompaniments for any properly formatted chord chart.
  • The play-along feature includes Jazz Medium Swing, Bossa Nova and Rock styles….” and more

5) This really is a secondary iPad app (for the Mac), but I just can’ get over how cool this is. Check out the iBooks author. A free download will allow you to create an interactive text book for your iPad-wowza! Can’t wait to write my first book.

Ok–so, feel free to help me make additions to my ever-growing iPad apps list and please include your comments on any that you already own. Would enjoy hearing your opinion.

Which iPad app do you use the most?

World War II Vet Still at the Piano

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In honor of Memorial Day and a very special Veteran…

It has been my privilege to see Don Fullerton for a good number of years at my piano bench. He usually arrives every other week and we spend the hour rehearsing ensembles with his friend Stuart. Here’s a video of one of their latest accomplishments as the self-named “Octogenarian Duo”. Don is in the blue playing the secondo part.

At 85+ years old, Don not only enjoys playing duets, he plays Chopin, Gershwin and others, and can also play any tune by ear (especially those from the 40′s and 50′s) with style and pizazz. His smile and enthusiasm for life never stops even though his body doesn’t always enjoy “keeping up” with his activities.

Don is a World War II vet and has many stories. As an 18-year old, he rode past Auschwitz on a tank and his right ear (his riffle ear) suffers from significant hearing loss.

As I walked out with my cart of groceries today–the Friday before Memorial Day, two fine gentlemen were collecting money for Veterans of Foreign Wars and handed me a poppy after I gave some pocket change. It reminded me that this is not just another holiday weekend, this is a time to remember those who have served our country…

Don playing at Whole Foods, entertaining the crowd

I am privileged to honor Don for his time as a soldier for this country and grateful that he continues to pursue his love of music at my piano bench.

Thank you Don for you service, your smile and your inspiration.

10 Steps to Being Interesting

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Although I still believe it is more important to be INTERESTED rather than INTERESTING (see past blog), this blog does carry some important thoughts.  Essentially, it says that if you are interested you will be interesting.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2011/11/30/how-to-be-interesting/

Piano Wedding Music

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With a full time church job, you’d expect my summer weekends to be busy playing for weddings. My how things have changed!

Church weddings seem anything but the norm, however, when I do play, it is often the piano, rather than the organ.

Since I’ve been asked more than once what piano music I play for weddings, I decided to compile a list of books here so that when I’m asked, I’ll have a complete answer. Below are two lists, the first lists favorite books accumulated over the years. The second features various selections requested by wedding couples or family members.

 Favorite Books:

1) Lorie Line  Over the years, I have collected about every book she publishes. Below is a list of my favorite singles found in various books. Of all of them, the book I could not live without is Now and Then which features 100 Years, Clocks, You Raise Me Up, For Good and more. At her website, you can also find downloadable single sheets if you need just one piece.

  • Ode to Joy
  • Seventh Heaven
  • You Raise Me Up
  • For Good
  • The Prayer
2) Contemporary Wedding Songs arr Phillip Keveren features 17 beautiful arrangements of all time favorites such as I Will Be Here, Unchained Melody, Valentine, Longer and more.
3) Wedding Treasures arr Melody Bober provides accessible and fresh arrangements of classics such as Trumpet Voluntary, Jesus Joy, of Man’s Desiring, Wedding March, Arioso, Sheep May Safely Graze and more.
4) A Day to Remember Vols I and II arr The O’Neill Brothers. A bride purchased the first book for me and later I bought the second. Many pieces double what is listed above. However, chord symbols are included to help those who would rather not read the bass clef. The second volume includes a lovely arrangement of I Can Only Imagine which I’ve played at funerals many times.
4) Classics There’s nothing like some tried and true Classical favorites…
  • Debussy’s Arabesque
  • JS Bach’s Prelude in C
  • Pachelbel Canon arr by Nancy Faber ( a fresh pop-jazz arrangement)
  • Hornpipe by Handel arr Duro
  • Rondo in D by Mouret

Some of Many Requests:

  • Claire De Lune by Debussy (I created an abridged version–too long and too much work to get it up and running)
  • You and Me by Lifehouse
  • Angel sung by Casting Crowns
  • Marry Me sung by Train
  • Angel Eyes by Brickman
  • Glasgow Love Theme by Armstrong (From “Love Actually”)
  • How Beautiful arr Mark Hayes
  • You are Everything by West and Mizell
  • Feather Theme from “Forest Gump”
  • Many times brides ask for the traditional Here Comes the Bride Processional. Recently, I decided this needed to be updated so below is my own arrangement. Suddenly this is much more fun to play again
Tip: Although I own the books/pieces listed above, I have a large wedding binder that holds copies of each piece (in the order they will be played) so I can travel “lightly” to each wedding.
What selections or books would you add to my lists?

I Took the Song-Writing Challenge

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Well, not sure why a complete but very nice stranger and our comment exchanges can “make” me do something completely out of my box, but…(thanks Ryan!). He filled me in on a challenge of writing a song in 5 minutes. See this past post for details 

I couldn’t resist the challenge. I need to be honest, although the initial idea and hook of the song came to me in seconds, the actual planning and recording of the song took more than 5 min. However, from conception to this recording (please be kind in your judgements) took approximately 30 min. I was SO tempted to perfect things but I did not.

Here is a list of my disclaimers:

  1. I am NOT a song writer, just have knowledge of how it should be done and some gut instincts.
  2. I am NOT a singer, I can sing on pitch but I created this tune in a key that is not in my range–apologies.
  3. I am NOT a singer that can sing along when playing the piano. It has been done but not regularly.
  4. I really wanted to expand upon the plan but decided that, no, I could not spare the time and therefore, it is limited to just one verse and one chorus, nothing more.
  5. The topic is truly inspired by experience as it came to me while scrubbing the toilet–honestly. Those who know me, know that my best ideas come to me while cleaning…

So, if you care to pass any judgment, first try the challenge yourself (click here to learn about Gary Ewer’s challenge)  then you “may” relay your thoughts.

Are you up for the challenge? Why not-I confess, it was fun!

Lyrics:

The dishes, the laundry, the dusting, and the vacuuming

The counter, the cupboards, the toilet and the kitchen sink

the boys’ room, their closets, the living room, the family room

And every weekend, I ask the very same question:

Why don’t you clean yourself?

And they say: we’re happy to wait for you!

Ok–so, here it is. Again, be nice :-)

Do you “Write the Songs?”

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As much as I would like to experiment with song writing–we’re talking lyrics too–there is just not enough time in the day.

Although composing and arranging piano solos would be my first choice,  the art of writing a good song intrigues me.

A couple of years ago I attended a session led by Robert Sterling, a Dove Award-winning songwriter, arranger and producer. His book Jesus Chairs shares an approach to Christian songwriting that would appeal to any future song-writer.

The table of contents features chapter titles such as “Getting Started (Ideas, Inspiration and The Mysteries of the Creative Process)”, “Poetic Devices”, “Collaboration” and much more.

As a teacher of composition, I find  this book invaluable as I guide for wanna-be song writers and composers too!

What inspires you to write lyrics? Do you teach song-writing? What resources do you find helpful?

Are you Interested or just Interesting?

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Again, Jeff  VanKooten provides some wonderful advice. See his latest blog.

Thanks to him I will continue to ponder the advantage of being a “curious instigator” vs an “expert” and consider the importance of being “interested” over just being “interesting.”

 

Revolutionize Your Practice

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Mistakes are INFORMATION: This quote is the most-frequently-used-back-pocket nugget of wisdom I treasure more than anything else as a teacher, performer, and human being. I’ll be honest, the mistake-of-a-life-time just occurred last month. My car window was smashed and my laptop computer was stolen out of my car. INFORMATION?  Leaving a computer in the car is VERY RISKY so DON’T DO IT! I really hate learning the hard way…

Likewise, after a mistake has been made while playing a piece, and the negative, “self-batterment” subsides, the identification of the root of a mistake can take place. Once there is a correct diagnosis of the cause of the mishap, treatment can begin in the form of enlightened practice. Why practice if every second is not intentional? In other words: Practice Smart, Bring your Brain.

Nothing convinced me more that quality of practice counts more than quantity, than my exposure to Philip Johnston and his book The Practice Revolution.  I have mentioned him and his books in earlier blogs but felt compelled to share his ideas. His humorous twists for the studio and practice room promise ample motivation and in turn, results, for productive practicing at any level.

On the back cover, Johnston states: “Welcome to the Practice Revolution–because you haven’t taught them how to play until you’ve taught them how to practice.” That comment alone, grabbed me and I dived into the pages. The table of contents is quite lengthy but includes titles as: “Giving Better Instructions”, “Common Practice Flaws”, “Why Students Don’t Practice”, “Making the Piece Reliable”, “Taming Tricky Bits”… Within these chapters, Johnston identifies types of practice with clever labels and provides clear suggestions for effective instruction for efficient practicing. Below are some examples:

Common Practice Flaw

Chopping Wood With a Spoon = “applying inappropriate practice techniques to the problem at hand” (p37)…find the right practice strategy and use IT.

Suggested Practice Tool

The Level System = “convert the otherwise monolithic task of learning a new piece into dozens of small friendly steps”…compare to the addictive level-format of video games (p130).

Better Instruction Tip

“Instead of lodging a request, issue a challenge” (p26). Provide a clearly defined and objective test that the piece needs to pass at some stage before the next lesson…lay out specific and attainable goals for each lesson.

Performance Preparation Advice

Johnston’s use of games to create “the stress of performing” in the practice room has enabled my students (and me!) to replace FEAR of performing with KNOWLEDGE of what it takes to be performance-ready. (p153) Students now realize that preparation matters, mistakes will happen. A performance is much more about recovery than perfection.

So…

Have I peaked your interest? I promise you, Johnston’s humor and common sense will keep you reading and you will want to pass this along to your older, more experienced students as well.

For younger students, my library also includes Practiceopedia and Not Before You Practiced. Students beg to read both books and are often caught giggling and learning take-home practice steps at the same time.

Johnston states: “Problems with practice is the single biggest reason that lessons fail” (p17). Mistakes are information–are your students collecting more “information” than they would like? Implementing Johnston’s ideas can prevent mistakes and produce desired results in less time–what a revolutionary thought! Check out www.practicespot.com for more helpful ideas, tools and resources.