Group 4

Welcome to the NEW TWO WEEK INTENSIVE on tonebase!

"Phrasing like a Singer" at the Piano with Leann Osterkamp.

Much of classical piano music evolved historically from vocal music. Voice, naturally being the most primal/organic instrument of all, is the source from which pianists draw our understanding of dynamic contour, pacing, and phrasing. By understanding how one might coach a vocalist, one can create an organic musicality and polished phrasing on the piano. Join Dr. Leann Osterkamp He as she demonstrates how her experience coaching professional singers in both opera and lied transformed her understanding of phrasing on the piano. She will break down the basics of vocal coaching into pragmatic learning steps and fun techniques for you to use in your own learning!

Post your progress with videos and written commentary on how things are going for you!

• Course Period: October 28th - November 9th
• Class Size: ALL are welcome!
• Optional check-In via Zoom: TBD

Assignment #1

https://youtu.be/GvYcVNFby4A?si=Svu_TDAPzv98ZOl_

1. Pick 8-12 bars of a solo piano piece of your choice that has a clear melody.

2. Put in your own lyrics in your most comfortable language! No need for fine poetry, just aim for something that you think fits the character of the piece/moment. Be careful when thinking over whether every note needs its own word or if you might like to draw out a word over multiple notes (by extending a vowel). The goal is to make it sound like natural speech.

3. Now go in and mark breath marks, making choices based off of organic pause in the language, punctuation of word, physical necessity, etc.

4. Now that you have intentional breathing, identify the dynamic contour of each smaller unit between each breath, thinking of the natural inflection of speech, the range of the pitches, word punctuation, etc.

5. Share a screenshot of your score, a recording of you playing your final result, or a video of you discussing interesting elements you discovered in your work.