Gail’s Practice Plans
Good morning, dear piano friends!
This year I actually have 3 different musical areas of interest.
FOR JANUARY 2022:
1. CHAMBER MUSIC: Before joining Tonebase last year, I only played chamber music and NEVER learned any solo repertoire. Because I have lots of friends who are strings players, I was invited to join an existing quartet in my state (Florida) to help them become a Piano Quintet. I’m starting to learn the Dvorak Op, 81 to rehearse with them on Feb. 7. We are planning to participate in a concert in a museum in April, but that depends on Covid.
2. TONEBASE: I am FINALLY going to start the Bach Goldberg’s and play a few for our Community Concert on Jan. 29. I will work through them by also listening to Lowry Yankwich’s amazing 30 Bach podcast. (I’ve listened to the episodes once when they first came out, but I was driving so I didn’t pay enough attention.)
3. JAZZ: I started learning a bit a jazz and have classes at Piano with Jonny (with Sindre Skarelven ). I’m going to do those Community Challenges also, as time permits. For January, I’m doing some basic theory review, starting to work on Cocktail piano and the St. Louis Blues.
This seems to be a lot of stuff…so I may have to prioritize!
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Gail! Yay, you're back!
How smart you are to develop so many aspects of your talented musical self! Your commitment to chamber music is particularly touching - such a giving way to approach music. You have inspired me to look for chamber music partners to form a piano trio.
The Goldberg Variations are a great choice for this Challenge - two birds with one piece, to soften an otherwise violent metaphor.
We will need to remain very focused, single-minded, almost, with this month's flexible challenge. I can't wait to see and hear its impact on all of us.
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Woohoo, Gail - what a fantastic plan and music list. The Dvorak quintet makes me so happy. And I'm so happy to know that you're taking the opportunity to play with your friends and perform together. I'd like to host a guest on one of my upcoming livestreams to chat a bit about chamber music.
Also, I think it's quite unusual that you only played chamber music but not solo repertoire. How did that come to be?
and PS - I'm starting my first Jazz class at Juilliard, too! I'm so stoked.
Hilda