Debussy and Impressionism

Here is a small collection of beautiful Debussy pieces. He is one of my favourite composers to listen to and to play. He is associated with Impressionist music (and consequently Impressionist art). I've included a few examples of Impressionist art as well so that you can compare the visual and auditory textures.

Impressionist Paintings:

Haystacks by Monet


Nymphaes by Monet


Children on the Beach of Guernesey by Renoir

Music by Debussy:

Arabesque #1 by Debussy




The Sunken Cathedral by Debussy
(a little trickier to listen to - try to actually visualize a cathedral under water)


Claire de Lune by Debussy




And finally, just a little remix treat for those of you into science fiction-like sounds:
Claire de Lune by Debussy, electronically recreated in 1974 by Isao Tomita

Waltzes

I just had an inspiring lesson with a student about waltzes, and it made me want to look up more examples of this amazing dance.

Here are a few interesting waltz selections:

Shhostakovick's Second Waltz
Performed by Andre Rieu and his orchestra - he is a bit of a European superstar. He purchases beautiful gowns and suits for his musicians, and his performances often include an open dance floor.



Viennese Waltzes
This is completely hypnotic, and if you look carefully you can catch the down-up-up steps that they do with their feet.

Michael Jackson Listening Activity

This post is in response to a request from a student for a listening activity related to Michael Jackson's Thriller. I firmly believe that we can learn valuable lessons from all genres and styles of music, and Michael Jackson is most definitely no exception!

Listen to the Youtube video below and use it to help you answer the questions.




1. Listen to the first part of the song. Is it in a minor (sad/evil sound) key or a major (happy) key? (For those of you using the Dozen a Day books, remember: minor = cloudy day, major = sunny day).

2.Listen to the chorus when Michael Jackson sings "Thriller, thriller night." Is his voice moving up or down? In skips or steps?

3. This song is heard a lot at Hallowe'en because it has a creepy atmosphere. What creates this atmosphere? (Think about the way the music sounds, the words, and the instruments used).


Here's another song with a young Michael Jackson singing with the Jackson Five - it is VERY different. Is this piece in a major or minor key?

Practicing vs. Learning

This past fall season has had me thinking about the art of practicing quite a bit, and I have been changing the way I challenge students to practice. This afternoon I came across a really inspirational article written by a cellist about practicing and the difference between been an active and a passive "practicer". It is a little bit wordy, but well written and very carefully thought out.

To read the whole article, please visit this link:

The Case for Active Practicing

Collaborative Music

I have been thinking a lot about collaborative music lately; several of my students are playing duets for our upcoming piano recital, and I just spent an evening with friends creating music together with voices and keyboard. Its such a wonderful way to connect with others! To top it off, my sister emailed me a fantastic video from The Piano Guys showing the ultimate musical collaboration and all the different sounds a piano can make.

It's inspired me to look for more opportunities for collaboration - maybe it will inspire you too!

***Note: please don't try any piano lid banging as shown in this video. Be gentle with your instruments!***

What Makes You Beautiful from One Direction
Rendition by The Piano Guys

Carol of the Bells

I have a lot of favourite Christmas carols, but Carol of the Bells is definitely close to the top of my list. This carol came up quite a bit in conversation during our weekend lessons, and I was reflecting on how many amazing versions there are of this piece. I decided to include a few in this post so you can see how many different ways one melody can be portrayed. Enjoy!

Carol of the Bells: sung by Pentatonix
(see if you can hear a bit of Bach-like music in this one)




Carol of the Bells: arranged and played by George Winston
(a student of mine reminded me how wonderful this arrangement for piano is)




Carol of the Bells: sung by the Libera Boys Choir




Carol of the Bells: arranged for 12 cellos
(can you hear another carol in this piece?)




Carol of the Bells: sung by the Muppets
(because no holiday is truly complete without them)



There you have it - five very different versions of Carol of the Bells. Which one do you like the best?

Ear Training Memory

I came across this great game this morning. If you are working on your ear training (whether for an exam or with me in the studio) and you like the game Memory, then this game is for you. It's challenging but quite addictive, and it will really help your ear training memory.

Just click on the link to be taken to the game:

http://www.ababasoft.com/music/notepair.html

Good luck, and enjoy!