Let it Go – easy piano version – C major
Let it Go…. Let it Go…..
it seems like everyone fall in love with this song. I also got some requests from my younger student, so I decided to make the easy-piano-version, written in the key of C major, aimed for student sitting on grade 1. It still has some of the syncopations but with a simpler grouping of notes and rhythm.
Since I still dont’ know how to put a link to be downloaded in this page, then for anyone who would like to download it, I’ll be happy to share it with you guys. Just email me: astrid.anggraeni@gmail.com and I’ll sent it to you right away 🙂
Here is the preview:
-Astrid
Masterclass by Jacqueline Leung
Jacqueline Leung is one of the most active pianists in Hong Kong. Described as a player who possesses ‘musicality, intelligence and technical finesse’, recent engagements have taken her to festivals, concerto premieres and recitals in South and Central America, the USA and Thailand in the past year. If you wany to read more about Jacqueline Leung, go to her website: http://www.jacquelineleung.com/
Musical Tales – Piano Recital by Jacqueline Leung
Piano Recital by Jacqueline Jacqueline Leung, conducted by International Music Examination Centre (IMEC) @ Auditorium Graha Cantata, July 27th 2013
Summer Course 2013: Kodaly Methodology and Choral Techniques
It’s been a while since I’ve updated my blog! I’ve been busy with the semi-annual student concert at Music Republicain and final exams on my campus.
Now I want to share my experience about summer course that I took last April. Just like last year, I took Kodaly Method and Choral Techniques (level 2) at the University of the Philippines. I stayed for 3 weeks in the UP campus at Diliman. My roommates were also music teachers, Tanti and Dessy). I took 5 subjects (Conducting, Choir, Methodology, Materials, and Musicianship). Well I must admit, this year is way more hectic than last year. Almost every day, we have to submit writing assignments and lesson plans. Things got crazier towards the end of the workshops, since there were also assessments in musicianship and conducting class, as well as written examination for Methodology! Hahaha oh wow! So we’re not just learning materials given from the lecturer, but the most important thing of all, we’re also learning about time management and how to be as efficient as possible in the limited given time.
What challenge me the most, are tasks that were given in the Musicianship classes. On the beginning we were asked to practice a 2-part contrapuntal texture piece (two independent melodies sounded together, in this case it was a canon). It can be either played in the piano both hands (Right hand vs Left hand), or we can sing 1 part and play the other one.
Well at first it felt like you force your brain to do 2 completely different acts at the same time hahaha! Similar to what I felt when I practicing Bach Well Tempered Clavier Prelude/Fugue :p ) After we manage to do a 2-part canon, then we add 1 more part so it become a 3-part contrapuntal texture piece. Now that’s what I called a challenge! After more or less 3 hours of practice, eventually me and Tanti (my roommate) were able to do it. At the musicianship class we also learnt so many things about tonality, modes, and inner hearing. And of course, all of them are learnt through singing and handsigns.
Choir classes are also so much exciting and lovely. Sadly, i lost my voice because a very horrible cold that I suffered on the first week L. It’s always a good experience to sing in a good choir, said one of my friend, which I totally agree 🙂
Asides from all of those classes I mentioned before, we were also given a chance to learn more about Philippine Traditional Music with Sir Earl, a passionate ethnomusicologist.
I would like to thank Kodaly Society of the Philippines who done an excellent job in managing this summer courses. Looking forward to go back again to the Philippines next year, for the Final level of Kodaly! 🙂
Lagrima Aneja (Carel Kraayenhof)
Dwiani Indraningsri – Flute (@indridwiani) http://dwianiindraningsri.com
Nanin Wardhani – Accordion (@naninwardhani) http://naninwardhani.com
Astrid Anggraeni – Piano (@aureliaastrid) https://astridanggraeni.wordpress.com
Carel Kraayenhof is one of the best Bandoneon Player in the world! I was so thrilled to watch him play with his tango ensemble on Festival Salihara last year.
Me, Nanin and Indri were so excited that we came up with this idea to play this song together. Lagrima Aneja, composed by Carel himself.
Since none of us are violinists, then we decided to use flute instead. Me and Nanin are both pianists, and Nanin would like to learn how to play Accordion. The accordion is so big and heavy I can’t even lift if for the whole 30 minutes by myself hahaha! Indri, the flutist was the one who transcribed the whole music, thanks Indri!
We also added a little “Indonesian twist” in the middle part.
Enjoy!
Someone to Fall Back On (Jason Robert Brown)
Someone To Fall Back On (Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes) by Jason Robert Brown
Ivonne Atmojo, voice
Astrid Anggraeni, piano
Music Republicain Jam Session / Mini Recital
16 November 2012
Practice Smarter Than Harder!
I attended Forum Piano Teachers Indonesia Community Gathering last March that was conducted by Mrs Febe Warman, Cantata Institute of Art’s Dean. She shared guides in how to practice piano (or music in general) the right way. It is taken from “Mystery to Mastery” books by Ingrid and Suzanne Guy. Here are some problem example and solutions that I’d like to share with all of you. I hope it might helps for all of you who would like to increase your ‘efficiency’ in your practice time. Of course none of us would like to sit for hours to practice and it turns out that all of what we did was mostly not correct! So here it goes:
1. WRONG NOTES: isolate the section, then investigate what’s wrong with the note? Maybe it’s not the note, maybe it’s fingering! or Simply a lack of anticipation?
2. WRONG RHYTHM: Isolate the section, slow down. Clap or say the rhythm! If you can say it, you can play it.
3. UNSTEADY PULSE : slow down! feel the tempo. tap your feet, use metronome, then increase bit by bit to the tempo speed desired.
4. HANDS COORDINATION: block the section, freeze note-to-note BOTH hands or single out each hand for the possibility of another
problem. Usually, the problem lays in one hand, not both!
5. WRONG BALANCE: block the section, listen and compare between hands, compare between recordings.
6. DIFFERENT LAYERS: slow down, control touch, alternate voicings then listen
7. ORNAMENTS: isolate section, play without ornaments, connect the note before and after. then play only the ornament. finally, play the whole bar with the ornaments and connect the notes before and after
8. CHANGING CHORDS: slow down, hold the chord. feel the keys, see your hand position and fingering position. If necessary, write down all of the fingering / call the chord/inversion out loud.
9. LONG RUNNING PASSAGES: slow down,
break down the pattern. Play in syncopat
ion or different rhythm pattern. Find the sequence or any similar patterns used
10. ARTICULATIONS: check dictionary or
references. listen and compare.
In conclusion, here are three quick steps formula for handling problem areas in many piano pieces:
1. Pinpoint WHERE the problem is
2. Pinpoint WHAT the problem is
3. Select the best techniques(s) to fix the problem
It’s really helpful for me, hopefully it works for you as well!
🙂
Easy Piano Arrangement: Payphone (Maroon 5)
Hi Guys! I made an Easy Piano Arrangement of Payphone by Maroon 5 for my Grade 2 ABRSM students. It is a single melody line on right hand and an alternation between octave and a simple broken chord on the left hand.
I would be more than happy to share it with you guys who would like to download it, for teaching purpose or just to play it for fun 🙂 But since I don’t know how to upload files so it can be downloaded directly (can anyone help me?), for those who would like to download the file can just email me to astrid.anggraeni@gmail.com and I’ll send it to you.
Here is the preview:
astridanggraeni.wordpress.com 