The Piano Studio of Lola McIntre

New York City Piano Tour - Brochures should be coming home with lessons this week about  this very exciting opportunity. Registration has started and deposits are already beginning to come in. Seating is very limited. There has been a lot of interest in the piano community about this. Brochures have reached the music stores and other studios already. Next week I send them to area colleges and universities. As of this week, the conservator of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gallery of Music Instruments has pencilled us in for a personal tour on Friday morning at 10:30. This is very exciting. We will see and hear the Cristofori Piano, one of only two remaining in the world. Cristofori invented the piano in about 1700. We are working together with Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center about possibilities for Saturday night. They have not yet secured their calendars for the fall. Lincoln Center has booked us for their Pianoforte Tour on Friday, in the late afternoon. There should be plenty of time to see much of the Metropolitan. Lion King tickets are already secured and in hand. Just a word of note, our tour guide, Ms. Eileen Weber of WaytoGo is quite a musician herself. She has earned a Master of Music in Music Theory, and has always had a strong skill for research and knowledge. She also has a wonderful sense of humor, which you'll soon find out. This should be a chance of a lifetime and FUN! Get your deposits in quick!

Go MIDI! - During February piano lessons, we have reserved the last 15 minutes of each one hour lesson to do actual sequencing of MIDI materials. The students are progressing through a learning module I created last year called "Sound Safari". They are inputting digtal sound into the computer with a sequencing program called "Musicshop". The piece they are digitizing is one they have chosen from their own repertoire. If copyrights are granted, we will try and hang their completed MIDI file on the web site. If their repertoire choice is in the public domain, and no copyright permissions are necessary, we'll certainly make our best effort to hang the final project. By the time they finish, they will manipulate pitches, rhythms, key velocities, tempi changes, assign patches, understand and manipulate multiple tracks, balance voices, and place the melody in the left speaker/harmony in the right. Finally, we will export the piece as a MIDI file. Parent, you may be surprises by all this. But, not as surprised as I am in regard to the fact, the younger the student, the quicker they comprehend what they are doing. All grades are involved in this, down to the first grade. What they lack musically, they make up for in comfort level at the computer. If you want to get a program like this for home, I suggest Freestyle. Freestyle is available for both MAC and Windows formats. Try Mars Music in Castleton or on-line. You may have heard of programs like Cubase (professionals use this-complicated!) or Cakewalk (extremely popular to the Windows world), but Freestyle is more user friendly-less frustrating. All you need is your old Digital Keyboard, or a Fatar 49 note keyboard from Mars Music, and a MIDI cable. For $100 (or far less for some) you could provide hours of open-ended, valuable, creative play for you children. They'll get the basics in lessons. Even the schools aren't doing this in very many places in the country, but this type of learning will change the face of music education within the next decade.

We are playing a card game I made called Go MIDI in studio classes. It's set up like "Go Fish" except they ask: "Do you have any Quantize Durations", or do you have any "key velocities"; all words and concepts they are manipulating in private lessons in our Sound Safari unit.

Bon Voyage! - Lauren B. is moving to Singapore this week. Bon Voyage, Lauren! Her audition pieces of J.C. Bach and Schumann are ready. If you had to move on a few weeks notice, would you be ready?

Applause, applause! - Laura B. and Lauren Z. are giving a joint solo recital. All are invited! Meridian Music's Mungar Hall, March 3rd, at 4:00pm. Program: Bach, Mozart, Spindler, Beethoven, Chopin, Grieg, and Tcherepin. Go girls!

Studio Classes -
Young Artists (Grades 1-7) Friday February 2, 2001.
Virtuosos (Grades 8-12)    Friday February 9, 2001
Please note, no Studio Classes in April, but May is absolutely mandatory. Mark your calendars. See also: Spring Recital.
 

CYO Contest (Schedule below)

Who?    Daniel D., Sarah Lmt., Sarah Ld., Emma M., Alex M., Caitlin M., Jim S., Lauren Z.
What?    CYO Contest
Where?    Bishop Chatard High School (I don't have directions. Try to call the school.)
When?    Saturday, February 10, 2001
Why?    To enjoy our music, and share it with others
How?    Practice performing for friends this week. You're ready!

FAQ's:
Is there a number I can call if I have any questions about the CYO Contest, either before or after the contest? The CYO office is (317) 632-9311. Ask for Bernie. She is very nice, and has worked very hard to pull this together.

How soon should we arrive prior to our scheduled performance time?  About 20 minutes, plus allowing time time park.

Is there a place to warm up? Nothing is mentioned on the information sent to me. In fact, they say go directly to the room in which you are scheduled to play.

What happens if they ask me to come back a couple hours later and play again? This means you are invited to the finals. They gather everyone together in your level, and hear you again. A winner is chosen from this performance. Everything is usually completely over (for the pianists) by 1:00pm.The winners are invited to perform on a separate date and the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

Is there a chance of winning? We never know. But the real reason to participate is for the experience. But, there is a chance you may earn a ribbon or even a medal! If you win a medal, it does not necessarily mean you made it into the finals. But wow, a medal!

What if I get hungry? Concessions are available throughout the day.

Is this in a class room or a big auditorium? The preliminary round you're scheduled for is in a class room.

Will there be an audience? Yes, a few people. So, you may hear applause!

Should I bow? Yes, before and after, even if no one claps. It's a way of thanking them for listening, and says:"I hope you enjoy this, I sure do!"

What if I goof? Just keep going. We're all there to support you. Just concentrate and listen to yourself; you're ready!

What should I wear? Nice casual. No jeans. Dresses are fine, but dress slacks are O.K., too. No platform shoes, though.

Will I perform on a grand? Probably not. Really listen to the sound you make as you play.

Should I bring my music? YES, YES, YES. Number your measures, too. I did not name the piece you are playing on your registration form. So, they may ask you the name. Make sure you know the name of your piece, and the composer. Bring your music, bring your music. Got the idea?
 

What is my scheduled time? Check the chart below. Basically, all students from our studio are from about 9:00-10:00, give or take a few mintues. Finals are closer to noon, I think. So some of you may need to hang around. I'll be hanging around that day.

If you do not find your name on this chart, call me!