A Pinterest Board

I love finding neat resources from other musicians and especially music teachers.  Recently, I put this pinterest board on my "save now, read later" list, and today finally looked at it.  Lynnette has a lot of other great music boards, so I'll have lots of fun when I get to my "read later" list!

There are some great free sheet music links here:

http://www.pinterest.com/lynnetteemme/sheet-music/

Scales and Great Performers

I find great fodder for blogging in the trenches of piano teaching.  Today's subject is entirely ordinary - but it makes for extraordinary musicians.  And instead of just pasting my rather dry links to exercise charts, let me relate the inimitable way my best piano teacher, Dave Clark, describes the world's greatest musicians:

1) they know their scales
2) they know more than one instrument
3) they dress funny.

Now on to the dry stuff: I needed to find printable scales for a student to practice from.  Using a book for this is a sure way to kill the binding, so a few pages printed is worth the effort: 


Major Scales Chart 
(except Ab, go here for that one)

Natural Minor Scales Chart


Go here to view images of keyboards to see which keys to play
in either major or minor scales.

YouTube Sensation: Kyle Landry

http://kylelandry.com

This pianist and arranger (perhaps composer too?) is one of my new favorites.  His performances are stellar, though every time I see him sitting so cramped up and close to the keys I just want to give him a pull back so he's not so uncomfortable!  He offers many arrangements for free, so go get some free sheet music!!

http://kylelandry.com

Fun Piano Duets

Duets are fun and a great way to learn to play with others, a skill that can often be lost to pianists.   Of course, any piece can be made into a duet - divide here, add a little there.    I would love to do a recital with Whitewater Chopsticks made into a duet.  Here is one arrangement.  Although I would probably arrange it for four hands instead of two pianos.

Two years of "Piano Ensemble" in college consisted almost entirely of playing with the other pianists in duets and trios.  Here are a few  of the pieces I learned and watched in class.

Brahm's Hungarian Dance no. 5

Buy at: http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/Hungarian1H.html

Free copy - The first ever published version - more difficult:
http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/9/92/IMSLP205870-PMLP16016-Brahms_-_Hungarian_Dances__14___2P_ed.Simrock_.pdf

The Bercuese from Faure's Dolly Suite is a charming beginning duet for intermediate players, and is also available on Virtual Sheet Music.  IMSLP or other printable classical score providers might have it for free. 
Here is the Bercuese:

Also, listen to the world's most famous duet playing pianists, the Lebeque Sisters:

And for some real inspiration, listen to the Five Browns.

Theme from the film Amelie

 I was practicing in the rooms at the USF School of Music one evening when I heard this.  I asked the girl playing it what it was, and found the sheet music on scribd and noteflight (also adding it to my youtube playlist). 

I find a lot of sheet music on Noteflight.  It requires registration to search it for music people have written/transcribed/arranged, but it's no hassle.  So register and search if you like, but for ease, here is the sheet music, courtesy of http://m-piano.blogspot.com. 

Expanding

I've just expanded my "Students" page, on the top menu here, to include more links to free sheet music.  This was particularly to give my students some Christmas lead sheets.  It's less than three months away! With Thanksgiving coming next month, I'm thinking I'll post about traditional Thanksgiving  music. 

My Typical Scribblings on a Student's Score

Click here for this piece from free-scores.com. 

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.·°·.»♫ FREE .·°·.» Sheet Music Websites

For classical: imslp.org (also linked by http://petruccimusiclibrary.org/) 

http://www.free-scores.com/

http://www.freesheetmusicguide.com/original.htm

http://cantorion.org/

Check on noteflight.com. Some musicians leave certain pieces on their accounts visible

Various and Christian:  http://www.leadworship.com/resources/songbook.html

http://www.greghowlett.com/freechristianpianomusic.aspx

http://www.music-for-music-teachers.com/free-sheet-music-blog.html
http://www.piano-play-it.com/free-christian-sheet-music.html
 http://www.score-on-line.com/freescores.php?collection=piano&lang=en

Old favorites for children, divided by level for easy lesson planning up to Intermediate levels.:

 http://www.nhpiano.com/music/

http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/freebies.html

Happy Searching!!

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*¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»FIRST BLOG ENTRY!!.·°·.»♫

For about a month, I've been ready to start this blog.  But writing the first ever post... that was daunting.  What finally made me pick today to do it?  Well...


ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY:


                                     was born Mozart.

While he is probably among the top five most well known musicians and composers in Western Civilization, few people have heard of his whole name given to him on January 27th, 1756: Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.  Johannes I understand, because everybody was named Johann, right? :) The Italianized-version of Theophilus later replaced Amadeus (meaning "lover of God"), which was a marketing trick back in the 1700's world of music.  However,  Chrysostomus, I was intrigued to discover, was chosen for this future master-musician because January 27th is the feast day of Saint John Chrysostom, the "Golden-tongued," in which people celebrate the life and accomplishments this "golden-tongued" pastor of the 4th century.  Mozart would certainly become a master communicator as well, though in a different way.

How about a little Mozart then?  This is my latest favorite of his choral works: Ave Verum Corpus K.618.

Translation

Piano Solo Sheet Music/Score

So, now, why this blog?  Well, my descriptive blurb at the side will tell you my purpose and focus:  to join a larger musical community online, provide resources, and motivate me to continue honing my musical skills and knowledge, especially as they relate to piano, for the glory of God, a goal which many of my favorite musicians strove for.

"It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to whom I had drawn near in humble and child-like faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion."

"Ubi caritas gaudet, ibi est festivitas."  
                                                              "Where love rejoices, there is festivity." 

John Chrysostom

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