An allemande is a type of dance very common in baroque suites. As I keep working through Grade 1 repertoire, I'm starting to encounter more and more of those dances: allemandes, rigaudons, and many, many menuets... Johann Hermann Schein (1586 — 1630) was a German…

"T. Rex goes for a Stroll" is another fun piece in Christine Donkin's book "Comic & Card Tricks". I really enjoy practicing everything this woman composes! On this piece I encountered ff (fortissimo) for the first time, and maybe that's why I got a bit…

Looking through my phone's camera roll, I realize I have not shared the images of the day my mom and I ate BEAN ice-cream. Yes, that's a thing and opinions vastly differ when it comes to what it tastes like. My mom says it's quite alright. I say it's quite awful.

For the past two years I have really struggled to keep up with my piano studies. I feel a little disappointed in myself that after 2.5 years I'm still only a grade 1 student, but it is what it is. Work has gotten in the…

"Jumping in the Mud" is the title of the first book in Christine Donkin's Piano Pieces Vol I: Elementary. This is an early elementary (preparatory grade) selection of pieces, but unlike the ultra boring and dull stuff in Alfred's and Faber's books, the selection here…

Discovering Christine Donkin earlier this year was a game changer for me. I love studying classical music and I love playing recognizable pop/rock tunes, but what I didn't know is that I truly LOVE fantasy/adventure/cinematic pieces by unknown (to me) contemporary composers. After listening to…

I recently bought the Schott edition of Reinagle's Op. 1: "24 Short and Easy Pieces" and have been going through all the charming 18th century miniatures in order. I noticed this one was also present in my edition of Essential Piano Repertoire (prep grade) by…

I have been working through Reinagle's "24 Short and Easy Pieces" in order, since they seem to be mostly arranged by difficulty. The pieces in Op. 1 are all early elementary level, ranging for preparatory to grade 1. This charming little piece is no. 6 in the…

The Tired Turtle Express is an early elementary piece from the book "Comics & Card Tricks: 12 elementary piano solos", by Christine Donkin. I had so much fun practicing this one: first time I encountered a piece with ritardando, first time practicing grace notes, and the first time playing something a bit more jazz-y!

Echo is a small étude by French pianist G. Armand Ferté. This is piece no. 101 on the Russian School of Piano Playing method.