Holiday Recitals

Our Holiday Recitals will be held at Dow Rummel Village in the chapel at 3:30pm on December 12 and 3:30pm Sunday  December 13.  The chapel at Dow Rummel has a beautiful, well maintained, Steinway grand piano.  I feel that this is one of the best pianos in Sioux Falls!   Dow Rummel is located in the northern part of Sioux Falls near Russell and West.  

If you would like to bring recital treats to share, please drop me an email.

Whether your child has played in several piano recitals or if this will be their first piano recital please take a moment to review the following:

1.  Please arrive 15-20 minutes early.  If you are not sure where Dow Rummel is located please ask, and also leave early so that you will not be rushed.

2.  Please bring your music!  While many students will have their music memorized, some students may feel more comfortable with the music on the stand.  I ask that everyone bring their music to the recital.

3.  As a matter of respect, please plan on attending the entire recital.  The recital should last about 30 to 45 minutes.  All students have worked diligently this semester and this is their time to shine. Students may sit with their families during the recital.  If you have a younger child who starts crying or likes to run around please take them to the hallway outside of the chapel.  Also, remember to silence your cell phones and other electronic devices.

4.  When it is your child's turn to play at the recital they will make their way towards the piano as the previous student has taken a bow and is leaving the piano.  Each student should adjust the piano bench so that they are not too close or too far away from the piano.  After they sit down they should take a moment to think about tempo and dynamics and the first few measures of their piece.  After their performance they will take a bow and return to their seat.  We will go through this sequence and bowing at an upcoming piano lesson.

5.  After the recital there will be an opportunity to take pictures by the piano and we will have cookies and punch in the foyer.

6.  Along with the families and friends of my piano students, the residents of Dow Rummel are also invited to attend our recital.

The last day of our Fall Semester is Saturday December 12th. If your child’s lesson is normally after 2pm on Saturday afternoon please contact me for a make-up lesson time.  Due to my full schedule, we may need to meet the week following the recital.

Piano Maestro

Welcome back students! Our Fall Semester will begin after Labor Day on Tuesday September 8, I am finalizing the Fall schedule and you should be hearing from me very soon. For a complete list of this year's events please check out the Upcoming Events page.

This summer I began using the Piano Maestro App (by Joy Tunes) with my students. It is truly a game changer and there is something for all levels. The Piano Maestro app is free for teachers and their students. For my students, if you have an iPad and would like to use the app please contact me and I will send an invitation so you can set up an account on your home iPad. Multiple profiles can be set up on the app if you have more than one child studying piano. Students play along with the music that is displayed on the screen on their piano or keyboard or the keyboard included in the app. Students can use their piano or keyboard or the keyboard on the app.

There are four main areas students can work from. "The Journey" takes a student from learning middle C songs through early intermediate repertoire. "The Library" has a wide selection of pieces students can sight read and learn. Categories include: Classical and Opera, Kids and Folk music, Christian Contemporary, Holiday, Pop and Rock, and TV and Game Themes. The pieces in the library are graded from Elementary through level 3B which is Mid to Late Intermediate. For most students I like to begin with the easiest level so the student can become accustomed to playing along with the iPad. "Exercises" has a great selection of technical skills and I often assign music from this category. Students can brush up on their rhythm, review 5 finger patterns, or learn 1 and 2 octave scales. "Methods" offers some background tracks for method books such as the Alfred Premier Course. There is a charge to download all background tracks for a book.

Finally, students can find their weekly assignments in the "Home Challenge" section. Often times I assign a scale or 5 finger pattern we are currently studying along with a rhythm exercise and 4 or 5 songs for sight reading or practice. If possible, I would like to see a student achieve 3 stars on each of their assignments before the next lesson. The "Home Challenge" is not a stopping place either, it is my hope that the student enjoys the app and is inspired to sight read and learn more songs on the app. Students should continue to practice their regular assignments as their top priority and supplement daily practice with the Piano Maestro app.

With my students' amazing practice this summer on the Piano Maestro app, I received the Gold Award for excellence in using technology in music lessons from Joy Tunes!  Please let me know if you have any questions about Piano Maestro, I am happy to help.

Congratulations Karl!

Karl Henry will be graduating from Lincoln High School this month.  Karl began his piano studies at the age of 4 with Myra Katherine Fritz, and I began teaching Karl in the summer of 2005.   For piano, Karl has participated and won numerous student competitions for solo piano and piano duet at the state level.  He has also participated in local events for the Sioux Falls Area Music Teachers Association such as All-Boy Recital, Piano Festival, and Duet Recital.  Karl enjoys learning classical music, especially Brahms and Debussy, and appreciates the 20th Century sounds of Bartok.

Karl’s primary instrument is cello and he has been a constant member of the South Dakota Symphony Youth Orchestra. The past two summers he has furthered his studies by attending the distinguished Interlochen Center for the Arts Music Camp in Michigan, where he played with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.  At Lincoln High School, Karl has been a member of the soccer team, orchestra, Jazz I, and the Marching Band.  He has participated in South Dakota All State Orchestra for 4 years, All State Band (on Bass) and All State Jazz Band.  He has also played cello and percussion with his church’s Praise and Worship Team for the past 7

years.  Karl will be attending Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio where he has received a Conservatory Dean’s Scholarship.  He will be studying with Darrett Adkins who is also a member of the faculty at the Julliard School. 

Karl’s Senior Cello Recital will be Saturday May 30th at 2:30pm at First Presbyterian Church, 2300 South West Ave., Sioux Falls SD 57105, all are invited.

Piano Recital 101

Our Spring Recitals will be held at Dow Rummel Village in the chapel at 3:00pm on Saturday May 9^th and 3:30pm Sunday May 10^th (Happy Mother’s Day!).  The chapel at Dow Rummel has a beautiful, well maintained, Steinway grand piano.  I feel that this is one of the best pianos in Sioux Falls!   Dow Rummel is located in the northern part of Sioux Falls near Russell and West.  

If you would like to bring recital treats to share, please drop me an email.

Whether your child has played in several piano recitals or if this will be their first piano recital please take a moment to review the following:

1.  Please arrive 15-20 minutes early.  If you are not sure where Dow Rummel is located please ask, and also leave early so that you will not be rushed.

2.  Please bring your music!  While many students will have their music memorized, some students may feel more comfortable with the music on the stand.  I ask that everyone bring their music to the recital.

3.  As a matter of respect, please plan on attending the entire recital.  The recital should last about 30 to 45 minutes.  All students have worked diligently this semester and this is their time to shine. Students may sit with their families during the recital.  If you have a younger child who starts crying or likes to run around please take them to the hallway outside of the chapel.  Also, remember to silence your cell phones and other electronic devices.

4.  When it is your child's turn to play at the recital they will make their way towards the piano as the previous student has taken a bow and is leaving the piano.  Each student should adjust the piano bench so that they are not too close or too far away from the piano.  After they sit down they should take a moment to think about tempo and dynamics and the first few measures of their piece.  After their performance they will take a bow and return to their seat.  We will go through this sequence and bowing at an upcoming piano lesson.

5.  After the recital there will be an opportunity to take pictures by the piano and we will have cookies and punch in the foyer.

6.  Along with the families and friends of my piano students, the residents of Dow Rummel are also invited to attend our recital.

The last day of our Spring Semester is Saturday May 9th. If your child’s lesson is normally after 2pm on Saturday afternoon please contact me for a make-up lesson time.  Due to my full schedule, we may need to meet the week following the recital.

Congratulations Eden!

Eden Burch will be graduating from Brandon Valley High School next month.  Eden began her piano studies at the age of 6 with Stacy Stahl, and I began teaching Eden in the summer of 2011.   Eden has been an active member of the arts and music scene at her school and in her community.  She also studies the (French) horn and was a member of the All-State Band for the past 3 years.  At school she has participated in a one act play, symphonic band, pep band, jazz band, and has been a section leader of the marching band for 3 years.  Eden’s school activities include track & field, National Honor Society, First Priority student leader, Mu Alpha Theta (math club), Spanish Club, Student Council, and a volunteer with SALSA (Serve & Learn Student Association). 

As a piano student, Eden is always well prepared for her lesson and eager to learn new pieces encompassing a wide range of Classical and Modern Styles.  Two of Eden's favorite composers are Chopin and Debussy.  Eden will play La Cathedrale Engloutie (The Engulfed Cathedral) by Debussy on our May recital.  This piece is based on an ancient Breton myth in which a cathedral, submerged underwater off the coast of the Island of Ys, rises up from the sea on clear mornings when the water is transparent. Sounds can be heard of priests chanting, bells chiming, and the organ playing, from across the sea.  Accordingly, Debussy uses certain harmonies to allude to the plot of the legend, in the style of musical symbolism.

Eden will study nursing at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA and has received substantial music and academic scholarships.  

April News

Happy Spring!

It is great to be back teaching after attending the MTNA conference in Las Vegas.  I caught up with some old friends, attended many concerts and the duet competitions, guarded a composer's salad (Catherine Rollin), and learned about some great new music!  

Spring Recital:

Our spring recital is a month away!  Most students have chosen their recital piece whether it is a new piece or a favorite festival piece.  The recital dates are set for: 

Saturday May 9 at 3:00pm in the Chapel at Dow Rummel

Sunday May 10 (Mother's Day) at 3:30pm in the Chapel at Dow Rummel.

If you have a preference for the recital date please email me soon.  I will plan the recital rosters towards the end of April.

Summer Lessons:

Summer is a time for piano lessons to shine!

Sign up for Summer Lessons is now available!  The summer "semester" begins Monday May 11th and runs through August 28th.  The summer lessons calendar has been extended due to the new Sioux Falls school start date.  Lessons will be offered on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings as well as Saturday afternoons.  If there is enough demand I will make more times available.  Parents may sign students up for lessons on a week to week basis.  Some students continue to study every week while others may sign up for a lesson once every 2 weeks or work around their vacation and camp schedules.  

I encourage students to study a minimum of 6 weeks in the summer in order to retain and build upon the information and skills they have learned the previous year. Summer lessons can be used to focus on a particular set of skills such as sight-reading, technique, or composing.  Some students choose to study popular music over the summer while others prepare for the South Dakota Music Teacher Association State competitions.  This year's competition will be held in Spearfish, SD in early November and is open to students age 10 and older performing piano solos, piano duets, or composing.

Students who do not enroll in summer lessons may reserve their place in my studio for the 2015-2016 school year by paying a non-refundable $50 reservation fee (per student) due June 1st.  Students who continue to take lessons throughout the summer will retain their place in my studio without having to pay the reservation fee.  Fall lesson times will be scheduled towards the end of the summer.  Please let me know soon if you are considering a move from 30 minute lessons to 45 minute lessons for your child in the 2015-2016 school year.  

No Lessons Monday January 5, 2015

Sioux Falls Schools will dismiss early today due to the predicted winter storm. When Sioux Falls Schools dismiss early or do not hold classes, piano lessons are cancelled for the evening. These lessons are made up at the end of the semester or credited to your account.

Piano lessons are cancelled tonight due to the predicted winter storm.