Repertoire
Marvin Blickenstaff, Editor
Everyone anticipates the change of schedule represented by summer. Students are eager for the break from school and eagerly anticipate summer camps, family vacations, and summer sports. Piano teachers capitalize on this time of year by scheduling special projects, joining with other teachers to form piano camps, and taking time off for personal refreshment and renewal. Summer can result in spurts of growth for the piano student. Many students have more time for practice, make significant technical advancement, and cover more repertoire during that time.
My own students' summer piano schedules have fallen into three distinct categories: (1) regular lessons; (2) special summer study term; and (3) no regular lessons. In each of these plans, there is a new twist to our summer work. But in each of these categories, including the last one, there is a summer assignment. Although the change of academic schedule is called "Summer Vacation," the piano student dare not take a three-month sabbatical from the piano.
For those students
who continue regular lessons (scheduled around our vacations),
the curriculum shows a new face. . .
from Cathy Lynn Smetana's article
Summer lessons should feel very different than those during the school year.
Here in Minneapolis, summers are short and precious. Most Minnesotans spend every possible minute outdoors, knowing that another cold winter is just around the corner. How can any piano lesson compete, when just being inside can seem unbearable? The key is that summer lessons should feel very different from the normal school year. I find that students who choose to continue lessons during the summer are hoping to maintain their skills and play some fun music. Some students actually have more time to practice during the summer, and they take advantage of the opportunity to try more difficult pieces.
Some recommended elementary level repertoire for summer study
Because summer lessons are often few and far between, I choose music that can be learned quickly. Ted Cooper and Amy Glennon have written a wonderful set of duet books called Side By Side (New School for Music Study Press/ Summy-Birchard), corresponding with Frances Clark's Music Tree Series. The student parts are short and patterned, making it easy to learn several in one lesson. From the heavy footsteps of "Jumbo" (students love guessing what type of animal Jumbo is!) to the delicate aquatic arpeggiation of "Mermaid," Book 1 allows students to explore many styles. The extremely musical accompaniments and the use of off-staff, partial staff, and grand staff reading make this book particularly valuable.
Side By Side Book 2 encompasses a range of styles. . .
Cathy Lynn Smetana teaches piano at the MacPhail Center for the Arts in Minneapolis. She holds a B.A. in music from Goshen College and a M.M. in piano performance and pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University. She also taught at the Sonatina School of Music in Bennington, Vermont, and at the New School for Music Study in Kingston, New Jersey
from Jennifer Lim's article
There are many options for summer lessons and repertoire.
During the busy school year piano students usually prepare for auditions and festivals. Summertime provides a wonderful opportunity for students from my studio to work on pieces outside the standard repertoire. I calculate summer repertoire to accomplish the following goals: 1) learning to listen and work with other musicians, 2) expanding understanding of contrasting musical styles, 3) increasing sight-reading ability.
Several projects have helped us accomplish the first goal. A multi-piano event at a piano store, and a piano camp at a community college brought students together to play and learn. I also have had summer duo/duet piano concerts, piano concerto concerts, and multi-piano concerts. Students have had the opportunity to play sonatinas accompanied by string quartet. (Joseph McSpadden has written string quartet accompaniments for the following sonatinas: Op. 36, No. 1 and No. 3 by Clementi, Kuhlau's Sonatina, Op. 55, No.1, and Beethoven's Sonata, Op. 49, No. 2. These are available through Mariposo Music.)
We enjoy learning ensemble works beyond the standard classical four-hands music for piano duet. . .
Jennifer Lim is active as a soloist, chamber musician, adjudicator and clinician. She holds a D.M.A. degree in piano performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, studying with Curators' Professor Joanne Baker. Dr. Lim has a private studio in St. Louis and is on the faculties of East Central College and St. Louis University.
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