Practice This Week

So this week I practice band pieces three times, but didn't actually have the chance to blog. I practiced my personal music, which I play for my piano teacher, Donna, 5 times. I am playing the same celtic music and also workin ons ome scales. They are very similar to the ones we play in class. I am having a difficult time deciding which song I will play for recital, but I think it is between the celtic song, "The Chase" by Jessica Walsh, or the song "The butterfly" also by jessica Walsh. They are both very fast songs with lots of up and down "scale-like" rythms. THey are very fun to play and I really enjoy playing them.

For band music I played through teh Holst piece. I am working on the first movement, trying to get the rythms oft he very high notes and getting them to sound quick and not sloppy. I am trying to get the notes to sound tight so they are heard very clearly. I also worked on the 4th movement just getting that repetetive rythm perfect as that is what makes up the majority of the piece. I am also working on the dynamics in the piece. I also played through the scales we do in class, I always do it as warm up. FInally I played through Pirates of the carribean a few times just for fun. I love playing teh "he's a pirate" section as it is very fast and really fun to play.

PrAcTiCe

So it has been a while as I just got back from Italy but i did manage to do some practicing today. I ddin't bring home any of my band stuff so this time it was just personal pieces. I practiced mostly just the celtic songs I have for flute. I just did this for fun as I am feeling quite tired today due to the jetlag (oh that lovely jetlag!). I am increasing speed on most of the songs as I continue to play them. I need to work on the dynamics and some of the slurring. Sometimes the songs are so fast I forget to slur so that is what I will work to achieve next!

Practice!

Today afterschool I practiced flute for half an hour. I mostly just went over band pieces, seeing as we play tomorrow in Musicfest. I went over second suite for a few minutes as well just for fun. I went over the accidental "up and down" scale in Rumble just one last time to make sure it is absolutely perfecct. I also went over the final scale that only the flutes play. I can play it slowly, but still need to work on playing it ultrafast. I play it one note at a time, two notes etc. and It has slowly but surely improved! Now i just need to play it perfectly tomoorrow!

p.s. i won't be writing for around a week as I am leaving for march break and don't get back until a week saturday!!!

PRACTICE

Today I practied for an hour. I played 45 minutes of flute and 15 minutes of piano. I played the 2 chromatic scales that we had on our previous test. If I take them one note, then two notes, then three etc. the entire scale is much easier to play. I played Rumble on the high planes once again practicing that accidental up and down scale. (Want to get it PERFECT for music fest!!!!) and I practiced the quick scale at the very end (once again, taking it one note, then two notes etc. at a time) I also practiced the intro to light eternal just to make sure it is perfect. In second suite I once again played the first movement, mostly the higher parts. I am taking it slow but am really getting the hang of it.

On piano I practiced "stairway to heaven" and I played "Hallelujah" form Shrek. Stairway to Heaven is somewhat difficult but I really think it is goiing to turn out great! Hallelujah is pretty easy but I mostly just play it for fun. I also did some scales in my "Hanon" book.

Practice Today

So today I only practiced personal music. I played both piano and flute. I practiced my celtic song on flute, which I am continuing to improve upon the more I play it. The rythms are getting much easier for me and I am getting quicker at it too! Once i have all the rythms down I will work on the dynamics of the piece to make it perfect! I also practiced a few scales from the book from class. I find that if I break it down by playing the first note, then the first two notes, then the first three notes etc. (as we did in class) it gets alot easier to play when you play the entire thing at once.

On piano I played my recital piece "Stairway to Heaven", which is really beautiful, but also quite hard. I can only play the intro so far (which is a page long!) but I am getting better. There are some difficult chords but I find if I break it down and play the specific part many times in a row (to drill it into my head), it tends to get easier. I also played the song "My Beloved Monster and Me" from Shrek. It is very easy, but I just enjoy playing it for fun!

Practice This Weekend

This weekend I practiced for 10 minutes on Saturday and 25 minutes on Sunday. I played both piano and flute (but mostly flute). I practiced my piano piece for my recital this year. I am played "Staircase to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. For flute, I practiced an irish celtic piece that I am playing this year. I also practiced my band pieces and played over "Pirates of the Carribean" that we recieved on Friday. I worked on the scale in Rumble on the Highplanes (with all the accidentals). I tend to practice that alot as it is very difficult and I really want to get the rythm down. I also practice the first movement of " Second Suite". It is not that difficult, just quite high, but I have found that as I continue to practice it more I am getting faster. Once I get these rythms down I will focus on dynamics and accents. I didn't practice scales this time, but I will be sure to do it next time.