Fun with Ensemble Music

While my students are enjoying their summer off from lessons, I'm practicing madly for an intense one-week piano camp, offered by the Calgary Arts Summer School.One of the songs that I'm working on is a two piano, eight hand arrangement of "Stars and Stripes Forever". I'm learning the Piano II - Primo part.

Now, I can't vouch for whether my quartet members and I will be able to play this sucker at this speed after only one week of practice together, but this performance is pretty exciting:

I haven't played in a piano quartet since my university days. For an April Fools' Day recital, my classmates and I performed the Blue Danube for one piano, four noses!

At any rate, ensemble playing can be really fun - once you get over the hurdle of everyone counting beats together.

Want to learn this arrangement? Check it out here:

look inside

The Stars and Stripes Forever Composed by Mack Wilberg (1955-). Intermediate Level piece for the Piano Quartet Event-Two Pianos, Eight Hands with the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Festivals Bulletin 2008-2009-2010. Patriotic. Music book. Neil A. Kjos Music Company #WP181. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP181).