What does pizza have to do with studying music theory?

"Pizza" probably isn't the first word that comes to mind when you think about studying music theory. Now, it's probably the first thing my students will think of whenever they study music theory. The idea of hosting a pizza music theory party came from my colleague, Dorcas Ng. Whenever she shared pictures from her music theory and harmony study sessions, it looked like the students were having a great time studying and eating pizza.

This is my first year teaching music theory as a group class. It didn't take long for me to realize that my Basic Rudiments / Theory 1 class would need coaching on certain areas, in addition to extra help on how to study music theory. It didn't take much convincing to tell them we should have a music theory study party with pizza.

Three out of four of my students in the class attended the music theory party this past Saturday. The party lasted for 2.5 hours. We got to a slow start because everyone slept in. Then, of course, the weather.

Each student bought study snacks to share. I purchased two 12-inch pizzas from Sobeys from the deli section.

The class was also part of an experiment. In October, the students drafted up rules of conduct for the studio. Each time a  student exhibited good manners as per "the rules", I added a marble into the Good Manners Jar. If they filled it up to the line (which they did), then I would get them a special dessert for the music theory study party.

The first hour of the music theory study session was dedicated to review. I zoomed in on the typical troublespots: the Circle of Fifths, intervals, rhythm and chords.

My students came up with a unique mnemonic to remember the Circle of Fifths:

We then took a 10-minute break, which gave me enough time to prepare lunch. One student played a game, another jammed on a keyboard, while the third student sketched.

The next part to our "How to study music theory" session was dedicated to working through a practice test. It was open book and I allowed my students to ask each other questions. This way, they could start developing their self-study music theory strategies.

During lunch, we chatted about non-music topics, such as everyone's plans for the weekend. We also discussed history, travelling and inventions.

The final part of the music theory study session was dedicated to vocabulary. My students took turns being the Quiz Master. It was a delight to listen to them give each other hints:

Students A & B: FORTE! FORTE!

Student C: I can't think! You're both too loud.

***

Student A: Rall - en - ta - - - n - - - d - - - - o - - - - - -

Student B: To get slower?

I took a snapshot of a couple of other cute definitions, mispronounciations and study helps that they came up with:

For homework, they are to complete the practice test. On Tuesday, they will write an in-class final examination.

Two of my students will write a music theory examination through either Royal Conservatory of Music or Conservatory Canada. The other two will continue to the next level before writing the official examination.

Afterwards, I asked each of my students if they gained a better understanding of music theory during the study session. The answer was a resounding "YES!" They also had a good deal of fun, whether it was when they were developing the Circle of Fifths mnemonic, drilling vocabulary or telling me, "Are you writing that down? You should post that on your Facebook."

Music theory has been one area that my students have called "boring". Teaching music theory in a class setting was my first step to changing things up. Hosting the music theory study / pizza party was another. It is my hope that the two changes make studying music theory a bit more interesting and enjoyable.

My First Otafest Aurora - Part 2

As mentioned in Part 1 of My First Otafest Aurora, it has been a few years since I attended an anime convention in Calgary. There was a lot to see and do. Unfortunately, it was impossible to see everything, so choices had to be made.

Messy Ramune at the Otafest Aurora Maid Cafe

I hooked up with my friends Poohkiez and Krimson Gray to check out the Maid Cafe at around 1:30 p.m.  Along the way, we ran into Index, so of course I (as in Misaka) had to have my picture taken with her:

Index looks so happy that Misaka is about to fire off a railgun. Photo by C. Kohl.

We sat with four people from Medicine Hat. Half of us ordered the Ramune Combo, while the other half ordered the Deluxe:

It was their first time to try Ramune. When I demonstrated how to push the marble in, I made a big mess. Perhaps I shouldn't have demonstrated with so much gusto? I still have to give my camera a deep cleaning! >_<

The desserts were delicious, however. Afterwards, we made crafts. Good times.

Later, Krimson said, "I miss the dance routine from Main but the space wasn't there." He echoed my sentiment when he said: "There should be a rule that they have at least one trap. The cross dressing maid guy just makes any Meido Café feel complete."

THWOMP Hosts 'How Do You Cover Video Game Music?'

THWOMP delved into music nerd land by discussing the evolution of video game music, as well as the process of transforming 8- and 16- bit music into a rock band arrangement. It was fascinating to hear about how the retro game composers had to get creative scoring with only four channels.

In early games, the same track that was used for percussion was also used for sound effects. That explains why the drums cut out once in a while.

Originally, video game music had to be transcribed by ear, pencil and paper. It was a time consuming process. Now, music can be transcribed with the aid of a music emulator.

On the Photo Booth and Wandering Aimlessly

I had to run to the Cosplay Pageant Awards. They were just giving out the Best Group Award when I arrived. The judges commented on how impressed they were that all entrants worked on their costumes. Not a single entry was a ready-made costume. Congrats to all the winners!

Afterwards, I wound up at the Christmas Cosplay Photo Booth. I had a delightful chat with a crossplaying loli. He had a tough time finding his swanky white boots.

There, I also met Lag from Letter Bee:

I was told that "Lag's" sister made the costume in under a month. Putting the bee insignia on the cap was the most time consuming part. Lag gave me a cute letter.

Aka Maple took the photos at the Cosplay Booth. I can't wait to see mine. The photographer informed me that everyone's photos will be posted on Otafest's Facebook Page.

The Otafest Mixer and Mingler (A.K.A. "speed dating") got off to a slow start. The room was packed with much younger folk than I, with no drinks in sight.  Hopefully, the drinks weren't too far behind. I, however, decided to keep moving.

Next stop: An Introduction to Ballroom Dancing. That was pretty popular too.

Back to THWOMP for the THWIMP Jam Session. The band took some requests and gave a sampler of group's upcoming CD. The new album will be released in the spring.

I left early to catch "How to Survive Cons", which unfortunately, was cancelled. I asked Gareth Lypka, Otafest Public Relations, about it. Either the notice was posted after I left or the information didn't get to organizers in time. Gareth explained further: "The majority of our panels are run by our fans and this sometimes they bail on us. We are usually pretty on top of making sure the schedule is updated but sometimes there are misses. It's just a part of running a event." He added, "The majority of our panelists are pretty dedicated to their craft and are very reliable."

The Otafest Aurora Gala and Eating in the Dark

Krimson and I stuck around for the Gala and bit Poohkiez good night. We made some new friends over a great discussion about various facets of otaku culture. In the dark. The lighting was extremely dim. Most of my tablemates and I took a photo of our plate to help identify where everything was on the plate.

Perhaps, had the lighting been better, we would have noticed that someone stole our Kiku's entire place setting. It was all sorted out in the end.

Dessert, tea and coffee was served in the lobby while organizers transformed the hall into a dance floor. We wound up chatting more than dancing.

Here is the video from the Otafest Aurora Cosplay Showcase by OTL Productions:

Otafest Aurora - The Verdict

Organization, for the most part, was really good. Two of my companions reported that the on-site registration was "easy". Both Krimson and I pre-registered, so it was really easy for us. My guess is that Del arrived later than the rest of us and got caught in a wave.

I liked how the events were spread out over five floors. That was done to minimize crowding issues. However, my companions and I all noted that the Vendor Room and Artists' Alley were congested throughout the day. We agreed that it would be nice to have larger area for these places in future conventions.

Poohkiez summed it up nicely: "I liked the fact that there were a variety of presentations and things to do, from anime to 'So you want to go to Japan' to the Maid Cafe to the Gala."

Perhaps Del has voiced the sentiments of several otaku: "It would be great if the convention was just a bit longer," she said. "One day conventions are a bit too short and sweet for my taste. If it were longer, it would provide more for the attendees to do and frankly, I believe it would generate more interest in the con overall."

All in all, Otafest Aurora was a great anime convention in Calgary. Short and sweet.

Part 1 of My First Otafest Aurora | My Otafest Aurora Review on Examiner.com | My Otafest Aurora Photo Album

My First Otafest Aurora - Part 1

I must confess, it's been a three years since my last anime con. When I became a Calgary Events Examiner, I decided that now, I have an excuse to attend every music geek, pet geek and geeky geek event that I can squeeze into my schedule. So now, it IS my job and my duty to other geeks to go and report it! First up: Otafest Aurora. A huge thank you is in order (as well as full disclosure is required in these matters). I did purchase a general admission ticket and asked Gareth Lypka of Otafest Public Relations to let me know if anyone had a gala pass they had to get rid of. Well, one did become available and I was given a Gala Pass. どうも ありがとう ございました ("doumo arigatou gozaimashita") to the Otafest Staff for my reviewer's pass.

For those of you just tuning in, Otafest Aurora is a one-day Calgary anime convention. This year, 1,176 otaku attended the event on Saturday, November 30, 2013 at the U of C's downtown campus. That's twice as many as last year's anime con.

Otafest Aurora, formerly called "Otafest Lite" is a chibi version of the main Otafest Convention, held on the May long weekend. This is the second year that Otafest Aurora has taken place.

First Stop: The Otafest Aurora Vendor Room

When I arrived at 11 a.m., the Vendor Room was a happening place. There were 40 vendors at this year's anime con. It was a little cramped at times, so it was good to go a couple of different times.

My first stop was to say hi to Cindy, my classmate from the Calgary Japanese Language School. Her booth was extremely busy. Cindy-san said that didn't have a chance to get all her merchandise on the tables when the first wave of customers came.

I was good. Really good. I didn't buy much and I didn't break the bank. However, I did buy items that I know I'll get a lot of mileage out of.

At the Nerd Loft, I purchased a Shingeki no Kyojin Survey Corps patch. I was debating over whether to get the full set in anticipation of a SnK cosplay, but after speaking with several of the SnK cosplayers, decided that an Attack on Titan cosplay is beyond my time and abilities to put together.

I picked up a pixelated Charizard and Bulbasaur for a Christmas gift. Note to self, I must contact Chelsea Kerr of Pixel Clips to commission Volpix and Squirtle.

My biggest purchases were my Fullmetal Alchemist Watch set and my Otafest Aurora hoodie. I've wanted an FMA pocket watch for ages! It really didn't take much to convince me and the otaku after me to buy a set each. Arigatou, Random Array!

My Otafest Aurora Hoodie is so warm. It's perfect for a week like this one. Gareth said that the hoodies are American Apparel, so they are very good.

My final purchase was a fuzzy Domo-kun tote bag. A steal of a deal at $10.

Cosplay and More Cosplay

I saw some incredible cosplay throughout the day.  The fact that so many were hand made was simply incredible. These are some of the cool cosplay outfits I saw:

Travelling to Japan with Jessica Roh

Jessica Roh from Anything Goes, gave an informative presentation on 10 things we need to know before we travel Japan. In actuality, her tips are good for travelling anywhere:

1. Plan and prepare: Do your research. Ask yourself the W5 (who, what, where, when, why, how)

2. Get immunized

3. Be early for everything

4. Pack less

5. Protect your important documents

6. Learn key phrases in Japanese (or the native tongue of your destination)

7. Arrange for someone trustworthy to take care of things at home

8. Pre-book your accommodation

9. Book tours in advance

10. Document everything

This is just Part 1. Click on the following links to check out the rest of my first Otafest Aurora experience: Part 2 of My First Otafest Aurora | My Otafest Aurora Review on Examiner.com | My Otafest Aurora Photo Album

Random Sight-Reading Exercises to Boost Music Literacy

Growing up, I was extremely jealous of my classmate Trish Evans. She probably has no idea.

Trish could improvise at the drop of a hat and make up songs that had our classmates gushing over her skills. On the other hand, I felt compelled to play everything as written and suffered stage fright up until university.

Then, I heard that Trish formed a rock band. A really cool one, called Zoey's Closet. Meanwhile, I talked myself out of joining jazz band because lead sheets and improvising scared the bejeebers out of me.

I have since taken a bit of jazz piano and rely on lead sheet reading to get me through choir more often than not. Progress.

Trish and I caught up over tea and talked shop last month. She told me about her piano teacher's efforts to improve Trish's music literacy (great ear, weaker reading skills at the time).

For the first 15 minutes of each lesson, Trish's teacher made her sight-read random music. Sometimes, the pieces were several levels above her playing level. Other times, just below.

While she was sight-reading, Trish's teacher would give comments to guide her. The teacher would play each excerpt before assigning a new one. It gave Trish a way to measure what she sight-read well (and what she didn't).

Last month, I tried this out with my "weaker" readers. My strategy has been to make the first piece several levels above their current one. The second one is closer to their current level, while the third (if there is time) is below their reading level. I drag my finger across my bookcase and stop at a random spot.

This is not the first time that I've heard about starting each lesson with sight-reading. One of my university classmates, Gregory Knight, had lessons like this too. Now, he works as an accompanist at the University of Lethbridge. His sight-reading skills are top notch, which is a useful skill as an accompanist.

I have already noticed an improvement in their musical literacy. A fringe benefit has been that these students are starting to work on music independently. Two of them walked in last week with a new piece to show off to me.

This week, we will begin the second stage of my sight-reading challenge. It will be interesting to see how my so-called "weak" readers will perform this time round.

How to Play Music Faster

After Christmas, my students will be doing a Technique Challenge. I still have to finalize the details and incentives, but I can tell you that speed and accuracy will be key criteria to succeeding in this challenge.

To prepare, I thought I would share some tips on how to play the piano really fast. I must say, kudos to Shawn Cheek, Dr. William Leeland, Kenneth T. Rose and Robert Estrin for sharing these videos and article with musicians everywhere.

Piano teacher Shawn Cheek has created a great video on how to play arpeggios (or in proper Italian, "arpeggii") faster:

Now, Mr. Cheek says that you don't need to exercise the left hand like this unless you're doing classical. I disagree. Firstly, it's important for the hands to be balanced and secondly, I actually have used arpeggios in contemporary styles. It all depends on the style, I guess.

[UPDATE] I originally had another video here, demonstrating the "thumb up" and note clumping technique. However, a few of my colleagues caught how immobile the demonstrator's wrist and arm were. I admit, I was focussed on the thumb up and note clumping, so I'm grateful to Arlene Steffen and Rami Bar-Niv for drawing my attention to it.

There is this neat article by Dr. William Leeland about the "thumb under" and "quick hand shift" technique for scales. It is called The Ins and Outs, Twists and Turns of Scale Playing. It contains some videos.

I actually learned about this "quick hand shift" technique from my brother. It has certainly helped me play my scales, chords and arpeggii faster. Some keys are better than others.

Kenneth T. Rose from England wrote a great article, called “How to play faster”. He has other useful tips on his website, World of Piano.

Finally, Robert Estrin of Living Piano has done a fantastic tutorial on how to play piano faster:

I love how Mr. Estrin explains everything step-by-step.

Here's his video on practicing scales and arpeggii:

I am looking forward to trying some of the new tips on how to play the piano faster in my own piano practice.