Movie Music Musings

Christmas Break gives me a chance to catch up on all the movies and shows I want to see. I finally got around to watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Excellent story but excessive use of the blue screen. The actors were a delight to watch. Casting was excellent. As a writer and musician, I couldn’t help but analyze the movie from these two angles. I’ve never read the books (but I will next year). The writer within reveled at picking out symbolism and foreshadowing, while the musician was moved to tears when Aslan went to meet his fate. The drum’s tattoo filled the theatre with dread as Aslan padded up to face the witch. The strings sang out their doleful melodies, swelling into a heartbreaking crescendo as the terms of Aslan's bargain with the witch were fulfilled.

Music makes a huge difference in movies, I think. If the music doesn’t match what is happening on the screen, it does make it more difficult to connect with the characters emotionally.

Both The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Star Wars Trilogies are superb examples of when the music, action and dialogue are seamlessly joined and balanced. It’s Wagnerian, really.

Wag-huh? Richard Wagner (pronounced VAHG-ner) was a German composer, conductor and writer who lived in the 1800s. He revolutionized opera by his use of leitmotifs – a recurring theme that is associated with a certain character or event. Look no further than Luke Skywalker’s theme played when he contemplated his destiny standing before Tatooine’s twin suns or the theme for the Fellowship of the Ring.

***

On a final note, this will be my last post for 2005. Happy New Year everyone! May 2006 be a healthy, prosperous and happy one for you.

© 2005, Musespeak™, Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Making Wedding Music Selections Easy

It may seem strange that today’s blog is about wedding music. However, people are known to get engaged over the holidays, when family and friends are together. Next month, bridal fairs will begin another wedding season. Usually, when I meet with a couple, they have no idea what music they would like performed at their ceremony. I normally run through a selection of songs and wait as the couple discusses whether they want happy or sad, fast or slow, bouncy or majestic music. The sole exception was the wedding of a classically trained pianist. She asked for Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata as well as other classics. She walked down the aisle to O mio babbino caro by Puccini.

Here are some useful links to help engaged couples choose ceremony and reception music:

• Our Wedding Songs

• Complete Guide to Wedding Music

• The Top 250 Wedding Songs for Each Moment of Your Big Day

September 4, 2020 update: updated a few links.

Lifelong Lessons from Great Music Teachers

Mrs. Ginzburg loved highlighters. They are pretty popular in my studio too. Credit: Rhona-Mae Arca

My last piano teacher passed away one year ago this week. Thinking of Irina sparked memories of all my music teachers. I thought I would pay tribute to Irina as well as to all the people who helped shape me as a musician.  

Lynn Eamer was a stern woman who terrified me. Mrs. Eamer taught me the importance of learning how to read. In my second year of piano, she discovered that I still hadn’t learned how to read notes (I was playing solely by ear). I still have the 100 lines she made me write of all the letter names.

When we moved, I studied with a woman named Margaret Fraser. I only studied with her for a year. She loaned me a Reader’s Digest songbook, which for some odd reason, was never returned to her. I still use it when I play at gigs. Margaret wanted me to be more relaxed. I played at either one extreme or the other (tense versus relaxed and sloppy).

Elizabeth Mahaffy had the challenge of teaching me as a pre-teen and teen. She was very sympathetic to the woes of teenaged angst. Elizabeth told me weekly to "listen to what you're playing" and taught me that having a compassionate ear is very important.

Elinor Lawson taught me for four years at the University of Lethbridge. I completed my B.A. in Music and my Gr. 10 piano with her. Elinor is an incredible accompanist with perfect pitch.

She taught me many things: how to make the most of my practice time when I had a repetitive strain injury, how to analyze my music to improve my memory, a few cheats to play through sections designed for larger hands and developed my inner ear. Many of the skills she taught me to practice efficiently were simple time and project management skills that I’ve applied successfully to other areas in my life.

My last full-time teacher was Irina Ginzburg, whom I studied with for three-and-a-half years. She was a vivacious spirit who demanded technical precision and overflowing passion. Our best was not her best. She didn’t just want her students to play well; she wanted us to play excellently. She once told me to drill one trouble spot until I got it right 11 times out of 10 so that I could get it perfectly 10 times out of 10 on stage.

Mrs. G taught me to channel all my frustrations from work into my music, helped me put an end to uncontrollable performance jitters and encouraged me to teach. She saw me through to my Royal Conservatory associateship diploma in piano performance. It was a bumpy road but we were both satisfied with the end result.

Sometimes, I catch myself saying something that one of my teachers said or doing something the exact same way. Not surprising since now I am teaching and performing. Sometimes, their words float into my mind in non-musical situations.

I suppose that’s the greatest tribute to them—the fact that even now— I continue to apply what they taught me.

© 2005 by Musespeak™, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. All rights reserved.

Christmas Music Recommendations

With Christmas less than a month away, many students rush out to purchase Christmas music. This usually reminds me that it’s time for me to practice for my Christmas gigs. There are wonderful Christmas anthologies available at various playing levels. For the beginning student, I usually recommend Faber & Faber’s supplemental Christmas books, from PreTime Piano (Primer Level) to AdvanceTime Piano (Early Intermediate piano). The books correspond nicely with the Piano Adventures series. For more information, you can visit Faber & Faber’s site:

look inside

PreTime Christmas Primer Level. Arranged by Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. Faber Piano Adventures. Christmas, Recital, Supplementary. Softcover. 20 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1015. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420124).

look inside

PlayTime Piano Christmas Level 1. Arranged by Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. Faber Piano Adventures. Christmas, Recital, Supplementary. CD only. Faber Piano Adventures #CD1036. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420101).

look inside

ShowTime Christmas Level 2A. Arranged by Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. Faber Piano Adventures. Includes traditional carols as well as seasonal favorites. Christmas. Softcover. 24 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1037. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420146).

look inside

ChordTime Christmas Level 2B. Arranged by Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. Faber Piano Adventures. Christmas, Method, Recital, Supplementary. Softcover. 28 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1005. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420114).

look inside

FunTime Christmas Level 3A-3B. Arranged by Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. Faber Piano Adventures. Christmas favorites arranged for the Level 3A - 3B student, including both traditional and popular songs which students find especially appealing. Christmas, Recital, Supplementary. Softcover. 32 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1006. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420115).

look inside

BigTime Christmas Level 4. Arranged by Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. Faber Piano Adventures. Christmas, Educational. Softcover. 40 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1016. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420125).

look inside

AdvanceTime Christmas Level 5. Arranged by Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. PreTime to BigTime Piano Supplementary Library. Christmas, Recital, Supplementary. Softcover. 40 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1124. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420203).

For the intermediate to advanced student, I recommend the Reader’s Digest Merry Christmas Songbook. It is the only Christmas book I bring to gigs with me. It’s in Piano/Vocal/Guitar format, so it can be used in ensembles. The chord symbols are on the score, making it easy to fake the accompaniment if you wish.

look inside

Reader's Digest Piano Library: Christmas Classics 50 Christmas Favorites Arranged for Piano and Voice. Composed by Various. Edited by David Pearl. Music Sales America. Christmas. Softcover with CD. 136 pages. Music Sales #AM993971. Published by Music Sales (HL.14026958).

These books are available at all major music stores or by clicking on my Sheetmusicplus affiliate links above.

© 2005, Musespeak™, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. All rights reserved.

Making Music with the Right Teacher

Next to fall registrations, people like to register for music lessons around Christmastime. If you are planning to start lessons next month or in the new year, consider the following:

• Family Commitment: Students and their families need to commit to regular lessons, practicing and performing

• Lesson venue: Music school, private music teacher or in-home instruction

• Teacher Qualifications: Student-teacher, professionally accredited or non-accredited

Here is a checklist to aid in your teacher selection:

1. Talk to your family, friends and colleagues

2. Check Teacher Association Directories: Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Alberta Piano Teachers’ Association (APTA), National Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the Alberta String Association (ASA), Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations (CFMTA), Music Teacher National Association (MTNA).

3. Ask music store staff for names of teachers

4. Conduct a preliminary phone interview

5. Conduct face-to-face interview/audition

6. Decision time

 Please refer to the links on the Studio Resources page to find out more about the music teacher associations or my website's link page.

Tuition varies depending upon the teachers’ educational and performance background, professional affiliations, track record, teaching experience and how their studio is set up. Good chemistry with the teacher, qualifications, high quality education and complementary vision should rate more highly than cost in your final decision.

After the interview/audition, the also teacher considers whether the student and family are a good fit for his or her studio.

Here’s to many years of merry music making once the choice has been made.