Piano Notes – Studio Newsletter December 2014
November Events Recap
MTAC Sonata/Sonatina Festival
Congratulations to all the students that performed in this prestigious event on November 15. Our studio has been participating in this adjudicated festival for a number of years, and every year the standard gets higher! This year, our youngest students were Noelle Hong and Claire Nguyen, age 6. We also heard many advanced sonata movements by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, performed by students from our studio. I am very proud of everyone! Our studio earned a total of 19 trophies (Fiona Harley, Meijke Balay-Mickelson, Sam and Thien Sa Luyen, Emma, Hunter and Hudson Erickson, Rachel, Charys and Noelle Hong, Jessica and Jeffrey Kim, Katherine Shepherd, Shania Jin, Ethan Phan, Claire Nguyen, Cameron Chang, Ron Lycan, and Kelly Rausch)! These will be presented at our Holiday Recital. Special extra congratulations to the following students that earned the highest rating of 5+:
Ron Lycan, Fiona Harley, Emma Erickson, Hudson Erickson, Kelly Rausch, and Meijke Balay-Mickelson.
Friends of the Murrieta Public Library Recital
On November 18 I was invited by Murrieta Public Library to perform a recital with violinist Elizabeth Monacelli. Our student Emma Erickson also performed three solos at this recital – a Sonatina movement by Kuhlau, Rondo in D major by Mozart, as well as Emma’s award-winning original composition “Mysterious Dreams.” Emma did such an awesome job! Everyone was impressed by her talent, and she received a standing ovation!
Royal Conservatory Music Development Program
On Thanksgiving Day, I received an email letter of congratulations:
“I am delighted to inform you that the following student(s) have won Royal Conservatory Music Development Program Awards of Excellence:
Rausch, Kelly –Center Award, Temecula, Piano Level 7
Rausch, Kelly –State Award, CA, Piano Level 7
Each year The Royal Conservatory Music Development Programs awards Certificates of Excellence and National Gold Medals to top-achieving students. Certificates of Excellence are awarded to students achieving the highest mark in their center and/or in their state on their Music Development Program assessment and who have also completed the theory co-requisites for their respective level and discipline. These awards are an exceptional distinction—the result of hard work, dedication, talent, and a testament to skill and creativity. They also represent a national standard of musical achievement upheld by the invaluable support you provide to your students.”
Congratulations to Kelly! She not only received the highest mark for level 7 in our local Temecula Center, but also the whole state of California (total of 23 exam centers)! What an amazing accomplishment!
If anyone else would like to participate in this rigorous program, it is not too late! Email me for details!
Upcoming Events
December 6 – I will be accompanying 15 flute students at the holiday recital of K8Trills – Studio of flutist Kate Prestia-Schaub. Kate is an amazing teacher, colleague and friend. If anyone is interested in studying the flute or piccolo, you may like to come to this concert! It is at the Grace Presbyterian Church in Temecula and will start at 2pm.
December 20 – Our annual Holiday Recital!
Student of the Month – Katherine Shepherd
Katherine Stephanie Shepherd is a happy 9 year old Murrieta resident. She is attending 4th grade and she has been studying piano for almost 3 years. Katherine enjoys drawing, swimming, reading and loves to travel. Most recent, Katherine expressed interest in horse riding and cooking lessons.
Teacher Comment: Katherine came to the studio in September 2012. She has done extremely well! She had a little bit of piano background, but was basically a beginner. Now, just over two years later, she is playing intermediate repertoire, and has excelled in many auditions and festivals. She has earned two Sonatina Festival trophies, one Temecula Spring Music Festival Gold Medal, and one National Piano Guild Audition certificate (10-piece National program Intermediate A category). This academic year, Katherine will do Certificate of Merit Level 3, National Piano Guild Auditions Intermediate C category, as well as participate in many other programs including competitions.
It is not always easy for transfer students to switch to a new teacher’s ways of doing things, but Katherine has accepted and rose up to all the challenges and “tough love” I have presented her. She has worked so hard, and should be very proud of her progress and achievements! I am also very happy that her sister, Elizabeth has joined the studio. They will both perform at our Holiday Recital. Keep up the great work, Katherine!
