Cynthia Phan received an Honorable Mention in the Piano Guild International Composition Contest

Cynthia Phan received an Honorable Mention in the Piano Guild International Composition Contest

Cynthia Phan age 12 started to take Piano lessons 5 years ago. She is playing Advanced Level repertoire, passed Level 9 in the MTAC Certificate of Merit (TM) and enjoys composing beautiful music. Her style is unique, creative and musical. Her composition “Sweet Dreams” 140 measures, handwritten, took an Honorable Mention in the Piano Guild International Composition Contest, a great accomplishment considering the hundreds of entries. Cynthia entered the category of Intermediate Specially Gifted Solo Piano Composition. She is looking forward to composing more pieces and sharing her gift with the world.
Cynthia Phan has received all her Piano, music, theory and composition education from Eva Martin Hollaus, author of the innovative Play Piano In All Keys Fingering Charts Series, streamlining piano education, theory fundamentals and composition; Eva Martin Hollaus Piano Studio

Ranen Unger Hicks performed in the 2010 Steinway Festival Winners Concert

Ranen Unger Hicks performed in the 2010 Steinway Festival Winners Concert

Please, follow the link to view his performance.

TVMTA Young Pianist Competition June 5, 2010, Results

I am happy to announce our Studio winners.

6^th grade and below category:

Ranen Unger Hicks received 2^nd place performing the Chopin Waltz Op 64 No 3

Cassiopea Bostan received an Honorable Mention with a new piece. She performed the Clementi Sonatina Op 36 No 6, 1^st movement.

Cynthia Phan participated with a new piece: She performed the Scott Joplin Chrysanthemum Rag.

9^th / 10^th grade:

Sai Sivapalan received 1^st place for his performance of the Liszt Transcendental Etude #6 “Visions”.

Congratulations to all participants. I am very happy that we have these performance opportunities.

Eva

The ease of preparing my students with the new book "Play Piano in all Keys"

New scales, Chords / cadences, arpeggios book introduction: "Play Piano In All Keys" by Eva Martin Hollaus.

I have been entering students in the Annual Guild Auditions since 2001 and average about 26 - 35 students each year with a National or International program. All my students, with the exception of students I only had for a few months and that are entering Guild, are performing scales, arpeggios and chords / cadences.

I have used the usual scales books, e.g. Hanon, Keith Snell; those are all excellent books giving accurate scales fingering. BUT I was not happy with the results. My students are your above average mostly straight A students, who are busy with too many school activities and also are talented in everything they touch, including piano. Piano playing is an extracurricular choice activity for my students and most enter the Certificate of Merit (TM) and the NGPT Guild auditions.

I could organize their preparation folders so they could zip through efficiently practicing their 7 pieces (or bringing them back) and then learn / review their scales / chords / cadences / arpeggios - musicianship phases.

Years ago, when I started my piano studio here in Perris, CA, that was in 2000 (brand new), I used to hand draw the scales fingering charts, to help my students memorize the fingering and help acquire accurate, permanent fingering. A few years later, I asked my students to draw up the fingering charts on their computer spreadsheets.  Well, as you could guess, that did not happen - too busy with everything else.

So, I decided to do it myself.  I learned this internet course how to create a website, a little about advertising, learned the windows Office Suite and started putting down how I could get my students through any 10 piece programs. First, I published my downloadable books and then I took the time to develop the print books. I did not want to compromise. I knew I had to take the time and typeset it all myself to get the look the way I wanted it. All my books and charts are tested in my studio. These books are what I use to get a rock solid technical foundation in the least amount of time. In the 10 years of Guild auditions, I have only had 2 students whom I could never motivate sufficiently to learn a national program. And I am counting now, over 200 National / International programs.

I developed these books, to efficiently teach the phases from EB through High School Diplomas. I also entered students in EA with 5 musicianship phases and as soon as I can, I will put my Elementary A manual together.

But for right now, I am truly enjoying the results of my hard work. This is the first year, where I can sit back and my students are playing through their scales / chords / cadences / arpeggios phases one scale after another, one keys set after another. Often Guild judges ask to play the phases in one particular key. Well, that's how the book is structured: "C" everything, then "G" everything, etc., including black keys, including enharmonic keys.  This is the first year, I can sit and enjoy and they turn page after page and play ACCURATELY and EXACTLY scale after scale, chords / cadences and arpeggios.

What a relief for me as a teacher to have these books!  Using the usual scale books, the notes are small, the fingering uses a 10 point type style and reading keys signatures and notes adds many obstacles for some of my students.  My teaching philosophy is, to teach each element by itself. That way I get undivided attention and focus and in a short time each of the baby steps gets accomplished easily. When we practice scales using my charts, all difficulties are removed: no notes and a HUGE print; the notes letter match the keys black and white, the contrast is great. Even 5 year old students and beginners can decipher these scales charts. The entire manual is graphic. White keys are white, Black keys are black. All labeled correctly, with the correct letter names. Each correct keys has the correct finger number!

I also really like the idea of ONE BOOK, rather than needing to purchase a new book each year. When students learn the phases in the various levels, I simply mark the sections they need to practice, and that's how they learn them. Even with minimal practice time, we are able to get the national programs done.

The essence of practicing scales is technique and fingering. With the scales charts and scales sorted, so you can practice sets of keys, it is actually fun practicing scales. Several months ago, I took some time in the morning and practiced blocks of 30 minutes one set of Major / Harmonic, Melodic, Natural Minors scales with metronome and found it very relaxing.  I could not wait to get back to the piano and practice another block of 30 minutes. Remembering back to my Conservatory times, just like most students, I hated scales thought of them as boring -- and you know they were: there is not much variation in playing Major and relative minor. On the other hand, practicing one set Major and Parallel Minors - the fingering is quite similar, or identical, there is just enough variation for the mind to not fatigue and you can actually relax into the tonality of the key to really "tune" your body. This only makes sense: the loser you are, the more reverberation your body with feel with the sounds of one scale, the better your playing will be and the sound quality and your projection of melody.

Please, visit: http://www.playpianoinallkeys.com for more information, or just purchase your copy with the free reports as a product bundle at: www.classicalpianolesson.com.www.classicalpianolesson.com

Good luck and enjoy!


 

 

BACK TO BASICS - SCALES, CHORDS, ARPEGGIOS

Oh yes, it's this time of year again, back to basics practicing scales, chords, arpeggios. Over the summer, I am always trying to push for completed pages in the theory books and push practicing scales, chords, arpeggios: making sure the fingering is absolutely accurate, the fingers and hand positions are curved the correct way - no "breaking fingers", but correctly and loosely curved finger position, lose wrist, natural arm weight, beautiful well defined sounds. Each note matters. Working on pulse with the metronome, all speeds. In other words, lots of work is being accomplished. We are also planning out the next year, starting new repertoire in slow motion, allowing a thorough and exacting learning process. Sure enough we always have a few overzealous young pianists who want to perform the new piece yesterday, before learning the rhythm, notes, fingering, arm motions, the phrasing, dynamics in each hand -- and are "noodling" through a piece. Learning how to put your "talent aside" for a streamlined approach to learning a new piece is probably one of the hardest things to master for a budding young musician. I tell everyone: "no one is taking your talent away; you must program your fingers and muscles like a computer programmer creating a game to play; if you do not program a computer game correctly you will never be able to play it and it will bring about viruses messing up your computer. Just be patient; once a game is programmed correctly on the computer, it allows for many hours of enjoyment, the fun of playing the game you created. In piano, once your fingers, pulse and rhythm, notes, arm motions, wrist motions and mind are programmed correctly, you will be able to play your piece flawlessly.  Fingering decisions need to be carefully made. Your memory and mind will hold up under any performance stress and circumstance, while if errors were programmed, they may very well show up in performance. Once your physical motions and memory, mind and visualization is programmed correctly, your talent then will be able to flow through your fingers flawlessly and with great enjoyment and expression. "
Learning to be comfortable playing all commonly used classical scales: Major, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor and Natural Minor for 4 octaves and arpeggios in root position, 1st and 2nd inversions, all speeds with perfect control, is quite a challenge but well worth it. All my students use my fingering charts and practice instructions and progress amazingly. The fingering patterns have been used for centuries and were developed to use the right and left brain functions in easy to control cross fingering patterns. Practicing the different scale patterns and spending time until each one becomes second nature should be a goal for each piano student no matter what age. If you are rehearsed in your scales / chords / arpeggios, your fingers and technique is lubricated and you can easily learn new pieces. Many chords are used over and over and once the relationship of tonality, notes of the scale and their relationship of Major and Minor is understood, memorizing classical pieces, in particular, is greatly facilitated.
All the practice suggestions and practice principles are well tested and work very well for every student, with a little practice. All my suggestions work beautifully for literally anyone practicing 20 - 45 minutes 5 days a week. Of course if you put in more time greater progress, better performances and larger repertoire will result.
But then music is for everyone, well rehearsed or not, busy life style or lots of leisure. Piano playing is here to always make us feel better on the inside, relieve our tensions and stress of daily life and enjoy the beautiful music and sounds that we are creating.
Sometimes, I wish I had had my fingering charts and teaching at the times when I grew up. but then, all my efforts and failures brought this about and I am very happy I could make my contribution to help others play beautiful music.
Sincerely, Eva

Eva Martin Hollaus Piano Studio, National Piano Playing Auditions Riverside, Temecula, San Diego - Escondido CA Results

Judge:	Greta Berezovsky	No Yrs in Guild auditions	No YRS. National Winner	Classification	PGM	No pieces
1	Jothy Yogarajah	4	4	IB	N	10
2	Thulasi Yogarajah	4	4	ED	N	10
3	Ranen Unger Hicks	4	4	ES	N	10
4	Mitchell Johnson	4	4	IC	N	10
5	Sai Sivapalan	7	7	IS	I	15
6	Cambria Lauritsen	6	0	IB	D	5
7	Corrina Conway	1	1	IA	N	10
8	Shalini Nair	8	8	PA	I	15
9	Cassiopea Bostan	1	1	EC	N	10
10	Justin Markowitz	4	4	IC	N	10
11	Anais Perkins	1	1	EB	N	10
12	Vinayak Pillai	6	1	IC	D	5
13	Vishakh Pillai	5	0	IA	D	4
Judge:	Shirley Hatch
14	Shanti Ryle	8	8	PC	I	15
15	Chloe Lovato	4	4	IA	N	10
16	Bret Paddock	6	6	PA	N	12
17	Cynthia Phan	3	3	IS	N	10
18	Kathleen Phan	3	3	ED	N	10
19	Stacey Phan	3	3	EC	N	10
20	Andrew Vu	3	3	IB	N	10
21	Nessa Vu	3	3	IA	N	10
22	Victoria Vu	3	3	IA	N	10
23	Sharmini Premananthan	6	5	IS	N	10
24	Niranjana Premananthan	3	3	ED	N	10
25	Kelly Rausch	3	3	ED	N	10
26	Song Nguyen	2	2	ED	N	10
27	Kenna Behar	1	0	EC	D	4
28	Jessica Behar	1	0	EC	L	3
29	Brittany Durgiah	5	2	ED	N	10
30	Sierra Rupnow	4	4	IB	N	10
31	Noah Haroldpavlovics	4	3	EB	N	10
32	Eleanor Haroldpavlovics	3	0	EA	L	3
Judge:	Hanna Kogan
33	Alex Few	7	7	PA	I	15

MTAC Certificate of Merit (TM)

Congratulations to everyone who participated and tested in the Certificate of Merit (TM). I am very happy to announce, that everyone from our Studio, passed their exams. All the hard work, extra theory hours and additional practice, paid off.

Please, congratulate:

Bret Paddock, Level 8 Branch Honors

Theresa Pailma, Level 6 Branch Honors

Corrina Conway, Level 6 Branch Honors

Justin Markowitz, Level 7 and Graduating Senior and Branch Honors

Ranen Unger Hicks, Level 1

Mitchell Johnson,Level 6 Branch Honors

Shalini Nair,Level 8 Branch Honors

Alex Few,Level Adv Branch Honors

Cindy Liang Path B, Level 6

Chloe Lovato, Level 4

Cynthia Nguyen Phan,Level 6, Convention

Kathleen Nguyen Phan,Level 2

Sierra Rupnow,Level 4

Andrew Vu, Level 5,Branch Honors

Nessa Vu, Level 2

Victoria Vu, Level 3

Jothy Yogarajah,Level 6 Branch Honors

Antonio Pontarelli, Level 8 Branch Honors

Sai Sivapalan,Level 9 Branch Honors

Kelly Rausch, Path B Level Prep

Maxine Imura, Level 6, Branch Honors

Shanti Ryle, Level Adv Branch Honors

Sharmini Premananthan, Level 7 Branch Honors

Niranjana Premananthan, Level 1

Vinayak Pillai, Level 6

Vishakh Pillai, Level 3

Song Nguyen, Level 2

Jessica Behar, Level 2

Kenna Behar, Path B Level Prep

Brittany Durgiah, Level 3

Cambria Justine Lauritsen, Level 4

Epoch Times - Interview With Finalist From NTD’s First International Chinese Piano Competition

Epoch Times - Interview With Finalist From NTD’s First International Chinese Piano Competition: "Mr. Na has a deep appreciation for the power of music. “It’s something for the soul, like food for people. It’s possible to live without music, but it would be an empty life,” says Mr. Na."

What a great attitude, right from my heart. If you only play to collect trophies and placements, you will soon be out of medal reach. Listeners come to enjoy YOUR ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION, the emotional response is what matters. This is what you hear in our lessons from day 1 on. If you play Music for Little Mozarts at age 3 - 5 or Beethoven Sonatas and Rachmaninov, your emotional involvement is really the essence. Of course, technical, style and note accuracy cannot be omitted, either.

Yes, truly, I want it all -- this is what I LIVE FOR. Hearing great music in our lessons.
Feel blessed.
I will be hearing your scales, chords -- don't forget those: most of your theory is understanding scales and chords using scales notes; broken chords and arpeggios are still the black sheep in our practice, but when you get better, daily cultivating of your basics, practicing your pulse by counting loudly will get you quite far in a short time.
Eva

Epoch Times - The Ultimate Goal of a Successful Piano Performance

Epoch Times - The Ultimate Goal of a Successful Piano Performance: "“Mozart’s music contains a sense of the pure innocence of a child, which can make people feel happy and pleasant. If the participants try to use Mozart’s music to boast their skills, they may end up deviating from the original intent conceived by Mozart. Mozart’s music is simple but very hard to perform precisely.”
The first sonata learned by someone starting piano may very well be a Mozart sonata. Yet the same piece may be performed on stage by an outstanding concert pianist. The music of Mozart is a delicate masterpiece in which performers can reveal Mozart’s unique faithfulness, child-like naiveté, truthfulness, and peacefulness."

I tell everyone, the most difficult music to play are second movements of Mozart piano concertos, since there are so few notes to be played but needing to be played so beautifully, requiring artistry, control, creativity and technique to express. It takes mastery of touch to make 1 single note sound beautifully ringing through the entire auditorium, touching the hearts of many listeners.
Of course, the other very difficult pieces are very fast pieces, but that I did not need to mention.
I hope, you feel blessed we are working on these skills daily. Start with beautifully played scales, chords, arpeggios and Hanon exercises. Learn to BREATH while playing your most fundamental pieces and exercises. The more difficult pieces will come in time.
Foremost, enjoy your own playing.

Epoch Times - The Ultimate Goal of a Successful Piano Performance

Epoch Times - The Ultimate Goal of a Successful Piano Performance: "“Take Mozart’s works, for example. When you play the highly difficult technical parts, the piece may sound like a hunting dog pursuing a rabbit in a panic. Alternatively, you may play the same passages sounding like a stream smoothly flowing through the valleys with warmth. The latter is more profound and beautiful. These two ways of expression are completely different. You should let the people sense the pure beauty in the technique, rather than make them anxious and unable to catch their breath.”"

Amazing, we talk about the projection of your inner feelings and breathing in your artistic interpretation, daily.

Epoch Times - The Ultimate Goal of a Successful Piano Performance

Epoch Times - The Ultimate Goal of a Successful Piano Performance: "“Do not overemphasize the technical skills!” said Ma. “A man, merely equipped with fantastic technique and without sense of the subtle essence of the music, is only a piano technician at best. No matter what piece you play, you should explore and appreciate it with your heart. You must be moved first, and then you are able to move others.” She believes that the sounds of the notes that emerge from the black and white keys of the piano, weaved by the pianist’s two hands, disclose the inner world of the participant."

Could not be expressed better.