The importance of a solid piano foundation for any creative composer

I thought of taking the time and commenting on the importance of a solid piano playing foundation for creative composers.  Many students come to me as child proteges writing their own music but NO PIANISTIC SKILLS or tonal foundation. This is a heart break time after time. These creative geniuses are 12 - 14 years old, sometimes semi professional, and no technique to fall back on. Quite amazing that they can actually play their own songs which are often quite difficult to play! 
Time after time, have I tested these fingering charts. The complete manual provides giant, easy to read fingering charts for All Major, parallel harmonic, melodic and natural minor scales. No note reading skills are required. The schematic of black and white keys, with accurate finger numbers and note labels is all you will ever need to work technique correctly.  Working technique off fingering charts is the logic way to go about practicing scales foundation: do not bother struggling withe note deciphering while working those fingers. Learn to sight read with sight reading books and learn technique with the Play Piano in All Keys fingering charts. This is your very logic approach.
Also included are all I-IV-V Major and Minor Triads, inversions and cadences and all Arpeggios (Root, 1st, 2nd inversions)
Once any pianist has initially mastered the basic Major, Harmonic, Melodic, Natural minors scales, the cords / cadences and Arpeggios, there is only a "better" with repetitions. But the foundation has been set accurate and that is of greatest importance.
And if you are one of the many adult students, who wants to advance and finally "get the scales and technique", this book is a must. All keys including black keys are included.
Be creative and learn to play in all keys.

Arts Alive - August 28, 2010

Arts Alive - August 28, 2010
Shakespeare in the Vine -- this is a great podcast with Sheila Ryle - good luck to Macbeth!!!!

Steinway Society of Riverside County

Steinway Society of Riverside County: "2010 Festival Winners"

Ranen Unger Hicks Junior Winner 2010 will be performing November 14. Please, enjoy his performance.

Pianists demonstrate accomplishments

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/community/photos/article_fcec6d32-9ee7-5623-9ad3-fbaa65b5c2ee.html

I am happy to announce that we could publish a few words in The Californian on 8/22/2010. Everyone worked very hard to get this far. It is nice to see the local news acknowledge our young pianists.

Now on Kindle: Major and Harmonic Minor Scales, The Way I Teach Them… using Fingering Charts

If you are looking for a great book, available on Kindle, that teaches about learning, practicing all Major Scales and the parallel harmonic Minor Scales, look no further. If you are looking for results, if you want to really get through the wall of scales, here is a manual for you.

The fingering Charts use large numbers for the finger numbers and large letters for the notes (no note symbols, only letters), so you can relax into paying attention to your technique, curving the fingers and working pulse with the metronome. The many chapters describe the structure of scales in detail in an easy to comprehend language. Technique and how to relax into the keys is also covered; how to play without error; how to train your mind to get from the very beginning to accomplished sounding scales. Scales are the foundation of playing piano. They train both sides of the brain and co-ordination. When you start reading notes, your fingers are already trained and the reading translation – playing process is greatly facilitated.

Over the last 10 years, my students accumulated over 500 gold medals (I stopped counting) – but we just recently had 26 in the Guild auditions and everyone had to perform scales. And this is how I could take my students through these exams. These practice instructions work with any students, any level and skill.

Please, enjoy this book:

Major and harmonic Minor Scales, The Way I Teach Them... Using Fingering Charts

National Piano Playing Auditions 2010 Results

Hello all:
I am happy to announce our Piano Guild auditions are finally complete. All students testing higher than Elementary B with a National (10 piece) or International (15 piece) program performed scales -  musicianship phases and most chords / cadences and arpeggios musicianship phases as well. I used the book "Play Piano in All Keys" fingering charts to prepare these musicianship phases. And all I can say, I could not have been able to get everyone through their preparations if I would not have had this manual at hand. The students worked their phases and just turned pages. Accurate, traditional fingering - for the first time, as a teacher, could I relax - accurate fingering in all scales is so hard to achieve. But my students did and they were happy and so was I - what a great feeling (for me) to provide such an essential piano playing fundamentals book. Even the late Intermediate and Preparatory (for College) students could benefit from using the scales charts. Never before could I get "clean" scales fingering in 4 octaves - all Major and parallel Minors. This year it was a breeze!

Congratulations to all my students who worked hard setting their goals and achieving them. 10 and 15 piece programs are not easy, regardless how you look at it and everyone who put their mind to it completed it with many commendations and solid performances, all from memory. All National (10 pieces) and International (15 pieces) programs are Gold Medal programs; the 5 piece program is a Bronze Medal. We had a total of 26 Gold Medal programs and 1 Bronze Medal program. The Specials category is for those gifted young pianists who are able to play repertoire in a higher category than expected for their age.

Congratulations to everyone working so hard, staying focused and dedicated:

Riverside, CA May 21, 2010: Judge Beatrice Mosburg:

	Name	Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
1	Jothy Yogarajah	5	5	Intermediate E	National	10
2	Thulasi Yogarajah	5	5	Intermediate A	National	10

Temecula, CA June 6, 2010: Judge Ana Stahl:

	Name	Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
3	Chloe Lovato	5	5	Intermediate B	National	10
4	Sai Sivapalan	8	8	Preparatory Special	International	15
5	Shalini Nair	9	9	Preparatory B	International	15
6	Cynthia Nguyen Phan	4	4	Intermediate Special	National	10
7	Kathleen Nguyen Phan	4	4	Intermediate A	National	10
8	Stacey Nguyen Phan	4	4	Elementary Special	National	10
9	Ranen Unger Hicks	5	5	Elementary Special	National	12
10	Sierra Rupnow	5	5	Intermediate C	National	10
11	Brittany Durgiah	6	3	Intermediate A	District	5

Escondido - Sand Diego, CA July 8 and 11,2010 judge: Ann Vanderschaaf, TX

		Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
12	Thien-Sa Luyen	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
13	Thien-Sam Luyen	1	1	Elementary B	National	10
14	Bret Paddock	7	7	Preparatory B	International	15
15	Cassiopea Bostan	2	2	Elementary Special	International	15
16	Robechelle Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
17	Rossale Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
18	Roxanne Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
19	Anais Perkins	2	2	Intermediate A	National	10
20	Shanti Ryle	9	9	Preparatory D	International	15
21	Mitchell Johnson	5	5	Intermediate F	National	10
22	Patrick Xu	1	1	Intermediate Special	International	15
23	Kelly Rausch	4	4	Elementary E	National	10
24	Song Nguyen	3	3	Intermediate A	National	10
25	Andrew Vu	4	4	Preparatory A	National	10
26	Nessa Vu	4	4	Intermediate B	National	10
27	Victoria Vu	4	4	Intermediate B	National	10

Sincerely, Eva

MTAC Convention July 2 - 5, 2010

Hello all:
The past weeks have been incredibly hectic. Besides the Guild auditions, I had the opportunity to introduce my books "Play Piano In All Keys" Scales, Chords / Cadences, Arpeggios Fingering Charts and Workbooks in the Music Teachers Association of California Convention, at the LAX Marriott.
Four days of meeting with teachers whom I had not seen in many years, talking about my books almost non-stop,... it was exciting and fun. Several teachers looked at my work and told me, that's exactly how they were teaching and hand drawing scales - now they just didn't need to hand draw the scales, chords / cadences fingering charts any more; they just purchased the complete fingering charts book. I cannot wait to hear from teachers how they could integrate the book in their teaching curriculum and what results they could achieve. So far the feed back was very positive.