Category Archives: Uncategorized

Here are several recordings, completed unedited, from early this summer in my studio. For information on the levels, please refer to Jane McGrath’s “The Pianist’s Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature.” The piano is a Steinway & Sons Model 45, 1960. To record, I am using a Logitech Snowball microphone, processed through Zoom usingContinue reading “Muzio Clementi, Alexander Scriabin, and Johann Sebastian Bach”

In late September, following the inspiring (and technique-building) Jr. Hanon Competition, three students will perform three different Sonatinas, and other students, who will be working on a Sonatina next year, will evaluate the performances. It is not a competition, but rather a first look at what it means to evaluate another pianist and what itContinue reading “Autumn Sonatina Salon”

A studio favorite! It’s back! Medals will be awarded to the students who achieve the highest mark in each of three categories: accuracy, speed, and evenness. We have six Intermediate level competitors and one Elementary level competitor who will be competing with the older students on one Hanon Exercise. There are many opportunities to earnContinue reading “Jr. Hanon Competition – Saturday, August 2nd, 2025”

Sunday, June 22nd, in the early evening. The end of the academic year is upon us. It’s time for our annual student recital, where students present one, two, or three pieces they have worked on throughout the year. The pieces represent their level of mastery in performance. Each year, one student (sometimes there is aContinue reading “June Recital”

May 1st, 2025 7:30 pm EST Donnelly Music Studio Presentation Series: No. 1 Presenting artists: Elaine Newhall, Western Concert Flute, and Jeff Whittier, North Indian Bansuri. Students are welcome to attend and bring their family and friends! Program information, links, and a video of the evening event may be accessed below. You may contact theContinue reading ““Classical Flute: Western Concert and North Indian Bansuri””

Good luck to all of my exceptional students. This spring, each student will undertake the RCM Music Theory exam, a significant milestone. Several of you are on track to earn points that will lead to a prestigious trophy. These exams represent serious opportunities to master the material—the key to your success—and to earn the recognitionContinue reading “RCM Music Theory Exam: Key to Success for Students”

Yes, reading music can be considered good preparation for learning math because it involves understanding patterns, fractions, ratios, and time sequences, which are fundamental mathematical concepts that are also present in musical notation; essentially, music can be seen as a practical application of math principles, making it a helpful tool for developing mathematical thinking skills.Continue reading “Reading Music and Learning Math”

Yes, learning to read music can be a good preparation for learning to read traditional text, as both involve decoding symbols to understand meaning, and research suggests that musical training can significantly improve auditory processing skills, which are crucial for reading comprehension; essentially, the brain processes music and language in similar ways, making music a potential trainingContinue reading “Reading Music and Reading Traditional Text”

Yay for all the students and our distinguished guests who performed beautifully, kicking off the holiday season with joy and grace! Thank you to the families, friends, and additional teachers who participated and made it all possible.