Meme of the Day - The Performing Engagements Guarantee

Musicians: this is just a quick public service announcement regarding accepting gigs. Many of us (including myself) learned these lessons the hard way. 

Tempos or Tempi?

In a recent lesson, one of my students needed to work with the metronome to develop a steadier pulse, not just at one slow tempo, but at all the metronome markings on the road from slow to full tempo. And although I'm usually quite verbose in lessons, the correct choice of words left me tongue-tied.

Of all my daily musical decisions, this is one that has always gnawed at me with no clear resolution: when you're referring to more than one tempo,  do you say "tempos"  or "tempi"?

This is a tricky one for American and Canadian musicians. On the one hand, you can say "tempos", but there will be many who view you as a boorish, uncultured North American who never learned the refined ways of music school. On the other hand, you can say "tempi", but all illusions of coolness will be shattered as you are perceived as a middle-aged effete, pretentious Eurosnob. Unfortunately, there is no middle ground.

My solution? I attached the following photo to my student's lesson notes:

What do you say? Tempos or tempi?

Meme of the Day: Rep Worth Avoiding

Meme of the Day: Austin Powers on Repeated Notes

This slipped out the other day...

Meme of the Day: Boromir on Practicing Scales

This one slipped out in a lesson yesterday...

Make Your Own Meme Contest: Win Two Tickets to Thin Edge Collective's Concert This Thursday in Toronto

One of Toronto's newest and hottest contemporary music ensembles is Thin Edge New Music Collective, featuring pianist Cheryl Duvall, violinist Ilana Waniuk, percusionist Olaf Szester, and flutist Sarah Yunji Moon. Before they embark on a busy touring season, you can catch them 8pm Thursday at Gallery 345 in Free Form Constructs, a program of works with saxophonist and composer Jason Sharp looking at "the relationship of form, structure, and improvisation in contemporary Canadian music."

Tickets for this program of works by Jason Sharp, Fjola Evans, Anna Hostman, and Claude Vivier will be $20 and $15 for arts workers, students and seniors.

Unless you happen to be the lucky winner of the latest Collaborative Piano Blog free ticket contest.....

Yes, Thin Edge's own Cheryl Duvall will be judging entries in order to award a prize of two free tickets to Thursday night's concert.

Here's how to enter:

1. Submit a jpeg of your favorite music-themed meme. Think piano, classical music, new music, composers, or weird/awkward situations in the music world. Think Socially Awkward Penguin, Bad Luck Brian, Good Guy Greg, Scumbag Steve, or Sudden Clarity Clarence. Once you have your meme figured out, use Quickmeme or Photoshop to insert text onto your favorite traditional or unique meme picture.
2. Send your completed meme to collaborative piano [at] gmail dot com.
3. Only one entry per person will be allowed.
4. Entries will close at 12pm on Wednesday, November 21.
5. I'll send the entries off to Cheryl, who will notify me of the winning entry by Wednesday late afternoon. After that I'll notify the winner, who will receive two free tickets when they show up at the door of Gallery 345 on Thursday evening.

All entries will be posted in the coming weeks! Good luck everyone!

Here's Cheryl playing the last few minutes of Gordon Monahan's Piano Mechanics at Nuit Blanche earlier this fall:

Quote of the Day

Another amazing statistic about how the brain develops when learning music:

It was found that a bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum, which functions in carrying signals between the two brain hemispheres, is about 12 percent thicker among keyboard players who started training before the age of 7, compared to keyboard players trained later, or to non-musicians.

The corpus callosum is the part of the brain that connects the left and right hemispheres. It needs to be firing on all cylinders if you want to develop the finger and hand coordination required to become a musician.

There's a meme for that too:

(Thanks Indrani!)

Meme of the Day

Still wondering if you should become a collaborative pianist? This should settle the question.

Meme of the Day: Angry Conductor

Today's Meme of the Day is inspired by a heart-rending anonymous comment from 10 Things That Should Never Be Said to a Collaborative Pianist (but still are):

at a choral conducting workshop where I was there to sight-read about 50 choral scores, I once had a conductor laugh at me when I said that many are using the word "collaborative pianist" rather than accompanist explaining that we bring a lot of experience and musical decision making to the rehearsal and performance and collaboratively work under the conductor's baton. (I really wanted to say I'm not a robot) he told me "you've obviously haven't worked with a lot of conductors..where I'm from, we still call them accompanists." in which the only thing I could spit out was , "well yes, I have." but I was so shocked at his indifference.. Who says that?!! there are some real "control-hungry" people out there (can you tell I'm insensed?) The worst part is that the guy spent the day talking about building up confidence and the spirit of each person, and then he belittled me right there in front of everyone.

Meme of the Day

What if the Ridiculously Photogenic Guy became a collaborative pianist?

Boromir on Sight Reading

For those of you who missed it on the Collaborative Piano Blog Facebook Page the first time around...

This meme comes in response to a student of mine who wished to put off practicing sight reading until closer to their exam...

Meme of the Day

If you need to have the above statement explained, there's a chance it might be you depicted in the picture. Better yet, take a look at this video to see how it's done correctly.

Meme of the Day

Meme of the Day

Ever met someone like this? No matter how much you compliment them on their playing, they will always turn it back on you.

"Nice Hammerklavier, bro. That fugue was awesome."

"How on earth could you enjoy that feeble excuse for a performance that I attempted tonight? Did you not listen? Are you not familiar with Op. 106?"

Meme of the Day

Meme of the Day

In case you don't get the BSG reference, you can find a full explanation of the Someone to Watch Over Me episode here and the iconic musical moment here.

Meme of the Day

Meme of the Day: Prepared Piano Edition

If you've ever played the John Cage Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano and had to go through the arduous process of collecting all the screws, bolts, nuts, and rubber mutes and meticulously measured exactly where to put them, these sentiments will be familiar...

Meme of the Day

If you've ever had a studio teacher put the lid all the way down after you play the first chord, approach you a dress rehearsal saying "Please, a little bit less", or worse yet, put the dust cover on the piano while you play, this meme of the day is for you.

Meme of the Day

For those of you who are often a bit too eager to overbook and then end up having too much music to learn at the last minute...