Going to the next level

Below you can hear a stellar performance from Shira Merenstein!  Shira performed as part of the Denver Music Teachers' Association Community Outreach Recital at Shalom Cares on May 15, 2016.  Shira performed Monkey Blues and followed it with Safari Friends.  These two pieces came out of Dr. Julie Knerr's new piano method entitled Piano Safari.  The book that I use with most of my students who I did not start in this method is called Technique and Rote Pieces.  For someone like Shira who immediately and easily grasped the musical literacy side of things, these pieces on paper seemed 'easy' but they demanded a lot more of Shira technically.  Monkey Blues explored rotation in the RH which she understood within the first two weeks but also required that she learn some staccato technique in order to move her LH around the keyboard.  Understandably, this was really difficult and it took her a while to master.  Safari Friends was a three page piece (with repeats!) that required the combination of many technical elements that we had learned in previous pieces.  Shira was able to play both of these pieces passably well at her lessons in the weeks leading up to the recital but not perfectly.  I knew she was prepared going in but it took that extra push of a performance that led to this superb rendition!  I think this is a classic example of what a external goal and some internal motivation can accomplish in a piano student.  As much as I strive to give all my students the skills to play effortlessly, it is ultimately up to them to take my suggestions and work through their problems at the piano.  There was nothing better than seeing Shira's brilliant and confident smile after a performance had shown off all her hard work. Enjoy!