Friday, July 22, 2022 by LaDona Ahenda | Books

I've been reading pianist Jeremy Denk's book, Every Good Boy Does Fine, a book about piano lessons and performing. I laughed when I read the following passage about Sonatinas, those essential pieces that develop the skills and knowledge required to play the great Sonatas.

Sonatinas ... music so transcendentally mediocre that it is thought a child cannot ruin it. They follow a formula: You start with a cheerful tune and then play some scales, wrapping things up with the classical equivalent of "jazz hands." At the beginning of the second half, you get one semi-surprising shift, as if the piece were about to become interesting. This is just a decoy - soon you have to play the same dippy tunes and scales all over again. Sonatinas could be considered instruments of torture, despite and because of how happy they seem. 

As I browse through new books for fall teaching, I play each Sonatina as musically as I can possibly make it. Most Sonatinas have at least one or two turns of phrase that we can be made to sound quite beautiful.  And wait for a time when the student is able to play "the good stuff." 

Hats off to Clementi, Kuhlau, Diabelli, et al., for giving us these preparatory pieces. 

Friday, December 31, 2021 by LaDona Ahenda | Uncategorized

There was an excitement in the air. We were back in a good venue for a Christmas recital. There were colorful poinsettias decorating the space. It was so good to be able to have an in-person recital again. 

Our Christmas recital happened at the beginning of December, just before Omicron started making its way here. The space was big enough that even with capacity limits, students were able to bring parents and grandparents. 

This was our first public performance in two years. We prepped for the recital with another round of small masterclasses. The students were a bit rusty, and I was too! I hadn't actually prepped them on what to do if they got stuck in a piece during the performance. But it was all good, and everyone was so happy and supportive. 

Of course we did not have a reception afterwards, as we normally would have. But I was able to connect with most students and their families afterwards. The joy of music came through that night. 

Thursday, November 25, 2021 by LaDona Ahenda | Books

There does come a time when the assimilation of new knowledge must temporarily come to a halt. All the knowledge has to be shaken down, evaluated, and let lie, so that it can produce the fermentation needed to generate an inner response to it.

Stewart Gordon, Etudes for Piano Teachers