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The Story of The Nutcracker in Music Notes
This is the story of The Nutcracker, the most famous ballet of all time, in music notes. Just a few facts about what was happening in Tchaikovsky’s life while he was writing the music for this ballet. Many have a family tradition of going to a performance of the Nutcracker every year. While this year might be a little different, thanks to technology we can still access and enjoy the music we have come to love at Christmas. Tchaikovsky based the story on E.T.A. Hoffman’s fantasy story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The BBC has a dramatized recording of this story. There are other audio books and dramatized recordings that you can…
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Carol of the Bells – Easy Violin
It’s November! Can you believe it?!?! 2020 has flown and dragged on all at the same time. I’ve been teaching some classes online and haven’t had time to blog. But hopefully you’ll see some of the fruit of that work sometime. But, here is a free easy Christmas violin arrangement that I just did for my group class. I’ve been working on Christmas music with my private lesson students the last few weeks. There is so much good Christmas music out there. And I’ve just finally admitted to myself that I really love Christmas songs. Although by January I’m usually ready to not hear Jingle Bells for a veeeeerrry long…
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Piano Trio of the National Anthem
A friend recently asked if I could write an arrangement for piano trio of the national anthem. A local doctor/surgeon will assume the presidency of a national medical organization. She is a well known and well respected doctor in her field, but what her colleagues don’t know is that she considered being a concert pianist before choosing to become a surgeon. Her boys studied violin and cello in our Suzuki School. This Dr. Mom was their accompanist as they were learning and growing up. She wanted to surprise her colleagues at the opening of the convention by playing the national anthem with her sons. Here is the arrangement I came…
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A Beginner Christmas Practice Story
Where the idea came from I have 6 beginners that I started this year and I’m teaching the pre-Twinkle beginner group class at the Centenary Suzuki School. So, my brain has been full of all things beginner. We had our holiday concert last night and played all of our favorite beginner and open string songs. Songs like, Up Like a Rocket, and Pumpkin on a Fencepost, Listen to the Bird Tweet and Open String Blues. It will be 4 weeks before we have group class and so it got me to thinking about how to keep them practicing over the holiday break. So I created a beginner Christmas practice story.…
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We Wish You A Merry Christmas – String Orchestra
The Story This arrangement of We Wish You a Merry Christmas was written for the Liberian Youth Orchestra. Last year I heard via a friend on facebook that a mutual friend and string teacher from Michigan, Julie McGhee was starting a new youth orchestra in Liberia, West Africa. In November 2018 The Liberian Youth Orchestra was born. Through the use of distance learning technology, 34 children are learning to play violin and cello in their school. She visits the school a couple times a year to teach in person and to conduct concerts. I heard about her project through a metal friend on facebook, and sent her some of…
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Intermediate Violin Christmas Solo
Looking for violin Christmas music? It is that time of year when music teachers begin choosing and introducing Christmas music. (And you wonder why we are tired of it by the time Christmas rolls around?) There have been some years I have waited until Halloween in order to introduce pieces, but that means I often only have 3 or 4 weeks for them to learn the piece well enough to play at a Christmas recital. So I usually begin talking about titles and choosing music at the beginning of October. I had trouble finding Christmas music that challenged my intermediate and advanced students. Many of the publications I found are…
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Violin Solo of The Star Spangled Banner
Here is an arrangement of the United States national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner for solo violin. This violin solo is arranged for the late intermediate or advanced student. The technique needed in the left hand for the double-stop and triple stops would place this at a Level 6. The player will need to be comfortable playing in first and third positions as this arrangement uses double stops to provide the harmony. Opportunities to Perform Use this violin solo of “The Star Spangled Banner” to bring your string program or studio attention at events where the national anthem is needed. There are school and community sporting events, plays and productions, school flag raising ceremonies are all occasions…
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All I Want for Christmas is…
In the lines of that classic Christmas song, “All I want for Christmas…” Well it probably isn’t your two front teeth. But are you looking for Christmas gift ideas to inspire the string player in your life? Over the years parents and grandparents have asked me for some ideas for Christmas. Here are some ideas ranging from books and music to equipment. All I Want for Christmas is a Shoulder Rest Everest shoulder rests come in lots of colors which kids love! Everything from hot pink to light pink, red, dark purple, blue, dark blue, green, light purple, gray and the classic black. Before you order the shoulder rest, you will…
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Snowflake Hornpipe
If you are looking for some good winter music, check out Snowflake Hornpipe. We’ve got snow on the brain here in Colorado. Mostly because we haven’t gotten any! Ski resorts have delayed their opening, and we are all watching the weather forecasts hoping that a few little snowflakes are on the horizon. Well, ok, more than a few, actually we would like a lot of snow. Don’t get me wrong, I am loving the warm fall days full of sunshine, but our parched ground in desperate need of water. So here’s a little music to bring on the snow! Classical Winter Music Composers throughout the centuries have tried to capture and…
