GLMF Piano Track Info

Info for GLMF 2014 will be posted by Sept 1, 2013.

The info below is from GLMF 2013 and will give you an idea of what is offered each year.

SESSION 1 (Friday, January 25)

3:30-4:20 Classical/Educational Workshops

  • Option 1: “How to Practice as Little as Possible…and Get BIG Results” by Janet Tschida in Century House Piano Lab—Learn practicing techniques that will produce results for the typical student who has too much to do and too little time.
  • Option 2: “Masterclass” by David Ledgerwood in Old Main 214—Prepare a piece  and sign up in advance. (Please see Masterclass Details below for more information).

SESSION 2 (Friday, January 25)

5:45-6:20 Church Music Workshops

  • Option 1: “LH Accompaniment Patterns” by Pam Loggans in Century House Piano Lab (follow the signs in Old Main)—Learn creative left hand accompaniment patterns that can be applied to several different hymns (intermediate level pianists).
  • Option 2: “Textual Hymn Improvisation” by David Ledgerwood in Old Main 214—Learn how to make improvisation decisions based on the text.
  • Option 3: “Creating a Ministry Notebook for the Church Pianist” by Ruth Brown in Dining Commons 102—Learn how to create a user-friendly ministry notebook for church preludes, communion, funerals, and weddings.

6:25-7:25 Collaborative Piano: Ensemble Options are listed from easiest to most difficult

  • Ensemble 1: Strauss’ Radetzky March arr. by Hughes—12 hands/2 pianos with Michelle Clater in Century House 153
  • Ensemble 2: Copland’s Hoedown arr. by Hughes—8 hands/2 pianos  with Janet Tschida in Century House Piano Lab
  • Ensemble 3: This Is My Father’s World arr. by Ream—8 hands/2 pianos  with David Ledgerwood in Century House 151

Please see Ensemble Details below for more information

SESSION 3 (Saturday, January 26)

10:15-11:00 Collaborative Piano—Ensemble Rehearsals

11:10-11:30 Technical Rehearsal in the Gym

Ensembles

General Information:

  • Ensemble rehearsals will be coached by Maranatha’s Piano Faculty.
  • Students will be assigned a part after they register online.
  • Students need to master their assigned part up to tempo before coming to Great Lakes Music Festival.
  • Students will perform the piece along with college piano majors and minors (some parts will be doubled).
  • Groups able to perfect their pieces will perform in the concert on Saturday.

Consider the Following when Choosing an Ensemble:

  • Performances of these pieces can often be heard on YouTube by typing in the title of the piece, the arranger, and the number of hands.
  • If you take private lessons, please ask your teacher for his/her advice.
  • Learn all of the parts if at all possible (this will help you perform much better in the ensemble).
  • Remember that performing a piece with several different parts is much more difficult than performing a solo (choose cautiously).

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Will I be auditioning for the concert performance? No, everyone will participate in the concert piano ensembles. We have 2 people per part (in some cases, a college student will be playing the part as well).
  • How will we all be able to play in the concert? In the concert area (the gym), we have two grands, and we move in two uprights. We will do one performance of each piece (8-12 performers per piece).
  • What if I cannot learn a certain section of my part? Please remember that there will be two people per part. Chances are, the other person WILL be able to play the section you cannot. We would prefer that you either “rest” during measures that are too difficult for you, or just play one hand for the sections you are unable to master by the festival.

Masterclass Info

The Masterclass has limited openings on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you plan to participate in the Masterclass, you must email janet.tschida@mbbc.edu the following no later than December 31.

  • Your name
  • Your teacher’s name
  • Your age
  • The title and composer/arranger of the piece you will perform
  • The length of the piece

Piano Competition

We are having a piano competition on Thursday, January 24. for advanced, high-school pianists. The contest is limited to the first ten qualifying applicants. For more information, see the piano competition page.