Warning- this post is full of bragging about my students. I’m SO proud of my 7 CM students because all of them scored Excellent in at least one aspect of piano! (Technique, sight reading and repertoire). 3 of them earned straight Excellents! The lowest of their scores was “good”, and none of them scored “average” or below! Each of them scored nice and high on their Theory tests! Students, please keep up the good work! And …here is one of my awesome students, Emily, displaying her trophy for 100% on her Theory/ear training exam! Very few examinees earn this trophy!

I’m on Cloud 9! I got this awesome email from my MTAC Diamond Bar CM chair.

Janice,

Prelude in C Major, BMV 846 by Bach, performed by my student, Justus at an MTAC general recital at Claremont United Methodist Church.

The first time I saw this piece performed by Ryan Gosling from La La Land, I knew I could do it too. This piece was very enjoyable to play. Listen to the whole thing, because the last part is surprising!

I have included in my blog on this website some of the pieces I performed in front Gerry Keeling, who is an official MTAC evaluator based in San Gabriel. I passed the audition stage. What this means is that I can offer the Certificate of Merit (CM) program for students, so they can participate in the standardized exams for California piano knowledge and ability. The branch I would be part of is in Diamond Bar. They offer Bach festivals and recitals for students in addition to CM. I anticipate enrolling at least 3 students for Certificate of Merit in Spring 2018.

Here, my student is performing “Moon River” at a Senior home in Claremont. It is a pleasure to work with him! He is talented, and I believe he can go much further with piano. I heard people say that they were teary-eyed and moved by this performance.

I am so proud of this lovely pre-teen! She started with me less than a year ago, brand-new to piano. I recommended a keyboard for her budget. Her enthusiasm has not worn off since. Now she is great at sight reading music notes and rhythms. My hope for her is that she continues to produce quality music, and progress with technique and polished playing, such as shaping phrases and using the pedal. Most importantly, I anticipate that her love for playing piano pays off!

Here is an innovative medley of 2 songs by Yiruma (“Kiss the Rain,” and “River Flows in You”) and Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”. She transitions to a new key signature for each song.

This is one of the songs I played, and passed the audition for the Music Teacher’s Association of California.

Here I am preparing to audition for the Music Teachers Association of California.