I currently have three upcoming piano competitions. One is the district auditions, in which participants try out for the statewide Badger Competition. In this event, the judges require three memorized pieces, which are selected by the student and/or his teacher. My teacher, Dr. Arthur Johnson of Lakeland College and I have chosen the following pieces: "Sonata in A minor, third movement" (Schubert); "Sonata No.5 in G Major, first movement" (Mozart); and "Fugue from Toccata in E minor" (Bach). Last year I did well in the auditions, but I did horrible at the state level. I hope to do better this year! I am also composing a Fugue for an upcoming Composition Contest. This competition is put on by the Michibago Music Teachers Association. The individual wishing to participate must compose a piece, record it, and then send the recording along with the composition to the Association. The winners perform at the Plymouth Arts center. The Chopin Competition is the most distant and the biggest of the three. I will be preparing Polonaise in A flat Major, a twelve page work by Chopin. The partcipants compete for prizes of $200, $100, $75, and $50. Last year I took second. The competitiors must record their piece and send it to the judges of the competition. The staff of judges select between ten and fourteen winners from each category, and the winners compete for the prizes at Polish fest in Milwuakee in a big outdoor auditorium it front of a large audience. It is quite an experience! So there is some news from my musical life. I'll tell how I did in each of the competitions in a later post.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Upcoming Piano Competitions
Winter is Back . . . or Still Here
The storm hit, but not as hard as expected. Fourteen inches was predicted, but our area got around eight. It is the really packy type that is great for forts and snowball fights, but horrible for the shoveler. What a contrast to last weekend when we were driving around the South with windows down and sunroof wide open!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
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