tag:coribelle.com,2005:/blogs/musical-reflections?p=3Musical Reflections2024-02-20T16:25:43-08:00Cori Belle, pianistfalsetag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/73545112024-02-20T16:25:43-08:002024-02-20T16:25:43-08:00A Brave New World<p><span>Does that phrase inspire dread in you as you recall Aldous Huxley’s eerily relevant book of the same title? Or does it conjure up Disney-esque images of a princess and faux prince riding a magic carpet to a soaring soundtrack? It does a little bit of both for me. Mainly, it serves to describe the impression I have of the world in 2024 as I look around and see so many things changing. </span></p><p><span>Since the global pandemic in 2020 we have collectively experienced dramatic changes in communication, technology, customer service, news sources, and the list goes on. This global change is affecting musicians in staggering ways, both positive and negative. The question I keep returning to is, what does this mean for humanity?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>I took a Humanities course as an elective in high school, mostly as a way to hang with my choir friends, fill up the required number of courses in my schedule, and get an easy “A” from the choir director who taught the class. Ha! Little did I know, I would actually learn important things about the development of western music from Gregorian chant to modern day opera, oratorio, and the gamut of experimental music. Music history was covered in depth, and we were required to work out exercises in music theory and analysis, but the class covered far more than music. We explored the visual arts, ballet, scientific discoveries, world religions, and philosophy. It was a fascinating course; one I appreciate far more now as I look back as an adult!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>One of our most important discussions began on the first day of class as our teacher asked us, “What makes us human?” Immediately we smarty-pants teenagers came up with answers like, “humans breathe, communicate, marry, form families,” and so forth. But we were challenged for several days, and indeed throughout the duration of the course, to consider the question more fully. Animals breathe, communicate, and form attachments, with some species mating for life. What makes humans different, unique?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>Rather than make you agonize over an answer, I’ll give you a spoiler: it’s the humanities, the arts! It is those things like religion, philosophy, inquiry-based science, artistic expression…that give rise to questions like “Who is man and how did he get here? Why does man exist and what purpose should he accomplish? Where does order and design come from in nature and what purpose does it serve?” And it is the answer to these questions that drives artists, musicians, scientists, clergy, and philosophers in their work; their explorations produce the great writings, scientific discoveries, speeches, paintings, cathedrals, sculptures, and live performances that have nourished and perplexed humanity for thousands of years. It is all of this that we are in danger of losing to AI and this “brave new world” that is trying to force its way upon us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>We know this intuitively: technology does not, and cannot, ultimately satisfy the very human need for in-person connections. And yet, there is a real push to put everything online: recorded music, live concerts, piano lessons, choir rehearsals, phone calls, doctor visits, and education. The rising cost of everything drives some of this, of course, as it is more cost-effective to digitize and automate many aspects of work; but what is the human cost to all of this? What are we losing in terms of smiles, handshakes, chance meetings with new/old friends, breathing together as you make music in real time, engaging in face-to-face communication where you enjoy the sights and smells of the physical environment and the people you’re with, experiencing real-time conflict that begs resolution, and so many more human experiences that are integral to our growth and humanness?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>I am afraid I have more questions than answers at this point. This I know for sure, though, that it is vital for creatives to be asking these questions and striving to provide real, tangible, physical, in-person experiences for our communities. We need to build bridges for relating to each other in person.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>I don’t think our humanity is at stake; I have faith that God will preserve us for His will and in His way. But I do think that what is at stake is our dignity, respect for each other, and quality of life. As we increasingly interact in the digital world, we isolate ourselves from a physical reality and experience increasing levels of depression. Pretending that we can divorce ourselves from a physical reality is deceiving ourselves and a recipe for a very real loss of meaning and hope.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>Don’t get me wrong - the benefits of technology - namely, saving time and money - give us more leisure time than ever before. I love my dishwasher, washer and dryer, smart phone, and Alexa. I can accomplish more tasks and find information faster than I could just a few years ago. But what technology cannot give me is the feel of a friend’s hug or the salty smell of the seashore. It cannot engage with me in a meaningful dialogue, complete with disagreements, about why suffering seems to be a necessary part of life. It cannot replace the physical presence of my piano teacher scooting beside me on the bench to show me exactly how to shape a phrase physically and aurally. And all these things that technology cannot give me are the moments that I cherish most, the things that give meaning and pleasure to what can seem a very ordinary, mundane life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>The immediacy and appeal of the digital world is strong, but not impenetrable. It will take courage to create against the tide, to provide in-person experiences to help counteract the digital world’s tendency to consume. But it is necessary, to provide meaning and preserve human dignity both individually and corporately. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>What can we do today to turn off the tech (at least walk away for a time) and invest ourselves physically in our environment - our home, garden, neighborhood, gym, church, community center, church, choir, coffee shop - creating time and space for people to develop and flourish? Is it possible to create a brave new world in which technology can exist amicably beside well-rounded, respectful, purpose-driven human beings as a useful tool for, rather than the replacement of, a flourishing human society?</span></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/73537462024-02-19T09:57:39-08:002024-02-19T09:57:40-08:00Benediction of God in Solitude<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;">Where does this peace come from, O my God?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;">Where does this faith come from, with which my heart overflows?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;">To me who just now, uncertain, agitated,</span><br><span style="color:#202020;">And on the waves of doubt with every tossed wind,</span><br><span style="color:#202020;">Was looking for the good, the true, in the dreams of the wise,</span><br><span style="color:#202020;">And the peace in hearts resounding with storms?</span><br><span style="color:#202020;">Barely a few days have slipped on my forehead,</span><br><span style="color:#202020;">It seems to me that a century and a world have passed,</span><br><span style="color:#202020;">And that, separated from them by an immense abyss,</span><br><span style="color:#202020;">A new man in me is reborn and begins again.</span><br><span style="color:#202020;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">Thus begins a poem by Alphonse de Lamartine which inspired Franz Liszt to write music with the same title. (To read the rest of the poem, click </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=78b1f82e36&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">here</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">. You may have to use Google translate if it shows up in the original language of French!) I have long loved </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=090ad6af83&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Liszt's Liebestraum No.3</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">, and I adore his virtuosic and almost-impossible-to-play </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=d7793482f0&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Hungarian Rhapsodies</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">, but it wasn't until this week that I discovered his "Bénédiction de Dieu dans la Solitude." </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">If, like me, you are unfamiliar with this work, it is well worth your time to look it up. YouTube has a recording of Claudio Arrau playing it at a slow, meditative pace, fitting for the text. His is a beautiful, ethereal, meditative interpretation.</span></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="jN_corqaqgY" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jN_corqaqgY?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span style="color:#202020;">Alfred Brendel has also recorded his interpretation of the piece, but at a more moderate tempo, which helps the melody to really sing. Brendel does not hesitate to play with passion the brilliant climaxes within the piece. Both are fine performances, and I challenge you to choose a favorite!</span></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="FxdShCqcnd8" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FxdShCqcnd8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span style="color:#202020;">Liszt wrote this while at a chateau belonging to the Princess Carolyn von Sayn-Wittgenstein at a time when he was returning to his roots in the Catholic faith, and retreating from the limelight of public performance (he was quite the celebrity pianist) in order to spend more time composing. Pianist Stephen Hough, in Crisis Magazine, writes the following about this season of Liszt's life:</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;"><i><span>It is highly significant that one of the first pieces completed at this time was the Benediction, a double celebration of solitude in his retirement and of his rekindled faith in God. The musical leap is a chasmic one from the early operatic paraphrases and fiendish etudes to this long, ecstatic stretch of slow, serious material. The Benediction remained a favorite piece during the Weimar years, and Liszt would often choose to play it for students and friends at the candlelit soirees at the Altenburg. (</span></i></span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=ee1c960473&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;"><i><span>Click here for the rest of the article</span></i></span></a><span style="color:#202020;"><i><span>)</span></i></span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">This particular piece is part of a larger collection called "Harmonies poétiques et religieuses." You can listen to the whole set below.</span></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="gsc7b_w62g8" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gsc7b_w62g8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span style="color:#202020;">The pianist above performed this at age 85... <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">...Goals!</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;"> <strong>Piano Lessons for Homeschoolers</strong><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p><span style="color:#202020;">I have loved returning to piano teaching this year! My students are eager, quick learners, and we are having great fun in both our one-on-one lessons and our "piano parties"! The latter are group lessons we have every 5-6 weeks, in which we review music theory concepts by playing games, learn about various composers, and perform for each other. It is such fun to develop a community of budding pianists and to watch their love for, and skill at, the piano improve. If you know of someone who would like to join us during the school day, I would appreciate the referral! Information can be found on my </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=6d152b1334&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">website</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">. </span></p><p><span><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/3948024fd0df4b810b1737492/images/a4ec91eb-325b-925e-f253-5d1aaf02c2e5.png" class="size_orig justify_center border_" id="_x0000_i1025" width="564" /></span></p><h2 style="text-align:center;"><span><strong>What to Listen to?</strong><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p><span style="color:#202020;"> There are several great resources for finding, and learning more about, classical music. Some of my favorites are listed below.</span><br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=6546c27eef&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">The Art of the Piano: It's Performers, Literature, and Recordings by David Dubal</span></a><br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=1d40f78805&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">The Piano : A History in 100 Pieces by Susan Tomes</span></a><br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=0609b4f1ea&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">What to Listen for in Music by Aaron Copland</span></a></p><h2 style="text-align:center;"><span><strong>Around the Web</strong><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p><span style="color:#202020;"> A provocative article titled </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=e33ecb70df&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">"The Real Threat to Classical Music,"</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> challenges current cultural ideas around the relevance of Western European classical music.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Along the same lines, how should we think about classical music? Jarrod Richey proposes a way that supercedes our individual preferences in </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=40900bc5ea&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">"More Than Feelings: Some Key Concepts in Thinking about 'Musical Maturity."</span></a><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Lastly, in </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=5edc4fb20d&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">this podcast</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">, Tricia Hulet, director of The Master's University's Theater Arts program, considers how Christians can pursue authenticity and excellence in the performing arts.</span></p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's February 2024 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/73255292023-12-28T14:51:42-08:002024-02-19T09:51:30-08:00Merry Christmas Eve<p><strong>Merry Christmas Eve!</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">Christmas is coming! With Thanksgiving being early this year, it seems as if we have been in a long season of anticipation, and with it came the annual assault on Christmas. I am not talking about attempts to "cancel Christmas"; instead, I have been chased by the relentless noise of commercialism in the media. It started with our annual tradition of watching Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, which seemed like more of a long commercial break than a showcase of artistic floats and musicians. Then, our family attended "Snowflake Lane," a derivative of NYC's Macy's Parade, with too many fluffy songs about Christmas magic and too few meaningful carols or symbols of the holy-day. We listened to Christmas music curated by Alexa and Spotify, only to hear Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" on repeat, and relentless upbeat, jingle bell-y advertisements for cell phones and music subscriptions for purchase "with no ads." It was enough to turn anyone into a bit of a Scrooge!</span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">And yet, in the midst of the noise, we made time to be culture-shapers in our own home, car, school, and church. We found our much-loved Christmas CDs and channels by artists who have musical integrity and wonderful creativity in bringing the Christmas story to life again. I had the privilege of putting together a condensed version of Bach's Christmas Oratorio (originally six hours long!) for our school's concert, and our girls sang selections from both the Oratorio and Handel's Messiah while images of the nativity painted by Da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Botticelli played in the background. I played a selection of classically arranged Christmas carols in the lobby at our church between services, as well as providing music for the senior citizens' Christmas luncheon. My husband and I chaperoned a school event of 9th and 10th graders, dressed in modest semi-formal attire, to a fancy dinner and a Victorian-era play inspired by Jane Austen. In our own little way, we curated our own Christmas "playlist." I hope that we also spread not only "Christmas cheer," but the beauty and reverence due our Lord Jesus, whom we celebrate at this time of year. </span></p><p> </p><p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/8fba878a8d9ab0d6bf35c31d4e96bff82c6af593/original/ai-generated-8445755-640.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p> </p><p><span style="color:#202020;"><strong>Christmas Gifts</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">It may be too late to run out for any last Christmas gifts, but I have been enjoying a daily advent reader this December that provides some meditations on Handel's Messiah (along with an enclosed CD!). The book provides some wonderful insights into the text, as well as beautiful artwork and selections of the score. I highly recommend it: </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=a60638642c&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">The Handel's Messiah Family Advent Reader</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Another interesting read is </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=1e3a7ef4db&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">The Man Who Invented Christmas</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">, a biography of Charles Dickens. The author makes a case for Dickens being responsible for popularizing some of our well-loved Christmas traditions: decorating the tree, feasting with family and friends, giving generously. Of course there is discussion of how <u>A Christmas Carol</u> came to be, but did you know that for several years Dickens produced Christmas-themed stories in periodicals? One of my girls is reading <u>Great Expectations</u> this year, after having read <u>A Tale of Two Cities</u> last year and <u>A Christmas Carol</u> the year before. Although hers is required reading for school, I have enjoyed revisiting these books and becoming reacquainted with the social commentary Dickens provided through his novels. </span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;"><strong>This is My Story. This is My Song.</strong></span></p><p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/4a6a46fa1b3202c6da1ed8ca74e115a8707acff0/original/dsc0233-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p> </p><p><span style="color:#202020;">I'm presenting a new concert in January at my church, this time for the seniors' group (but you are all welcome!). On <span><strong>Thursday, January 11th, from 10:00-11:30am</strong></span>, I will be presenting "This is My Story. This is My Song" at Canyon Hills Community Church in Bothell. This is a program of hymns and classical music by composers such as Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Liszt, accompanied by my personal testimony of God's faithfulness as a Master Gardener who began a good work in me, called on me to "plant" and "water" His gifts well, and continues to grow me up in Him. More than a performance, this is a call to worship the Giver of all good gifts and give glory to the One who is writing <i><span>your</span></i> story. If you are free, please come! No tickets or admission are required.</span></p><p><strong>Around the Web</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">Another gem from pianist-writer Susan Tomes, as she muses on </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=9f20bed2ce&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">the view from a window</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">. </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">A pianist gives perspective on </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=79e09d9d88&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">classical music in Kenya</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span></p><p><i>This content is from Cori's November-December 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/72870542023-10-12T21:19:42-07:002024-02-19T09:51:30-08:00Fall News from Cori Belle<p><span><strong>Happy Fall Y'all!</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">My October is packed with volleyball games, fall school events, and music! I am enjoying my new piano students, and am looking forward to performing at a private house concert tomorrow and a Hispanic Heritage Concert a week from Saturday. I am sure you are also finding it hard to find much "down time" but I hope you will squeeze some time in to enjoy music, either in person at a concert, or listening on a commute or lunch break. There are several worthwhile links at the bottom of this newsletter that I hope will inspire you in your own creative pursuits!</span></p><p><span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span><strong>Hispanic Heritage Concert 10/14</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><br><span style="color:#202020;"><i><span>This is music that could only have been written by a "man of Latin America," as he liked to call himself. He does more than utilize folk-melodies; he creates his own brand of "imaginary folklore," definitely influenced by what Kodály and Bartok achieved with their use of Hungarian folk-material. The sounds of the South American plains are part of his color world: the "night" sounds, the Latin dance rhythms--all contribute to Ginastera's personal musical language. The gaucho (the Argentine cowboy) becomes the mythical hero, and we can see and hear him dancing the malambo--a virile dance where one gaucho tries to outdo the other by showing off his difficult dance steps. </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align:right;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>- Barbara Nissman, </i></span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=d395fb5b05&e=d912e37afe"><span style="color:#007C89;"><i>https://www.barbaranissman.com/remembering-ginastera</i></span></a><span style="color:#202020;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><br><span style="color:#202020;">Alberto Ginastera is just one of several featured composers in this October's Hispanic Heritage Concert, part of the newly formed Snohomish Concert Series. On <span><strong>October 14th</strong></span>, soprano Elizabeth Galafa Ylaya and classical guitarist Eli Schille-Hudson will join me in presenting the wonderful music of Latin America. </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=39053319da&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Tickets are available now</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">!</span></p><p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/6ecdef85def2653d69962e9dba5c1033158c8e00/original/hispanic-heritage.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_inline border_" /><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>How a Piano is Made</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">I am a sucker for videos that show how a piano is made, and the following tells the story of the Mason & Hamlin pianos. We had one such piano in the practice rooms when I was in college, and it was a wonderful instrument. The craftsmanship that goes into each individual piano is inspiring.</span></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="w5uBXYAeOxg" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w5uBXYAeOxg?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>Around the Web</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">This fascinating </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=71f5a49af1&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">hour-long interview</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> discusses the evolution of the piano concerto and highlights a cool new piano concerto by Teddy Abrams.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Check out </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=b5c129d9f4&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">this list</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> of 50 of the greatest classical pianists on record, complete with listening examples.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">The BBC looks into the </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=82be2b6e9d&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's study</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> exploring the desire of audiences to "modernize" classical concerts. Good idea or terrible idea?</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">A brief </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=84f3954fb2&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">look at the world through the eyes of a child</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">...or of any creative artist?!</span></p><p><i>This content is from Cori's Fall 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/72696042023-09-06T19:11:39-07:002024-02-18T22:27:21-08:00August News from Cori Belle<p><strong>Happy “New” Year!</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">As summer draws to a close, those of us with school-age children gear up for a new year. Stores have been anticipating this for the last two months, displaying school supplies just a week or two after school got out for the summer! We, however, didn't "bite" at the first sales, but just now are getting around to preparing for the return to school with its requisite new shoes, new notebooks, and new lunchboxes.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">I love fall in the Pacific Northwest, when the morning air begins to have a hint of crispness, the leaves begin to change, and the Starbucks menu showcases autumnal flavors: cinnamon, pumpkin spice!</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Although we are not quite there yet (the sky is smoky from neighboring forest fires, the weather is quite warm, and gardens are still producing their summer crops), I am looking forward to the return of school routines, fall sports, and new projects! Below you'll find two of them: a return to piano teaching, and a new concert series. </span></p><p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/42e0dd81820f642f678343f1bb1a02c9d5c26873/original/piano-3.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#202020;">This fall, I am offering piano lessons to homeschoolers during the school day!</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">From September to May, lessons will take place in my home and will consist of both private and group lessons. Private lessons are what you normally think of when you think of piano lessons: one-on-one time with a teacher, working at your own pace, with teaching tailored to your unique needs. Group lessons will occur every five weeks and will provide a small community of piano students who come together to play for each other in a welcoming environment, play music theory games, and study music history with its notable composers in more depth.</span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">For more information, check out the link </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/piano-studio" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;"><i>here</i></span><span style="color:#202020;">.</span></a><br><br><strong>Save the Date!</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;"><i>This is music that could only have been written by a "man of Latin America," as he liked to call himself. He does more than utilize folk-melodies; he creates his own brand of "imaginary folklore," definitely influenced by what Kodály and Bartok achieved with their use of Hungarian folk-material. The sounds of the South American plains are part of his color world: the "night" sounds, the Latin dance rhythms--all contribute to Ginastera's personal musical language. The gaucho (the Argentine cowboy) becomes the mythical hero, and we can see and hear him dancing the malambo--a virile dance where one gaucho tries to outdo the other by showing off his difficult dance steps. </i></span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align:right;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>- Barbara Nissman, </i></span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=7883aafd17&e=d912e37afe"><span style="color:#007C89;"><i>https://www.barbaranissman.com/remembering-ginastera</i></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p><br><span style="color:#202020;">Alberto Ginastera is just one of several featured composers in this October's Hispanic Heritage Concert, part of the newly formed Snohomish Concert Series. On <span><strong>October 14th</strong></span>, soprano Elizabeth Galafa Ylaya and classical guitarist Eli Schille-Hudson will join me in presenting the wonderful music of Latin America. </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=c3fb91eda8&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">Tickets are available now</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">!</span></p><p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/6ecdef85def2653d69962e9dba5c1033158c8e00/original/hispanic-heritage.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Around the Web</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">Free scores of technical exercises for advanced pianists are available on IMSLP, as well as many other classical pieces in the public domain. Find a brief list of these </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=e9c737b3c0&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">here</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">, including some by Hanon and Czerny.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Another wonderful library can be found on YouTube: check out some </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=2a11a48482&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">practice clinic videos</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> covering a variety of standard teaching repertoire at all levels.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Musings on </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=a457872c5c&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">memorization</span></a><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Jarrod Richey makes the case for </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=1a239befc3&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">bringing musical literacy back into the church</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span></p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's August 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/72374392023-07-05T19:29:44-07:002024-02-18T22:27:38-08:00July News from Cori Belle<p><span><strong>Happy 4th of July!</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">As we celebrate the birth of our country, it is a great time to reflect on the many freedoms we enjoy because of the sacrifices of so many men and women who came before us. </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">During the "pause" of 2020, my friend Seiko Werts helped me to put together a patriotic program for a virtual house concert. Even though we worked in isolation, this remains one of my favorite musical projects because of the wonderful music we got to perform. The whole recital is below, with songs by Copland, Beethoven, Gershwin, and several beloved spirituals. Enjoy!</span></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Hzg0fl52NzU" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hzg0fl52NzU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><span style="color:#00509F;"><strong>AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL</strong></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>By Katharine Lee Bates (1893)</strong></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>O beautiful for spacious skies,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>For amber waves of grain,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>For purple mountain majesties</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Above the fruited plain!</strong></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>America! America!</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>God shed His grace on thee,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>And crown thy good with brotherhood</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>From sea to shining sea!</strong></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>O beautiful for pilgrim feet</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Whose stern impassion'd stress</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>A thorough fare for freedom beat</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Across the wilderness.</strong></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>America! America!</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>God mend thine ev'ry flaw,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Confirm thy soul in self-control,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Thy liberty in law.</strong></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>O beautiful for heroes prov'd</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>In liberating strife,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Who more than self their country loved,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>And mercy more than life.</strong></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>America! America!</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>May God thy gold refine</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Till all success be nobleness,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>And ev'ry gain divine.</strong></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>O beautiful for patriot dream</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>That sees beyond the years</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Thine alabster cities gleam</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>Undimmed by human tears.</strong></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>America! America!</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>God shed his grace on thee,</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>And crown thy good with brotherhood</strong></span></span><br><span style="color:#00509F;"><span><strong>From sea to shining sea.</strong></span></span><span style="color:#202020;"> </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"> </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span><strong>A Gathering of Friends</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#202020;">We had a wonderful house concert last month - our first since 2019! Soprano Stacey Mastrian and I enjoyed presenting a program of classical and musical theater pieces to an enthusiastic audience. You can hear some of what we did </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=340d296ccf&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">here</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/07e76a461a14149c6266af174296cc76a99363d6/original/stacey-and-cori.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_left border_" /><p> </p><p style="text-align:justify;"> </p><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align:center;"> </h2><p> </p><p><span><strong>Around the Web</strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">Piano makers are experimenting with a </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=484cd69ec4&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">new design for pianos</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">. What do you think?</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Some beautiful performances by pianist Valentina Lisitsa: </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=bcc3bc25a4&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 Op. 57 in F minor "Appassionata"</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> and </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=0ce0388790&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Chopin Fantasie Impromptu Op. 66</span></a><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">An engaging </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=87c54e22ca&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">interview between conductor Gustavo Dudamel and pianist Yuja Wang</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> about their recent performance of all the Rachmaninoff concertos</span><br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=f664fca0bf&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Navajo Vocable for Piano No. 9 by Connor Chee</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">, from an album of piano pieces inspired by traditional Navajo music</span></p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's July 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i><o:p></o:p></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/72121992023-05-19T12:57:36-07:002024-02-19T09:34:21-08:00May News from Cori Belle<p><span><strong>Happy May!</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">April showers bring...May flowers! We are experiencing glorious sunshine and blooming flowers in this beautiful Pacific Northwest spring...and what better way to complement the beauty of God's creation than an offering of music?</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">My May is full of music! I recently played for one of my daughters at the local Solo and Ensemble festival. It was her first time performing for an adjudicator, and she earned high praise for her performance on trumpet! She will also be performing in front of peers at school this month, and I will accompany her as well as the choirs at their Scottish Highlander-themed arts and music festival. </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">This weekend I will dive into Dvorak's Piano Quintet Op. 81 (Enjoy this music via the video below!) as I take part in the Associated Chamber Music Players "Worldwide Play-In" event. ACMP is an international network of amateur chamber music players. It is free for any musician to join, and they host various workshops and "play-ins." A play-in is just like it sounds: a bunch of musicians get together to play music. There is no stage, no audience, no performance pressure - just music and musicians and an opportunity to play! This month's Seattle play-in is full at this time, but if you are interested in playing in a future play-in, or in learning more about what ACMP offers, check out their </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=147c62f2b9&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">website</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">! </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Finally, I have some gorgeous music to share with you at our next Indie Musikhaus! Read on for more details on our upcoming concert!</span></p><p><span><strong>Dvorak's Piano Quintet in A major</strong></span></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="QpjIPydS-i4" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QpjIPydS-i4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><span><strong>Indie Musikhaus Returns: A Gathering of Friends</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">Let's get together - ya, ya, ya! I am excited to bring back Indie Musikhaus after a three-year break! Soprano Stacey Mastrian and I have put together a program of some of the most beautiful music: Liszt, Puccini, Rachmaninoff, and some lighter selections from musical theater and folk music. You can view the whole program </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=ad3c556793&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">here</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">The program draws its theme from the song "Over the Rainbow," from The Wizard of Oz. It is the idea of reflecting on days past (Troubled Water, Shenandoah) and looking ahead to brighter days to come (Come to My Garden, My Favorite Things). Longing and gratitude come together, bound by hope and love. </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Join us for "A Gathering of Friends" as we reflect on where we've been and look forward to what is ahead! The concert will be <span><strong>Saturday, June 17th, at 2pm</strong></span>. Please </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=cdb01f31a4&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">RSVP</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> with your name and how many people will be attending so we can save a place for you!</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">As always, we will send you directions upon receipt of your RSVP. We will take a suggested cash donation of $10-15 at the concert. If you would prefer to Venmo, you may do so ahead of time to Cori-Belle (image is piano keys). We can't wait to see you!</span></p><p><strong>Artist Spotlight: Stacey Mastrian</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">Dr. Stacey Mastrian, soprano, will be joining me in next month's Indie Musikhaus. She is a delightful person and a wonderfully talented musician. You will love hearing her! In fact, </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=702f75d628&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">click here to listen</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> to a sample of her work. You may also view her bio and hear more of her music on her </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=bc4c2adcd7&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">website</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span></p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/3407c5b5deaf811c32b88abee42063792c544a77/original/stacey-mastrian.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Around the Web</strong></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">The Seattle Chamber Music Society is offering over 30 free concerts this summer! Check out their </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=be489f8cd9&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Concert Truck schedule</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> and their </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=0e281c2e06&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Music in the Parks schedule</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">PNW composer Morten Lauridsen is selling some original manuscripts of his compositions </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=a190ab1e01&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">here</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">The Cross-Eyed pianist and blogger, Frances Wilson, suggests a new term for practicing in short bits: </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=0ae51dcafb&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">practice snacking</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Thoughts on </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=78d128b11a&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">sightreading at the piano </span></a><span style="color:#202020;">and tips on improving in this area!</span><br> </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=fd3fa1498f&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">Trill technique</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">!</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#202020;"><strong>Upcoming Events</strong></span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=0d9945d3ce&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;"><strong>Saturday, June 17th @ 2pm</strong></span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> - "A Gathering of Friends" Indie Musikhaus house concert with soprano Stacey Mastrian and pianist Cori Belle </span></p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's May 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71848402023-04-05T18:47:04-07:002024-02-18T22:30:58-08:00March-April News from Cori Belle<p><span><strong>Spring Renewal</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>"Like Adam, we have all lost Paradise;</i></span><br><span style="color:#202020;"><i><span>and yet we carry Paradise around inside of us</span></i></span><br><span style="color:#202020;"><i><span>in the form of a longing for, almost a memory of,</span></i></span><br><span style="color:#202020;"><i><span>a blessedness that is no more,</span></i></span><br><span style="color:#202020;"><i><span>or the dream of blessedness that may someday be again."</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>Frederick Buechner, The Magnificent Defeat</i></span><br> </p><p><span style="color:#202020;">It's Spring! Or...is it? In the grand Pacific Northwest, we have been experiencing sun, rain, hail, corn snow, and the other night - thunder and lightning! Though it is cold, I love seeing signs of life returning: cherry blossoms, tulips, azaleas. Even my berry bushes and hydrangea are beginning to leaf, and I anticipate warmer days...soon?! </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">It has been a while since I have shared my music with you, and I am excited to give you a glimpse of what I have been working on since 2020. In the early days of the pandemic, I felt much darkness due to social isolation, political unrest, and a general spiritual heaviness. In some ways, light and joy have returned, but in other ways the darkness persists. I am sure you feel this in some measure. </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">We long for better days, for harmonious relations between people, for physical and mental healing, for our world to be put right. To me, this longing is so well captured in the song "Over the Rainbow."</span><br><br> </p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="m3CAlY1wjHA" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m3CAlY1wjHA?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span style="color:#202020;">The same longing, but with a bit of nostalgia mixed in (as in the quote by Buechner, above), is expressed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in the Prelude in D.</span><br><br> </p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Eg9KQ3X-Rq8" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Eg9KQ3X-Rq8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span style="color:#202020;">Finally, the longing is at least partially fulfilled in a love relationship intimately, yet passionately, demonstrated in Franz Listz's Liebestraum No. 3. </span><br><br> </p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="905L3RGngc0" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/905L3RGngc0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span style="color:#202020;">For the Christian, these longings find their fulfillment in a relationship with the Creator God, who sent Jesus as a bridge to make right our relationship with Him. And we rest our hope on this same Jesus, who will one day return to put all things right. This is what we celebrate at Easter - looking back at what God has done, and looking forward to what He will do.</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>God does not create a longing or a hope without having a fulfilling reality ready for them. But our longing is our pledge, and blessed are the homesick, for they shall come home.</i></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>Isak Dinesen, Babette’s Feast and Other Anecdotes of Destiny</i></span></p><p> </p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, </i></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” </i></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#202020;"><i>(</i></span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=c59dd5169d&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;"><i>John 3:16</i></span></a><span style="color:#202020;"><i> NIV)</i></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"> </p><p><span style="color:#202020;">I hope you enjoy this music, and that it causes you to reflect and celebrate as we enter this Easter weekend! </span></p><p> </p><p><span><strong>Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 2</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">In 2019, I had the privilege of performing Felix Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Kirkland Civic Orchestra. This is a piece I had studied in college, and it is one of two concerti that Mendelssohn wrote. Both demand sparkling, fast fingerwork, and both contain some of the most beautiful melodies. Beyond that, they are such fun to play! At long last, I am happy to share video of the performance with you. </span></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="LPaMz2diBh0" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LPaMz2diBh0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><span><strong>Fazioli Pianos</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">One of the pianists I follow is Angela Hewitt, who is a wonderful interpreter of Bach. She most often performs on a Fazioli piano. Here is a wonderful documentary of the Fazioli piano, accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack of pianists. (Fair warning: the video is in Italian, with English subtitles, so you will need to carve out time to watch it. It's worth it!)</span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=SvRlirPq06c">Dal Sogno al Suono (From the Dream to the Sound) - YouTube</a></p><p> </p><p><span><strong>Around the Web</strong></span></p><p><br><span style="color:#202020;">In my January newsletter, I mentioned a new show in the UK called "The Piano." </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.pianistmagazine.com/news/13-year-old-blind-pianist-leaves-crowd-and-judges-speechless-in-new-piano-show/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">Here is a follow-up piece</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> about one blind pianist that appeared on the show. Read the article and click on the associated links. The documentary is particularly fascinating, as it gives a glimpse of how a piano teacher works with this severely challenged student - with amazing results.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">And...Frances Wilson, the </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2023/03/19/the-power-of-music-the-piano-on-channel-4/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">Cross-eyed pianist, gives her thoughts on the show</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Needing inspiration? How about a </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/classical-music/bellevue-pianist-michi-hirata-north-has-a-concert-coming-up-at-age-91/?utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning+Brief+3-28-23_3_28_2023&utm_term=Active%20subscriber" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">concert by a local 91-year-old pianist</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">? Bellevue pianist Michi Harata North will perform this April 16th.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Some behind-the-scenes talk about </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKwMqFpVyQw" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">performance anxiety</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> and </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GViIC75s1H0" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">memorization</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">, topics on the Cross-eyed Pianist's new podcast.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Beautiful video, beautiful lyrics, and beautiful music: </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=936BapRFHaQ" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">"He will Hold me Fast" by Keith and Kristyn Getty</span></a></p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's March-April 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71631962023-03-01T12:51:50-08:002024-02-18T22:38:09-08:00February News from Cori Belle<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/b3beb053b92ea1dc9fbacd2a99577b2a6403490f/original/forest.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p><span><strong>Refreshed</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;"><i>"The mountains are calling and I must go." John Muir</i></span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#202020;">Well, maybe not the mountains exactly, but the redwoods! My family and I spent last week in the bay area enjoying a rental house nestled in the California redwoods. Beautiful homes peek out amongst these awe-inspiring trees. Just a short 10-minute walk "through the neighborhood" brought my girls and I to a series of three small "wells" and then a waterfall! I found myself trying to imagine what it must be like to be a full-time resident in this area. Would I get any work done at all?! The call of the woods, fresh air, and easy walking trails is just too enticing. At any rate, it made for a memorable vacation, and we all appreciated the slower pace amongst such beauty. </span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;"><strong>Finding “Hope” in the Works of J.S. Bach</strong></span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://jarrodrichey.substack.com/p/hope-in-song?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">Here is a wonderful article</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> exploring the theme of hope in the music of J.S. Bach. Of particular note is Bach's use of chorale tunes in the final "Chaconne" movement of his famous Partita for Violin. I love this piece, which has been transcribed for piano, and I hope to bring it back into my fingers in the near future! </span></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="sw9DlMNnpPM" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sw9DlMNnpPM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span style="color:#202020;"><strong>Slow and Steady Wins the Race</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">"Going slow to go fast" is so antithetical to my impatient nature! But slowing down to analyze a piece before, or while, studying at the keyboard really does produce better, more secure performances. This article explains </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://practisingthepiano.com/engaging-your-mind-learning-a-new-piano-piece/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">how to engage your mind learning a new piece</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Below is an excerpt from </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_MwPdr7WXQ" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">Chopin's Scherzo in Bb minor, Op. 31</span></a><span style="color:#202020;">. I was practicing this today - a piece from my college days that I am reworking (and re-memorizing!). It is tempting to just plow through and play what I remember using muscle memory, but I know that is not reliable under the pressure of performance, so I am forcing myself to slow down and secure small sections by focusing on key centers and consciously noticing patterns.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Here, you'll see that I found that the left hand moves down the scale in octaves for eight measures, which is very helpful - because the jump from beat one to beat two in each measure is the same note - just an octave higher. If I can remember the starting note (Bb), I should be able to get through this passage! :) The intervals in the third beat lie nicely in the left hand, as is so wonderfully common with Chopin, but as extra insurance I will need to block (combine) the notes from the second and third beats to better understand harmonically where he is going.</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">The right-hand octave melody is not only singable, but to find the starting pitch of each eighth-triplet set, I can connect it to the preceding octave by noticing that in the first measure it is a minor third above, then the third measure is a step above, then the fifth measure a minor third above, then the seventh measure is a step above. Cool, isn't it? </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">This kind of work is helpful in the initial memory phase. I admit that I do not always think this way in performance, especially when the piece is flying by at a fast tempo! However, there are times when I need to focus my attention on more than just communicating a beautiful melody or admiring the sound (!), and instead talk myself through a passage like this: ("B-flat, minor third, A-flat, step," etc.). It seems a bit sterile, but it is life-saving to have these things to hang onto when my attention starts to wander in performance!</span></p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/4278a9e4ebb391609d9ac1e5922430231ccccee0/original/chopin-bb-scherzo-excerpt.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p><span style="color:#202020;"><strong>Around the Web</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#202020;">And going even slower...Perhaps this is a technique those of you in retirement can try: </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://practisingthepiano.com/how-to-begin-a-new-piece-guest-post/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">How to Begin a New Piece</span></a><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=62cb51de9b&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;">.</span></a><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">More on approaching </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://practisingthepiano.com/a-sound-investment/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">practicing as an investment</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> in future performances. The last suggestion, keeping a practice diary, is one I use often!</span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">Pianists pursue so many different career paths. Here is </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://practisingthepiano.com/a-short-essay-on-the-life-of-a-pianist/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">"A Short Essay on the Life of a Pianist."</span></a><span style="color:#202020;"> </span><br><br><span style="color:#202020;">There is a </span><a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.susantomes.com/channel-4-the-piano-lang-lang-mika/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#007C89;">new show in the UK called "The Piano"</span></a><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3948024fd0df4b810b1737492&id=6c72eb3b55&e=d912e37afe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#007C89;"> </span></a><span style="color:#202020;">that sounds intriguing - something like "The Voice" for pianists. I wonder if it will ever end up airing here? </span></p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/51313/cdfa540d23e1ed881f060b70d0b760894b11d76b/original/rachmaninoff-fingers.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's February 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71367532023-01-11T16:03:51-08:002024-02-18T22:31:47-08:00January News from Cori Belle<p><strong>The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces </strong></p><p>Pianist-writer Susan Tomes has put together a wonderful compilation of mini-essays on 100 pieces written for piano in <a class="no-pjax" href="https://a.co/d/e9oSnOH" data-link-type="url" contents="her newest book">her newest book</a>. Though not a strictly "solo piano" list, each piece that she highlights contains writing that makes the piano an important figure in the composition - either as "star" performer, as in a piano concerto, or as an equal partner in a collaborative instrumental piece. Tomes' writing style makes this an easy read, with fun anecdotes about composers and historical settings as well as notes on the technical side of things. </p><p>Here's a fun New Year's goal: as you read through this book, make a point of listening to each piece on YouTube or Spotify or your choice of listening platform. You will find some gems and maybe gather inspiration for working on some of the pieces yourself! <br> </p><p><strong>Musical Inspiration </strong></p><p>Here is a wonderful way to start off the New Year. I stumbled on this video via social media the other day. The accompanist is a former mentor-teacher of mine, Dr. Ann Nagell. This performance is part of a concert series held at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, and believe me when I say it is a treat. Melissa has chosen some of my very favorite songs for soprano. I hope you love listening as much as I have!</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="1dXyv5OptZ4" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1dXyv5OptZ4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>More Inspiration for the New Year</strong></p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="fOcxVxaVp4M" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fOcxVxaVp4M?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>Ann Wood is a wonderful artist. She dabbles in the sewing world as well as in cooking and painting. Her monthly newsletters are a fun piece of eye candy and often inspire me to go make "something." In <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.annwoodhandmade.com/the-shimmering-space-between/" data-link-type="url" contents="this month's installment">this month's installment</a> she reflects on last year's 100 day sewing challenge, in which she made a point of sewing something every day for 100 days. I think she is right on the mark in starting with the discipline of getting to work each day, as routine often breeds creativity. The point is to set aside time each day to do something! </p><p>The video above shows the result of last year's 100 day project. This is what she has to say about it: "This book, this process was full of surprises for me. Daily practice reveals things and it’s an excellent place for ideas to turn up. Ideas like a reliable place to show up." </p><p>Show up! Commit to daily practice and see what creative fruit results!</p><p><strong>Favorite Books from 2022 </strong></p><p>I continue in my pursuit of great books for kids, and my favorite YA fiction novel last year was <a class="no-pjax" href="https://a.co/d/0W7E5yy" data-link-type="url" contents="Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido">Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido</a>. It is the story of a twelve year old girl who moves to a new state and school and tries to find where she belongs. Her parents are classical musicians, but although she loves music she is not great at it. She finds her place instead in a computer coding class. Written in poetic form (and Java script!), this is a very clever, inspiring book! </p><p>More fun Young Adult fiction: </p><p>Redwall by Brian Jacques <br>Fablehaven books 1-4 by Brandon Mull <br>Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman </p><p>Young Adult historical fiction: </p><p>Words on Fire by Jennifer Nielsen <br>Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys </p><p>Several Nonfiction favorites last year: </p><p>The Woman All Spies Fear: Codebreaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield <br>The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe <br>A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte <br>The White Cascade: The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America's Deadliest Avalanche by Gary Krist <br>The Good Rain: Across Time and Terrain in the Pacific Northwest by Timothy Egan <br>The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball <br>The Gift of Good Land: Further Essays Cultural and Agricultural by Wendell Berry <br>Parenting Generation Screen: Guiding Your Kids to be Wise in a Digital World by Jonathan McKee <br>A Rebel's Manifesto: Choosing Truth, Real Justice, and Love amid the Noise of Today's World by Sean McDowell</p><p><strong>Around the Web </strong></p><p>The writers at Stoney Creek Farm remind us that <a class="no-pjax" href="https://stoneycreekfarmtennessee.com/the-feast-is-over/" data-link-type="url" contents="The Feast is Over">The Feast is Over</a>! How's that for New Year's inspiration?! As you clear out the old to make room for the new, take time to revisit these healthy habits that may have dwindled over the holidays! </p><p>Jarrod Richey offers some ideas for <a class="no-pjax" href="https://jarrodrichey.substack.com/p/musical-fellowship-in-the-new-year?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=580641&post_id=93664360&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email" data-link-type="url" contents="Expanding Music Enjoyment in Community">Expanding Music Enjoyment in Community</a> that you might like to try in the New Year. </p><p>Some <a class="no-pjax" href="http://ericaannsipes.blogspot.com/2023/01/approaching-practicing-and-performing.html" data-link-type="url" contents="good perspective on practicing">good perspective on practicing</a>. And another article approaching <a class="no-pjax" href="http://ericaannsipes.blogspot.com/2011/02/addicted-to-practicing.html" data-link-type="url" contents="practicing as problem-solving">practicing as problem-solving</a>. </p><p>Pianist and writer Susan Tomes shares her <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.susantomes.com/favourite-books-2022-tomes/" data-link-type="url" contents="favorite books of 2022">favorite books of 2022</a>.</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's January 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="subscribe&nbsp;here"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71252402022-12-19T11:07:39-08:002024-02-18T22:36:34-08:00December News from Cori Belle<p><strong>Merry Christmas!</strong></p><p>Twelve days left until the new year, twelve musical gifts for your enjoyment! </p><p>This is my second newsletter of 2022 - I apologize for being absent for so long! I have packed this newsletter full of musical gifts that I hope you will enjoy as much as I have! My year has been full on the home front. As our girls get older, their activities require more time away which, for now, translates to more time on the road driving them places! I am loving every minute of it, but it does pull me away from the piano more than in past years. With everyone home on winter break and the resulting "pause" in our daily routine, I am taking some time to play catch up. The snow falling today makes a perfect backdrop for reflection on the past year and inspiration for the year to come!</p><p><strong>1. Let's Get Together...ya, ya, ya</strong></p><p>Much of art is worked out in isolation. Handcrafting a shoe, manipulating glass or metal or clay, practicing a musical passage...all require a level of focus and self-discipline, accomplished at least some of the time by oneself. An artist spends a vast quantity of time learning and practicing and honing his art. Someone said that to become an expert at something requires 10,000 hours. One would think, then, that coming out of full and partial isolation imposed by pandemic policies would result in a huge amount of artistic output. Are you seeing this? This has not been my own personal experience! </p><p>Community is essential. The joint effort of collaborating in person serves to feed and inspire me between solitary practice sessions. As a natural introvert, I don't feel the "need" for community as often as my extroverted friends; however, we are not meant to live in isolation. There is a reason we send criminals to solitary confinement and stubborn toddlers to time-out. Isolation without regular intervals of community engagement is confinement. Much of what it means to be human is experienced when we are together. So I ask myself, and you...what effort are you making to be in community with others? How might the artist within you awaken when you let him out of isolation?</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="xqUhatTo3R0" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xqUhatTo3R0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>This video came across one of my social media feeds, and I found it fascinating. I have heard that handmade shoes are the most comfortable shoes you can wear. The amount of time, skill, and attention to detail in making a shoe is analogous to preparing a musical piece for performance. Whereas our audiences don't "wear" our music, they do walk in it for a time, and the care with which we have prepared it affects their overall enjoyment and can contribute to their quality of life.</p><p><strong>2. Silent Night </strong></p><p><i>Sometimes in very difficult times, when words or actions fail to help, music comes close to us like a friend. The beauty of melody and lyric can open up our hearts like the sun opens up the flowers.</i></p><p>Keith and Kristyn Getty reflect on <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.gettymusic.com/hymnofthemonth" data-link-type="url" contents='the story behind "Silent Night,"'>the story behind "Silent Night,"</a> which began in the 1800s. If you scroll to the bottom of the article, you can hear their daughter Grace singing the melody.</p><p><strong>3. Another Silent Night</strong></p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="FvBQb2_G0rI" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FvBQb2_G0rI?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>4. Let Them Sing! </strong></p><p>Two of my girls had the opportunity to participate in the Northwest Association of Classical Christian Schools choral festival this year. It is a fabulous one-day festival where junior high and high school students from around the Pacific Northwest come together to learn and fellowship and sing! I wrote about it <a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/blog/blog/7125179/equipping-the-saints-as-soldier-worshippers-a-glimpse-of-this-year-s-accs-choral-festival" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a>.</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="6bPW-hHy_xs" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6bPW-hHy_xs?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>5. Gabriela Montero </strong></p><p>Wow, this pianist is amazing! She improvises on the spot - as pianists were required to do in the days of Bach and Mozart. The host of this interview reminds me of James Corden, who runs the Carpool Karaoke series...except this interview is in the classical realm!</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="b8ad4iaxpj4" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b8ad4iaxpj4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>6. BACH to Thankfulness </strong></p><p>Why study the music of the Western canon? <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.classicaldifference.com/bach-to-thankfulness-why-we-study-the-wests-greatest-music/" data-link-type="url" contents="This article">This article</a> considers the question and proposes an answer. </p><p><strong>7. More BACH </strong></p><p>The author of the above article, Jarrod Richey, presents his choir, made up of average students, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/jarrodrichey/p/musicianship-class-by-day-choir-by?r=b8gkc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email" data-link-type="url" contents="singing the polyphony of a Bach fugue">singing the polyphony of a Bach fugue</a>. You will have to click on the link in the article to hear the result!</p><p><strong>8. Johannes Moser, cellist </strong></p><p>I love learning about other musicians' lives and how they deal with performance anxiety, practicing, and other challenges. Cellist Johannes Moser speaks here of these things, including his work with a sports psychologist.<br> </p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="vimeo" data-video-id="720456469" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/720456469" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>9. Lief Ove Andsnes, pianist </strong></p><p>Another installment from Living the Classical Life, this time featuring pianist Leif Ove Andsnes.</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="H3Xm3T6Ylj8" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H3Xm3T6Ylj8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>10. & 11. Susan Tomes </strong></p><p>Pianist and author Susan Tomes always has wonderful nuggets of insight pertaining to the life of a musician. Here are two of her musings, one on the <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.susantomes.com/peter-brook-paris-domus-beyond-notes-tomes/" data-link-type="url" contents='"mismatch between all the work that goes into preparing for a single concert, and the concert itself which flashes by in a couple of hours,"'>"mismatch between all the work that goes into preparing for a single concert, and the concert itself which flashes by in a couple of hours,"</a> and the other on the peculiar way we determine <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.susantomes.com/tempo-too-fast-too-slow-mozart-adagio/" data-link-type="url" contents='which tempo is the "right" one'>which tempo is the "right" one</a>. </p><p><strong>12. Another Gem from Gabriela Montero </strong></p><p>I love the audience interaction in this formal classical music setting. Why is it that classical audiences outside the United States seem so much more engaged and invested in this style of music? Do we, as a country, seek to "progress" to our own destruction? Can we look to, and treasure, our past while seeking new ways to create and innovate in the present?</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="lt3gymv2yDM" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lt3gymv2yDM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>MERRY CHRISTMAS! </strong></p><p>I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! <br>Here's to more music-making in 2023!</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's December 2022 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71251792022-12-19T09:57:27-08:002022-12-19T09:59:30-08:00Equipping the Saints as Soldier Worshippers: A Glimpse of this year’s ACCS Choral Festival <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/bd49a6f864ffaebf95228cf5664887c35038fd2a/original/315323139-10160232674554700-1205970018599802904-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war.” Do you remember the words of this hymn? Do they make you think of a choral festival? The word “soldiers” probably does not bring to mind images of singing teenagers, but this is exactly the kind of work that was going on at the ACCS Choral Festival this year. </p>
<p>Dr. David Erb, Fellow of Music at New Saint Andrews College, led the charge with countless others from NSA and The Oaks Classical Christian Academy, as well as the music directors from eleven area schools (reaching from Alaska to Idaho). The theme this year was “Holy, Holy, Holy,” which is about as counter-cultural as you can get. Over 400 secondary and college students gathered at The Oaks for a one-day choral festival where they received vocal training, specific instruction in choral works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Martin Luther, and William L. Dawson, and, most importantly, discipleship. </p>
<p>Dr. Erb’s engaging and humorous teaching style grabbed the students’ attention as he sought to produce a full, well-balanced tone. He explained why we should sing with focus and excellence. Our God is “Lord of Sabaoth,” which means “Lord of Hosts,” and when Schubert set the text of “Holy, Holy, Holy,” he set it in the style of a march. “How we say something is just as, or more important, than what we say,” Dr. Erb persuaded the choir. The reason Schubert set these words in a march, rather than, say, a circus tune, is because he had something to say about who God is. The Lord of Hosts is a Lord of armies, and the world trembles when we sing of this. </p>
<p><em>Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war </em></p>
<p><em>With the cross of Jesus going on before </em></p>
<p><em>Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe </em></p>
<p><em>Forward into battle see His banners go </em></p>
<p><em>At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee </em></p>
<p><em>On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory </em></p>
<p><em>Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise </em></p>
<p><em>Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise</em> </p>
<p>The world is training our kids to raise a rainbow flag to celebrate sexual immorality; we strive to train our kids to raise the Lord’s banner of righteousness: “Forward into battle see His banners go.” The coming together of over 400 students from classical Christian schools is a picture that defies the current culture: believing teenagers, modestly dressed, respecting authority and each other, working hard to achieve a level of mastery in a single day, singing song after song praising the holiness of God. This is important work. Our children need this experience of working hard to present an acceptable sacrifice of worship to God, collectively, with their peers in the body of Christ. </p>
<p><em>Like a mighty army moves the church of God </em></p>
<p><em>Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod </em></p>
<p><em>We are not divided, all one body we </em></p>
<p><em>One in hope and doctrine, one in charity </em></p>
<p>I am a classical pianist by trade and have been involved with the choral community for a number of years as an accompanist. Currently the choral community, as a whole, is deathly afraid of catching or spreading COVID-19, and they sing with “veiled faces.” Beyond this, they are increasingly focused on spreading messages of tolerance, diversity, and equality apart from the knowledge of God. There are still choirs which sing great masterworks by Bach, Mendelssohn, and Schubert; however, they lack the fellowship and unity of the Spirit and thus are missing an essential piece of bringing these pieces to life: worship. </p>
<p><em>What the saints established that I hold for true </em></p>
<p><em>What the saints believed, that I believe too </em></p>
<p><em>Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold </em></p>
<p><em>Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled </em></p>
<p><em>Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane </em></p>
<p><em>But the church of Jesus constant will remain </em></p>
<p><em>Gates of hell can never against that church prevail </em></p>
<p><em>We have Christ's own promise, and that cannot fail </em></p>
<p>The ACCS choral festival is about more than just providing a singing experience for a bunch of teenagers. Dr. Erb intentionally frames his rehearsals with the purpose of worshiping and glorifying God. His goal is to create worshippers of our children, continually directing their eyes toward Him. “This is a taste of heaven,” he encouraged the students, as he reminded them that they were singing with a bunch of kids that they did not know – just like we will in heaven. Indeed, when parents and friends arrived in the evening to witness the production, we were invited to worship alongside these students as they were in turn worshiping alongside the cherubim and seraphim who are continually before the throne singing, “Holy, holy, holy.” </p>
<p><em>Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng </em></p>
<p><em>Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song </em></p>
<p><em>Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King </em></p>
<p><em>This through countless ages men and angels sing </em></p>
<p>My two oldest daughters attended the festival this year. We traveled from the Seattle area to Spokane, which required a hotel stay – a sort of school-sponsored “sleepover” with the girls’ classmates. It may be that their fondest memories of this weekend are the time spent with friends, staying up late singing at the hotel pool, watching movies, and enjoying some freedom away from the academic demands of school. I do not think they realize yet that undergirding all of this, seeds were being planted – little nuggets of spiritual insight, a one-of-a-kind experience of singing with over 400 like-minded teens, an equipping with the knowledge that when the saints gather to praise the Lord, He is pleased and we are fulfilling our purpose as worshippers. </p>
<p>This is the third year that The Oaks has hosted such a choral festival. I hope that it will continue for many years to come, and I hope that you will consider encouraging your children to attend if they have not already. This is the time in life when we get to give our children opportunities like this. If they choose to major in music, maybe they will have a similar experience in college. If not, they will likely not experience this kind of focused training in great choral works in their church. They will definitely not find the unity of fellowship and common purpose in a community choir. This is the time. Equip your kids. Send them to the festival so they can be equipped as soldier worshippers. </p>
<p>The book of Chronicles shows the choir being put out in the front of the people of Israel while God went to fight for His people. This business of worshipping is not for the faint of heart, but for soldiers. Thank you, Dr. Erb and team, for admonishing our children in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, for equipping them as soldiers to hold forth the Word of truth, and for teaching them to worship our God who deserves the highest praise. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. All the earth shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea…</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="6bPW-hHy_xs" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/6bPW-hHy_xs/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6bPW-hHy_xs?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71251722022-12-19T09:03:37-08:002024-02-19T09:22:55-08:00January News from Cori Belle<p><strong>Getting Back in Shape</strong></p><p>New Year, new habits! I have started to incorporate some daily habits on my way back to physical and musical shape! Moving a little more each day: tracking steps with a step counter, a couple days a week of weight/resistance training, getting to the piano daily for at least a ten minute read…(which tends to turn into much more!) </p><p>Bach always seems like a good place to start. I’ve been reading through some of his partitas, which are suites consisting of dance movements. They aren’t much more difficult than the preludes and fugues, and are less familiar to me, so a nice change. The thing about Bach is that the independent moving of melodic lines between left and right hands really helps to bring back not only finger dexterity, but also mental focus. The brain is forced to think harder in this scenario than one, say, involving static chords in the left hand and finger gymnastics in the right. The mental exercise is just as important as the physical playing of the instrument, as both must work in tandem to learn and refine the music. </p><p>To prevent injury, it is important to start small – not committing to three-hour workouts/practice sessions when my muscle and brain performance are coming out of holiday mode! Little bits here and there throughout the day, every day, help my body and brain warm up and re-learn what they are supposed to do!</p><p><strong>Composer Highlight: Margaret Bonds</strong></p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="uivi9UnkRcQ" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uivi9UnkRcQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p>I am excited to be diving into some new-to-me music! One piece that I am working on is "Troubled Water," by Margaret Bonds, an American composer (1913-1972). The video above gives a snapshot of her life. I enjoy her fusion of classical, jazz, and gospel elements, and wish she had written more for solo piano (She has many compositions for solo voice and piano). She knew Langston Hughes personally and was inspired by many of his poems. </p><p>You may enjoy her arrangement of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," performed by Kathleen Battle <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnumq5RkGY4" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a>, and by Veronica Moss, Heather Arnold, and myself at an Indie Musikhaus concert <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.indiemusikhaus.com/listen" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a> (scroll down 3/4 of the way to find our version).</p><p><strong>Around the Web </strong></p><p>I've found a new blog that I am excited to dig into, starting with <a class="no-pjax" href="https://practisingthepiano.com/bringing-baroque-music-to-life/" data-link-type="url" contents="these tips">these tips</a> on bringing Baroque music to life! </p><p>From the same blog, one pianist's goal for <a class="no-pjax" href="https://practisingthepiano.com/how-to-broaden-your-active-repertoire/" data-link-type="url" contents="learning pieces in the New Year">learning pieces in the New Year</a> (2021). </p><p>In honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., here is last year's performance of Dr. Stephen Newby's work, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yUAPXnBh4E" data-link-type="url" contents="Montage for Martin">Montage for Martin</a>. I had the privilege of playing the Seattle performances of this work at Meydenbauer and Benaroya Halls in the early 2000s, and it is just as relevant today as it was then. Enjoy! </p><p><strong>Upcoming Concerts</strong> </p><p>Coming Soon! I am working on some wonderful music to share with you!</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's January 2022 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71251652022-12-19T08:59:06-08:002024-02-19T09:02:01-08:00Fall 2021 News from Cori Belle<p><strong>Thanks-Seasoning</strong></p><p>I have been woefully absent from this newsletter of late. I haven't forgotten about you - in fact, I think of you often and miss making music with and for you! This fall season has been an incredibly busy, creative one for me, albeit mostly void of music-making. </p><p>While on hiatus from my community choir role and taking a backseat to worship leading at church, I have been navigating the waters of volunteerism at my girls' school and my church's children's ministry. Teaching, organizing, and crafting have been general themes of late, with nursing thrown in every few weeks for good measure! It is wonderful to be more fully a part of my little communities, and with that have come the usual fall colds accompanied by the unusual self-imposed quarantines and cancelling of events. But amidst all the busy and unusual and sometimes stressful turns of events, I have much to be thankful for. </p><p>I am thankful for music, which may go dormant for a season but is always there to return to; for good health; for the blessing of friends and family near and far; for God's faithful provision in all things, especially in uncertain times; and for the gift of His Son, Jesus, who makes possible peace with God and with all men. </p><p>I hope you have a wonderful, reflective, and happy Thanksgiving...with perhaps a little music thrown in your celebrations!</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="t3n7IUCdqAM" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t3n7IUCdqAM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>This hymn is sung annually at my girls' school, as we get ready to break for the Thanksgiving holiday. It is increasingly rare to find congregational singing like this, with parts - and descant in the last verse!</p><p>Building...Creating </p><p>Reprinted from Keith and Kristyn Getty's "Monday Meditation," 11/22/21 </p><p>"For we - even our poets and musicians and inventors - never, in the ultimate sense make. We only build. We always have materials to build from…" </p><p>So wrote C.S. Lewis who after many years of building with words went home to be with the Lord 58 years ago today. Lewis had an otherworldly gift of turning our thinking the right way up; all of life springing from the Creator and from that mountaintop seeing everything else. </p><p>We breathe borrowed air, we make pathways on His land, we live in bodies that are not our own. We are building with blocks already made for us. We shape words that He first spoke to us. We gather notes that echo from His handiwork. We nurture our lives, our families, our friendships, our world in the wisdom of the One who first thought of them. </p><p>Beautifully crafted words helped bring Lewis to Christian faith. On reading George MacDonald’s ‘Phantastes’ he said it helped ‘to convert, even baptize his imagination’. A washed imagination wakens the heart to wonder, to eternity, to a longing for the Lord. In the early 1930s his life had been transformed to worship and serve the Lord. He focused the rest of his time on using his God-given craft to draw people to Christ. </p><p>The hymn ‘This is my Father’s World’ (Maltbie Babcock, 1901) reminds me of Belfast- born C.S. Lewis who has inspired so many of us. His listening ears were opened, He recognized the Lord’s voice and it shaped everything. An ancient music he hadn’t understood. A deeper magic as the Narnia stories tell. At this time of Thanksgiving we are grateful to know it as well and so sing with all creation. This thankfulness helps sow and water our remaining time and everything He has given us to make it known to others. </p><p>This is my Father's world, <br>And to my listening ears <br>All nature sings, and round me rings <br>The music of the spheres… <br>This is my Father's world: <br>O let me ne'er forget <br>That though the wrong seems oft so strong, <br>God is the Ruler yet… <br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NwqTvmpnKeE&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0vjP9AhuimIGBCUwtXOjC5gyqXjGGPpPPXBRlKvhKJEpPdiLmFw05ahrA" data-link-type="url" contents="New lyric video to ‘This is my Father’s World’ from ‘Confessio’ album">New lyric video to ‘This is my Father’s World’ from ‘Confessio’ album</a></p><p><strong>Around the Web </strong></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.tonebase.co/piano?submittedPersona_Piano=-1" data-link-type="url" contents="A cool new website">A cool new website</a> with access to piano lessons from the world's best pianists. </p><p>Thoughts on being <a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2021/08/04/the-self-coached-musician/" data-link-type="url" contents="A Self-Coached Musician">A Self-Coached Musician</a> from the Cross-Eyed Pianist. </p><p>A cool spotlight on a <a class="no-pjax" href="https://fromthetop.org/show/show-406/" data-link-type="url" contents="young pianist from Silverdale, WA">young pianist from Silverdale, WA</a>, on Classical King FM's program, From the Top. (Listen starting at 8:20) </p><p><strong>Upcoming Concerts</strong> </p><p>When I start practicing... LOL! <br>Would you consider coming to hear some Christmas music? Let me know!</p><p> </p><p>This content is from Cori's Fall 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe <a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a>.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71251642022-12-19T08:53:25-08:002024-02-19T09:05:00-08:00Summer 2021 News from Cori Belle<p><strong>Culture Shapers</strong></p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/b8c5eb9decb840afebbcd28b6c81b2b5f92de6c5/original/img-0263.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_left border_" /><p>Happy Summer! I have been thinking of the many conversations going on these days about identity, history, truth, and morality. There is so much ugliness and division happening in and amongst it all. It has made me think about the role musicians and mothers have as Culture Shapers in little and big ways. </p><p>Mothers have a unique opportunity to shape the home environment so the people around them can flourish. In our home, we aim to glorify God in everything that we do. This is the foundation for our values of faith, family, excellence, truth, discipline, order, and beauty. (I am sure there are others, but these are the ones I can think of right now!) As a mother, I try to instill these values in my children by immersing them in an environment conducive to such things: an orderly home, family dinners, cultivating an appreciation for art and beauty, modeling a walk with God, emphasizing a good work ethic and academic excellence, serving regularly at church, etc. We stock our home with great books, host concerts of great music in our living room, and try to choose quality television and movie entertainment to enjoy. We create a family culture of truth, beauty, and excellence that we enjoy together and share with others. </p><p>Musicians also have the opportunity to shape culture. We can reflect the nastiness of the social order in our art, or we can seek to create things that are beautiful and stretch the imagination toward a higher ideal. Our art is conducive to collaboration and is a wonderful way for us to gather with people who are different from us and create something harmonious and beautiful.</p><p><strong>Seeking Truth and Beauty </strong></p><p>I love reading and making lists. Here is a list of some favorite books that explore truth and beauty. </p><p>Piano-Centric <br>Beyond the Notes by Susan Tomes <br>Speaking the Piano by Susan Tomes <br>Piano Notes: The World of the Pianist by Charles Rosen <br>The Instrument, the Music, the Musicians - from Mozart to Modern Jazz and Everything in Between by Stuart Isacoff </p><p>Nature <br>Mozart's Starling by Lynda Lynn Haupt <br>Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard <br>All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriott <br>The Wild Trees by Richard Preston <br>Lab Girl by Hope Jahren </p><p>Historical Fiction <br>Island of the World by Michael D. O'Brien </p><p>Science Fiction <br>Brave New World by Aldous Huxley </p><p>Social Issues <br>Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents by Rod Dreher <br>Surviving Religion 101 by Michael Kruger <br>Why Social Justice is not Biblical Justice by Scott David Allen <br>Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier <br>What's Wrong with the World by G.K. Chesterton <br>You Who by Rachel Jankovic <br>Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle</p><p><strong>Once the World Was Perfect </strong></p><p>BY JOY HARJO </p><p>Once the world was perfect, and we were happy in that world. <br>Then we took it for granted. <br>Discontent began a small rumble in the earthly mind. <br>Then Doubt pushed through with its spiked head. <br>And once Doubt ruptured the web, <br>All manner of demon thoughts <br>Jumped through— <br>We destroyed the world we had been given <br>For inspiration, for life— <br>Each stone of jealousy, each stone <br>Of fear, greed, envy, and hatred, put out the light. <br>No one was without a stone in his or her hand. <br>There we were, <br>Right back where we had started. <br>We were bumping into each other <br>In the dark. <br>And now we had no place to live, since we didn't know <br>How to live with each other. <br>Then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another <br>And shared a blanket. <br>A spark of kindness made a light. <br>The light made an opening in the darkness. <br>Everyone worked together to make a ladder. <br>A Wind Clan person climbed out first into the next world, <br>And then the other clans, the children of those clans, their children, <br>And their children, all the way through time— <br>To now, into this morning light to you.</p><p><strong>Open Rehearsals with SCMS </strong></p><p>Years ago, when I started having babies, the Seattle Chamber Music Society would hold open rehearsals at a school in the north end, relatively close to where I live. Whenever I could, I would sneak out with a [hopefully] sleeping babe or a toddler + mounds of quiet snacks to munch on, and sit in on one. How fun it was to see four or five chamber musicians working through their music in preparation for a concert (they were always incredibly well-prepared) and hear them discuss what they felt needed changing or banter back and forth! </p><p>Thanks to technology, that same "backstage peek" is available online for the next two Mondays, August 2nd and August 9th. Tune in at noon to sit in on one or both of these open rehearsals via <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.seattlechambermusic.org/concert_series/open-rehearsals/" data-link-type="url" contents="this link">this link</a>. The program details are below. </p><p>Monday, August 2 – Noon (PT) </p><p>Robert Schumann <br>Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 110 <br>James Ehnes, violin / Mark Kosower, cello / Orion Weiss, piano </p><p>Monday, August 9 – Noon (PT) </p><p>Florence Price <br>String Quartet in G Major <br>James Ehnes, violin / Stephen Rose, violin / Beth Guterman Chu, viola / Ronald Thomas, cello</p><p><strong>Around the Web </strong></p><p>The Cross-Eyed Pianist suggests <a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2021/06/14/piano-journeys-six-books-to-own-and-love/" data-link-type="url" contents="six books to own and love">six books to own and love</a>. </p><p>A compilation of favorite recordings from the last 10 years of the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.wqxr.org/story/carnegie-hall-live-at-the-keyboard/" data-link-type="url" contents="Carnegie Hall Live&nbsp;At the Keyboard">Carnegie Hall Live At the Keyboard</a> series, including Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Martha Argerich and the introspective Seven Fantasies by Brahms played by Sir Andras Schiff. </p><p>Some tips on <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.icadenza.com/are-you-putting-something-off/" data-link-type="url" contents="how to get past that resistance">how to get past that resistance</a> you inevitably face when you are trying to make headway on a creative project. </p><p><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></p><p>Fall 2021 TBA! Stay tuned!</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's Summer 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/71251632022-12-19T08:47:10-08:002024-02-19T09:03:04-08:00May News from Cori Belle<p><strong>Performing In-Person Again</strong> </p><p>Baby steps! I will be performing in-person this month at my kids' school arts' festival! It will be an outdoor setup with various stages and brief "acts," but it's a start! It seems appropriate to contribute to the theme of "hymns" as we give thanks to God for His provision and protection over the last year. I will be playing a few jazz arrangements of hymns, one of which is "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."</p><p><strong>Spring Concert: Love and Light</strong></p><p>Have you ever attended a concert that was so good that afterwards you thought, "I wish so-and-so could have come with me to hear this"? This is one of those times! </p><p>Our second virtual choral concert was a success! The premiere went "live" recently and I was so proud of my Kirkland Choral Society singers! Such a variety of songs - from acapella to handbell accompaniment to piano duet to...well, you'll just have to view it yourself to enjoy it all! There are some gems in here, including a quartet singing "A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square," an exciting arrangement of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," and a couple of Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltzes. </p><p>The concert is about 45 minutes long, and before you think, "I don't want to sit in front of a screen watching a stage for that long," let me assure you that you won't be bored! Our interim artistic director, Seiko Werts, did a fantastic job incorporating nature shots and varying the composition of our virtual "stages." I think you are in for a treat! </p><p>You can watch the concert any time from now through the end of May. Purchase your ticket <a class="no-pjax" href="https://kcs.anywhereseat.com/channel.php" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a>.</p><p><strong>Around the Web </strong></p><p>"Stay in shape! Sometimes a musician waits for a gig & when it comes he's out of shape and can't make it." This, and more <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.listsofnote.com/2012/02/thelonious-monks-advice.html?ck_subscriber_id=2013807" data-link-type="url" contents="advice from legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk">advice from legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk</a>. </p><p>Watch a piano trio play some fun Variations by Nikolai (see below)</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="M6HM-SdgYPA" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M6HM-SdgYPA?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><strong>Upcoming Concerts</strong> </p><p>Spring 2021 <a class="no-pjax" href="https://kcs.anywhereseat.com/channel.php" data-link-type="url" contents="KCS virtual choir concert.">KCS virtual choir concert.</a> Available now through the end of May.</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's May 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/66154452021-04-27T14:31:20-07:002024-02-19T08:56:28-08:00March-April News from Cori Belle<p><span class="text-big"><strong>Reflecting Light</strong></span></p><p>My dad is a rockhound and silversmith. As his daughter, I have been the happy beneficiary of many of his gifts of handmade earrings, necklaces, and rings. Although he cuts and shapes stones, he does not facet them, which is the process of cutting many sides of a gemstone into a reflective shape, like the diamond in your wedding ring or the gems you see in a royal crown. The facets of such a gemstone – those many surfaces – seem an apt metaphor for my life as a pianist. </p><p>I have many interests besides piano: mothering, crafting, teaching, gardening, cooking, homemaking, entertaining. This has always been the case. I remember attending graduate classes in music and speaking with my professor about career paths, and I mentioned that it was hard for me to choose just one as I wanted to do so many things with my life. She was a little taken aback, and told me that she had only always ever wanted to do one thing: work and perform as an accompanist, or collaborative pianist. In fact, she had known this from the time she was a little girl. In contrast, I’ve always wanted to be involved in teaching [or mothering] children, travel, and music, and so my focus has shifted in various seasons – like the light hitting the facets of a stone, highlighting different points at different times. </p><p>These last few months, and indeed, the last year, the light has hit more on the mothering and housekeeping facets of my life than the music facet (due in part by the restrictions on in-person performances due to COVID-19), and so I find I have less to say in this newsletter than “usual”! But life is no less fulfilling without so much music (although I do miss collaborating in person with others!); it’s just that the light is bouncing off other surfaces right now. </p><p>And so these last two months have been full of birthday celebrations, planting flowers and vegetable seeds and starts, vacationing in Florida, teaching women’s Bible study and Children’s Church classes, enjoying friends, and taking care of every day responsibilities. Last week we had a glorious week full of sunshine and warmer temperatures, and I was reminded of how full my life is and how blessed I am.</p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Spring Concert: Love and Light</strong></span></p><p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/57b33688591e0e703b18596e74325e79401212d6/original/love-and-light.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p> </p><p>Kirkland Choral Society presents a second virtual concert this season, this time with the theme Love and Light. One of my all-time favorite choral songs is included in the program: Amor De Mi Alma written by Randall Stroope (Listen below!). Our interim music director, Seiko Werts, has put together a wonderful program, even as we recorded singly in our homes again. You can watch the premiere on May 8th at 7:30pm and stream it for the whole month of May. Purchase tickets <a class="no-pjax" href="https://kcs.anywhereseat.com/channel.php" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a>.</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="XWD7J7fBmUQ" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XWD7J7fBmUQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p>Watch a very cool performance of Camille Saint-Saens' "<a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwttUcP1etU" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Carnival of the Animals">Carnival of the Animals</a>" meant for virtual viewing. Pianists Yuja Wang and David Fung join the Los Angeles Philharmonic to explore composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ colorful creatures, featuring animations, stories from around the world, and Gustavo Dudamel with his son Martín. </p><p>The Cross-Eyed Pianist muses on <a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2021/02/25/what-have-musicians-learnt-from-lockdown/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="what musicians have learnt from lockdown">what musicians have learnt from lockdown</a>. </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>Spring 2021 <a class="no-pjax" href="https://kcs.anywhereseat.com/channel.php" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="KCS virtual choir concert.">KCS virtual choir concert.</a> May 8th @ 7:30pm.</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's March-April 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe</i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="&nbsp;here"><i> here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/65638922021-03-03T10:50:54-08:002024-02-19T09:23:25-08:00February News from Cori Belle<p><span class="text-big"><strong>Solitary Reflections</strong></span></p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/b8c5eb9decb840afebbcd28b6c81b2b5f92de6c5/original/img-0263.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>The choir that I am a part of is working on another virtual concert project for spring. This involves a great deal of solitary work: practicing, viewing rehearsal videos, and recording oneself singing or playing alone. It is a tremendous task that requires courage, stamina, and dedication. It is not unlike the rest of our mid-COVID lives. We are more isolated than usual, and the mental load of doing things differently over a long period of time is draining. I am proud that so many of our choir members have taken on the challenge in this unusual season. </p><p>Both the process and the product of our art during this time reflect our current lives. Though our finished project will be a concert of us singing "together," we are in actuality not together at all, but only meeting virtually over zoom and recording alone. Our art is an imitation of what we would prefer to be doing: singing together, in the same room, breathing as one. </p><p>It's just not the same! As a collaborative pianist, the bulk of my music-making has been in the company of others. Even my solitary practice of solo works has this end in mind: sharing the music with others. Life is not meant to be lived alone. We are created to live in community with others, and when we are isolated, it is like there is a piece (or five!) of the jigsaw puzzle missing. </p><p>I hope that you are finding ways to connect with others in person. As the sun starts to show its face again in the Northwest, we naturally find our way out of our homes. Restaurants are open again, and we have the opportunity to meet others for walks, coffees, and lunch dates. I hope that soon we will also be making music together! I am working toward that end, getting back in earnest to the piano to prepare music to share with you. </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Artist Spotlight: Angela Hewitt </strong></span></p><p>Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is well known for her Bach interpretations. I also learned recently that she has made her own arrangements of some of Bach's works! If you are on Facebook, she is good about communicating what she is working on, often with videos of her playing in her London apartment. You might want to check out her page. </p><p>Our local Meany Center for the Performing Arts has been streaming free performances of many fabulous artists this season. Angela Hewitt will grace their online stage in March, and it would be well worth your time to listen in! The free concert can be viewed March 5th through March 12th and no registration is required. Just click on and save <a class="no-pjax" href="https://meanycenter.org/tickets/2021-03/production/online-angela-hewitt-bach" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="this link">this link</a>!</p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="OCnENbenhzw" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OCnENbenhzw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p>Pianist and writer Susan Tomes considers <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.susantomes.com/musicians-performers-local-careers-possible/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="how musicians might navigate post-COVID performances">how musicians might navigate post-COVID performances</a>. </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.foleymusicandarts.com/blog/2021/1/21/is-digital-interaction-remaking-our-psychological-spaces" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Are our digital interactions remaking us? ">Are our digital interactions remaking us? </a>This provocative article comes from Foley Music and Arts. </p><p>Flashback to two years ago: Kirkland Choral Society, Lake Washington High School Choir, and I perform <a class="no-pjax" href="https://vimeo.com/304413400" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Eric Whitacre's lovely winter song, "Glow."&nbsp;&nbsp;">Eric Whitacre's lovely winter song, "Glow." </a></p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>Spring 2021 KCS virtual choir concert. Date TBA.</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's February 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="subscribe&nbsp;here"><i>subscribe here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/65253872021-01-19T19:19:06-08:002024-02-19T09:06:01-08:00January News from Cori Belle<p><span class="text-big"><strong>Happy New Year! </strong></span></p><p>I hope this finds you busy with new projects and some fun things to look forward to in 2021! Although circumstances may not have changed much since turning the calendar page, I find it is always good to have some element of "newness" or celebration that our family can enjoy. For me personally, I have been revisiting music scores and trying to decide what direction to take my practicing in the new year. I am also busy preparing to begin a Children's Church program at my church, overseeing its inception and jumping into teaching (One fun element is choosing which music to incorporate into our study of the Attributes of God). We are also planning a fun family vacation in the near future, although we are holding our plans loosely as we learned to do in 2020. As well, choir starts up again this week, albeit virtually, and we will begin working towards our spring program. I am excited to have some new things to work on! What new plans do you have to look forward to?</p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>The Fugue Metaphor </strong></span></p><p>Like you, I have been contemplating “the way forward” as we are a country divided. This morning, while working a little on Bach’s Fugue in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, I had some thoughts on this. </p><p>In a fugue, there are multiple individual voices coming together to make a unified whole. Each voice is distinct, having its own register (treble, bass, mid-range) and often, its own way of restating or embellishing the main theme. In order to create an effective performance, the musician must make decisions about which voices to bring out (and when) and which to lessen in submission to, or support of, the one in the lead. </p><p>Bach gave us no dynamic markings, and the period instruments with which he worked had little dynamic range. Because of this, there are always debates about how much to play with dynamics (distinctly contrasting loud and soft, or nuanced?) as well as whether to use pedal or not. While there is room for interpretation, the musician must look for clues from the composer for how it was intended to be played. Sometimes these clues lie within the music, and other times the musician must look to his other works, to the works of his colleagues, and to knowledge of the times in which he wrote, for guidance. </p><p>A good metaphor doesn’t explain itself fully, so I will leave you to your own interpretation. But perhaps you might consider the themes of leading and submission, individuality and conformity, tension and release, in your meditation; as well, the idea of an agreed-upon set of rules (key, time signature, harmonic structure) put in place by the composer, and a nice harmonic resolution that finishes the piece. Might we learn something from the study of Bach? </p><p>Here is my unpolished presentation of the work, warts and all. (Perhaps you can consider that as part of the metaphor as well!)</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="WBDEgDjYTTE" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WBDEgDjYTTE?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>For a wonderfully polished performance, complete with the preceding Prelude, check out Andras Schiff's interpretation <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLSz55UXOLU" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a>.</p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>The Secret Piano </strong></span></p><p>I spent much of my Christmas holidays reading, and stumbled on<a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Piano-Labor-Goldberg-Variations/dp/1611090776/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+secret+piano&qid=1611093147&sr=8-1" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents=" this intriguing book"> this intriguing book</a> by Zhu Xiao-Mei. She is a Chinese pianist who grew up as Mao came into power. It is a thoughtful, provoking book. Here is a brief description: </p><p>"Zhu Xiao-Mei was born to middle-class parents in post-war China, and her musical proficiency became clear at an early age. Taught to play the piano by her mother, she developed quickly into a prodigy, immersing herself in the work of classical masters like Bach and Brahms. She was just ten years old when she began a rigorous course of study at the Beijing Conservatory, laying the groundwork for what was sure to be an extraordinary career. But in 1966, when Xiao-Mei was seventeen, the Cultural Revolution began, and life as she knew it changed forever. One by one, her family members were scattered, sentenced to prison or labor camps. By 1969, the art schools had closed, and Xiao-Mei was on her way to a work camp in Mongolia, where she would spend the next five years. Life in the camp was nearly unbearable, thanks to horrific living conditions and intensive brainwashing campaigns. Yet through it all Xiao-Mei clung to her passion for music and her sense of humor. And when the Revolution ended, it was the piano that helped her to heal. Heartbreaking and heartwarming, The Secret Piano is the incredible true story of one woman’s survival in the face of unbelievable odds—and in pursuit of a powerful dream."</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Dw4ZW6AYxeI" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dw4ZW6AYxeI?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p>Have you heard of the 100 Day Project? If you are in need of some inspiration, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://designobserver.com/feature/five-years-of-100-days/24678" data-link-type="url" contents="this project">this project</a> may jumpstart your creativity. </p><p>More fodder for inspiration, especially if you are a musician seeking <a class="no-pjax" href="http://ericaannsipes.blogspot.com/2020/12/my-journey-down-wonderful-rabbit-hole.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EricaAnnSipesPianistAndCellistBeyondTheNotes+%28Erica+Ann+Sipes%2C+pianist+and+cellist%3A+Beyond+the+Notes%29" data-link-type="url" contents="music by women composers">music by women composers</a>. </p><p>One hot topic these days is censorship. In the interest of preserving voices of the past, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://estonianworld.com/culture/a-museum-of-banned-books-opens-in-estonia/" data-link-type="url" contents='Estonia has a new "banned books" museum'>Estonia has a new "banned books" museum</a>. </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>Spring 2020 KCS virtual choir concert. Date TBA.</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's January 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64890202020-11-30T20:55:05-08:002024-02-19T09:06:19-08:00Fall News from Cori Belle<p><span class="text-big"><strong>Making Things </strong></span></p><p>Hello! The last two months have been busy on the "creative front" for me. Although not exclusively in music, I have been busy making things! Last month my dad and I worked on our annual Advent devotional booklet. He writes the content and I do the graphic design and layout. This is a Christmas gift to our church congregation, and gives people a way to meditate on different aspects of Christmas. This year's booklet has as its theme the signs and symbols of Christmas. </p><p>My girls have likewise been busy crafting, and the four of us worked together to produce a website "market" of our creations! My oldest has taken the bulk of the work of crafting, photographing, writing descriptions, and listing items. It has been a fun learning experience for her. </p><p>Not to neglect music...Just recently I wrapped up a final recording session for our virtual choir's Christmas concert. I am excited to be a part of this beautiful production, recorded in individual members' homes and compiled by my friend and interim music director, Seiko Werts. It will premier on YouTube, and I will give you more information about it soon! </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>A Virtual Choir Project </strong></span></p><p>Last month the choir that I accompany, Kirkland Choral Society, released its first ever virtual choir project. The song is "O Love," composed by Elaine Hagenberg and based on a hymn by George Matheson. I wrote about this piece earlier this year <a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/blog/blog/february-news-from-cori-belle" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a>, as it was a song that we performed live in February. The text and the musical setting complement each other so well, I know you will be moved once again by its beauty.</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="1bsVL4x4dwk" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1bsVL4x4dwk?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web</strong></span> </p><p>Another local choir, Cora Voce, presents a wonderful program of music on YouTube called <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6heoMlCmDM" data-link-type="url" contents='"Stars Tonight."&nbsp;'>"Stars Tonight." </a></p><p>Musicians around the world are grappling with the realities of cancelled concerts and questions about whether to "rethink, reskill, reboot" or just "hang on" until life returns to normal. <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.susantomes.com/fatima-and-an-excerpt-from-j-is-for-job-not-a-proper/" data-link-type="url" contents="Susan Tomes&nbsp;">Susan Tomes </a>ruminates on the age-old question of whether being a musician constitutes a "real" job. </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a7qKzjwJX8&feature=emb_logo" data-link-type="url" contents="What do a hammer, a wine glass, and a piano have to do with each other?&nbsp;">What do a hammer, a wine glass, and a piano have to do with each other? </a></p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>December 2020 "At Home with KCS," a virtual Christmas concert. Date TBA.</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's Fall 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64422552020-09-28T16:15:00-07:002024-02-19T09:06:37-08:00Creative Programming<p>As musicians, we wear many hats: performer, student, teacher, collaborator, music director, producer…Perhaps you also wear some of these: blogger, promoter, accountant, website developer, recording artist. Maybe you have been fortunate enough to be the Artistic Director at some point, the one responsible for programming the music at an event? </p><p>I say fortunate because so many times artists perform out of obligation to record labels, producers, and teachers who determine the content of their programs. I think it is such fun to figure out exactly what I want to play on a program and then create a story around it. </p><p>When I was a young pianist, recitals were often programmed with the beginner performers at the top and advanced performers closing out. In situations where the performers were more evenly matched, or in solo recitals, the music would often be programmed chronologically (i.e. Bach to Ives). Perhaps this was the standard for many other musicians too, as I still see concerts like this. Sometimes this kind of order makes sense, but it can also be a little boring. </p><p>How about a program of music by women composers or people of color? I have seen these sorts of concerts too, and they can definitely provide fodder for creative inspiration. However, might we take it a bit further and consider how the pieces of music within these programs relate to each other? If we take a theme like “Music by Certain Kinds of People,” and throw a bunch of music into it because it all fits that category, we could be missing out on discovering important connections between people, eras, and styles of music. </p><p>Of course, we also need to consider our audience and what might be interesting to them, taking care not to choose all slow pieces or all unfamiliar pieces, etc. </p><p>If you are in the position of choosing music for a performance and arranging its order, maybe you could think of it like you are telling a story: </p><ol>
<li>What kind of story do you want to tell? Start with a piece you love or want to highlight, and build your program off of that. Do you want to showcase virtuosity, express deep emotion, make a personal or political statement, or inspire/excite/comfort an audience? </li>
<li>How do your musical selections relate to each other? Is there a relationship between musical or literary ideas? Are the composers contemporaries? Have the composers studied from the same teacher/lived in the same part of the country/grappled with the same ideas/used similar musical motifs? Or perhaps you want to show contrasting ideas! </li>
<li>What piece will begin your program? What kind of mood do you want to create? What musical or extra-musical idea are you introducing? </li>
<li>How does your arrangement of pieces flow? Have you considered what key a piece ends in and what key the next piece starts in? This is a worship service trick: To create flow within a set of songs, try to keep common key relationships, like I-V or relative major/minor. This is a subtlety that may go unnoticed, especially if there is talking or applause between pieces; but if you are programming a set of lieder, for instance, you may not want more than a few second between songs, and you will want to avoid an abrupt key change. </li>
<li>How will you end? What impression do you want to leave your audience with? What song would you most like them to remember as you conclude the concert? </li>
</ol><p>There is no “right” way to program, but you can easily avoid a hum-drum, boring program by putting a bit of thought into it. Be intentional about the music you choose, and then do a little research to find connections between musical ideas, lyrics, motifs, geographical regions, and composers. It will enhance your understanding of the music you are performing and create a delightful experience for your listeners! </p><p> </p><p><i>Some of my favorite programs may help you get started: </i></p><p><i><strong>Battle of the Sexes: </strong>Piano and vocal music by Franz and Fanny Schubert, the Boulanger sisters, Leonard Bernstein, and Felix Mendelssohn </i></p><p><br><i><strong>Songs from Home:</strong> A piano recital in a friend’s home with narration including songs from my childhood, songs that highlight my musical development, and songs that reflect my Euro-American heritage. Composers include Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Ola Gjeilo, and George Gershwin. </i></p><p><br><i><strong>Bernstein and Friends: </strong>Piano, vocal, and cello music by Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Dvorak. </i></p><p><br><i><strong>Latin Dances:</strong> Music from various parts of Latin America contrasting classical and jazz traditions. Pieces are grouped by country and alternate between solo piano and jazz ensemble.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64421182020-09-24T13:17:40-07:002024-02-19T09:05:41-08:00September News from Cori Belle<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/7d3012dc5d9d345379c60fcaf84b3067d726bbcf/original/cover-image-edit-78.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /><p><span class="text-big"><strong>A Bit of Light</strong></span></p><p>I am enjoying the return of the sun after a week or so of cloudy, smoky skies, especially as we are soon to head into the drizzly, dreary days of fall in the Northwest (but not too soon, I hope!). These are trying times, and yet rather than commenting on current events I thought I would share some lighter news on the creative front! </p><p>Recently I reopened my book of Rachmaninoff preludes and have settled into practicing a few of my favorites. Prelude Opus 23, No. 7 is one of my particular favorites, as it is one I remember my dad practicing in my childhood. I had an "aha" moment the other day when I was watching various YouTube videos of different artists playing it: the opening figure of each measure at the beginning of the piece can be played with the left hand! </p><p>If you haven't ever tried to play the piece, I will try to describe the opening: it is this swirling, continuous motion grouping of sixteenth notes that are played at an ungodly speed while left and right hands alternately play octaves. You actually would do well if you had three hands to play this piece! However, with only two, you have to get creative. <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ4dk9rrCAs&feature=youtu.be" data-link-type="url" contents="This YouTube tutorial">This YouTube tutorial</a> was mind-blowing for me. If you take the first grouping of notes with your left hand, you can avoid some awkward fingering crossings with your right, and make life much easier for yourself. (Why did I not try this sooner?!) </p><p>Perhaps I get too used to looking at things one way. My creative problem solving is not boundless, although I have a lot of tools in my toolbox from various teachers over the years. I still find I need the insight of others to point out things I didn't see before. </p><p>Not to get too philosophical, but isn't that a great lesson for life? We do need each other, and considering another approach to a problem that we hadn't thought of before can be quite beneficial. What a great gift we have been given in the medium of music, where we can come together to create and learn from each other, and enjoy the process! </p><p>Video Below: I am still searching for my favorite interpretation of this piece. Pletnev's performance is very good!</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="mLOj75liXW0" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mLOj75liXW0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Exploring Rachmaninoff More </strong></span></p><p>I had another realization while practicing the Rachmaninoff Prelude mentioned above. Watch my short video to see what Rachmaninoff might have in common with the Latin Jazz composers!</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="578zL7UiwZU" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/578zL7UiwZU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>To compare the two pieces, listen now to Piazolla's "Libertango," performed at one of our own Indie Musikhaus concerts a few years ago.<a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.indiemusikhaus.com/listen" data-link-type="url" contents="&nbsp;Click here"> Click here</a> and scroll about halfway down the page to hear Eric Verlinde and Ricardo Guity master the montuno!</p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p>The beloved <a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2020/09/17/meet-the-artist-john-rutter-composer/" data-link-type="url" contents="John Rutter">John Rutter</a>, choral composer and conductor, gives insight into his musical career. His advice to aspiring musicians: "Be very, very good at what you do if you possibly can. Work harder and more perseveringly than anyone round you. Prepare thoroughly. If you are a performer, try to be true to the composer’s vision; if you are a composer, be true to yourself. If you have a spark of something, it will communicate, regardless of style." </p><p>Along those lines, concert pianist Richard Goode and writer Frances Wilson urge us to<a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2020/01/20/play-what-you-play-best/" data-link-type="url" contents=' "Play what you play best!"'> "Play what you play best!"</a></p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>December 2020 "At Home with KCS," a virtual Christmas concert. Date TBA.</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's September 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64421542020-08-16T13:45:00-07:002024-02-19T09:23:41-08:00August News from Cori Belle<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/7d3012dc5d9d345379c60fcaf84b3067d726bbcf/original/cover-image-edit-78.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Lemonade from Lemons </strong></span></p><p>A big THANK YOU to all who joined us for the premiere of "God Bless America," our first ever Indie Musikhaus virtual concert! We had over 50 people join us for the premiere, and the YouTube video has been viewed over 300 times. Imagine trying to fit you all into my living room...! What strange times we live in, and how grateful I am for opportunities to connect and make music even from a distance. If you missed it, you can still catch the performance <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzg0fl52NzU" data-link-type="url" contents="here&nbsp;">here </a>through Summer 2021. </p><p>Of course this fall will look quite different for the arts. I have enjoyed seeing the creativity of many musicians via the Internet this summer. It is not ideal, and even feels a bit "fake" at times, like we are trying to make the best lemonade with pretty sour lemons! Maybe you have been invited to be a part of a virtual music-making experience and have not taken the plunge yet because of the strangeness of the times. Let me encourage you! </p><p>Technology, recording, working remotely - none of these things will ever replace the very real collaboration of musicians working together in the same room. Let's not pretend that they do. However, it is a viable way to make music together. Studio recording musicians have known this for years, and have the advantage of having already worked through the discomforts of playing to a microphone, listening to musicians through headphones, and trying to communicate through a digital medium (as opposed to a live audience). I think it is important for more of us to explore this concept. </p><p>When Seiko Werts and I began talking about our "God Bless America" concert, I had spent the previous two and a half months in lockdown, trying to virtually "school" my kids and feeling anything but inspired and creative. June came along, and as things began to open up again, (and as we closed the books on a strange school year), I felt the need to take on a musical project. Nothing seemed more fitting than the spirituals for the season, and so Seiko and I put together a program of songs that pointed to hope in the midst of hardship. We recorded ourselves individually many times, and there was a lot of back and forth as we traded music files and Face-Timed each other. I had Seiko sing over the phone while I watched my music so I could mark my score to make room for more nuanced breathing and rubato. It was difficult, not ideal, and certainly less than amazing to watch myself on video and hear imperfections! But, it was so soul-satisfying to work on a musical project again, with a "concert date" on the calendar, and it forced me to work hard and steadily through the challenges. </p><p>I can't tell you how weirdly amazing it was to watch the final video of us finally performing "together." It was almost as good as being together in person. Not the same, but a very good second. If you have a chance to collaborate musically this fall with a friend or two or a hundred (!), please try. It will stretch you musically and personally, connect you with other musicians, and will be an encouragement to both your colleagues and your audience. You will be so glad you did! </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.simonedinnerstein.com/a-character-of-quiet" data-link-type="url" contents="Pianist Simone Dinnerstein describes a bit of her pandemic experience">Pianist Simone Dinnerstein describes a bit of her pandemic experience</a>. I can relate to her feeling that "lockdown did not make me feel creative or productive." However, she still managed to create beautiful music from her Brooklyn living room, recorded on her new album, "A Character of Quiet." </p><p>One of my favorite pieces, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw4A3Ew5in0&feature=youtu.be" data-link-type="url" contents="Faure's "Pie Jesu,"">Faure's "Pie Jesu,"</a> was recorded remotely this summer by Brass Band Northwest. </p><p>Ah, the days before social distancing! Eight pianists, four pianos, and a whole lot of notes here in an inspiring performance of <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1056772111404692" data-link-type="url" contents="Rossini’s William Tell Overture">Rossini’s William Tell Overture</a> from the Verbier Festival in 2018. Can you name any of these famous pianists?! </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>December 2020 TBA! A virtual holiday concert with Kirkland Choral Society</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's August 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64421552020-07-05T13:55:00-07:002024-02-19T09:24:01-08:00July News from Cori Belle<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/7d3012dc5d9d345379c60fcaf84b3067d726bbcf/original/cover-image-edit-78.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /><p><span class="text-big"><strong>God Bless America </strong></span></p><p>Next Sunday, July 19th, at 3:00 pm, is our "God Bless America" virtual concert! Seiko and I have been having so much fun putting this together. The spirituals are such a wonderful reminder of hope in dark times - we think they will be an encouragement to you. I hope you are looking forward to joining us. More information will be coming this week on how to tune in! Here is our full program: </p><p>Over My Head, I Hear Music in the Air, arranged by Uzee Brown, Jr. </p><p>Variations on a Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, arranged by Bennett Lerner </p><p>Sieben Variationen uber das Volkslied, "God Save the King" by Ludwig van Beethoven </p><p>Steal Away to Heaven, arranged by Mark Hayes </p><p>At the River, adapted by Aaron Copland </p><p>Summer Time from "Porgy and Bess" by George Gershwin, arranged by Beryl Rubinstein </p><p>Ain't-a That Good News! arranged by Uzee Brown, Jr. </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Artist Spotlight: Kathleen Battle </strong></span></p><p>One of the songs on our concert, "Over My Head I hear Music in the Air," is featured on this album featuring Kathleen Battle. Although we will be presenting a different arrangement, this one is worth your time to listen. In fact, the whole album is one of my favorites of all time. It showcases Battle's amazing range and beautiful, pure sound, and the selection of songs is quite lovely. Incidentally, her accompanist, Margo Garrett, is my link to any sort of "claim to fame"! When in high school, I competed in an accompanists' competition at Arizona State University and in addition to getting to be coached by her, I won the Margo Garrett award for "Most Promising Accompanist"!</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="n1nC1sZcb0M" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n1nC1sZcb0M?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.thepianofiles.com/musings-on-recordings-concerts-performance-and-interpretation/" data-link-type="url" contents="Musings on Recordings.">Musings on Recordings.</a> This seems especially appropriate as we venture into a new season of recordings, many taped live, ranging from cell phone captures to home studio set-ups to professional recording and editing collaborations. How has technology changed our expectations of artists? </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>Sunday, July 19th, 3pm "God Bless America," a virtual Indie Musikhaus concert in your living room!</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's July 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64421572020-06-30T14:05:00-07:002024-02-19T09:24:18-08:00June News from Cori Belle<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/7d3012dc5d9d345379c60fcaf84b3067d726bbcf/original/cover-image-edit-78.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Forward Motion</strong></span></p><p>Happy Summer! The weight of virtual homeschooling has been lifted (for now) and we have been loving the sunshine, as well as some recovered freedom of movement as our county entered Phase 2: salons opened, in-person gymnastics classes re-started, and we have been meeting friends at the beach and enjoying backyard barbecues. As well, new projects are in the works. My girls are selling at a local Farmer's Market and have been busy crafting jewelry, soap, and stuffed animals. I am excited to announce a new project of my own as well! </p><p>In just a few weeks, I will be hosting the very first virtual Indie Musikhaus house concert...in YOUR living room! My good friend Seiko Werts graciously agreed to collaborate with me, and we have an exciting program planned for you. On Sunday, July 19th, at 3:00 pm, we will present "God Bless America," a collection of spirituals and other songs celebrating the faith and hope upon which America was founded. Even Beethoven makes an appearance with his variations on "God Save the King," the melody of which you will recognize as the familiar "My Country 'Tis of Thee." There will be singing, some solo piano pieces, and even a dueling piano selection! </p><p>Please mark your calendars and be on the lookout for more information (in the next newsletter) about how to RSVP and get the link to the concert. We hope you can join us! Seiko and I can't wait to share this beautiful music with you. We think it will encourage you and lift your spirits! </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>At the River </strong></span></p><p>Earlier this month, I sent Seiko a video of me playing Aaron Copland's arrangement of "At the River" and asked if she would sing "with" me. She decided to play along, and this video was created! Think of it as a sneak preview of our upcoming "God Bless America" concert!</p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Sq8I9SMUXlA" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sq8I9SMUXlA?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p>Can't get enough of "God Save the King/Queen"? Here are <a class="no-pjax" href="https://thelistenersclub.com/2017/02/08/10-musical-adaptations-of-god-save-the-queen/" data-link-type="url" contents="several variations on the theme">several variations on the theme</a>, including some by Charles Ives and Franz Liszt. </p><p>An interesting<a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACBpjaLO2u8&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=Seattle+Chamber+Music+Society+Newsletter&utm_campaign=17872506f6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_06_19_06_49&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c6fbb662fa-17872506f6-152420313" data-link-type="url" contents="&nbsp;interview with pianist Andrew Armstrong"> interview with pianist Andrew Armstrong</a>, discussing his part in Seattle Chamber Music Society's Virtual Summer Festival and the role of technology in these times. </p><p>More livestreams! Have you been following the performances at London's Wigmore Hall? Here is one by <a class="no-pjax" href="https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/live-streams/stephen-hough-js-bach-and-schumann" data-link-type="url" contents="pianist Stephen Hough">pianist Stephen Hough</a>. </p><p>Who says classical pianists can't think on their feet? Brazilian pianist Eliane Rodrigues has <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBbRTRBY4D4&feature=youtu.be" data-link-type="url" contents="pedal trouble&nbsp;">pedal trouble </a>during a live performance and literally takes the performance below the stage! </p><p>Last, but not least, a wonderful "tiny desk concert" from <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.npr.org/2020/05/30/863529061/lara-downes-tiny-desk-home-concert" data-link-type="url" contents="pianist Lara Downes">pianist Lara Downes</a> during the lockdown. </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>Sunday, July 19th, 3pm "God Bless America," a virtual Indie Musikhaus concert in your living room!</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's June 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64421592020-05-15T14:10:00-07:002024-02-19T09:24:38-08:00May News from Cori Belle<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/7d3012dc5d9d345379c60fcaf84b3067d726bbcf/original/cover-image-edit-78.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /><p><span class="text-big"><strong>A Moment in Time</strong></span></p><p>What strange times we are living in! This “pause” has been, for some, a time for reflection and new projects. For me, it has been more of a shift in how I spend my time. Music has taken a backseat to the more pressing duties of motherhood, which for the past two months have included homeschooling, counseling and entertaining children, and general upkeep of home and family. We’ve acquired a basketball hoop, a drone, and a new bike! We’ve resurrected two old laptops for online schooling. We’ve planted a garden, ripped up our soggy lawn, completed two 1,000-piece-puzzles, and cleaned out all the closets. My girls sleep in newly rearranged rooms. Family bike rides are a new “thing” and our baking adventures have taken us into new territory: pretzel bites, Dole Whip, churros, and faux Dippin’ Dots. But I miss music! </p><p>I read an article this morning that explained this weird time for musicians better than any I have seen up to now. It explained the need of professional musicians for an audience. The muse, the motivation to practice and refine, the creative energy...all these things require an audience, or at least the anticipation of a future audience, to gain momentum. This is true for me at least. In the absence of regular meetings with musician friends to rehearse or talk music, and without a calendar with upcoming performance dates, my music has slipped aside. </p><p>I can hear you already - Cori! We want to hear you play! Yes, and I will... It will come back. Live music-making will come back, because there is that impulse in us that must make music for others. But right now it all feels a little strange. Like zoom fatigue. Have you been there? That feeling that meeting virtually is just not enough. Perhaps it is better than nothing, but really it is not a good substitute for the very real social nature of humans. We need to physically be with each other, sharing the same breathing room, giving and receiving that unseen creative energy. We are not virtual beings; we are made of both body and spirit, and the expression of our creativity is both material and spiritual. This is how it is, how our Creator God made us, and I have hope that since He made us that way, He will restore that very physical expression of music in person again. Until then, I may remain partially silent, but the music will come! </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Bothell meets Hiroshima </strong></span></p><p>I am so proud of my friend, Seiko Werts, who created this wonderful video compilation with her husband, Doug, and her friend Shoko Nagai along with her husband. I hope you are inspired by their beautiful music and photography!</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="3V0rq41GJh8" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3V0rq41GJh8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span class="text-big"><strong>If Ye Love Me </strong></span></p><p>If you are keeping track, you know that I haven't written a newsletter since February, at which time I was promoting Kirkland Choral Society's "Love" concerts. Here is a piece I learned first at KCS, which was recently recorded by a friend who works as musical director at Seattle's First Church. Some members from KCS joined choir members from First Church to make up this virtual choir!</p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="lDKVZ9chSyU" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lDKVZ9chSyU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p>Here is the article that gave me pause: <a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2020/05/19/finding-inspiration-in-isolation/?fbclid=IwAR3yQqw3S9LQseUtp8iYb-ZM2JsNU2N8bKqCJ4XM1dTn2RIo4lde32weVgM" data-link-type="url" contents="Finding Inspiration in Isolation.">Finding Inspiration in Isolation.</a> Art needs an audience. </p><p>One of my favorite pianists, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.icareifyoulisten.com/2020/04/day-the-music-stopped-standing-still-together/" data-link-type="url" contents="Lara Downes, reflects on these strange times">Lara Downes, reflects on these strange times</a> and considers the "why" behind her music-making. </p><p>Musicians from Seattle's annual Chamber Music Festival perform <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLkSwEt7Mvw&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=Seattle+Chamber+Music+Society+Newsletter&utm_campaign=de4937a8d8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_02_10_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c6fbb662fa-de4937a8d8-152420313" data-link-type="url" contents="Dvorak's Gavotte for Three Violins">Dvorak's Gavotte for Three Violins</a>. </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>TBA!</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's May 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here."><i>here.</i></a></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64421732020-02-11T14:20:00-08:002024-02-19T09:25:02-08:00February News from Cori Belle<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/7d3012dc5d9d345379c60fcaf84b3067d726bbcf/original/cover-image-edit-78.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /><p><span class="text-big"><strong>O Love </strong></span></p><p>On the heels of Valentine's Day, I am preparing for a set of two "love" concerts with Kirkland Choral Society. On Saturday and Sunday, February 22-23, we will give performances of songs celebrating love and community (accompanied by wine and chocolate at each intermission!). Although the main spirit of the program is love for our fellow man, the song that touches me the most gives witness to the deep, abiding love offered us by God through Jesus: "O Love." </p><p>The text of "O Love" was written by Scottish preacher George Matheson (1842-1906) on the evening of his sister's wedding. It is believed that he wrote it in response to his sorrow at being rejected by the woman he had planned to marry. He took solace in the love found in His Savior, that love that "wilt not let me go." He had this to say about the poem: </p><p><i>The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some inward voice rather than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. </i></p><p><i>I have no natural gift of rhythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a dayspring from on high.” </i></p><p>More on Matheson can be found <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.crichbaptist.org/articles/christian-poetry-hymns/poems-hymns/o-love-that-wilt-not-let-me-go-george-matheson/" data-link-type="url" contents="here">here</a>. There have been several settings of his hymn and we will present a most beautiful one written by Elaine Hagenberg. View it below, and then come <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4469617" data-link-type="url" contents="hear it live">hear it live</a> at Bastyr this weekend!</p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="YJKxA7fZnug" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YJKxA7fZnug?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><i>O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. </i></p><p><i>O Light that follow'st all my way, I yield my flick'ring torch to thee; my heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshine's blaze its day may brighter, fairer be. </i></p><p><i>O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow thro' the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be. </i></p><p><i>O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee; I lay in dust life's glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red, life that shall endless be. </i></p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>How Lovely </strong></span></p><p>At the risk of too much sentimentality, here is one of my all-time favorite pieces, "How Lovely are Thy Dwellings" from Johannes Brahms' Requiem. It seems a fitting companion to "O Love," as it was also written at the time of sorrow, and yet is filled with hope: </p><p><i>How lovely are thy dwelling places, O Lord of Hosts! </i><br><i>My soul requires and yearns for </i><br><i>the courts of the Lord; </i><br><i>My body and soul rejoice </i><br><i>in the living God. </i></p><p><i>How lovely are thy dwelling places, O Lord of Hosts! </i><br><i>Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; </i><br><i>they praise you forever. </i><br><i>How lovely are thy dwelling places!</i></p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="OCN44NzEN5M" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OCN44NzEN5M?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2018/06/11/looking-for-the-one-buying-a-grand-piano/" data-link-type="url" contents="Looking for The One:&nbsp;tips for buying a grand piano">Looking for The One: tips for buying a grand piano</a> by Frances Wilson </p><p>More music to make you swoon: <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-3JBnjdAY&feature=share" data-link-type="url" contents="Rachmaninov's&nbsp;Prelude in B-Minor, Op.32 No.10&nbsp;">Rachmaninov's Prelude in B-Minor, Op.32 No.10 </a>performed by pianist Yuja Wang </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://interlude.hk/musicians-vulnerability/" data-link-type="url" contents="Why Musicians Should Embrace Their Vulnerability&nbsp;">Why Musicians Should Embrace Their Vulnerability </a></p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>February 22-23 - Kirkland Choral Society "True Colors" concerts, Bastyr U <br>April 2 - LMC Public Concert Series, Seattle Art Museum 12pm <br>April 18 - Kirkland Choral Society "Beethoven's 50th," Benaroya Hall <br>May 13 - LMC Public Concert Series, Seattle Public Library, 12pm</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's February 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/64421742020-01-21T14:25:00-08:002024-02-19T09:25:23-08:00January News from Cori Belle<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/7d3012dc5d9d345379c60fcaf84b3067d726bbcf/original/cover-image-edit-78.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Happy New Year! </strong></span></p><p>I had a wonderful Christmas break with my family, filled with too many sweets, lots of late nights and sleeping in, movies, and games. It was so nice to take a break from our normal routines of school, homework, after-school activities, and…well, responsibilities! But 2020 is here and though my calendar is not looking like a “fresh slate” by any means, a new year holds promise for new opportunities. </p><p>To get myself motivated (I’ve felt awfully lazy lately, especially with these dark gray, cold Pacific Northwest days), I’m reminding myself of what has worked for me in the past. Check out my <a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/blog/blog/getting-motivated-in-the-new-year" data-link-type="url" contents="latest blog post">latest blog post</a> to find out what's helping me get to work! Maybe these will inspire you to get moving and creating too? </p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Music and Memory </strong></span></p><p>I love learning how music impacts our brains in tangible ways. A few years ago an <a class="no-pjax" href="https://bigthink.com/news/ever-get-the-tingles-from-listening-to-good-music-that-part-of-your-brain-will-never-get-lost-to-alzheimers" data-link-type="url" contents="article was published on Big Think&nbsp;">article was published on Big Think </a>that describes a study revealing this finding: "...music can sometimes actually lift people out of the Alzheimer's haze and bring them back to (at least a semblance of) normality... if only for a short while." The study found that music prompted people to not only recall musical memories, but also non-musical memories, for a short time. Below is a video giving a glimpse of this.</p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="fyZQf0p73QM" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fyZQf0p73QM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Around the Web </strong></span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://interlude.hk/musicians-day/" data-link-type="url" contents="What do musicians do all day?">What do musicians do all day?</a> Frances Wilson attempts to draw a picture of some of the realities of how musicians spend their time. </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.themultitaskingmomsite.net/the-multitasking-mom/stop-procrastination" data-link-type="url" contents="The 5 Minute Trick to Stop Procrastination&nbsp;">The 5 Minute Trick to Stop Procrastination </a></p><p>Pianist and practice coach Erica Ann Sipes reveals a look into her <a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2019/11/25/lessons-learned-from-a-musical-mid-life-crisis/" data-link-type="url" contents='"musical mid-life crisis"'>"musical mid-life crisis"</a> and shares how she overcame her own personal roadblocks to make music again. </p><p>Pianist magazine reveals <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.pianistmagazine.com/blogs/most-memorable-piano-moments-of-the-decade/" data-link-type="url" contents="Top Crazy Piano Moments of the Decade&nbsp;">Top Crazy Piano Moments of the Decade </a></p><p><span class="text-big"><strong>Upcoming Concerts </strong></span></p><p>February 22-23 - Kirkland Choral Society "True Colors" concerts, Bastyr U <br>April 2 - LMC Public Concert Series, Seattle Art Museum 12pm <br>April 18 - Kirkland Choral Society "Beethoven's 50th," Benaroya Hall <br>May 13 - LMC Public Concert Series, Seattle Public Library, 12pm</p><p> </p><p><i>This content is from Cori's January 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="here"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/60666402020-01-07T17:35:32-08:002020-01-07T17:38:13-08:00Getting Motivated in the New Year<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/18d6768b6f0ce9726f4b9e4f46fd4c79a5df48da/original/img-1675.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_" />Happy New Year! </p>
<p>I had a wonderful Christmas break with my family, filled with too many sweets, lots of late nights and sleeping in, movies, and games. It was so nice to take a break from our normal routines of school, homework, after-school activities, and…well, responsibilities! But 2020 is here and though my calendar is not looking like a “fresh slate” by any means, a new year always holds promise for new opportunities. </p>
<p>To get myself motivated (I’ve felt awfully lazy lately, especially with these dark gray, cold Pacific Northwest days), I’m reminding myself of what has worked for me in the past. Maybe these will inspire you to get moving and creating too? </p>
<ol> <li>Exercise. A gym membership that I don’t want to go to waste is great motivation for me to get out and get moving. I always try to bring a book or have a podcast ready to go. (If nothing else, this is a good “bribe” to get some reading or listening in that I may not otherwise have time for!) My dog also expects his daily walk, so really I have no excuse to not move. In addition to the health benefits, at least 30 minutes of some kind of exercise every day helps get my brain in gear and makes me feel like I can tackle my to-do list. </li> <li>Bible reading. A plan for daily Bible reading keeps me focused on what is most important. An app on my phone makes this an easy read anywhere – at the gym, in the pick-up line at school, in bed when I wake up, etc. </li> <li>A daily plan. I haven’t succeeded in having a daily routine (other than getting my kids off to school on time!), but I do sketch out my week in a paper planner every Sunday. I write in “gym” for my gym days, “walk the dog” (just so I have something to cross off each day!), household chores for each day, after-school activities my kids are involved in (and need rides to), dinner plans (thaw the meat in am), and any other tasks that need doing. I try to be specific in what tasks I want to accomplish. For instance, writing “practice music” doesn’t usually get great results, but if I write “listen to ___ score and mark parts to work on” or “memorize first page of ___,” I am much more likely to open the music and start the task (and finish it!). </li> <li>Stay focused. It is too easy for me to get lost on the computer or in reading a new magazine, or in the hundred little projects that sound more fun than what I wrote in my planner! But if I can stick with my plan (telling myself that my reward is doing the fun stuff afterward), I get far more accomplished, and that leads to more productivity… </li>
</ol>
<p>And with that, I need to head back to my planner…! Cheers to a productive and creative year ahead!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/58825042019-09-05T19:17:27-07:002020-03-11T12:08:02-07:00Time-savers for Choral Accompanists<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/18d6768b6f0ce9726f4b9e4f46fd4c79a5df48da/original/img-1675.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>It’s the beginning of the season and you are handed a packet of music to learn by next week’s rehearsal. It’s like the first day of school. You feel all the emotions – excitement at new “school supplies,” anticipation of seeing choral friends after a long summer break, and readiness for new challenges. But with an hour’s worth (or more) of new music, where do you start? </p>
<p>1. <strong>Prep the </strong><strong>music</strong>. You likely were given a mix of piano-vocal scores, perhaps some zeroxed music (hopefully copyright-permissions-granted!), and maybe even an orchestral reduction of a major work in book-form. Ask permission to punch holes and otherwise mark up the music (in pencil!), and then put it into a black notebook. If your director has given you a program order, even better – put your music in concert order. If you have a book-type score, like Verdi’s Requiem or such work, decide whether you will take it to an office supply store to get the binding cut off and a spiral binding put on, or if you will fold and unfold the score to get the pages to lie flat. </p>
<p>2. <strong>Listen to recordings of the music with the score. </strong>It’s tempting to dive right in and sight-read everything, but you will save time and unnecessary mistakes by listening with the score. Try finding the music on YouTube, Amazon Music, Spotify, iTunes, your library, or your own music collection. Listen for the overall “feel” of the piece. Mark tempo changes, dynamic changes, meter changes. Mark entrances in each voice part. Write in beats for difficult-to-count measures (in the accompaniment and in the vocal parts). </p>
<p>3. <strong>Run through the music at the piano.</strong> At this point, you have a choice: You can start by reading through the accompaniment or by reading the vocal lines. Reading the accompaniment can give you a good feel for the harmonies and overall form; however, you may not play the full accompaniment until later in the season, depending on what level of singers you’re working with. If they will need a lot of part-plunking, don’t spend a lot of time learning the accompaniment at this point. It is important to become familiar with the voice parts, particularly entrances and harmonies. If it helps, write chord names above homophonic sections (especially if you are reading more than 4-part harmony, like in an 8-voice double choir piece). Mark entrances in each voice part so they are quickly spotted – either with a highlighter, or a circled note, or an arrow. </p>
<p>If you are new at reading parts, try reading soprano + alto or tenor + bass and then expand your eyes to reading alto + tenor and soprano + bass. After reading two parts, expand to three. Another good exercise, particularly if you are going to lead a sectional, is to play the accompaniment while singing one voice part. This will draw your attention to hard-to-find entrances and tricky intervals. </p>
<p>4. <strong>Mark your music </strong></p>
<p>a. Mark challenging sections with a post-it note or note them on a separate piece of paper and come back to them later. For the first and second read-throughs, you don’t want to spend too much time on nit-picking. Your goal is to get a feel for the overall arc of the piece, harmonies, and choral entrances. Everything else can come later. </p>
<p>b. If the music indicates more parts than the standard SATB (like SSATB) and they are not marked after the initial measure, label each score. (This will save you headaches when you are asked to play the alto part and it’s on the third line down!) </p>
<p>c. If the accompaniment is an orchestral reduction, listen for “the main thing.” What cues will the choir be listening for in performance? Mark these and prioritize them – leave other stuff out, if need be. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Tremelos can become pulses or vice versa; groups of sixteenth notes can sometimes be simplified into eighths; octave runs can be simplified into single lines. Your goal is to provide support for the choir in the form of a solid harmonic foundation and a good knowledge of form – so that you can make music together in rehearsal as well as performance! The “frosting” is whatever color you can bring in from the orchestra part – the percussive drumming in the bass, or the piercing treble of the brass, or the pizzicato of the strings. As you listen to recordings over the season, start marking what instruments you hear in the score. Think about how you can accomplish the same feelings and colors at the piano in a pianistic way. Don’t try to play everything in the score! Reductions are often not written by pianists, and they should not be treated like a piano solo but as an approximation of color and timbre and feel. </p>
<p>5. <strong>Take good notes.</strong> When in rehearsal, take note of places that need more practicing. Circle the places in your music, make a note on a separate piece of paper, or slap a post-it note on tricky places. When you return to the piano in private, work the hard spots first. </p>
<p>6. <strong>Plan page turns.</strong> Later in the season, after you’ve gained some familiarity with the music, focus more on learning and polishing the accompaniment. Practice hard page turns. Write in the score where you want to turn and which hand will turn. Practice these turns. This may sound excessive, but it’s like writing in fingerings – If you will write in your planned fingering/page turn and practice it the same way each time, you will gain security in performance and will lessen your reliance on those “I hope this works out” moments. </p>
<p>The more you accompany choirs, the more these steps will become intuitive. Listening first and marking your score well will help you learn a lot of music in a short amount of time. Much of our job as accompanists is “faking” – there is no way to learn such a vast repertoire unless you are good at finding shortcuts. This doesn’t mean sloppy playing; what it does mean is doing your homework efficiently and well. When you put in the time to prep, it will pay off in big ways: the choir will feel like you are listening to them (“You always play my entrances” or “You always seem to know where the altos need help”), the director will feel like you know the score, and you will play confidently and musically. Your reward? Another stack of music!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/57374122019-04-30T09:10:05-07:002024-02-19T09:25:40-08:00Yes, Chef<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/system/b33a58aa24c06fb2b5721e59674af2dd820cc1d7/original/dd394699-bc91-4dde-9251-1e54765de75d.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" alt="" /><p>Words matter. To one with an artistic temperament, words matter intensely. In the last year, two phrases were directed toward my playing that shook me: “…not up to our standard” and “I didn’t even think of you.” After a good cry in both cases, I tried not to dwell on what had been said and instead tried to evaluate it in light of what was true; to not hold resentment; to redirect my focus on bettering my playing. As a Christian I am to “take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ” and to dwell on what is “true, noble, right…” Dwelling on the negative is not productive and can be harmful. This is difficult to do. Words rankle. </p><p>I watch a good amount of cooking competitions on television and am continually impressed by the way chefs deal with frank criticism. Cooking is an art, not just a science, and even in a speed competition chefs strive to present their best dishes with artistry, passion, and thoughtful presentation. Yet the way the judges speak to them can be ruthless! Of course, there are chefs who react ungraciously, defending their food at all costs (even if the judge is right). However, more often than not I see chefs revert to their training, nod respectfully and reply, “Yes, chef” in either agreement or humble submissiveness to the decision. </p><p>What a response! When everything in you wants to rise up and DEFEND! DEFEND! (And maybe ATTACK!) To humbly submit to an evaluation and not retaliate is commendable. To do this when the judgment feels unfair is even more praiseworthy. How do you respond to the comment “not up to our standard” when you see other competitors clearly lacking in technique and artistry? How do you deal with being overlooked by an esteemed colleague? </p><p>I can only think of Jesus, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8 NIV) </p><p>This is not to say we become doormats for criticism. What it does mean is that we take up the tasks God has given specifically to us and leave the ones He does not permit, in submission to His perfect will, trusting in His goodness to carry us through. </p><p>Yes, Chef.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/54771382018-10-19T11:44:02-07:002018-12-11T20:18:02-08:00What is an Introvert like Me Doing, Performing on Stage?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/4a76024d965038b83bed3ec41d27482bb11a57af/original/music-and-motherhood-photo.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />Here is an example of how God uses the foolish and weak things. My happy place is when I am alone, the space is quiet, and I am buried in a book or studying music without interruption. I can go many hours like this, content to be isolated from people. This works well for a classical pianist whose art demands a great deal of focus and reflection, not to mention the repetitive nature of practice. It does not bode as well for the performer. And here is the irony. That to be a performer of classical music, one must perform in front of people. </p>
<p>I battle this reality, because it is in my nature to withdraw. What, then, is my motivation to perform? </p>
<p>Music demands a listener. To some extent, the listener can be me, for when I’m at the piano I am creating as well as listening. But the music is not always satisfied with a single audience member. </p>
<p>Classical music is unique to all other music that I know of, excepting jazz perhaps, in that it requires a certain level of focused study in order to bring it to fruition. This kind of study happens at least twice, once in the mind of the composer and second in the mind of the performer. One could argue that, if it is a collaborative or orchestral work it is also required of the director and conductor. One could also argue that it is required of the audience who listens. (And of course, there are the teachers and mentors and coaches!) There is something about the thoughtfulness that goes into composing and studying a classical piece, the discipline and effort required, the investment of these things--that demands an audience. </p>
<p>Last year when I was working on recording my first classical CD I had in mind that I could straddle my introverted world with that of the performer in a happy medium, namely: recording a CD in the privacy and comfort of my living room, a “performance” that could be heard by vast numbers of people. And while this is true in a sense, the process of recording a CD is so far removed from a live performance situation, it really can’t be compared at all. I am left with the music, my introverted nature, the composers’ demands, and the necessity of an audience to listen. Here is where I think God has a great sense of humor. </p>
<p>He calls people who are weak to do things completely out of their comfort zone. My personal belief in the reason behind it is so that we always have to rely on Him for our success. As a Christian, God’s Spirit lives in me and enables me to push past my insecurities and even at times my personality, in order to serve a greater purpose. In terms of me being a pianist, the purpose is to share this great music with a wider audience than myself. My security lies in who God is as my Father, Creator, Redeemer, and Friend. </p>
<p>I was created to be a pianist. I was born into sin, which among other things, paralyzes with its doubts and insecurities. God, through the death of His Son, redeemed me from this paralyzing sin and set me free to live as He intended, not enslaved to my sin nature but freed to be and to do all that He intends as I depend on Him. As my Friend, I know God is with me on whatever stage He ends up placing me on, and He is for me even as I falter in my dependence on Him and am tempted to believe the insecurities and doubts that inevitably plague performers. In my weakness He is strong; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This is not a female-empowerment message: I am woman, hear me roar! This is a God-empowering message: that when I believe in Jesus as the Savior and Redeemer of my soul, God moves in to strengthen and empower me to do the work He created me to do. And so I need not battle against my introverted self, but instead rely on the God who intentionally made me that way so that I might rest fully in Him!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/54632062018-10-15T08:55:00-07:002018-10-15T08:55:14-07:00Becoming an Artist, Part 8: Tools for Success<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/fe17195df39f174ec5ed4c0a966f7f1d981911ac/original/dsc6373.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />It’s really wonderful how a good teacher can give you just the right tools to enable you to play better. Recently I was fortunate to be able to work once again with <a contents="Pawel Checinski " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://fineartmusiccompany.com/?page_id=4213" target="_blank">Pawel Checinski </a>, who was visiting from Chicago. I played for him a little and then we got to work. He primarily focused on helping me come up with a decisive interpretation, achieve a singing tone, and use arm weight to produce a lovely sound. </p>
<p>I had been struggling with the memory of the Bach Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911, often getting lost in Bach’s many statements of the theme with its variations. Pawel encouraged me to draw a roadmap of the piece as a way to hang my memory on the over-arching structure. I made a mental note to do this following my lesson with him. He then began to nitpick some individual elements, encouraging me to listen and bring out individual voices within the first page, which is in the style of an improvisatory toccata. He wanted more definition in the line, more of an arc, more interest created by growing in volume at the approach to a cadence. His instruction wasn’t just to make everything crescendo to a point, but to make me think about where I was going with the line. He wanted me to do something as opposed to just pressing keys down on a keyboard. He was concerned about bringing out individual voices as they entered the picture. He wanted me to draw tension to the entrance of each new voice. And more than that, he reminded me that it was not enough for the voice to enter, but then to have something to say-even if it was just holding a note for two beats; it’s still had to have presence. </p>
<p>Piano is such an interesting art. Whereas ballet is concerned with the physicality of movement, playing the piano involves both physical movement and the aural aspect of creating a beautiful sound. It is possible for a pianist to sit and play a piece physically while not even really hearing what she is playing; kind of like when you speak to your children while they are watching TV-they are aware that a voice is speaking, but feel no need to focus their mind on what is actually being said. This is so easy to do at the piano, to relegate it to a mere physical task. It often takes a teacher, who is not involved in the physical effort of playing the notes, to hear what is happening musically with the line and to point out what is lacking in movement or interest. </p>
<p>The second thing we worked on was achieving a singing tone. For the opening theme of the fugue, Pawel had me sing for him. He wanted to know what I thought the line should sound like. He then had me play the same line on the piano, and he stopped me and commented that I played it completely differently than I had sung it. I tried again, listening to myself more carefully as I played. Again, I did not achieve the same result as when I had sung the line. So I stopped and thought about how I had sung it and what notes I had put a little more weight on. We then moved on to the second entrance of the theme, accompanied by the original voice, which dances around the theme in a counter melody. Bringing this variable in resulted in my neglecting to sing the theme as I had done earlier. Now my challenge was to try and manipulate the two voices in such a way that I could stay true to my original interpretation of how the theme should be sung. As you can imagine, the more voices you add, the more things are going on in music, and the more effort is required to sing the theme as it should be sung. </p>
<p>The third tool that Pawel handed to me was the idea of arm weight. His goal was for me to achieve a more beautiful tone when I press the key - and that is exactly what I was doing: pressing the key, using only my fingers to bring forth sound. What he wanted me to do instead was to transfer the weight of my forearm into the key by means of the finger. This has to happen without me locking my shoulder and breaking the expression of the sound. </p>
<p>These concepts, in the space of a two hour lesson, can start to seem so nitpicky. And in fact it took me a couple of days to process the information and consider how I was going to apply it to my pieces. It wasn’t so much a conscious processing as a brain dump of words onto a paper, and letting Pawel’s words sort of marinate for a couple days. But then it was time to work, and the thing with tools is that you can pick them up and use them in a variety of applications, in this case, a variety of songs. These are universal tools for the pianist. Every great pianist has a definite interpretation of the piece he is performing; every great pianist develops a singing tone that makes the music interesting to the listener; every great pianist uses his arm weight to achieve a beautiful tone. Of course, every pianist has a unique personality and even differing technique-that is to say, different ways of working on these concepts and using these tools. But it is a continual process of growth, and I find it so valuable to work with a teacher like Pawel who seems to be able to pull just the right tools out to further me on my journey of becoming an artist.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/54631402018-10-10T08:56:28-07:002018-10-10T08:56:28-07:00Becoming an Artist, Part 7: Working with Pawel Again<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/4a6a46fa1b3202c6da1ed8ca74e115a8707acff0/original/dsc0233-2.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>It’s funny how you can hear that something is off as a pianist and not know exactly what is wrong with it or how to fix it until a teacher explains it. When I sit at the keyboard I often don’t ask the same kinds of questions of myself that I would if I were a teacher. It doesn’t come as naturally to me, perhaps because the work on notes and rhythms and memory and the physicality of what’s going on is consuming enough that to think beyond that is not automatic. However, as a teacher, you are physically removed from the keyboard and are freed up to think about the piece objectively; also, your mind is not engaged in trying to affect the quality of sound or remember what is next. You can focus completely on the notes that you’re hearing, the quality of the sound, and the interpretation of the music. In a recent lesson with <a contents="Pawel Checinski" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://fineartmusiccompany.com/?page_id=4213" target="_blank">Pawel Checinski</a>, we worked on honing my interpretation of J.S. Bach’s Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911. </p>
<p>His comments to me at the beginning were that the first and second measures felt disjointed: it sounded like I started one piece and then in the second measure I was in a different piece with a completely different tempo. Pawel suggested that to fix that I could extend the length of the first note on the second measure (which is a sixteenth note). He said I wasn’t holding it long enough, instead starting a completely different tempo. If I lengthened the note, I could ease into the new tempo. (The new tempo was not inappropriate, but it was too sudden a change after beginning a piece in one tempo.) So I lengthened the note and gradually built up to the tempo that I wanted. I felt like this was a good solution and allowed me to keep the spirit of what I was trying to do while making a smoother transition so that the music didn’t feel disjointed. </p>
<p>I think as a performer there is so much of the body that is involved in the execution of bringing the music to life that it can be easy to get lost in the physicality of it and play almost robotically. It’s as much a matter of learning to listen to one’s playing and know what to listen for, as it is a way of thinking. It’s a very complicated task. Think about it: you are trying to physically play the notes that are on a page, remember exactly what was written on the page, listen to yourself as you’re playing, make decisions on the spot about what you are doing (for instance, if you need to change the dynamic or adjust something), and to also plan what is coming next without thinking so far ahead that you lose what you’re playing in the moment. It’s like you have to think past, present, and future at the same time. But it is dangerous to reflect too much on the past, like if you make a mistake, because you have to keep playing. Performance art is such a different medium from the visual arts. Once you’ve painted a stroke you can step back, sort of pause time, and reflect on whether that was what you actually meant to do or not. You can cover it up or change it. But in performance art, you are not free to fix mistakes. You have to move past them and make your adjustments after the fact, or choose to ignore what just happened completely and move on like nothing happened. </p>
<p>There is a point to all this. We started working on nuance, which is so important for music to have in order to create an effect. Pawel was saying that Rachmaninoff used to play these fifths in a way that you could hear the harmonics but you didn’t realize exactly what was happening. It created a feeling, kind of an atmospheric effect in the music that listeners could feel but couldn’t describe. These kinds of nuances, bringing out individual voices, lengthening a note that lasts less than a second in time, adjusting one’s attack of a single finger in order to create a more fluid line- all these things are micro adjustments that a pianist makes in order to create a certain type of sound. And it’s not just required for one’s technique, although that comes into it, but it is something that has to be evaluated for each note in each measure in each page of each piece of music by each composer that one studies. </p>
<p>It is an intensely detailed process. To focus on the weight of one’s finger on one of a number of 16th notes in one measure is incredibly picky, and yet adjusting the attack of that one note can make the whole line sound different. It is a fascinating, incredibly focused, time-consuming process, which makes me wonder sometimes if it’s worth the time and effort. No, not if it’s worth the time and effort - of course it is! The question really is how much time do I devote to it at, or away, from the piano? </p>
<p>As Pawel said, his goal was to give me tools that I could apply in many different areas of the piece as well as in my understanding and study of music in general. His suggestion to make a drawing of the architecture of the Bach, his pointing out the statement of the theme in each individual voice and reminding me to make them all consistent in articulation, his emphasis on arm weight over a pressing into the key - all these tools are valuable because I can bring them to further study when I am away from my teacher. </p>
<p>So is there a conclusion to the matter? Not really! I know what steps I need to take to further my studying this music, and for that I am grateful. But part of me feels like I don’t have a brain space to bring this kind of focused study to my daily practice while trying to raise three girls. Even with them at school all day it is not realistic for me to think I can spend those six hours at the piano. There are other life things that need to be taken care of while they are gone. But what I can do is make the most of the time that I have I do have and work smartly, for lack of a better word. And bit by bit I can make progress. The truth of the matter is that no musician ever stops growing; there is always the capacity for becoming a better musician. No one really ever arrives. And yet, there is satisfaction in the process of continually growing, in being challenged and trying new things.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/54424062018-09-24T20:08:07-07:002018-09-24T20:08:07-07:00Memorizing Bach...Again<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/fd42836ad3481a6550e1e3bf4a2e47493cb6699f/original/dsc6647.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />Today I finished re-memorizing Bach’s Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911. I say re-memorizing, because I memorized it 6 years ago for a house concert. And then I moved on to learn and memorize other music and I forgot the piece. Well, I didn’t forget it entirely. My fingers remembered what to do when I pulled out the score, and it came more easily to me physically than it had when I first learned it. But remembering the piece away from the score took a grand amount of effort. And I asked myself, “Why am I putting forth the effort to memorize this piece again?!” </p>
<p>I know Clara Schumann and Franz Liszt were at least partially responsible for starting the tradition of performing a piece from memory. Before them, it was considered an insult to the composer to play from memory, as if you were trying to “pass off” a piece as your own composition. Unfortunately for me, I was born post-Liszt/Schumann and the acceptable form of performing a solo classical piano piece in public today is to play it from memory. </p>
<p>So why do I groan at this now time-honored tradition? Because this toccata has 17 statements of the theme! The beginning prelude is not so hard, but the fugue contains a theme that passes between soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices which is at times played in its entirety by one hand but at other times divides between the hands which are also playing harmonic additions and/or counter melodies. It is enough to drive one mad. And if it were socially acceptable I would be tempted to play it with the music. </p>
<p>It is not coincidence that at the same time I am wrestling with memorizing this piece I am reading a book by theologian J.P. Moreland called <a contents="Love Your God&nbsp;With All Your Mind" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Your-God-All-Mind/dp/1617479004/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537844660&sr=8-1&keywords=jp+moreland+love+your+god+with+all+your+mind" target="_blank"><u>Love Your God With All Your Mind</u></a>. The premise of the book is that Christians need to employ their rational, reasoning mind in the acting out of their faith, rather than just relying on feeling. Christianity is a reasonable faith with historical and scientific evidence to support it; however, we too often fall back on experiential knowledge instead of doing the hard work of study and reflection in order to “work out our faith with fear and trembling” and to share it with nonbelievers. </p>
<p>Using one’s mind takes work – intense, focused concentration; sometimes in silence, often requiring reflection. This is in stark contrast to our technology driven world, where we need wait for almost nothing and can obtain information at the click of a button (or upon giving a voice command to Alexa or Siri). Discipline is required for thinking. This same effort and discipline is employed in memorizing a piece of music, particularly one written by Bach. And guess what? At the end of every composition, Bach wrote “For the glory of God.” Many of his pieces were teaching pieces, meant for study by his students. And they were intended to engage the mind. Why? Ultimately, for the glory of God. </p>
<p>I think these concepts are connected: the idea that using our minds takes work and discipline, and that the effort of using our minds in the study (and memorization) of music brings glory to God. Anyone that has studied Bach’s work knows the genius that was behind it. The mathematical symmetry in his music is not there for its own sake but creates in the music a wonderful sound that is not only beautiful but also makes sense – like a poem that begins in one place and meanders around with connecting and contrasting ideas, only to come back in full circle to the initial idea that is restated in a completely different manner. It is beautiful, and it is beautiful precisely because it is hard and takes effort in order to understand. </p>
<p>So while I don’t completely understand why it is so important for me to memorize Bach, of all composers (Chopin is so much easier!), I do know there is something to the process of engaging my mind in this exercise of memory that is bringing glory to God. In some small way it is a picture of Him in His infinite wisdom and beauty and perfection. And even if I don’t recreate this masterpiece perfectly, the effort made in engaging my mind is in itself a way that I can worship and bring glory to my Creator God. Soli Deo Gloria.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/54246482018-09-11T15:22:52-07:002024-02-19T09:11:54-08:00Back to Bach<div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="OClXoczn0Cw" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OClXoczn0Cw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p>I am reworking a Bach Toccata I learned a few years back in preparation for my concert with Molly Tomlinson for the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://lmcseattle.org/event/program-tba-7-2/?instance_id=324" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Ladies Musical Club&nbsp;October 11th concert">October 11th Ladies Musical Club concert</a>. "Toccata" literally means "touched" and refers to the virtuosic nature of the music's fingerwork. Originally conceived for early keyboard instruments such as clavichord, harpsichord, and organ, the toccata is not necessarily a "piano" piece. However, I believe that if Bach were to live in our time, he would use the piano to its fullest extent, most certainly employing it in the performance of his toccatas. </p><p>This particular toccata in C minor (BWV 911) carries the potential of all sorts of tone colors using the piano. Parts of it remind me of a harpsichord, while other parts seem distinctly written for organ as Bach layers sound upon sound on top of a pedal tone. I love the contrasts of fast fingerwork and rich chordal harmonies. Because Bach did so much writing for the church service, I wonder whether this particular work was used during the liturgy. In fact, toccatas that predated Bach were used during the Roman Catholic liturgy as a way to set the pitch for the choir! In the 16th-18th centuries the toccata was also often mentioned as "a piece that test[ed] the tuning, touch, and expressive possibilities of the instrument while the performer [warmed up] his fingers" (from Abigail Mace's dissertation, noted below) - I love this! So often as a pianist, I come to a new instrument on stage and have to familiarize myself with it quickly, sometimes without having rehearsed on it at all before the performance. What a great idea to have a "warm-up" piece to get used to the piano as the audience listens in! </p><p>Of course, Bach's toccatas may not have served either of these functions. They came later on - really, his compositions were the "peak" of the form - and because of their extended length and the use of a wide variety of material, were probably meant primarily to be used as teaching pieces. </p><p>In any case, having this knowledge of the toccata form that predated Bach's works feeds my imagination and I happily go back to the keyboard ready to imitate the harpsichord and organ sounds in my head even more fully, and to expand on the showmanship of the technical feats embedded in the work. I hope you will come listen to my interpretation at the LMC concert in October! In the meantime, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q71afaDRGiA" data-link-type="url" contents="here is a wonderful take on it by Martha Argerich">here is a wonderful take on it by Martha Argerich</a>.</p><p> </p><p>*<a class="no-pjax" href="https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/19741" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Here is the link ">Here is the link </a>to the wonderful dissertation by Abigail Mace on "Style and Interpretation in the Seven Keyboard Toccatas of J.S. Bach" (click on the .pdf file listed in the left column after you reach the site).</p><p>Note: This post first appeared in "September News from Cori Belle," a monthly newsletter that goes out to all my subscribers filled with upcoming events, piano news, and links to great articles about all things piano! If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, please go to my <a class="no-pjax" href="https://coribelle.com/contact" data-link-type="url" contents="Contact page">Contact page</a> and sign up!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/52677592018-05-31T09:11:48-07:002024-02-19T09:09:07-08:00Intention<p>I am still in search of that elusive “it” that sets the professional pianist apart from the amateur. This is something I’ve been mulling over for the better part of the last year. I am more and more convinced that it has much to do with intention. </p><p>The amateur performer relies to some degree on chance. She knows that preparation is important and spends many hours practicing, but there is always an element of unknowing – Will my hands make that leap accurately? Will I express at the keyboard exactly what is in my heart? Will I remember the notes in that difficult section? Will I start the piece too fast and watch it fall apart? Conversely, it seems that the professional approaches practice sessions quite differently. Instead of <i>hoping </i>things will turn out well 4 out of 5 times, she <i>plans</i> for things to turn out well. There is intentionality in the practice: If a phrase is not executed perfectly in practice, she will work on it, either through much repetition or through thoughtful problem-solving, or a combination of the two, until it can be executed perfectly every time. This takes an incredible amount of patience, focus, and discipline. </p><p>I am continuing to work on the repertoire from my recent CD release. (Music is never really “done;” there is always something an artist can improve on.) As late as this morning, I found that I had been practicing some wrong notes (horrors!). </p><p>The first song of my Ginastera set, the Creole Dances Opus 15, is slow and beautiful and wretchedly exposed. I question every phrase, every nuance, and every color of every note. The piece is a dance and should have a dance-like, lilting quality to it. But I don’t want it to be taken too literally - there should be some vague dreamy qualities as well. It is marked pianissimo, so it should be played quietly, but I also want it to sing. There are so many contradictions within the 90-second dance. Every decision is important. Everything “counts” because it is so exposed. As I play, I think I am over-analyzing, and I throw everything out the window and just play as beautifully as I can. But then, did I let loose too much? Some notes stick out at the expense of others, and other notes don’t sing as they should. The beginning of one phrase was taken too fast, and there should be more breathing room before going on to the next phrase. I play back the recording I made on my iPhone; it sounded better when I was playing it live! The recording forces me to listen objectively, away from the piano, and to consider what worked and what didn’t. I return to the piano to work more deliberately, slowly, and with greater intention.</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="xOoAHZ8IP2E" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xOoAHZ8IP2E?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/52479392018-05-21T20:07:48-07:002018-05-21T20:07:48-07:00Balancing Music and Motherhood<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/4a76024d965038b83bed3ec41d27482bb11a57af/original/music-and-motherhood-photo.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>This is the first year my children are all in school full-time and the year I have felt the most need to justify my not working outside the home. The question often comes up, “What do you do with your time?” The question is well-meaning, as it is an American norm to meet someone for the first time and ask, “So what do you do for a living?” The assumption that a mother has nothing to do when her children go off to school in the morning is laughable to me, but understandable in our culture where we often see mothers working full-time jobs and supposedly keeping it all together. If she can do it all, what indeed does a mother do during the day who is not working?</p>
<p>The short answer is: I do everything I did when my children were young and at home full-time with me, just without interruptions! Of course, I do not have the responsibilities of changing diapers and entertaining children, so my workload has decreased somewhat. This is where my music comes in. But first, a little background. </p>
<p>When my husband and I were first dating, he in his early thirties and I in my late twenties, we discussed our dreams for the future. His ideal job was to own his own business; mine was to be a stay-at-home mom and do music. Many people stop there with the discussion, but our firstborn, type A personalities didn’t allow us to end it there. When we got engaged, we made some decisions about how we would make our dreams happen. At the time I was a public schoolteacher and my husband was a sales manager at Microsoft. We had some debt to take care of, but fortunately no school loans to pay off. We decided right away that we would not depend on my income to live on. Our plan was to get pregnant after a year or two of being married; if a child came sooner, this would not disrupt our financial situation. After about a year and a half I did get pregnant and gave notice at my job and then began my life at home as a mom. </p>
<p>Fast forward ten years to today, and we have three school-age children, my husband has retired from Microsoft, and we own a flourishing business. Of course, a lot of details and drama happened in-between, and it has not always been easy. There were several years where my husband worked two jobs while I stayed home with two babies in diapers and a very extroverted toddler. We bought our first house at prime market rate and weren’t able to sell when we wanted to because we would have lost a significant amount of money in the market crash (We ended up renting it out for several years until we regained some equity and could sell at break-even). All in all, though, we have been blessed. The Lord has led us in our decision-making as we leaned on Him for guidance. We are both now seeing the fruit of the decisions we made at the beginning of our marriage. </p>
<p>As to what I do during the day, maybe I should first explain what happens when the children come home. I pick them up from school (their school does not have bus transportation) and bring them home where they get changed, grab a snack, and start on homework. At this age, all three need some assistance with practicing spelling words, memorizing their Bible verses, studying for history tests (or Latin, science, geography, literature depending on the child and the week), and doing some extra math practice. It is not all hands-on for me, but I do need to hear the little one read aloud and we always review their graded work together to go over mistakes and celebrate successes. Depending on the day, it takes one to one-and-a-half hours to get through homework. By that time it is time to prepare dinner (or finish preparing, if I started something in the crockpot earlier in the day), eat together as a family, and then make lunches for the next day (the children are responsible for making their own lunches, with a little guidance). There is then about an hour of free time before we start the bedtime routine, where my husband and I take turns with each child individually, reading a story and Bible and praying before turning out the lights. Unless, of course, it is a gymnastics day for my oldest, and then I shuttle her back and forth to practice; or a choir rehearsal day, where I take off for the evening. We try to keep evenings low-key and enjoy time together as a family. Because of this, the bulk of my household managing and music “stuff” needs to happen during the day. </p>
<p>A typical day for me, after getting the kids off to school, involves going to the gym, walking the dog, prepping dinner, doing some chores, and getting to the piano to practice. I play for a community choir that often sings music with a decently challenging piano part (or an orchestral reduction – we did Verdi’s Requiem this spring) and occasionally I lead a sectional and need to prepare what to rehearse. I also host house concerts once a quarter so I recruit musicians, program and advertise concerts, and prepare my own music to perform for those. I volunteer at my church as well, doing a little administrative work, some graphic design, and leading a worship team every other month. This all sounds very do-able on paper, doesn’t it?! The days are always full, though. Practicing solo and collaborative works and choir music, maintaining a personal website and one for house concerts, participating in online professional development groups and marketing my new CD take considerable time. Combine that with home maintenance, gardening, birthday planning, volunteering at the kids’ school, paying bills, and meeting friends, and my days are full. Managing a house and trying to have a personal life while raising children means there is always something to do. </p>
<p>It is a most fulfilling life for me and I am immensely grateful to have the opportunity to stay home and invest so much in my husband and kids and home. These years are fleeting, and because we had our kids close together in age, it means we have about twenty years with them in our home (ten of these have already passed!) to nurture and care for them and teach them how to love and honor God with their lives and pursue their dreams. We intentionally make our family a priority, and because we do it means we make sacrifices in other areas. </p>
<p>I love what author and missionary Elisabeth Elliot has said about choices: that a choice is a limitation. We are fortunate to have so many choices available to us in America, but we must realize that every choice limits us. Marrying one person means not marrying another; having X amount of children means there will be sacrifices of time and energy (and sleep!) and finances. For me, choosing to stay home with my kids means I limit the amount of travel and performing I do as a musician. I do this gladly, knowing it is only for a season, and that the investment I make in my children will reap far greater benefits down the line than growing a music career. At the same time, I am doing what I can to grow as a pianist. </p>
<p>Last fall I recorded a solo classical piano CD in my living room on a considerably low budget with limited equipment. An additional financial investment has led to the album receiving radio play across the United States and it is on track to garner some important reviews and press. My relationship with my choir has led to recitals with new colleagues. I am exploring more avenues for performing during the day so that my involvement with music does not intrude too much on family life. Of course, both my husband and I see my involvement with music as a benefit to the children as well. They see how I work to perfect my music at the piano and what it takes to perform well. They get opportunities to see me rehearse in our home with other musicians, and they get to attend our house concerts where they meet all kinds of musicians and lovers of music. But I want to be careful that my music is not my sole focus. It is definitely a balancing act, trying to pursue what I love while being sensitive to the needs of my family. For now, in this season, this way of life is working for us all and the Lord is blessing it. How grateful I am to be able to embrace both music and family as I had dreamed many years ago.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/52401892018-05-17T10:24:12-07:002018-05-17T10:25:16-07:00Flawless Recording<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/eefca04892f155ace60b60bf890c526e1af80cef/original/dsc-5350.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />It takes courage to record. </p>
<p>Recording is a completely different animal from live performing. It is under far greater scrutiny than a live performance. An audience tends to give grace in a live performance for small mistakes, missed jumps, a blurred pedal…perhaps because they get wrapped up in the shared emotional experience; listeners seem to share a sort of sympathy with the artist. In a recording, that grace is considerably lessened: the listening audience expects perfect execution down to the slightest nuance. Why is this? </p>
<p>Perhaps it’s because when we listen to a recording we have a machine between us, or in some cases, many machines. We are physically isolated from the artist. Because we lack the ability to see the performer while listening– we don’t share the same space or breathe the same air or even hear the same sound - we’re removed from the immediacy of music-making. In the absence of the artist’s presence, our expectations for perfection go up and patience goes down. It is a curious thing and it makes the recording process quite intimidating. As an artist you feel even more vulnerable and exposed when you attempt to permanently etch your music onto a recording than when you perform on a stage. At least on stage there is some distance between you and your listener, a cushion of space that insulates you a little. As well, the fleeting nature of the performance is in itself a grace, as the listener can only “replay” a memory rather than a slightly imperfect performance. Lastly, there is an expectation of give and take in a live performance as the artist gives music to the audience, the audience receives it and gives back an immediate response. In live theater this is particularly telling, as a “good” audience can give incredible energy to the performers which then shows itself in their performance. </p>
<p>For my Commonplace Beauty recording, I was determined to present myself as you might hear me in one of my living room concerts: to try to achieve the feeling of an intimate performance space where the music is immediately accessible. If there are any illusions in my recording, it is the illusion I tried to create of my listeners being there with me in my living room; the illusion of the give and take, of us sitting together in the same room and enjoying music at the same time. This desire to present as “real” a picture of me and my playing as I could brought up a few questions. For one, would I encourage my sound engineer to add reverb in the mix to make my piano sound bigger or to make my living room sound like a concert hall, or would we aim for as “true” a sound as we could get? For another, how much editing in the form of cutting and pasting the best “takes” would I ask for? When I first began the recording process, I was surprised at how many extra-musical decisions were required. </p>
<p>I wrestled with the idea of splicing together “the best of” Cori. Of course I would like to be heard at my peak, but showing only “the best of” feels a little fake to me, especially if it cannot be easily reproduced in a live setting. I admit that I have a double standard, as I also come to listen to recordings others have done with the expectation that they will be free from errors. I don’t want to hear mistakes over and over again, and truly they can be a distraction from immersing oneself in, and being able to enjoy, the music. With my own music, though, I wanted to produce a beautifully artistic album that was “me” at the piano with no illusions, no barriers; as transparent as an electronically produced album could be. To me this meant minimal splicing (In the end, I made only two “cuts”); instead I chose the best version of each piece, even though it meant leaving in a few mistakes. </p>
<p>A few years ago a company, I think it was Dove, put on a marketing campaign that showed women as they were without makeup, flaws and all. Their aim was to show that beauty can be found in every woman. My goal in Commonplace Beauty was the same: to show the beauty of music presented by a humble artist not covered up by fancy hair and makeup. At the heart of it is not a desire to flaunt imperfections, but a desire to reveal what God is doing in me. He made me, gave me talent, and is working in me to accomplish His purposes for me. He is perfecting me. I will always do my part to make my performances as perfect as they can be, but ultimately perfection isn’t my goal; reflection is. To reflect Christ’s beauty and perfection in my playing is my ultimate goal, and I will do what I can to remove any barriers I can in my musical performances. </p>
<p>That said, I don’t intend to demean any artist who has chosen to cut and paste. Vladimir Horowitz, a pianist I have tremendous respect for, agonized over many takes and did what he needed to cut and paste his best playing into what he deemed an acceptable recording – but he lived in a different time. </p>
<p>There is tremendous pressure on artists in this technological age to present a flawless image. How you present yourself to others is at the forefront of our minds now. There is much pressure to conceal flaws. I think we need to counteract this by boldly presenting true pictures of ourselves; again, not flaunting mistakes or being lazy about our art, but revealing the reality of the process truthfully as we seek to create the most beautifully poetic and excellently executed performances of music, and indeed of any art. This was at the heart of my creation of Commonplace Beauty, to offer my music with as much truthfulness and excellence as I could in a single album, mistakes and all.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/51268202018-03-13T17:28:11-07:002024-02-19T09:12:41-08:00IMOGEN COOPER, PART 2: The Re-creative Process<p>After I attended her informative masterclass, I found an intriguing video of pianist Imogen Cooper giving a lecture on 'The Hidden Power of the Re-creative Process in Music' at the University of Oxford, May 2013. </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="UQ0Dm_LPqeA" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UQ0Dm_LPqeA?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p>I love how she starts out this lecture. Not only is her British accent quite captivating, but the profundity of her topic grabs my attention immediately. Early on she quotes Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: “Music cannot be expressed in words. Not because it is vague, but because it is more precise than words.” This is true of my playing, and I struggle to choose just the right words to describe a piece of music, both in informal conversations with friends and when addressing a more “public” audience. There are things that must just be heard, and felt. </p><p>Ms. Cooper goes on to say, “A discussion between a non-professional music lover and a practicing musician is inevitably somewhat of a three-legged race. Both hear the same sounds, but there is a gap in common language to discuss it adequately…Words fall short here, too.” She is convinced in a “power that live music has to show us, performer and audience, our own inner world. It has in its wordlessness a force unlike any other performing art. This justifies investigation, if only to understand more clearly that to which we should pay attention, that which we should nurture, and that which we should safeguard.” </p><p>Not said, but implied, is the idea that the force behind the creation of music (meaning, when the composer first wrote it down) is the same as, or at least related to, the force behind the re-creation (meaning, when the performer tries to bring it to life). I think of this force as more personal than not; I believe the force she’s referring to is the hand of our creative God who first inspires and then continues to inspire, and who, after all, is the ultimate Creator. We are merely the vessels that He uses to bring the creation to life, or at least to one’s attention. </p><p>Ms. Cooper maintains that the composer and interpreter are part of a whole; the passing of time is irrelevant. When any musician feels the life-giving power of an “old” piece, written hundreds of years ago, he knows this to be true. Within music there is a connection across the generations between composer and interpreter. </p><p>Authors C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L’Engle both explored this idea of the fluidity of time. Christians believe that our final destiny is a New Heaven and New Earth where time is eternal, no longer restricted by the measure of days and months and seasons. The study and enjoyment of music can help us transcend the boundaries of time briefly, giving us a glimpse of what is to come. </p><p>I don’t know that Ms. Cooper had in mind the Christian ideas of a personal God (in her reference to a force), or the eternal nature of our existence (in her reference to the passing of time between composer and interpreter being irrelevant). Perhaps she did. In my mind, her words describing some of the indescribable-ness of music hint at the true integrated life God desires for those who believe in Him: not one of secular and sacred, but one where the two worlds intersect and illuminate truths in each other. Maybe after all, my attempt to describe the depth of meaning this perspective on music and timelessness has for me in my word-filled blog post comes up lacking. Music says it best.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/51267782018-03-13T17:13:43-07:002018-03-13T17:23:26-07:00IMOGEN COOPER, PART 1: Beethoven Masterclass<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/6836ebdb6551eccac45267ea991d1987a6e776df/medium/imogen-cooper-57-credit-sussie-ahlburg-rgb.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />Recently I attended a wonderful masterclass at the University of Washington given by British pianist <a contents="Imogen Cooper" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.imogen-cooper.com/" target="_blank">Imogen Cooper</a>. Two graduate students played Beethoven sonatas on a Steinway concert grand in a nice performance hall. I took notes as Ms. Cooper spoke with the musicians afterwards: </p>
<p>She started out by asking what other Beethoven sonatas the pianists had studied and then, “Have you taken [this sonata] up and dropped it?” Meaning, after you first learned the piece, did you walk away for a period of time before revisiting it? She commented that this is the best way to learn a piece. </p>
<p>Treat soft sections like a whisper. No “soft” hands! When you whisper, you are very articulate and strive to be clear in your articulation. At the piano, when you play softly, you must still play “to the bottom of the key.” </p>
<p><strong>Notes on Beethoven Sonata Op. 101 (first movement) </strong></p>
<p>Start playing as if the piece had already been going on when you walked in the room. Melt into the first phrase. Think long bow strings. Keep the tension, draw us along with you. (Interestingly, this helped the pianist bring out the melody.) </p>
<p>The subito pianos should be obvious. </p>
<p>Be careful not to do a ritard where Beethoven didn’t write one. You can indicate a transition through color rather than tempo. When Beethoven writes ritard, he means “right now!” However, a ritard over five measures must be paced – don’t lose momentum. </p>
<p>Show syncopation (hemiolas) with your body. Push into the tie. </p>
<p>Coming out of a crescendo, decay at a similar rate. Compensate for the reverberation in the room. When there is a diminuendo marked, don’t decay too quickly. </p>
<p><strong>Notes on Beethoven Sonata Op. 110 </strong></p>
<p>Arioso: Strive for a balance of sound </p>
<p>The left hand establishes the harmony; it has to be less on a big Steinway in a large hall so it doesn’t overwhelm the top. It is there to provide a harmonic foundation. </p>
<p>Left hand chords: always be aware of the leading voice. The left hand is never loud – just pick out the necessary voice. </p>
<p>The fugue comes out of the preceding notes – it is not a new start. </p>
<p>Focus your sound to the end of the hall. Not loud, but resonant. </p>
<p>I found it fascinating to watch such a professional pianist, who is also a good communicator and teacher, work with students. Ms. Cooper spoke often of the “balance of sound,” referring not only to the balance between hands, but the balance of voices within a chord. Something in me clicked when she spoke about this. Over the past year I have asked myself often what it is that distinguishes a true artist, a professional pianist, from an amateur. When Ms. Cooper spoke about “balance of sound,” I began to think that perhaps this is a major factor. She sat down to demonstrate a passage following one of the students’ playing, and it was like magic when she touched the keys. The color of the sound was completely different from that of the students: tender, confident, full of musical integrity. This is not to say that the students were lacking in these qualities – they were well-prepared, poised, and played expressively. But there was something about Ms. Cooper’s playing that set her apart – something I want to explore in my own playing, this idea of balancing the voices, which includes an attentive, critical ear and the willingness to take the time to practice slowly and intentionally.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/50140512018-01-08T21:02:47-08:002023-04-05T18:34:02-07:00How I Recorded a Solo Classical Piano CD in My Living Room<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/6fb037c6f71be5c55af09a8c6e631de6d1f8040a/medium/img-1874.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />I recently released my debut classical piano CD, <a contents="Commonplace Beauty," data-link-label="Music" data-link-type="page" href="/music" target="_blank">Commonplace Beauty,</a> which was recorded in my living room! It all started about 13 years ago with the seed of an idea from a friend of mine who suggested doing a trilogy. </p>
<p>At the time we recorded a Christmas CD (O Come, O Come Emmanuel), and the plan was to follow it up with a worship CD and a classical CD. I had participated on recordings before, but had never done a full-length solo album, so I was excited to be a part of this project. We recorded O Come, O Come Emmanuel in two days up at Icicle Creek Music Lodge in Leavenworth, Washington, and my friend and his business partner did the mixing and mastering as well as a good portion of the replication and distribution. Fast forward to 2017, a marriage and three children later, and I started thinking about tackling another solo recording. </p>
<p>I was set on recording in my living room for a few reasons. One, I absolutely adore my piano, a Vogel by Schimmel grand that has the most shimmery top and a wonderful full bass. Two, I had this idea that I could record “at will” whenever I had a piece ready. (I have since revised this idea, after learning about how much is involved in the process.) Three, my children are all in school full-time, so I technically had “a lot of free time” (Any mother, working or stay-at-home, will realize the folly of this statement!). Four, I did not want to pay for studio time and be limited to a day, or three, of intense recording on an unfamiliar instrument. </p>
<p>I began by playing around with my Zoom H4n voice recorder in different positions. It screws easily into a camera tripod and has several different recording settings. It gets a pretty good stereo sound and records to an SD card, which is easily popped into my computer. It even has a remote so you can position the Zoom several feet away and start and stop/pause recordings as you like. (By the way, I found the best position for it ultimately was in the crook of the piano, facing the back hinges, and just parallel with the top of the case. The lid was on full stick.) I listened to the files with Audacity, which is a free downloadable software program that allows you to cut and paste, add reverb and reduce noise, and much more. It is really a fun tool. I wanted a little more roundness to the sound, though, and so I began asking friends about recommendations for microphones. </p>
<p>I borrowed a wonderful condenser microphone for a few months and tried plugging it into the Zoom (It has two inputs for microphone cables), but found it to be extremely sensitive, too much so for my use. I consulted with another friend who has a $1000+ set-up of microphones that actually clip inside the piano, which was intriguing to me, but that set up wasn’t exactly the sound I was looking for either (A little too close-mic’d and “studio”-sounding). I really wanted more of a live sound, where you would feel like you were sitting in my living room while I played (although I didn’t want it to sound like I just pressed “record” on my tape recorder!!). I then borrowed a Rode NT4 stereo microphone (pictured in the photo above when I was experimenting with positioning) from a friend and found that, combined with the Zoom, I had almost exactly the sound I was looking for. After several months I realized that the DIY approach was not going to take me all the way (YouTube videos and Google articles and experimenting were only taking me so far) and I put out a plea to friends for someone who had experience recording and mixing classical music. God led me to an old colleague I had played with years before who now is a piano technician, piano tuner, fabulous jazz pianist, and has 20 years of recording experience in his own studio! </p>
<p>Tom came over to my house, consulted with me for almost two hours, and helped me find some sweet spots in my living room for placing the microphones. After he left, I spent a few weeks experimenting with placement and then started sending him files. Of course, then my piano decided to develop some never-before-heard clicks and squeaks, and so recording was delayed until we could find the culprits and solve the problem. Tom prepped my piano so that it would withstand multiple recording takes and I set aside two weeks to record. Every spare second, as soon as I got my kids off to school, the dog into the kennel on the porch, the fish tank filter turned off…and then waited for the landscapers to finish mowing, the neighbors to drive away to work, the airplanes to finish flying overhead, the wind to stop blowing and the rain to stop pounding…I would spend recording, making notes on “takes,” listening, and recording again. It was wonderful and stressful and intense and exhausting, but so rewarding when a take would come out satisfactorily. With my perfectionist tendencies, I wanted technically flawless takes so we wouldn’t have to do a bunch of cutting and pasting, and I *mostly* succeeded. With the exception of two pieces (I won’t reveal which two!), every song I recorded was done live, without edits. Tom did add some reverb and magic in his studio during the mixing process and I am pleased with the results. Of course, that wasn’t the end of it all. After the mixing is done, and the sound is the way you want it, you have to get the tracks mastered so that the volume is consistent from song to song and the timing between pieces is right. I sent the mixed files off to DiscMakers and after several long emails, a spreadsheet and a comprehensive phone call with the mastering engineer, we got to the place where I felt the album was “done.” </p>
<p>For time’s sake, this is the condensed version of the process, and does not take into account the meetings with my graphic designer, the hours of planning and practicing, recording and listening and sending files to friends (months before the “official” recording ever took place), the endless hours of researching recording techniques and gear, creating my Facebook “musician” page, updating my website, blogging and updating social media with news about the recording process, figuring out how to set up an online store, figuring out how to license two of the selections on the CD that are not in public domain, and applying to CD Baby for online distribution. </p>
<p>So now I’m “done,” right? Well…The CDs have been shipped to my house, are in the process of being sold, and now there is more work to be done in marketing and distribution. But the CD is finished! I completed this grand experiment of recording in my living room with bare bones equipment, no producer except myself, and a little help from my friends. It has been an incredibly satisfying year-long journey, and once I learn some new repertoire I think I’ll try it again!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/49837532017-12-19T07:00:00-08:002018-03-13T19:08:11-07:00About Commonplace Beauty: My Debut Classical CD<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/3954658bb93a7a20a2054695001894051d2c1558/medium/cover.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />My debut classical CD, Commonplace Beauty, is now available for purchase <a contents="through my website" data-link-label="Music" data-link-type="page" href="/music" target="_blank">through my website</a>! It has been a work of love for the better part of this year, and I want to give you a glimpse of the thinking behind the album. </p>
<p><strong>FEELS LIKE COMING HOME </strong></p>
<p>In many ways this album is about coming home. I chose the name, Commonplace Beauty, from something that Charles Ives, an American composer, wrote about his Concord Sonata, and the Alcotts movement in particular. The sonata is a four-movement piece, where each movement highlights a different philosopher from the 19th century transcendental movement in America: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Bronson Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau. “The Alcotts” refers to Bronson Alcott and his daughter Louisa May, the writer, and the family they formed together with Bronson’s wife and his other three daughters who lived in the Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts. </p>
<p>Ives talks about the “commonplace beauty” that was Alcott’s home and life, which was intertwined with a strong faith, an appreciation for art and beauty and eloquence of speech, as well as beauty found in nature. All of these things combined to make “home” for his family. I’ve always been drawn to that, particularly as I grew up reading Louisa May Alcott’s novels, starting with Little Women. When the movie came out in 1994, the Orchard House was exactly as I’d pictured: that sense of belonging, creativity and laughter, tears and an undergirding faith in God through it all. It embodied what I felt was the spirit of Louisa May Alcott’s writing. Charles Ives wrote this music celebrating this family and their life together. It resonates with me, as I also come from a family that is undergirded with a strong faith in God and of course, as a pianist, having an appreciation for art, music, and writing. In a way, playing this piece is like showing you what home feels like for me. </p>
<p><strong>CHOOSING THE PIECES ON THE ALBUM </strong></p>
<p>In thinking about the other pieces in this album, I chose pieces that I performed at different stages in my life that have special meaning to me, all driving “home” that idea of home! I grew up listening to my dad play Chopin and Rachmaninoff as I was going to sleep at night so there is a strong sense of nostalgia whenever I hear pieces written by those composers. I also play some Bernstein and Ives which may seem a little out of place among these other romantic composers, but who feel very at home to me. They are Americans; I am an American. That sense of nostalgia and the tradition of folk music, although not as common as it once was, is still part of our nation’s history and I feel like there’s a very distinct American sound brought to the forefront by Aaron Copland whose echo I hear in these pieces. These Bernstein, Ives and Ginastera pieces were all performed in my home at different house concerts over the last five years. It’s another part of home. </p>
<p>When we started having kids, I quit my job as a teacher so I could stay home with them. I’m very fortunate to have a husband who is able to provide for us and who encourages me in my music. At the time I had my first child, the choir that I had been a part of for a considerable amount of time was disintegrating under a series of changes in leadership. We had been a 100-voice choir singing all kinds of repertoire touring the US and performing in different concert halls. The choir dwindled to a handful of people and kind of died, leaving a big musical void in my life. Of course, the choice to stay home, if you’ve had that same experience – you go from working full time and having a great community of colleagues – also leaves a bit of a hole in your social life. I was looking for an outlet musically and socially so I started playing with the idea of actually hosting these house concerts that I had been dreaming of. Our first one was about 5-6 years ago and we’ve been doing them about once a quarter since then. We have had all kinds of people in our home, and it’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to perform again and to be with my musician friends, as well as an excuse to bring in new musical friends and introduce our children to great music. </p>
<p><strong>MIXING GENRES </strong></p>
<p>One of the things I like to do in house concerts is to mix genres. I really like the juxtaposition of classical music with jazz, seeing how composers treat the same thematic material in different ways. I love to bring in different musicians and see how much we can learn from each other. That is part of the spirit of this album, bringing together seemingly disparate composers and trying to show musically how they can all fit together. </p>
<p>The album opens with a Rachmaninoff Prelude and the Chopin Fantaisie-Impromptu, both of which are virtuosic and show off a fast finger technique, complimenting each other well. The B-flat Minor Nocturne follows the Fantaisie, being by the same composer, and having a similar spirit. But what do they have to do with some of these other pieces? Rachmaninoff and Chopin were contemporaries of Schumann. But why put them all on the same record as Ginastera, Ives, and Bernstein? I think the connecting thread for me is not only the personal one, having performed these pieces in and out of my home, but also that these composers had a strong sense of their own country and home. Maybe you can hear some of that in their work. In Ginastera’s dances, listen for some of the melodies and rhythms of his homeland. Chopin was known for his nationalistic way of composing. They all had a strong sense of identity with their country, so I think in that way they fit. </p>
<p>There are a lot of short pieces on this album: the Schumann and Ginastera dances, the Bernstein Anniversaries… The Rachmaninoff is also a set of short “pieces” – musical ideas that are strung together to make a beautiful cohesive work. That is another common thread – these pieces of ideas and melodies that when put together make a beautiful whole. I think about that, even with the Fantaisie-Impromptu that has two very distinct ideas (fast furious fingerwork at the beginning and end, bookending a beautiful soaring melody). Chopin intentionally put these two parts together and they fit. All these things come together under the umbrella of Commonplace Beauty </p>
<p><strong>COMMONPLACE BEAUTY </strong></p>
<p>Sometimes we think of beauty as something elusive, something we admire and are striving for but can’t completely attain. I like the idea of this word “commonplace.” Beauty may seem high reaching, and yet we can find beauty anywhere. It’s a little bit magical that at the time I began recording this album it was fall. In the Pacific Northwest, this is the most gorgeous time of the year, with the red, orange, and yellow leaves exploding in color against the dark gray skies. It is something that happens every fall for about a month or two, and although we know it is coming, it somehow surprises and delights us each time it arrives. I think this is the idea behind a “commonplace beauty”: finding beauty in the everyday things. Music for me is a daily thing, but I don’t want the daily-ness of the practice to subtract from the beauty that is in it. Living together daily as a family, in a home, comes with a lot of “daily-ness” and even drudgery at times, but when undergirded with a spiritual foundation of faith in God, and a commitment to love, it can bring something beautiful to life. </p>
<p>That is my hope with this album - that I am able to impart some of this beauty to you and your home, and that it will touch you in some way and leave you feeling as if you have encountered something beautiful. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/49186982017-11-12T16:55:00-08:002024-02-19T09:13:05-08:00Your Story, Guest Post for Piano Dao<p>My parents never let me quit taking piano lessons. That, really, is the crux of my story. I did not grow up under a Tiger Mom, but from the very beginning, I grew up being surrounded by classical music. My dad and his three siblings all played piano, and my mom was my first piano teacher (That lasted about a year, until she decided I was better off being taught by her friend, and her friends’ kids were better off being taught by my Mom.) I would go to bed down the hall, hearing my dad practicing Chopin and Rachmaninoff. I would pick out tunes on the piano, and my mom taught me simple chords to accompany the melodies. I was a good sight reader early on and learned to fake my way through lessons, having neglected to spend much time practicing at home. It wasn’t that I didn’t love music; I really did love to play, but I did not have the drive to put much effort into it. </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://pianodao.com/2017/11/07/your-story-cori-belle/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Read the full article here">Read the full article here</a></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/48453152017-09-12T08:55:00-07:002024-02-19T09:13:26-08:00Does it Matter Who Plays the Music?<p>Here is wonderful article about a pianist's interpretation: <span> </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://crosseyedpianist.com/2017/09/11/the-way-is-not-the-only-way/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="The Way is Not the Only Way">The Way is Not the Only Way</a>. </p><p>I remember being asked in college to identify a pianist simply by listening to a recording and thinking, how in the world can I identify a specific pianist? Doesn't all classical piano sound the same? Little did I know that each person brings a piece of themselves into each performance, regardless of how "common" his choice of repertoire. </p><p>When a listener takes the time to listen to the same piece of music played by several different artists, or invests time in listening to a whole body of work by a single artist, personalities start to emerge. This is fascinating to me. Recordings by individual classical pianists are not, to the untrained ear, easily identifiable. Does this relegate classical music enjoyment to the elitist or the academic? Are artist interpretations of classical music too nuanced to be enjoyed by the average listener? Pop music is so much more accessible, right? </p><p>But think about it : a pop singer, to an "untrained ear" is also not easily identifiable. Songs performed by Michael Jackson or the Beatles or Justin Bieber or Adele might be immediately recognized by some, but to someone unfamiliar with their "sound," perhaps a child or a music-lover who dislikes pop music (!), or even your average Joe encountering an artist for the first time, their music is as strange as pianist Glenn Gould's recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations. The reason we know Adele's music is because we hear it on the radio a jillion times a day...and on commercials...and in the mall. The reason we know Beatles' songs is because we grew up listening to their records over and over with our friends. Classical music is no different. Those who enjoy it have developed a familiarity with it over time, either by exposure in the home, or through studies in school or private music lessons. </p><p>So does it really matter who plays a piece? That's like asking, "Does it really matter if Kelly Clarkson or J-Lo or Adele is singing?" I suppose the answer depends on who is listening.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/48427222017-09-08T14:33:34-07:002024-02-19T09:13:56-08:00Becoming an Artist, Part 6: Memorizing Hard Stuff<p>Memory has always been the hardest part of piano playing for me. I can sight read much of the repertoire comfortably (I'm not speaking about Faure or Ravel, haha!) but memorizing has always been a challenge. Case in point, I have been working on Ginastera's Suite de Danzas Criollas for about a year now and had memorized it in its entirety for a performance last spring...except for the third movement, for which I shamelessly used the score. But since I am including this suite of dances on my new CD project, I decided at the beginning of the summer to buckle down and memorize it. And I did it! It took me four solid months of procrastinating, whining, analyzing, and just sitting down and forcing myself to do it, and I finally have success! </p><p>This particular movement contains a canon between the right and left hand: five itty bitty little measures that seem easy at first glance, but are filled with unexpected intervals, hemiolas, and unique pedaling challenges. I recorded a video of this canon this morning revealing some of my thinking behind memorizing this tricky section: </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="-ErBKZKndW4" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ErBKZKndW4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p>If you're taking notes, you might notice me talk about these strategies: </p><p>1. Analyze the shape of each phrase </p><p>1a. Isolate the themes </p><p>1b. Consider the harmonies </p><p>1c. Check interval relationships </p><p>2. Analyze chord types (major, minor, diminished, augmented) </p><p>3. Watch the relationships between intervals (both on the page and physically at the keyboard) </p><p>4. Notice when elements of the form repeat </p><p>5. Compare sections to find similarities and detect differences </p><p>6. Learn the last part first! </p><p>Ginastera is a genius in how he strategically weaves notes together, similarly in thinking to Bach, in my opinion. The more you analyze his work, the more you see how the pieces fit together logically, even though when first hearing/playing you notice some disparate elements (like each hand being in a different key/mode). Taking the time to analyze a piece's form and doing a bit of harmonic analysis often helps me to solidify the physical memory my fingers have done and the aural memory my ears have accomplished. In fact, sometimes I start with the analysis and then move on to mastering the technique and expression. The more ways to secure this music in my mind and body, the better my performances tend to be!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/48381712017-09-05T13:27:19-07:002017-09-05T22:02:14-07:00Becoming an Artist, Part 5: Channeling Yuja<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/6b1e146afcb69121f913ab1273ece71cd545ec38/medium/img-1319.jpg?1504643083" class="size_m justify_left border_" />I am continually amazed at Yuja Wang and her flawless live performances. How she can perform piece after piece on different pianos, without having a lapse in concentration, a memory slip, a slight miss on a jump, is incomprehensible to me. </p>
<p>I have been working on Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G-sharp Minor for months now. It has been fully memorized for quite a while, and I have worked out technical challenges, dealt with memory slips in different places, and grown in expressing my interpretation and style. I have recorded quite a few “takes” as I have experimented with different microphone set-ups. BUT…not once have I recorded a perfectly executed “take.” I’m close…so close! But I am still striving for that consistency that comes from mastering a piece and performing it often (and maybe practicing more deliberately, or thoughtfully, or frequently?). </p>
<p>Horowitz and Cortot and Rubenstein and so many of the great pianists who have since passed away did not concern themselves so much with flawless performances. They were more interested in delivering a truthful and passionate interpretation. However, our standards have changed. We still want original interpretations delivered with passion, but we also want a flawless delivery. We are used to recordings where mistakes are edited out and instruments are technically enhanced by modern mixing so that we hear what we deem perfection. </p>
<p>I read a great article recently titled “<a contents="The Difference Between Amateurs and Professionals" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2017/08/amateurs-professionals/" target="_blank">The Difference Between Amateurs and Professionals</a>.” A couple statements stood out to me: </p>
<p>"Amateurs stop when they achieve something. Professionals understand that the initial achievement is just the beginning. </p>
<p>Amateurs value isolated performance. Think about the receiver who catches the ball once on a difficult throw. Professionals value consistency. Can I catch the ball in the same situation 9 times out of 10? </p>
<p>Amateurs go faster. Professionals go further." </p>
<p>I’m working on slowing down, evaluating my work more critically when I think it is “done,” and becoming more thoughtful at the keyboard. Instead of reacting to what my fingers play, I want to be deliberate and purposeful, thinking ahead of my fingers (while at the same time hearing and reacting to what they are doing) so that what results is not a mistake or a lucky performance, but a true representation of how I feel the music ought to be played. After all, I am an interpreter at the keyboard, trying to marry the composer’s intent with my God-given personality and passion. Yuja does it her way, Horowitz his, and now it’s my turn. </p>
<p>Here is my “so close” interpretation from this morning’s practice session:</p>
<p> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="hS2lyc7xXL4" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/hS2lyc7xXL4/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hS2lyc7xXL4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/47822692017-07-27T12:15:00-07:002020-10-20T23:05:11-07:00Becoming an Artist, Part 4: Working with Pawel Checinski<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/9a3a52929928ef3f1e14b6d91f5e11375109fa28/medium/pawel-checinski.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />I had the most amazing piano lesson this month with <a contents="Pawel Checinski" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://fineartmusiccompany.com/?page_id=4213)," target="_blank">Pawel Checinski</a>, the teacher of one of my pianist friends. We met formally for an hour, and as often happens with a master teacher, I was given enough material to work on for the next few months! </p>
<p>I had not had a piano lesson since my years as an undergrad, so I was a little hesitant going in. My inner critic is enough of a challenge as it is, and a lesson felt quite intimidating at first. However, I was met with the most encouraging and constructive feedback - not “soft” by any means, but specific and delivered with absolute respect. (Incidentally, I witnessed this as an observer the weekend prior as I watched Checinski work with high school students in a masterclass. At no time was he condescending or impatient, but he continually gave students tools to develop their musicality.) </p>
<p>I learned so much as we worked on the Chopin Fantaisie Impromptu and the Rachmaninoff Prelude in G-sharp minor that if I shared it all here, you would grow weary of reading. I will try to be brief and share a few highlights: </p>
<p>1. When trying to figure out what you want musically, isolate the melody. Play the melody by itself (no accompaniment or harmonies) and shape it. Breathe where a singer would breathe. Sing the line; draw the line in the air; find the arc. Then add the other notes and accompaniment back in, trying to keep the same shape of the melodic line. (In my pieces, the melody sometimes happens in the left hand on top of chords, so isolating the melody means taking it off the chords for a minute.) </p>
<p>2. Rachmaninoff’s sound comes in waves. Dynamics must have big contrasts. Decrescendos should come down at the same rate as crescendos go up. Don’t go soft right before peaks; carry through the whole crescendo to the top and complete the phrase. </p>
<p>3. When rolling bass chords, keep the bass note in the pedal. This may mean pedaling earlier or rolling the chord faster. Be a magician – trick the listener with a slight of hand, a quick pedal right after you touch the note, so that the bass will be heard. </p>
<p>We also worked a bit on dropping arm weight into the key and resting. I tend to press into the note and then keep working, as if sound would continue to come after the hammer strikes the string. </p>
<p>Pawel is a great storyteller. In addition to the musical coaching, I was treated to quite a few stories including one where Rachmaninoff hated the C-sharp Minor Prelude so much that he referred to it as “It.” Sometimes he would play the first three descending chords and then go into the Chopin Fantaisie-Impromptu just to spite the crowds; other times he would tell an audience he had forgotten it! </p>
<p>In the weeks following my lesson I have tried to apply what I learned to my playing. I still have a lot of growing to do, but I am so grateful for the time I spent with Pawel and the musical wisdom he passed on to me. I’ve recorded an “after” session of me working at the piano on the Rachmaninoff. If you are not yet tired of hearing me work on it, maybe you can glean a few tidbits from my work with Pawel for yourself!</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="GdqrlmDUfGw" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/GdqrlmDUfGw/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GdqrlmDUfGw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/47822122017-07-24T12:15:00-07:002024-02-19T09:26:35-08:00Becoming an Artist, Part 3: Developing True Artistry<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/dd4f355adb16cf4611e6c167718c463f87a1e68a/medium/at-the-keyboard-profile.jpg?1500318838" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><p>Listening to myself play on a recording is quite eye-opening. Stepping back from behind the keys and hearing myself play gives me a new perspective, unclouded by what I “think” I sound like! From this position I am far more attuned to nuance and shape and color, or the lack thereof. I listen to recordings by amazing (famous) pianists like Arthur Rubenstein, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, Murray Perahia, Yuja Wang, and hear incredible sensitivity and attention to detail, beautiful tone colors and impeccable technique. Even their mistakes are artistic!</p><p>What is it that sets these wonderful pianists apart from an amateur? How does one develop the kind of artistry that holds the attention of the listener, that inspires, that awakens emotion? It is more than technical perfection, even more than reading exactly what is on the written page or interpreting it in the intended style of the composer. And this “it” – can “it” be taught, learned? Is it an intuitive musical sense that is born in a great performer and flourishes over time? If one has “it,” how can it be further developed and polished? What makes a true artist? </p><p>All of these questions run through my mind as I pursue this project, recording myself over and over, tweaking things, listening to other pianists play, seeking constructive criticism, returning to the piano yet again. I realize that there is never an “end” to becoming an artist - that even the great pianists never stop being critical of their own playing. But I am hopeful that with each recording “take” I am getting a little closer to becoming a true artist, able to make music in such a way that it grabs hold of you at the deepest level and touches you somehow. At any rate, although I have been making music for a while, I feel like this CD is a new beginning as I think about my playing in a different way, practicing and reflecting and polishing on my way to Becoming.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/47822092017-07-20T12:10:00-07:002017-07-20T12:10:52-07:00Becoming an Artist, Part 2: Creating a Life in Music<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/81f9ef0c5a41f6b48a8c5bfd4b5940043d07f811/medium/at-the-keyboard.jpg?1500318619" class="size_m justify_left border_" />In my life, I have been fortunate to ride on the backs of mentors who had incredible vision and admirable work ethic. Because of them, rarely have I felt the need to create my own musical path or seek opportunities to perform. Where I’ve lacked vision and direction at times, opportunities have come knocking…to music-direct my first mainstage theater production in the 90s; to take part in several world premieres; to perform in the world-class Benaroya Hall… </p>
<p>I met my husband in 2004 playing volleyball with our singles’ group from church. When we began dating we were both tired of the dating “game” and dove straight into sharing our visions for our futures. My husband is an entrepreneur and had all kinds of ideas for inventions and businesses. I had one idea: becoming a stay-at-home mom and doing music. With God’s direction and blessing, we married and set out to make our dreams come true. </p>
<p>I have been inspired big-time by my husband. He did not have opportunities “come to him” as I did; instead, he has always set out to create his own opportunities. (As I’ve witnessed this over the years of our marriage, I have come to realize that all of my musical mentors did the same thing!) His vision and discipline in the business sector have taught me a lot about accomplishing big dreams. When he asked my dad for permission for my hand, my dad told him to not let me “let go” of my music, and he has taken that seriously. Because of him, I began pursuing a choral accompanying position…and ended up playing for my beloved Kirkland Choral Society. Because of him, I have a dedicated “piano room” in my home where I can practice and rehearse with other musicians. Because of him, we have hosted house concerts for the past five years, where all kinds of musician friends have come and filled our house with music. </p>
<p>This year I decided to make some waves in my musical journey by working on a CD project – my first solo classical piano CD – as a way to celebrate a milestone birthday and to share my music with friends and family. My vision is to record some of my favorite music on my beautiful Vogel piano in my living room. This time I am not waiting for someone to plan this project for me. I am not expecting anyone to invite me to record. I am dreaming a big dream and pushing to find ways for it to happen. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/47822012017-07-17T12:03:55-07:002017-07-17T12:04:55-07:00Becoming an Artist, Part 1: Pursuing a Life of Music<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/69c49b6e3a52078f6a0ac76c7efb4952ee558c01/medium/reflection-vingette.jpg?1500318183" class="size_m justify_left border_" />During my time as an undergrad my days were full of music-making: accompanying operas and musical theater productions and choirs and voice students, working on my piano performance degree, preparing for recitals, and imagining life after graduation filled to the brim with music, specifically in the field of opera accompanying. </p>
<p>After graduation my career path twisted and turned through years of piano teaching, choral accompanying, musical theater directing, administrative work at a church, public school teaching (classes of first graders, not music), and mothering. At times my life was musically full with gigs, solo piano work, and piano teaching; at other times, work and daily life threatened to all but smother my music-making. There is something about becoming an adult and having responsibilities, and especially adding children to the mix, that threatens to take away the time and freedom to make music and develop musical colleagues. Achieving work-life-music balance becomes incredibly difficult, a challenge that is brought up repeatedly in the musical Facebook groups I am a part of. </p>
<p>Of course, there are the musicians who go all out for their art and end up sacrificing family in big ways as a result. And the other extreme – those who had musical potential and a musical life at one time but who are swallowed up by the need to provide financially for family, and in other ways as well, and whose music goes by the wayside. Both extremes often end up in some kind of regret. </p>
<p>I am fortunate to be in a season of stay-at-home Mom-ness, where I have the best of both worlds – the financial support of a husband and the fulfillment of raising a family, and the ability to pursue music on the side. Still, as any parent knows, time to pursue personal interests must be planned for, squeezed in here and there, between family responsibilities. </p>
<p>What it looks like practically these days varies, especially as we’re in the middle of summer and my kids are all home with me. I try to get in some practice every day, usually between 30 and 90 minutes (in the morning after breakfast and/or in the evening when my husband finishes up the dinner dishes). I am trying to complete memory on a couple of pieces for my CD and finesse a few others that are fully memorized. My focus is not where I want it to be, and listening to music for the purpose of reflection and analysis happens rarely. (Other listening, to Disney soundtracks and summer-y popular and folk music happens quite often in the kitchen, surrounded by dancing kids!) However, I have started thinking that practicing the piano in the summer at home with kids is similar to tracking a toddler’s diet: You have to look at what happens over the course of a week to determine whether the intake/output is healthy and conducive to growth. So I am trying to look at my bit-by-bit, inch by inch practice more holistically, over the course of a week, in order to see that I am making progress. </p>
<p>I would love to hear how you make time for music, or any other artistic endeavor, with or without the distraction of kids. Are your days of practice a roller-coaster like mine, imitating a toddler’s daily diet?</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/47576362017-06-26T09:51:21-07:002024-02-19T09:14:17-08:00A Little Improv...<p>One of the pieces I'm currently working on is Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp Minor. I have been mulling over the title "Impromptu" and trying to wrap my mind around his reasoning behind it. What makes this piece an impromptu, an improvisation? Did Chopin sit down with a C-sharp minor chord in mind and start playing this fantastic elaboration?</p><p>Did it sound <a class="no-pjax" href="https://soundcloud.com/user-764709514/chopin-fantaisie-jazz-improv" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="like this">like this</a> at first?</p><p>Chopin was experimenting with a relatively new “form” in 1834 with this impromptu. Although not technically a musical form (such as a “sonata” which has a very definite theme, development, and reiteration of the theme*), the term describes more of an improvisation of ideas. As an admirer of jazz piano, I love finding these jewels of improvisation in the world of classical music, and I am blown away by the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://soundcloud.com/user-764709514/chopin-fantaisie-excerpt" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="actualization of Chopin’s improvisatory ideas">actualization of Chopin’s improvisatory ideas</a>.</p><p>It seems relatively simple – the development of a minor chord structure – but what Chopin begins simply in the left hand twists and turns at a rapid pace when it enters the right. After showing off a bit, he slows to a beautiful lyrical section that plays around with the same chord structure in a different key. Afterwards, Chopin returns to his initial improvisatory madness with a few surprises at the end. </p><p>I adore this piece. I remember my dad playing it as I tried to drift off into sleep in my childhood (Never mind the numerous times I came out of my room to tell my parents his playing was “too loud”!). This morning I listened to Arthur Rubenstein’s set of all four impromptus written by Chopin. Thank goodness for YouTube. What wonderful pieces! </p><p>Donald Alfano wrote a<a class="no-pjax" href="http://donaldalfanopianistandteacher.com/uploads/chopin.pdf" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents=" fascinating article"> fascinating article</a> on them which explains that the fourth impromptu contains material from which the others are derived (So perhaps it should have been called Impromptu No. 1). The difficulty with the numbering lies in the fact that Chopin never published No. 4. It was published posthumously by his friend Julius Fontana in 1855, against Chopin’s wishes that his unpublished works should be burned upon his death. Interestingly, Rubenstein later came across a manuscript of No. 4 through an auction sale and found an inscription to a baroness, which suggests a commission was made for the piece. It could be that the baroness owned the rights to the composition following her purchase, and thus Chopin did not feel free to publish it on his own. </p><p>Horowitz and Rubenstein have some fabulous recordings of the fantasy, using almost no pedal. There is a wonderful collection of recordings, including theirs, on the website of the <a class="no-pjax" href="http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/chopin/youtube/search/composition_id/71" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Fryderyk Chopin Institute">Fryderyk Chopin Institute</a>.</p><p>*For a detailed, and highly entertaining, explanation of sonata form, see <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7iHwqAj3Ws" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concert ">Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concert </a>on the subject.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/47294672017-05-31T22:28:38-07:002017-05-31T22:28:39-07:00Recording Trials<p>I’ve been sitting down at the piano quite a bit lately trying to find good mic configurations for recording my piano in my living room (actually, we call it "The Piano Room.” I have a Zoom H4n recorder that I have used successfully to record our live house concerts. It is a wonderful device that I can listen to in “real time” with headphones, adjusting the recording volume as I play. It is a whole different ballgame, however, trying to use it for a studio piano recording. To round out the sound, I am borrowing a condenser mic from friends that is super sensitive. I have tried a few different placements. It seems the condenser does best inside the raised lid, about halfway between the lid and the strings. I can duplicate the condenser’s mono signal and reverse it in my editing software to get a stereo sound. I am hoping that between the condenser and the Zoom I can accurately capture the shimmery goodness of my beautiful Vogel grand piano. </p>
<p>A few things I’ve learned about placement – putting the mic close to the lid gives a warm reflective sound, but can be a little too bright. Putting it close to the strings gives more hammer noise and pedal noise. For balance, the mics need to be about halfway between the lid and the strings. Also, the condenser and Zoom seem to need to be within 36 inches of each other. </p>
<p>For a while I attached my Zoom to a camera tripod and balanced the tripod on top of a speaker to get it high enough to “see” into the case of the piano. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/ebbb7b0919b216ea6ba6db9fa1f0ce1ab24cd816/original/img-9229.jpg?1496294681" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Placing it in the crook of the piano and getting it as close to the piano as I could gave me almost what I wanted in terms of sound. However, I wanted to experiment with getting the Zoom over the mid-range or bass of the piano, not just the treble strings. So I purchased a GoPro music kit that contains a clip that can attach either to the lid of my piano or to the music stand. It comes with two extension attachments, one about 2 inches long, and the other about 5 inches long. To connect my Zoom to the clip I use a camera-converter made by GoPro. What a fun device! I can position the Zoom anywhere now and angle it using the hinged extensions. It gives me so many more options over my original setup. </p>
<p>Testing the Zoom out with the GoPro kit today, I tried both attaching it to the lid and to the music stand, alternately. Although I got great sound attaching it to the lid, I continually got a buzz, either due to the vibration of the kit against the lid, or the close reflection of the device to the lid. Warm, but too bright and buzzy. I then tried attaching the Zoom to the music stand, toward the bass strings, with the condenser pointing towards the treble. This happily cut out the buzz and I think I’m getting closer to the sound I want. You can hear a sample of this in this excerpt of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G-sharp Minor.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="vefTVohaykU" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/vefTVohaykU/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vefTVohaykU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Here's another clip, this time with the Zoom attached to the side of the piano. Can you hear a difference?</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="3nHGVPqu4sc" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/3nHGVPqu4sc/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3nHGVPqu4sc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/47128272017-05-17T16:15:07-07:002024-02-19T09:17:27-08:00Practicing...<p>Trying to make good on my goal to have three (or more) pieces "at hand," I have been working on Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G-sharp minor (Op. 32, No. 12) this week. I played a little of it for a friend who came over Friday evening and asked me, "What can you play?" (He'd been reading my blog!)</p><p>Alongside practicing, I have started a <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.facebook.com/coribellepiano/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="Page on Facebook">Page on Facebook</a> as well as a <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Khvh2pudTz7mc9Jk0ulkw" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents="YouTube channel">YouTube channel</a> so you can follow along with my progress. Below is a peek at part of today's practice session:</p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="1m77YTGlZSQ" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1m77YTGlZSQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/47038312017-05-10T13:29:28-07:002024-02-19T09:17:50-08:00What Can I Play?<p>I just read a <a class="no-pjax" href="https://pianodao.com/2017/05/04/what-can-you-play/" data-link-type="url" contents="great article">great article</a> about having pieces "at the ready" to play. It spells out my experience as a classical pianist so well - the tendency to consider time at the piano as work; constantly working to get music up to performance level before performing it and moving on in favor something new. When I am continually learning new pieces, it is easy to feel as if I have nothing to play. Mastery happens just before performance and then gives way to the challenge of learning new music. Yet Andrew Eales argues that we should always have three pieces mastered and ready to play without music, at a moment's notice. And why shouldn't we?<br><br>Instead of being relegated to playing the first few pages of Fur Elise that I learned in junior high, or improvising a chord progression, why shouldn't I have a mini arsenal of enjoyable, challenging classical repertoire that I can proudly show off as I enjoy the fruit of my labor: seeing the pleasure on the faces of those I share it with?<br><br>As I take steps toward recording a classical CD this year, one of my goals is to develop a handful of pieces that I can play beautifully, skillfully, and without music. You can hold me to it! The next time you see me by a piano ask, "What can you play?"</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/45950412017-02-17T10:30:45-08:002023-12-10T08:32:08-08:00Seeing Yuja Wang<p>My dad and I saw the fabulous Yuja Wang last week. She was performing with violinist Leonidas Kavakos at Benaroya Hall. Wow, wow, wow. Both are spectacular musicians, and have been written about a gazillion times (including on <a contents="these pages" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://yujawang.nicerweb.com/2017/">these pages</a>, which list Wang's performing schedule and reviews back to 1994. Their program this time included Schubert, Debussy, Janáček and Bartok - beautiful but also difficult pieces to play (and sometimes, to listen to, not being the most melodic or accessible to unaccustomed ears!). Technically, Wang is beyond impressive. Lyrically, she is wonderfully expressive. She has the combination of technical prowess and sensitivity that make her so much fun to listen to. I went to the recital prepared to be inspired, and expecting to be a little intimidated! What I came away with, though, was quite unexpected. I was most impressed with how Wang was not afraid to play soft passages softly. She has such control over her sound. In a hall where she could play forcefully, spectacularly, and with great finesse (which she did, at times), she played the most beautiful, thoughtful pianissimos, without forcing the sound one bit. I think this is even harder to do than playing fast and furious - to get control of every note so that the music can sing...<br><br>It happened also to be her birthday, so afterwards at the signing, the line began to sing "Happy Birthday" to Yuja. What a fun night! Thank you for sharing your birthday to us!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/51313/6518dd788ada0bbe05dfb5d2f62b0793c0147163/original/img-8363edited.jpg?1487355748" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>(Not to slight Leonidas Kavakos at all, who played an equally demanding program with incredible skill and beauty. Because I am a pianist, I naturally gravitate to other pianists, in an attempt to learn from, and apply what I can from their performances. Bravo to you both!!!)</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/45400512017-02-02T10:30:00-08:002024-02-19T09:18:08-08:00Groundhog Day<p>My husband dreads the concept of Groundhog Day. Not the day - the 1993 movie in which Bill Murray wakes up every day to find it is February 2nd...again. The movie is actually quite funny - but isn't it true that the things we find funny have a bit of truth in them? Who wants to live a life of sameness? Maybe I should rephrase that: What musician, or creative artist, could happily face a life of doing the same thing over and over again?<br><br>I was thinking about that the other morning as I drove my kids to school.There is a place in the road where we go over a rise and the tree line opens up, always drawing my attention to the sky. This particular morning held nothing spectacular, just a line of fluffy clouds tinged with the softest pink - such beauty that would change and disappear as the sun came up. I often notice clouds on my commutes, and like to point them out to my children - the shapes and textures and colors are always changing in the sky. It made me think - what an incredibly creative God we have, who, just like us, does not appreciate, or even settle, for a Groundhog Day. Yes, the Bible says He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, but even in His sameness He is creating new sky-pictures for us every day. It's no wonder that so many of us desire to create, to experience or bring about newness and beauty. The One who paints the sky has left His mark on us.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/45411642017-01-07T10:27:55-08:002024-02-19T09:18:27-08:00Water<p>Bringing the "cool" factor into classical music...<br><br>Helene Grimaud is one of my favorite living pianists: gorgeous sound, impeccable technique, and creative artistic vision. Her new CD, "Water," blends modern electronic elements with acoustic classical piano. I love it. Reviewers are mixed about the project. Not everyone likes the electronic transitions between pieces. I, however, think they are brilliantly effective and relevant. I love the concept of perpetual sound running throughout the record, in imitation of water...along with the changing nuances of sound. As water takes various forms and textures and even colors, Grimaud brings a variety of colors and textures into these masterpieces. Take a look at the trailer, and see what you think!<br><br> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="okK3OXLRFGE" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/okK3OXLRFGE?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/45400242017-01-06T10:26:50-08:002017-01-06T10:26:50-08:00New Year, New ProjectThere is a longing in me, deep down, to write. I want to share ideas, encourage, inspire, console, comfort, love...through my words. I aim to do this with my piano playing, too, and I think that at times the music is far more effective than any word I might speak with my mouth.<br><br>I want to do better at both this year - playing and speaking my words. So once again, after a long respite, I return to this blog, hoping something I write might "speak" to you.<br><br>Since it is a New Year, full of promise and possibility, I have been dreaming again. My main goal this year (besides living well my roles of wife and mother and Christ-follower), is to record a CD! It has been a long time coming, but I am determined to make it happen THIS year. Mainly because of a birthday milestone of mine (ahem), but also because every Christmas I receive a few notes saying how much my friends enjoy listening to my Christmas music. Somehow it speaks to them...and I want to continue speaking in this way as long as I am able to play.<br><br>So...the program is set and I am back again at the piano, striving to spend a little time each day doing something towards my goal. That means I am sometimes at the keyboard, working out fingerings, bringing music up to speed, memorizing...sometimes at the computer with my score listening to others' performances, making notes, analyzing chord structures and form...sometimes listening completely outside of my program to find inspiration (Currently I'm listening through a list of pieces showcased on this season's UW President's Piano Series)...and sometimes looking up recording how-tos on YouTube, playing with my Zoom recorder, and researching the best way to produce, package, and market the new CD.<br><br>I've decided all of this "counts." It's easy for me to feel like I haven't accomplished anything if I haven't been at the piano on a given day. But in reality, there are a lot of pieces that make up me as a whole musician, and so for this year, I've decided any bit of music "work" that I do in terms of moving ahead with this CD and in furthering my "wholeness" as a musician will count.<br><br>(And that includes writing this blog...so I can check that "accomplished" box today!)<br><br>In reality, of course, I need to be at the keys, head down, in the music much of the time. But in giving thought to the whole creative process, there are a lot of "writer's block" moments that I have simply because I waste time and energy on things like procrastination and lamenting "not having practiced today." I want to keep the creative momentum/drive/inspiration/muse going so that it fuels this project and my playing, in a positive way.<br><br>And so, onward! There is much to be done!Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/27776102014-03-19T20:59:28-07:002024-02-19T09:18:47-08:00Bach on the Brain: Inside the (Wandering) Mind of a Pianist<p>Have you ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a performer during a concert? When I am in the audience, I am usually so engrossed in the music that I don't think about that until afterward. However, when I am the one performing, it is hard to shut out the self-conscious voice and concentrate solely on the music!<br><br>Last Sunday I had the opportunity to play the first movement of Bach's Italian Concerto as part of Master Chorus Eastside's Masterworks concert. The conductor, Dr. Linda Gingrich, had approached me about a month before and asked me to consider this piece, and as I had performed it in college, I eagerly agreed.<br><br>I hadn't touched the piece in years, but was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it came back into my fingers. In some ways it "fit" better than when I was in college. I think this is because of my recent study of Bach's Toccata in C minor and the Bach-Busoni Chaconne. Not only did it feel better in my hands, but my understanding of, and appreciation for, Bach's lyricism and wit has been growing as I have worked on these pieces, contributing to my interpretation of the concerto movement. What fun it was to approach cadences with an attitude of, "Hear that? Guess what technical wizardry comes next?!" I like to imagine Bach as a bit of an improvisatory show-off, playing the concerto in a friend's living room during a party with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Just listen to the long right-hand trills in the second half of the piece - don't they sound like a long-winded soprano?<br><br>As I practiced the concerto movement in preparation for the concert, I tried to figure out what I wanted to "say" with it. Bach has never been my first choice of repertoire, as I much prefer the romanticism of Chopin and Rachmaninoff, but he's been growing on me. I came up with bits of dialogue throughout - like the bit about the long-winded soprano. As well, I began to wonder if I could really play it from memory again. I have always hated memorizing my pieces. Being a great sightreader has its advantages, but not when it comes to the laborious task of memorizing. But, as it remains the norm on the concert stage to play pieces from memory, I decided to take on the challenge. The dialogue bits I had come up with helped a little, but I also made sure I had harmonic "hooks" so that at cadences I knew what key I was in. I also did quite a bit of thinking the piece away from the piano. This was a tremendous help, something I had learned from my professor in college. When at the piano I tried "ghosting" where I would play the right hand and think the left hand part, and vice versa. With all these strategies, I got to the place where I felt my memorization was secure. The missing link was what would happen to it when performance nerves took over?<br><br>I'll skip to the punch line - the performance went well with nary a memory slip. But what was I thinking as I played? In the past, I might have said I heard the audience rustling their programs, or the coughs of the people in the next row, or I might have been thinking about the food I would eat after the concert. (In fact, I think the promise of leftover birthday cake in the fridge <i>was</i> a fleeting thought!) But this time I really did try to concentrate on communicating what was in the music. I still had the "Will I get through this without a memory slip?" thought and the "Oh no, My dad is in the audience - what will he think of this?" thought, but mostly I thought about Bach's inscription on many of his works: (translated) "For the glory of God." That is the purpose for which he wrote his music, and as a Christian and a musician I wanted to communicate that as I played. So to the best of my ability, I played "to the glory of God" with all the humor and wit I could summon from what I imagine might have been going through the mind of Bach as he played it for the very first time.<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://soundcloud.com/indiemusikhaus-1/bach-italian-concerto-allegro" data-link-type="url" contents="Click here to listen to the Bach!">Click here to listen to the Bach!</a><br> </p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/2427682012-10-29T08:20:00-07:002024-02-19T09:19:07-08:00My First House Concert<p>It's been awhile since I have posted anything to this blog. My apologies! The last year has been incredibly busy with a move to a new house and the addition of our third child. We are finally settling in to life as a family of five, and even get to sleep through the night sometimes! In the midst of all the life changes, I found a little time to practice and dream, and Indie Musikhaus was born.<br><br>As it stands today, Indie Musikhaus is a series of once-a-quarter private concerts held in my living room. The first was held a couple of weeks ago. My dad and I played classical piano and fourteen of my friends graciously gathered to listen to us play. We had a blast! The programme was made up of "my" Bach Toccata in C minor, Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3, Anton Dvorak's Slavic Dances Nos. 4 and 2 for four hands, and "The Alcotts" from Charles Ives' Concord Sonata. We had munchies before, during, and after; great conversation; and a fun time enjoying music! <br><br>My hope is for Indie Musikhaus to become a network of house concerts for musicians in the greater Seattle area with opportunities not only to perform, but also to network with other musicians and patrons, to create new music, and to encourage each other in our art. You are welcome to read a little more about it <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.indiemusikhaus.com" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">here</a>!<br><br>Below, feel free to click on the link to download the .mp3 of me playing Liszt's Liebestraum Notturno No. 3 at the last house concert. Be forewarned - this is raw, unedited material, played on what my mom calls my "honky tonk" piano! <br><br>Until next time...</p>5:48Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/948002011-03-10T04:00:00-08:002024-02-19T09:19:27-08:00In Progress<p>I think I've settled on the music I want to study this year! The list is heavily romantic, which I love, but mostly filled with new-to-me pieces. I started work on the <span style="color:#ff0000;">Bach Toccata in C Minor </span>in college, but never finished, and have decided to pick it up again. <span style="color:#ff0000;"> Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu No. 4 in c# minor, op. 66 </span>has always been a favorite of mine to listen to, as I grew up listening to my dad play it (and the slow section is featured in Parent Trap II, a movie I watched many times as a kid!). Brahms is one of my favorite composers, and I can't make up my mind on just one piece, so have chosen his <span style="color:#ff0000;">two Rhapsodies (Op. 79)</span> and the <span style="color:#ff0000;">Scherzo, Op. 4</span>. I absolutely adore the<span style="color:#ff0000;"> third movement of Charles Ives' "Concord Sonata." </span>Entitled "The Alcotts," and filled with quotes from Beethoven, it's a lovely fusion of classical-romantic-contemporary elements. I also love its association with Louisa May Alcott's family. A few years ago I stumbled across <span style="color:#ff0000;">Leonard Bernstein's Four Anniversaries</span>, and I'm eager to dive into actual study of them. And lastly, I recently found<span style="color:#ff0000;"> Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Twenty-Four Negro Melodies </span>and was drawn to "Deep River" and "Wade in the Water," the most familiar of the set to me.<br><br>So! I've photocopied my scores and put them in a notebook for easy access (and so that I can mark up my music without ruining the originals), downloaded recordings off of iTunes, and begun reading through the music at the piano and marking fingerings. It will be a long process, as my practicing must needs run in fits and starts with two young children at home, but I've given myself the year to really dig when I can, and hopefully bring a few to performance-ready status for sometime next year!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/917512011-01-31T14:00:00-08:002024-02-19T09:27:00-08:00Amy Beach "Romance" for Violin and Piano<p>In looking for some new music to work on this year, I stumbled across this piece on youtube. I have always loved Amy Beach, having become acquainted with her songs for singers in college. This Romance for Violin and Piano is just divine. Enjoy!<br><br><br><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4RCfAeP5AaI" frameborder="0" width="480" allowfullscreen="" type="text/html"></iframe></p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/882282010-11-29T10:35:00-08:002024-02-19T09:27:20-08:00Christmas CD Sale<p>"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is now on sale at CD Baby! Your first CD is $10 and all other copies are only $8 apiece! I hope you enjoy this compilation of some of my favorite Christmas music recorded at Icicle Creek Music Center a few years ago. Click the button below to order!<br> </p><div style="background-image:url(http://cdbaby.com/gif/buttons/buy_thumb/Black-Buy_Now_100px_cover.gif);border-width:0px;height:181px;margin:66px;padding:0px;width:122px;"><a class="no-pjax" href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/coripeterson"><img src="//cdbaby.name/c/o/coripeterson_small.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="CORI PETERSON: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" height="100" width="100" /></a></div><p> </p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/854872010-09-27T14:00:00-07:002024-02-19T09:28:21-08:00Balancing Act<p>I came across another pianist's blog today: <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.susantomes.com/" target="_new">Susan Tomes</a>. She has a <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.susantomes.com/counting-listeners/" target="_new">great post</a> illustrating the challenge of balancing "involvement" and "detachment" during a performance. I laughed at the end because I can so relate! I remember my piano teacher in college once told me that I needed to play with passion but not "lose control." There is a point where one must restrain one's passion during a performance or the playing will become sloppy. However, a performance lacking passion quickly becomes boring, so one must not be too "controlled" or focused solely on the technical aspects of the music. I can recall many performances, particularly in college, when I was thinking about what I was going to eat afterwards instead of being "into" the music. Invariably I would get a comment afterwards about how wonderfully expressive and focused my playing was! <br><br> </p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/854752010-09-27T11:00:00-07:002024-02-19T09:28:41-08:00Should We Ever Play for Free?<p>Interesting article over at <a class="no-pjax" href="http://geraldineinabottle.blogspot.com/" target="_new">Geraldine in a Bottle</a> about whether musicians should play for free (Her answer is no!). Check it out <a class="no-pjax" href="http://geraldineinabottle.blogspot.com/2010/09/should-you-ever-play-for-free.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GeraldineInABottle+%28Geraldine+in+a+Bottle%29&utm_content=Google+Reader" target="_new">here</a>.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/839862010-08-31T16:00:00-07:002024-02-19T09:29:01-08:00Inspiration: The President's Piano Series at UW<p>I just booked two tickets to see Murray Perahia at the University of Washington's Meany Hall in October! I am so excited to see this piano "great" after having listened to his recordings for many years. My dad, fellow pianist and classical music enthusiast, will be joining me. Unfortunately for us, we will be sitting near the back; however, the recital hall has an intimate feel and will be featuring a close-up look at all the pianists in the series via a screen mounted above the stage! A couple other pianists I hope to see this year:<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.simonedinnerstein.com/index.php" target="_new">Simone Dinnerstein</a>, busy wife and mom who also manages an active performing career! In addition to recording with Sony and touring, she has launched a concert series at her son's school that features classical musicians and raises funds for the PTA. But I digress. According to her website, "The New York-based pianist gained an international following because of the remarkable success of her recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, which she raised the funds to record. Released in 2007 on Telarc, it ranked No. 1 on the US Billboard Classical Chart in its first week of sales and was named to many "Best of 2007" lists including those of The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The New Yorker." She will be <a class="no-pjax" href="http://uwworldseries.org/presidents-piano/dinnerstein/" target="_new">performing at the UW in January</a>. (Don't miss her <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.simonedinnerstein.com/index.php" target="_new">website</a>, which highlights her many accomplishments and offers free downloads of some of her music!)<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://laradownes.com/" target="_new">Lara Downes</a> is another woman I would like to see this fall. She performs a lot of American music and comes up with really innovative programs. I love her "think out of the classical music box" mentality and the vibrance she is bringing to the classical music world. She will be <a class="no-pjax" href="http://uwworldseries.org/presidents-piano/downes/" target="_new">performing at the UW in December</a>. Her <a class="no-pjax" href="http://laradownes.com/" target="_new">website </a>also offers free downloads of her music!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/833492010-08-20T11:45:00-07:002024-02-19T09:29:23-08:00The Complete Collaborator<p>Martin Katz, pianist-accompanist-collaborator extraordinaire, has a new book out! And thanks to Amazon.com, it arrived in my mailbox last week! I am thrilled to be the new owner of <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Collaborator-Pianist-Partner/dp/0195367952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282347810&sr=8-1" target="_new"><u>The Complete Collaborator: The Pianist as Partner</u></a> and am trying to savour it bit by bit rather than devour it in a single sitting as I am apt to do. The book has a companion website where you can download and stream the musical examples. Ingenious! It's like taking an at-home accompanying course (or should I say "collaborative piano course," as Katz would?). The first chapter discusses the role of the collaborative pianist and how the title of "accompanist" has morphed (reminding me of the constant shifts in education jargon concerning "learning disabled-special education-special needs students"). He then moves into chapter two with a discussion of breathing and singing. My take-away? '...the only truly guaranteed way for the pianist to categorize breathing situations and to know how to behave, is - you guessed it - singing! Your own singing! It is always the surefire passport to your most musical decisions." (page 20) I think I was given that advice once upon a time, but what a great reminder, that to truly be able to collaborate effectively, a pianist should be able to sing and play the music at the same time. Breathing "with the singer" then becomes second nature and allows the music to flow naturally.</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/829692010-08-14T15:00:00-07:002024-02-19T09:29:42-08:00To School or Not to School?<p>Though probably not grammatically correct, that is the question I am pondering right now. Is graduate school in my future? <br><br>I have my bachelor's of music degree in piano performance and have always been intrigued by the prospect of graduate school. I have researched schools from time to time, applied to a couple, and was even accepted to one and offered a graduate assistantship, but for various reasons I never actually took the plunge. Now, after over 10 years of freelancing and, more recently, becoming a mom, I am considering my options for professional development. I am location-bound, which limits my choice of schools quite drastically. Further, the university closest to me offers only a MM in piano performance, not in accompanying or collaborative piano.<br><br>What I am looking for are:</p><ul>
<li>a teacher to study with</li>
<li>a network of musicians to collaborate with</li>
<li>in-depth study of instrumental chamber music</li>
<li>performing opportunities</li>
</ul><p>Can I create these opportunities on my own? Is a university the best place to pursue them? Do I need a degree to validate my musicianship? <br><br>Eventually I would love to form a chamber ensemble and perform and record regularly in the Seattle area. I would also like to accompany a professional choir. What is the best avenue for me to pursue these goals?<br> </p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/829682010-08-14T15:00:00-07:002024-02-19T09:30:02-08:00The Collaborative Piano Blog<p>I didn't know there was such a thing until tonight: a collaborative piano blog! I found some good resources to print out, among them:<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://collaborativepiano.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-get-work-as-freelance.html" target="_new">How to Get Work as a Freelance Collaborative Pianist</a><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://collaborativepiano.blogspot.com/2007/12/101-ways-to-advertise-your-services-as.html" target="_new">10+1 Ways to Advertise Your Services as a Collaborative Pianist</a><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://collaborativepiano.blogspot.com/2009/03/recital-fee-question.html" target="_new">Recital Fee Question</a><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://collaborativepiano.blogspot.com/2008/08/9-places-to-connect-online-with-other.html" target="_new">9 Places to Connect Online With Other Pianists</a><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://collaborativepiano.blogspot.com/2009/11/piano-quartet-lists-and-resources.html" target="_new">Piano Quartet Lists and Resources</a><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://collaborativpiano.blogspot.com/2007/04/christopher-foleys-resum.html" target="_new">Christopher Foley's Resume</a> (pianist, creator of the above-mentioned blog)<br><br>And...<a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.esm.rochester.edu/iml/careers/documents/resumeguide2005.pdf" target="_new">The Musician's Resume Handbook </a>from Eastman School of Music! <br><br>I am so excited to dig into these resources, follow the links, and enjoy some online networking! <br> </p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/825302010-08-06T11:45:00-07:002024-02-19T09:30:20-08:00Online Resources for Chamber Music<p>I have been so excited this week to discover several amazing resources for downloadable sheet music and audio files of chamber music:<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page" target="_new">The Petrucci Music Library</a>: "Our goal is to create a virtual library containing all public domain music scores, as well as scores from composers who are willing to share their music with the world without charge."<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.gardnermuseum.org/music/library.asp" target="_new">The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum</a>: "In our music library, you'll find free classical music sorted by performer and composer, featuring performances recorded live in the museum's Tapestry Room as part of our ongoing concert series. Click on a composer or performer's name to view their bio and a list of musical works available for download."<br><br><a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.echambermusic.net/" target="_new">echambermusic.net</a> (containing a more limited selection than the previous two, but still a good resource)<br><br>Further, in my search for like-minded classical musicians in the area, I found <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.acmp.net/index.php" target="_new">ACMP - The Chamber Music Network</a> (originally the Amateur Chamber Music Players). This organization "facilitates informal playing and singing by people of all ages and nationalities, beginners to professionals." Their website also contains various links to resources for chamber musicians.<br><br>Even if you are not a musician yourself, you will enjoy visiting these sites and downloading free classical music for your listening pleasure!</p>Cori Belle, pianisttag:coribelle.com,2005:Post/825292010-08-06T11:35:00-07:002024-02-19T09:30:39-08:00A New Look!<p>In reassessing my musical priorities and where I want to be in the next 10 years, I've decided it's time for a change. So to start with, my website has a new look! I hope you like it! Also, I have decided to focus this blog more on my musical meanderings than on my personal life. I love sharing stories about what I am reading and thinking, and describing adventures with my family, but as I move forward I need this place to be more of a musical refuge. A place for musical reflection, where I explore new music and share resources, pose questions and gain insight, set goals and check my progress. This is my musical space, away from the demands of mommy-hood and the mundaneness of everyday life. My space to create, reflect, think, brainstorm, share, explore, and enjoy! I hope you find something here to inspire you to do the same!</p>Cori Belle, pianist