Score-Marking

Today was a great day - more harpsichord playing, more working on the instrument in preparation for Saturday's concert. I helped my sound technician vacuum out the harpsichord, in case dust was disturbing the action inside.

I also discovered another amazing thing about my iPad Pro, and its indispensable app for a musician, ForScore. There are a whole bank of common musical symbols, and some less common ones.

I was in search of something that I would never need for another thing, and I found it ... 

It is ... wait for it ...

My mark to turn my page (wirelessly) through Bluetooth pedal.

Ah, the bliss of being a 21-st century musician. My forefathers would have surely approved of, and used this, had it been around in Vienna, Leipzig, or Bayreuth ...

And we are counting down until Saturday's event! Non vedo l'ora!

This sign is outside St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Elkins Park, PA. Please join us!

Bird's-Eye Bach

I’ve been enjoying the downtime and practicing Bach a lot. And I’m taking a page from this artist and have been filming my practicing. I’ve been noticing two things, which are small technicall break-throughs for me ...

1. I have to have contact with key before I release it downward. For years, I’ve been probably using a lot of (mini) "blind-landings” from fingertip to key. Something in my harpsichord practice yesterday really “klicked.” 

2. The videos have also identified small micro-bursts of energy that don’t go with the music. These are the “I don’t believe yous” that I am trying to help my students identify in themselves. I’m a firm believer in “teachers should not ask something of others that they cannot do themselves.” 

PHOTO: A bird's-eye view of Bach practicing. 

I’m grateful for this breathing time, and this time to be my own teacher.