A New Duet for Halloween!

Take a listen to my new intermediate piano duet: A Beastly Boo-rrée!

Summer Sizzle 2015

A great time was had by all at this year's Summer Sizzle. Keyboard Kamp was a great success! I was the host composer for Group A:

Some great memories were made...

And some great music too! Our group's composition was called Peaceful Twilight.

My friend and colleague Beth had a great time with Group B:

and everyone really enjoyed the masterclasses.

I got to showcase my new publications!

And how could I forget my convocation? I received my Licentiate diploma in Piano Performance from the Northern Lights Canadian National Conservatory of Music. I'm so happy to have been a part of this year's Summer Sizzle. Look for more pictures to be posted in the studio soon!

~ Jen

End of Year Fun and a New Duet!

We all got together for a performance class last week to run through our recital pieces. For the recital everyone is playing a solo and some students are doing duets. Each student will also perform their own composition from our 2015 student collection, Places I've Been. Here's a sneak peek of the cover:

End of Year Preparations!

The rest of our term is filled with exciting preparations. First, there is the final recital of the year. Students are busy memorizing their pieces, practising duets, and putting the final touches on their own compositions (this year's composition theme is "Places I've Been"). We will try everything out at an informal performance class before the big day arrives.

*New* Pre Grade One pieces: Part III

I added a few more to my collection of modal pre-grade one pieces inspired by the beauty of B.C. Stroll Through Beacon Hill is an easy going piece that recalls the lovely sights of Beacon Hill Park in Victoria. Listen for the peacock saying hel-lo! Harbour Buzz is inspired by the amazingly talented artists and entertainers at the heart of the city-- the Inner Harbour. Double Decker Bus is a fun piece that keeps moving along, though there are always a few car horns to be heard. Finally, Two Banana Slugs brings back fond memories of hiking through the rainforest and spying these giant gastropods!

Click below to hear the entire playlist!

~ Jen

Countdown and Congratulations

Well the countdown is officially on: only 13 days until my big exam! This month has been spent performing my program out for various audiences on different instruments, and tonight marks my fourth and final "preparation" concert. I'll have some good solid time after tonight to rest up my arms and go over the finer details of my pieces before the big day. I also hope to get them recorded, as I doubt I'll ever have this much repertoire ready ever again!

*New* Pre Grade One pieces: Part II

My new set of pieces inspired by Vancouver Island is complete! It's a short collection of six pieces, and each one is written in a different mode (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian). I hope you enjoy!

~ Jen

Purple Starfish

Orca

Totems

New!! Pre Grade One pieces inspired by B.C.

I'm really excited to be working on a collection of Pre Grade One pieces. These pieces are wholly inspired by my short time living on Vancouver Island, as well as many visits to the island throughout various stages of my life. I also decided to write them using the ancient church modes, as a learning experience for me as well as the students who will play them! I think you'll find each one has a unique sound as a result of the mode it is written in. This is just the first instalment-- more West Coast pieces to come soon!

~ Jen

Big trees

Tally-Ho!

Driftwood

First Composition of 2015 (a duet!)

A New Year and a New Duet!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the year. The holidays have flown by and I find myself only three days away from heading back to work. I can't say I accomplished everything I wanted to over the break (I have such a lot of planning to do, not to mention writing and practising. I also want to revamp my website soon as well.). I did get a fair amount of practising in though (considering all the holiday get togethers) and today I want to share with you a new fun duet!

Canada Music Week 2014

Our Canada Music Week recital on Friday November 21st was a complete success! We had about twenty students performing works by Canadian composers (including local composer Debra Wanless) and a fabulous audience turnout. After the performance we had a draw for two paintings that were generously donated by composer Rémi Bouchard. The reception was a hit as always, due to the enormous celebratory cake and take-home Canadian souvenirs. We got to hear a great variety of Canadian music, and I think everyone in attendance enjoyed themselves and learned something new.

Two New Playlists and a Spooky Performance Class

So Irene and I made videos of my published ensemble pieces and posted them to my YouTube Channel! Take a peek:

And I finished the latest playlist for the Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music (solo piano classes 9-16 yrs and over):

A New Solo for Autumn

With fall weather closing in I offer you a new autumn-inspired solo called Swirling Leaves. I'm really happy with the way this intermediate-level piece turned out. The left hand accompaniment is gently insistent while the right hand sings a melancholy melody with swirling triplets. The middle section offers a ray of sunshine, though it is short lived as the cold autumn wind soon returns. The piece comes to a close with a short improv played upon the inside strings of the piano. I hope you enjoy.

~ Jen

New Challenges: 2 Pianos 8 Hands

I have been having so much fun writing music for ensembles lately. When I started writing duets last fall I didn't really have a clear idea of how to approach this genre, but it turns out I really enjoy it and learn so much from it (and in fact seem to be quite addicted!). Last month I finished up my first duo for 2 pianos 4 hands-- In The Hall Of The Mountain King-- and in keeping with that theme I decided to arrange another classic orchestral theme, but this time for 2 pianos 8 hands.

Trying my hand at Two Pianos

Just a quick post to let you in on some of my recent work. I've expanded my ensemble writing to include not just duets but duos too! The following are my first 2 piano 4 hands arrangements for piano. The process was definitely different from writing for 1 piano 4 hands, but I really really enjoyed it. I can't wait to try some more two piano works and may even try a double duo soon!

Jazzy Days

It's been so busy since the beginning of July that I haven't had a chance to sit down and write a proper post. I plan to do that soon. In fact, I have a new composition that is almost ready and I'll be unveiling it before the end of the month! In the meantime please enjoy a jazzy new playlist from my Soundcloud!

~ Jennifer

June Wrap-up: A Recital and Party!

We had a great recital last night at the Owen Sound Harmony Centre! Fifteen students performed from both my studio and the studio of my friend Irene Enns. The ages ranged from 5 to adult, and the pieces performed spanned four centuries of music. 

Mary Poppins Duet #3: Boogie Woogie style!

So I thought I needed a third instalment of Mary Poppins, you know, to round things out. I chose to arrange Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious into a piano duet because the other two songs were bit melancholy (being in minor keys and all). There is no doubt this is a happy song, and to bump it up a notch from the usual marching band style I added a boogie-woogie bass part!

June Memorizing Project: building the repertoire!

So I wasn't sure I would finish memorizing the Chopin in May-- it was such a busy month and went by so quickly. Miraculously I pulled it off and am ready to start on my next project: memorizing the third movement of Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata (see my post on memorizing the first movement here). 

A Bluesy Duet and Other News

I started this duet when the "spring" weather was still very bleak and cold and everyone was complaining about the long winter. I was in the mood for writing a bluesy duet, and out came the Long Winter Blues. This piece has a walking bass line, swinging eighth notes and some long lines and long notes to emphasize the "looong" winter.