Rhythm and tempo

Rhythm does not equal speed. Speed is a set rate at which the beats go by, like going 60 mph on the freeway. You drive a certain speed, your car is going to get from here to there in a certain amount of time, no less, no more. Speed = tempo.

So you're going to go 60 miles in one hour. But how many exits will you pass in one hour? Well, that depends on how they are spaced on that road. Maybe on this road you have four exits one mile apart, then two exits two miles apart, and then an exit every half-mile for four more miles:

Start__x__x__x__x____x____x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x
Start 1 min.x 1 min.x1 min.x1 min.x2 min.x2 min.x.5 min.x.5 min...etc...

So you will pass 14 exits in 12 minutes. But what if you don't have 12 minutes to get there? let's suppose nobody else is on the road and you are a fabulous driver with a high performance car, and you decide to go 120 miles an hour.

You will still have the EXACT same spacing:

Four exits one mile apart, then two exits two miles apart, and then an exit every half-mile for four more miles:

Start__x__x__x__x____x____x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x
Start .5 min.x .5 min.x.5 min.x.5 min.x1 min.x1 min.x.25 min.x.25 min...etc...

But now you pass them in six minutes, not 12. But the exits (rhythm) did not change! You just went at a faster speed (tempo), and so you went through those exits in six minutes instead of 12. The relationship/spacing/rhythm was constant. The speed changed.

Available lesson times

Mondays 10 until 4:15

Tuesdays 10 until 4pm

Wednesdays 10 until 4:15 pm

Wednesdays after 5:45 pm

Thursdays 3:45-4:30

Fridays 4:30 - 5

Fridays 6-6:30

Congratulations students!

My students did extremely well in today's recital!!! Good job, and get ready to do it all again in another 3-4 months :)

Important date changes

The recital will be Feb. 3 at 2 pm.

I will be away Jan. 19-22.

Winter vacation dates

I am not teaching Saturday, Dec. 15, and Friday, Dec. 21 is my last day of teaching in 2007. I expect to resume all lessons on Wed., Jan. 2. If you will not be at a lesson in those first few days of January, please remember that you need to provide a full weeks' notice to skip the week and 24 hours' notice to reschedule.

I am also away January 19-21 for Martin Luther King Fr. weekend. I may additionally be out of town on January 18. I will let you know as soon as I do.

Open times as of today

I currently have available time in my home studio on Thursdays until 4 pm. The 4:30 time is no longer available.

Beginning in February, I will be offering the following additional times:
Mondays until 4:15
Tuesdays until 4pm
Wednesdays until 4:30 pm
Wednesdays at 5:30 pm.

Next recital

All students are invited to participate in my studio recital at 1pm, Sunday, February 10. I think I successfully avoid school vacations as well as Superbowl Sunday with that date. I can accommodate about 28 performers and guests. Once I reach that number, I will determine if a second performance at 2:30 or 3 is needed. If it is, the first to sign up for the 1pm recital will have the first opportunity to move to the later time if that is more convenient.

Thanks for a successful Halloween Recital!

Everyone did a great job and played beautifully! I am so pleased at how everyone is progressing in their piano studies.

I will plan another small, informal recital in late January or early February for all who are able to participate, though it is quite a challenge trying to find a weekend that works! It will likely be another Sunday at 7.

Word use pet peeve

I chuckle whenever I see a bio of a teacher/performer that describes them as "renown". The word is "renowned", and if they had ever actually seen that in print about themselves, they would know that. Whenever you're looking at someone's website or other publicity materials and you see that error, a red flag should go up. A professional should be thoroughly familiar with the spelling and proper usage of terms that are commonly used in their field.

My Letter to the Editor, Classical Singer magazine

This (which I've copied and pasted below as well) is what I sent in to Classical Singer magazine in response to an article that suggested that a typical NYC audition experience might leave you with stories of "getting lost in the ghetto". If you have a subscription to Classical Singer, you can read the original article here (a new window will open so you won't lose this page).

Dear Editor:

I was pleased to read Joanie Brittingham's article, "Make Your Summer Sizzle." It's great to see articles by and for singers who are on the younger side of the spectrum. I wish I had spent my summers so wisely when I was in my twenties! But I have to admit that I was taken aback by the reference to getting "lost in the ghetto".

I can't think of anyplace in New York City where the housing near a possible audition location is even affordable to middle-class families, let alone being a "ghetto" area. The days of New York City being a relatively dangerous place are over. According to the F.B.I's "Crime in the United States 2005", the violent crime rate per 100,000 people was 673.1, in contrast to the 745.6 per 100,000 rate in Waco, TX, where Ms. Brittingham is pursuing a graduate degree. In fact, New York City was just named "The Safest Large City in America."

More importantly, using the term "ghetto" in such a casual way assumes that classical musicians are a certain type of people, with nothing in common with inhabitants of the "ghetto". Reri Grist grew up in the projects of Spanish Harlem, and both Denyce Graves and Leontyne Price came from segregated neighborhoods in South Philadelphia and Mississippi, respectively. As someone who now makes part of her living teaching the youth of Brooklyn (Beverly Sills' hometown), I can personally assure you that the gifts of musical talent and a drive to succeed don't discriminate on the basis of neighborhood, race, or how much money one's parents have. The fact is, someone from "the ghetto" probably wins a vocal competition much more frequently than a competitor gets lost in a "ghetto" on the way!

When I was in my early 20's getting my Masters' Degree at Baylor University, my life experiences left me with misconceptions similar to Ms. Brittingham's, so I can't entirely blame her. I am, however, disappointed that the editorial staff let this one go.

Sincerely,

Denise Ivanoff

Student success!

I have a nine-year-old voice student who was just promoted from Preparatory to Junior division at the Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy (BYCA). Congratulations Lilly!

Time to start thinking about lesson times!

Just a reminder of how I prioritize lesson times:

First group -- Committing to a date/time prior to Labor Day and paying for September

First choice -- Students who took summer lessons, regardless of whether they are retaining the same time

Second choice -- Students who did not take summer lessons and wish to continue with their previous day and time (assuming that a student who took summer lessons did not take it).

Third choice -- Students who wish to continue with me, did not take summer lessons, but require a change of day and/or time.

Fourth choice -- Students who are referred from continuing students.

Second group: Students committing to a date and time, and paying ON OR AFTER Labor Day

Students will be accommodated based on remaining available lesson times at time of payment of one month of lessons.

No new students without a referral will be guaranteed an assigned slot before Labor Day unless and until all continuing and referred students have been successfully placed in a slot.

Now accepting credit cards

I can now accept credit card payments via PayPal! Please let me know if you would like this option, and I will send you email invoices in the future.

Recital Details

June 16, 2007, 7pm, my home (where you have your lessons). Please call or email for the address and apartment number if you don't have it.

It's a good idea to bring your music, but memorization is expected.

Please dress nicely -- dressy pants or skirts, collared shirts or otherwise dressy tops. If you would wear it to work out in, it's not appropriate for a recital. The same goes for footwear, no flip-flops or sneakers.

Don't worry if you're too rushed for a big dinner beforehand. There will be plenty of crudites, fruit, cheese, and crackers, as well as a variety of beverages afterwards. With only 8 performers, I expect it to end around 7:30 pm.

Choosing a Teacher

So often, I get emails and messages on my machine that begin with something like, "I have some questions about lessons." Great! Then the next sentence is, "What are your rates?" And that's it. Is that the "questions about the lessons"? Am I supposed to guess what the real questions are? Am I supposed to spend a lengthy amount of time selling myself to someone who didn't even read the ad or my website, which would clearly answer that question?

Of course, questions like, "what are your rates" and "where are you located" are valid, but if those are your top two criteria, I can tell you that music lessons aren't for you. Someone who is first and foremost trying to invest as little as possible in music study is not going to get much out of it. Music is fun and rewarding but it isn't "easy".

Before you start shopping around, you should consider what kind of music you are interested in studying. Think about whether you would prioritize learning by ear or being able to read music. Do you value being able to play/sing classical music, or do you want to work on popular music exclusively? Are you looking for a new teacher for your bored teenager who is unhappy with their current lessons? Are you concerned about being a late beginner? Did you love your last teacher but have to change due to their moving away and you are concerned about being forced to change your technique? Finding the right fit with those concerns needs to be your #1 priority -- if you can't work toward a common goal with a qualified teacher with whom you are comfortable, free lessons in your own living room would be a waste!

You need to know, of course, how much time you can afford to spend getting to and from your lessons and what neighborhoods you are willing to travel to. You need to know what you can afford financially. It's very frustrating to begin lessons, love them, and then realize you can't continue due to logistics or finances. But rather than looking for the cheapest, closest teacher who is still acceptable, you're going to get a far better experience by finding the best fit who remains within your limits.

Lesson time update

As soon as I post new lesson times, it seems they go out of date. Here's the latest

Mondays: 5:45

Tuesday: 4-4:30, also 5:00-?

Thursday: 3:15 or 3:30 - 4:00. The 5:30 slot was taken the day after I advertised it!

Current lesson times available

I have had some schedule changes. Please note, students who begin lessons NOW need to plan on lessons for at least part of the summer in order to get some momentum and continuity going:

Possibilities for 30 min. lessons

• Mondays, 5:45
  
• Tuesdays, 4pm
• Thursdays, 3:30pm, 5:30pm

Possibilities for 45 min. lessons

• Mondays, 5:45
  
• Thursdays, 3:15pm

Please note that I have a friendly fluffy cocker spaniel who goes to doggie daycare most Tuesdays and Thursdays, but enjoys greeting my Monday students. Students with Monday lessons will be happiest if they like dogs. Very small children or anyone who feels uncomfortable around dogs would be happiest with a Tuesday or Thursday lesson.

Spring Home Run Promotion 2007 -- Week 5 results

Sorry for the lack of updates while I have been redesigning my website.

At the end of week 5, the results are:
Toccatas - -69
Fugues -- 67

Individual scores so far:
Halle - 18
London - 14
Eva - 13
The rest of the scores range from 5-12, the lowest scores primarily being a result of missing 2 or more lessons.

One more week to go!