2013 New Year Resolution - Criserl

Hey people! :P

Here I'll post me 2013 New Year Resolution.

1. Take some time out of my hectic routine and spend it with the people whom I like. These could be my family members, friends or possibly beloved. Make sure that I continue this particular thing all around the year because this will make me feel that I'm not just passing my life, I'm actually living it joyfully.

2.Spend at least 15 min a day to practice piano on weekdays and at least 30 mins on weekends. (I'm really busy, school ends at 3.00 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 5.30 on Wednesday and 4.30 on Friday...)

3.Complete my learning plan :
Kuhlau sonatina op 20 no. 2,3
Kuhlau sonatina op.55 no. 1,2,3
Haydn Sonatina Hob XVI:35 in C major
Bach French Suite no. 6 - Courante
George Gershwin Prelude no.1

4.Be organized in each and every aspect of life so that my life finds a certain pathway to go along.

5.Study real hard! (errmm.. does that count?)

I'll end off with one of my favourite Mozart concerto, No.13 played by Uchida.



Love
Criserl :)

Recently, Criserl's tweet was favourite and retweeted by her friend Anna Larsen who is Lang Lang's piano scholar!! Read more about that at : http://criserlpianomusic.blogspot.sg/2013/01/some-good-news-in-2013.html

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone!

 I really want to thank you all so much for being supportive and reading our blog. It means so much. We have almost reached 3,000 views! So exciting!!

I've learned a lot this year. From life to music, it's all changed. I really do see that I've gotten so much better with music than I had been earlier this year. I think that Emily Bear's music helped give me more technique, and also helped me with my own compositions. I thank God so much for all of you who are readers of our blog. If there weren't any viewers, I probably wouldn't be doing this. So once again, I want to thank you all.

                                           My original compositions went from this:

                                                     To this:

Happy New Year, and God bless! For sure I will be uploading in the new year!!


~Viviana~

2012 Overview - A video by Alexia Juben

2012 Overview made by Alexia Juben. Thanks for making this, Alexia!! You have been a great support to both me and Criserl! Once again, thanks. :)

(to view the video, click the link '2012 Overview'.)







~Viviana

Concluding 2012

Hello!

I've just uploaded Chopin's revolutionary etude :)This the first Chopin etude that I learn (it is still a piece in progress) ,it is not perfect and will never be ,but I really enjoyed learning such a challenging piece. I will be moving on to other pieces so I doubt I will play this anymore... In 2013 I don't think I will be assign with any Chopin pieces as my teacher wants me to try out other composers like Gerswin , Haydn ,Handel etc.

Sorry for the subpar quality, it is recorded on an Itouch...I hope you enjoy it:)



2012 is going to end in a few days time, I'm really happy to be blogging for all of you.Therefore, I would like to take this chance to wish all my readers a Happy New Year 2013 :)

Get the latest updates about Criserl at : Criserlpianomusic.blogspot.com

❆Merry Christmas! ❆

Yep! Today is Christmas eve and I hope your holiday is filled with plenty of warmth, love, cheer, and happiness.

As promised I upload Kuhlau's sonatina op.20 no.1 :) The 3rd movement was recorded this morning and I was still not fully awake (a horrible excuse for lack of practice) and the awkward page turning so I would like to apologize for the mistakes and lack of dynamics :P



Here is a Christmas photo! :D
https://plus.google.com/photos/106722333372786350603/albums/5825404364764375825


❆Criserl❆

Merry Christmas! and some uploads!

Merry Christmas! It's not Christmas yet in the U.S... Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I wish you all the best Christmas ever! God bless you all! And once again, thank you all for your kind comments! :D

I've uploaded an original composition and Spiñata. As I have said before in a previous post, the name of the original composition is The Fate of Himmel Street which I composed for The Book Thief...(I so wish the book was being made into a movie and that I was the composer!!!) To read a little story on how I composed it, you can go on my channel. :) It's not played as emotionally as I would have liked to. I had to play it a little louder at a certain part because my brother was being noisy.

~Viviana

A hundred subscribers

Hi guys!
I've a hundred subscribers on my YouTube account. YAY! :)
I've been rather busy in school and also preparing for Christmas so I'm not really updating often. Recently while looking through those old tapes , I've found 2 old videos. Chopin waltz op.64 no.2 and Bach invention no.1 , I've actually mention on Google+ that I can play this invention :) Anyways, I played the invention when I was 11 and the waltz when I was 12 :)

I'll try to upload the complete sonatina op.20 no.1 either on Christmas eve or Christmas day:)

Read more about Criserl at : http://criserlpianomusic.blogspot.sg/

Update for December ~ Viviana

Hi everyone, I haven't posted for a while! My internet wasn't working for the past week. I'm back for now though! I have finished composing that original composition I was doing for the book I read, The Book Thief. I may record it sometime, but I don't know when.

I hope you all have a great Christmas! And Criserl, I also wish you the best holiday ever! It's been so great to have a friend like you! :)

I'll update some time later.

Merry Christmas in advance!

~Viviana

Successful concert!

Heyhey!

I would like to announce that my concert yesterday was a total success!! :) Thank you for all your support and sweet comments.

I've uploaded so photos so do view them! The video will come sometime later this month:):)

Don't forget to subscribe!!

Read more about Criserl's concert at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.sg

1 day before concert : Criserl

Good Morning!

Tomorrow will be concert day! I'm really hyper , you just can't wipe the smile off my face :D:D

I should be listening to great pianist recordings of the serenade and revolutionary etude but I'm now listening to Haydn Sonata Hob. XVI:35 in C Major ( movt. 1 and movt .2 & 3 ) :P Sadly , I've never work on a piece by Haydn...

I'll be going to the studio tomorrow around noon to have a last rehearsal before the actual thing.  

Also, I have recorded the 2nd movement of Kuhlau's sonatina op.20 no.1. For those who would like to know , I'm now working on Handel Allemande ,  George Gershwin prelude no. 1, Emily Bear Rosiaro Sings , 3rd movement of Kuhhlau's sonatina op20 no.1 :)

Get the latest updates about Criserl at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.sg

Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1 Movement 1 by Clementi

Here's the sonatina... As I had said in a previous post, the left hand contains less notes. Sorry about some of the mistakes... I was waiting for my sister to end the video, and she didn't stop as fast as I would have liked her to, so the ending has too much pedal. I don't even know if the pedal is supposed to be used in this piece... I don't have the scores for it. I learned it off my keyboard a long time ago... I decided to put pedal in it because it would've sounded too dull if I didn't... I think I played a little too fast. I was nervous. Hehehe :D  Hope you all like it!

By the way, I just finished Ellen's Song and Spinata! I had stopped working on Spinata in the summer and never resumed learning. I didn't have much to finish, so I learned the rest today. :D

The other day I was doing improvisations, and I started composing something for a book I read called The Book Thief by Mark Zusak. You can Google to find out about the summary. Anyway, I want to upload that some time. I would absolutely love to be a movie composer one day! It would be amazing.

Until next time,
~Viviana~

What I plan to upload next! (Viviana)

Hey y'all! Christmas is really approaching fast, isn't it? I'm so excited!

Yesterday I got to play an original composition of mine at a talent show! I wasn't planning to do it, but my friends were hoping I would, so I decided to play! It was very fun. :)

So I still have to finish Ka'iulani (just the ending) and Ellen's Song. And I'm finally getting somewhere in Chopin's Waltz in C Sharp Minor (page 2)! I'm also composing something new, which I'm really excited about! I will be uploading Clementi Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1 in C Major (First Movement). I never uploaded it, but I have known how to play it for a couple of years. Also, it is not exactly the original version. It was the version I had learned off my keyboard... The other song I will be uploading is When Christmas Comes to Town. I know, I should also do White Christmas... I just haven't really bothered with it... I want to upload Moonlight Sonata, but I have to play it all from memory, and to play perfectly I can't be thinking about it... Hahaha...

Oh, yes, I forgot: I changed the URL. It is now www.apianistslife.blogspot.com
I felt it was more pianist-like than thingsbyvivianarodriguez....


Here is EmilyBearfan's version of Final Journey.

I've really been working on Final Journey by Emily Bear. It's one of my favorite pieces by Emily!! The part I will have to figure out is from 0:43-0:47. I have 0:48-1:37 done already. I'm half way done!!! So excited!!!!! :D


I have one more week of lessons to teach and then I'm on break until January. I've been having a great week teaching all of my students; they are all learning very fast, which I'm glad of... :)

Be sure to check with this blog or YouTube for the videos I will be uploading!

~Viviana~

Great News!

Hello everyone.
Have you all notice the new URL ? So please change your bookmarks (If you happen to bookmark our previous site) and follow us again by E-mail to get the latest updates!

I've uploaded Northern Lights! Yay!




And also , I just realized that Grande Valse Brillante (my first classical music video )have gotten over a THOUSAND views.

WEEEEEE~


I'm really grateful for your support... I guess I'll only be making videos after my concert or maybe 1 more short piece by Emily Bear. Would you prefer Rosario Sings or Journey to my heart? :):)

Back to piano practice!!

Silent Night ~ Original arrangement by Viviana

Hello, bonjour, hi hao, hola, and any other greetings! I have finally uploaded Silent Night! Please excuse some mistakes I made and the not-exactly-in-tune piano. :)

I had originally arranged this differently, and had 2 versions of Silent Night rather than 1. I decided to put the two versions together. Anyway, I hope you all like it. :D  I will do other Christmas music soon!

Apology!

Hi, I am so sorry for still not yet uploading Silent Night! I have been so busy, but believe me, I want to get it done. I haven't finished that final part in Ka'iulani, which would be the run... I just didn't feel like bothering with that part yet... I actually started out Chopin's Waltz in C Sharp Minor op. 64 no. 2.  I really love that piece, and it doesn't sound too hard, as it repeats a lot.

Certain days I have to get up at 6:30 in the morning, and so during that time I usually listen to classical music. Everyone is usually still sleeping, and so I can't play music until 9:00. So finally 9 comes around, and I get happy since I could play. Then, I'll start working on a piece where I need to hear the song. I go downstairs (which is where the computer is), and am so glad to see someone else on there (I meant that sarcastically)! And so I can't work on that piece until I listen to the part of the song where I'm having trouble... I'm hoping that for Christmas I will get an iPod so I can listen to whatever piece I need to without using the computer.

In case anyone is wondering, I have only two Christmas songs: Silent Night and When Christmas Comes to Town. My Grandma wants me to finish White Christmas, and I would, but I want to add more to it. My version sounds too simple... What other songs should I do? I may only do two more Christmas songs.

I think I am in need of a piano teacher. I need someone to help me perfect certain things and also help me with music theory. I know that if I had someone to push me to finish pieces, I would. Sometimes I get too bored with whatever I'm working on, and just forget about it, as you all know. I plan to be finishing up Ka'iulani and Ellen's Song very soon. And I also want to start composing something again. My favorite part of piano is composing! And my least favorite part is reading music... Ugh, I hate it. I was never exactly taught how to read it, so I learned on my own, therefore I am slower at reading it...

I will upload something!!

~Viviana~

Update - Criserl :)

Hello!!!

Firstly , for those who have been following my other blog will know that my concert date has been brought forword to the 14  of December and will commence at 7pm. :)

Secondly, I'm now learning a piece by Handel - Allemande. As all of you know , I'm not really a baroque person so I don't really like that piece...I've also finish recording the first movement of Kuhlau sonatina op.20 no.1! 2 more movements to go!! And also, this time I decided to repeat the repeat section ( I hope you get what I'm trying to say here , as normally I skip the repeat section). :D

Thirdly, I will like to introduce you to BBC documentary on both Mozart and Beethoven. Each documentary is 3 hours but I think it is definitely worth your time. I got to learn so much about their lives and what they had gone through so as to have a better interpretation their music.

Lastly, I'm planning to learn the tempest sonata but not the third movement (of course). I deciding between the first movement which has about 6 pages or the second which has 4 pages... Tell me which you prefer! It will be my self study piece and maybe at a later stage my teacher will go through it with me and I may even end up performing it!

~Criserl~

Requested Post: Wish List of Music To Play

Hi! I was requested by Kate to do this post on music that I wish to play. I will probably also list pieces that I want to finish but haven't got around to.

~Nocturne No. 13, Opus 48 No. 1 in C Minor by Chopin
~Moonlight Sonata Third Movement by Beethoven
~(to finish) Invention 8 by J.S. Bach
~Solfegietto by C.P.E. Bach
~Fantasy in D Minor K397 by Mozart
~Liebestraume by Liszt
~Waltz in C Minor Op. 64 No. 2 by Chopin
~Tempest Sonata, Mvt. 3 by Beethoven
~(to learn full version) Nocturne in E Flat Major Op. 9 no. 2 by Chopin
~Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin
~Piano in the Sky by Emily Bear
~Prelude no. 4 in E minor by Chopin
~Claire de Lune by Debussy
~Serenade by Schubert

So those are some of the pieces I hope to learn one day. I have tons of sheet music, but haven't really bothered with it. I really do hope to start learning classical again. And yes, I will be uploading Silent Night this week.

I started Learning Ka'iulani by Emily Bear, and have half a page left!!! That's probably my favorite piece by her. I also started Ellen's Song, which is really easy, so maybe I'll be done with it soon. I actually really want to learn Final Journey, but don't have the songbook. I started learning it by ear, and was surprised to see it was in the exact same pitch...

Until next time,
~Vivi

p.s. what type of polls should I do?

Update - Viviana

Hey everyone. Sorry I didn't upload Silent Night. Looks like I won't be uploading it until either later this week or next week. Today was my birthday (Nov. 21), and then tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and then there's other stuff going on this week. Again, I apologize for saying I was going to upload it and didn't.

I was requested by Kate to write a to-play list or wish-to-play list. I'll get to that at some point.

Today I want to take a little time to write more on myself so you can all know more about me.

-Today I turned 15! (Nov. 21)
-I live in Chicago, Illinois. (U.S.)
-My family is from Mexico, Ireland, Spain, and France.
-I want to do a lot of traveling when I'm older.
-My favorite types of movies are fantasy, adventure, comedy, or all 3.
-I love fashion and clothes!
-I am a Christian! I live for Jesus!!!!
-I've been playing piano for 4 years.
-My favorite classical composers are Beethoven and Chopin; my favorite modern composer is Emily Bear.
-My favorite part of piano is composing!
-I live 2 hours away from where Emily Bear lives, but have never met her.
-I have 3 sisters and 1 brother, and a dog named Jax.
-I speak only English, but want to learn Spanish and French.
-I'm homeschooled.

Until next time!

-Viviana

Happy Birthday Viviana!

Hello!

Today, I would like to wish Viviana a Happy Sweet Fifteen Birthday! Woots!

You're such a special friend! It's a pleasure to remember you anytime , especially on your birthday. 

Have a great day ahead!

Here, I would like to dedicate Spinata , composed by Emily Bear and played by ME! :P






Get the latest updates about Criserl at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.sg

Hello!

Hello! I know, I know, I haven't updated since last week... The reason for that is because I just haven't had too much time to film anything. If you guys don't see any updates this week, it's because it will be Thanksgiving this week. AND MY BIRTHDAY!!! :D I'm so excited!!! I will be filming Silent Night either today or tomorrow, so look out for that video!

I probably will not be doing any classical anytime soon. I'm going to spend most of my time composing, learning Christmas music, and learning some more Emily Bear. :)  

If you haven't seen it yet, here's my new original composition, Sky. Sorry if the pedal is too much... 

Do you all think I should do a video type of update sometime? Tell me what you think! Maybe you'll hear my Chicago accent! Hahaha. I don't really know if I have a Chicago accent...

Anyway, for the new year coming up, what do you all think I should learn? Give me some requests! I will learn it when 2013 comes around.

Be lookin' out for my next update,

~Vivi

New upload! : Criserl

I've uploaded my first Dussek piece op.20 no.1 in G major.

And I would like to share a short story about this piece, listen to the 2nd movement of this piece ( rondo ).
Also, I made a mistake in the date in the start ( did you realized it ?) , it should be 02 November but it turn out to be 20 November :P


It was a bright day, a little girl and her mummy went to the carnival. The girl was amazed by what she saw, there were booths selling food and game booths too! She was so happy as it was her first time going to a carnival. Then she saw candy floss sold in one of the booths , she pleaded her mummy to buy it for her but her mummy refused to. After much pleading , her mummy gave in and bought the candy floss for her! She was happy kid! XD

Well, this is just what I think about when I play the piece... :)

If you have been following my other blog, you will know that I'm working on Emily Bear pieces. I've decided to start figuring out the notes for Spinata. The challenging part in Spinata is when the left hand crosses over the right hand.

I'll definitely be uploading Spinata next week, so look out for it!

Next week I'll have dance lessons and will be quite busy so to make up for that I'll try to blog daily on my other blog.

Get the latest updates about Criserl at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.sg

Original Composition: Sky

Hi everyone. I know, I've been posting a lot! :P

I have a new original composition called Sky. Sorry if the pedal creates too much of a muffle... I hope you enjoy! :)

~Viviana

Advice for beginner pianists + a sound test of my piano!

Hey ya'll! Last week I made a poll on what type of post I should write about, and tips for beginner pianists won! So here are my tips/advice for beginner pianists:

1. If you don't know anything about piano, I would suggest getting a piano teacher, or at least someone who knows a decent amount of things about piano. 

2. If you don't know whether you will be taking lessons for good, you should get a keyboard rather than a piano. Keyboards are inexpensive, and will last for the first year or so of lessons. Once you get to a higher level, a piano would be a great choice. 

3. I know that when I listen to a certain piece a lot before I start reading the scores/sheet music, it helps me a lot, so that I know what will always come next in the piece. So listening to the music before you start playing it is a great help.

4. LEARN MUSIC THEORY!! It is soo helpful. Believe me, learn as much as you can about it! I wasn't really taught much about music theory, so I still sometimes have trouble with it. Find a good book on it or something with lots of information. 

5. Make sure that you don't try to learn anything that is too far above your ability of skill. Two or three years ago, when I was some many levels below where I am now, I printed out the scores for Invention 8 by Bach. Totally wrong choice... I wasn't able to play it until last year. I really suggest learning easier things until you're sure you can handle something more advanced. 

6. If you're a complete beginner and you're learning all on your own, you should only play music that includes treble clef, but do this until you get the idea of using only your right hand. When you become used to only playing with your right hand, try out music that includes both hands (but nothing that includes far too much left hand).  

7. I think it's a great idea to film videos of any pieces you learn. That way, you can look back some years later and see how much you have improved! 

8. Two websites I would recommend are G Major Music Theory and Making Music Fun. They may both appear to be for young kids, but they have a lot of music and levels to choose from (not very advanced levels, though). 

9. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not good. Continue to learn no matter what. What other people think doesn't matter, but what you think about yourself matters much more. Stay positive. :) 

10. Always have fun!!! Music can be so fun if you let it be! I love learning pieces that challenge me in certain areas; it always gives me more experience. So definitely learn pieces that you think would be fun for you.

I hope all these tips help any beginner pianists out there!!

Here is a sound test of the piano, using The Love in Us. (I don't consider this a real upload...just a sound test.) I chose to play this piece since there's not too many parts that include lower keys or sharps (the lowers black keys are more out of tune than the others). The piano really needs to be tuned, so please do not give me negative comments about something I already know that needs to be done. :)

Criserl addresses rude comments...

Hi everyone!

I'm sure most of you saw my new blog skin. I've actually revamp the entire blog so if you , have not seen it do take some time to check it out!

I'm actually rather concern about how people phrase their comments. An example : Your playing lacks emotion, really bad. As compared to, I would suggest you to put in more emotion into the piece to improve the quality of the music. This two sentence have the same meaning but the first sentence has a negative tone while the latter has a positive tone. I'm really thankful for your constructive criticism but I would urge you to be polite. Thank you.

Let's not talk about unhappy stuff...

I just went for a music workshop yesterday and I really learned a lot!  A few friends and I form a group and we called ourselves CCC ( Chopin Concerto Craze ) ! LOL :P

We also learned about how Chopin feels when he composes certain pieces for example , the Revolutionary etude that I working on. It is said the when Chopin composed the etude his health was poor and when he heard a rebellion had failed ( not really sure about the history ) he was really upset and he produced some of his darkest and most passionate works, such as scherzo no.2 and this etude.

This is my favourite Chopin concerto




 ~Criserl

MY PIANO!!!! :D

Hey guys, I got my piano today!! As I said before, it's a 1947 Everett. Here are some pictures:

As you can see, it has some minor things that need some care. The tuning isn't needed as much as I thought it would. I mean, it still needs tuning, but not that badly. The lower keys black keys are out of tune, but the ones around middle C or higher aren't so bad. I think I will do a video of a sound test, but not a real recording of a song. The pedals work beautifully. The original owner must have really loved piano. I got a lot of old sheet music for songs from the 50s and 60s. The funny thing is my Grandma kept saying,"Ooh! I love that song!" Hahaha. I really have to get used to the feel of the keys. At first I was having some trouble with it, but I think I'm getting more accustomed to it now. 

More uploads will be coming soon,

~Viviana~

Criserl recommends anime about piano!

Hello!

How is everyone? :)
Today marks the start of my 1 month school holiday!

Today, I'll like to share about a Japanese anime about piano. This anime was introduced to me by one of YouTube's best pianist Umi Garrett ( most of you should have seen her videos). I am friends with both Umi and her dad, Steve on Facebook and Umi once posted about this anime on either her page or her dad's ( I don't remember :P ). This anime is called ' Piano no mori' also known as 'Piano in the forest' and Umi describes herself playing just like how the character plays in the forest, freely with her own interpretation.


So, I believe all of you would enjoy watching this really great anime and learn more on about HOW to play the piano. Through this, one will realized the importance of interpretation and how much impact it has on people listening to the music, even if one is not playing the piece note for note just like what the composer had written!

I personally believes that a piano is the only instrument that can sound like an orchestra ( excluding synthesizer instruments like an electone)  and playing it with emotion is the key to making the piano sing no matter which piece you are playing.

I really like those emails that all of you send and I'll continue to work hard. More videos will come! :)

Get the latest updates about Criserl at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.sg

More Uploads Soon! ~Viviana

Hi everyone! As you can see from the title, I will be uploading more videos soon! Yesterday I just finished Indescribable by Emily Bear and am perfecting another one of her pieces, Silent Option. The two were very easy, so I figured I should learn them. I'm also composing another piece! I just need a little more to complete it. I'm thinking of calling it Sky or something of the sort.

I'm really excited because Saturday we'll be picking up the piano!! I will be posting pictures.

The top answer for the poll on what I should post about was tips for beginner pianists. I will probably be posting that on Saturday or Sunday.

I will upload Silent Night soon. I want to wait for when I get the new piano and once it's tuned, I will record Silent Night, along with maybe one or two Emily Bear pieces (not Christmas ones though, but maybe 23 Free or Tomorrow's Wishes), and then 2 or 3 of my original compositions.

Oh, something else! I want to do a post  where I answer questions about myself and music. You can send me questions by commenting on this post or sending me an email at thepianistviviana@gmail.com

Until the next post,
Viviana

Two re-uploads and an original composition

Hola! The two re-uploads are two in which I've never filmed with my fingers showing; they are Snowdance and Once Upon A Wish. I have not gotten the piano yet, and it turns out I won't until Saturday. Maybe I will do a video that day on it, but just so you all know, it will not be tuned, so whatever I play will sound out of tune. The original composition is called The Leaves of Autumn. It's probably one of my favorite original compositions. And yes, that is Mickey Mouse next to me! :P

~Viviana

Criserl's concert program!

Hi everyone!

My concert program is finally out! I so happy to be sharing it with you :):)

Classical : Chopin's Revolutionary etude op.10 no.12 in C# minor

Liszt/ Franz Schubert Schwanengesang no.7 Standchen also commonly known as serenade. This piece is written by Franz Schubert and later rewritten by Liszt that is why there is a slash :)

Korean Pop : Tara- we were in love

Duet: Cannon in D

If there is a piece that you must listen to , then it will definitely be Liszt/ Franz Schubert Schwanengesang no.7 Standchen. Liszt is famous for his awesome way of harmonizing! This is also my first liszt piece! :)

I'm not sure if I can get a recording of the concert if not I'll just record them at home :)

And I'll have a students recital in march I guess...Really excited.

Bye! :)

Another Update (Viviana)

Bonjour! I haven't uploaded any videos this week, but soon I will! I have one completed original composition and another one that I need to finish. I will be uploading maybe next week or the week after. The reason for this is that I will be getting a piano on Monday (!!) and I don't want to film anything on my keyboard at the moment. The piano will need to be tuned and I don't know when I will have that done. I'll put up pictures when I get the piano!

I started working on Solfegietto by C.P.E Bach. I decided to work on that since I've only been composing and playing Emily Bear, so I wanted to return to classical.

One last thing, we have reach over 2,000 views on the blog!!!!

Until next time,
~Viviana~

by the way, do you guys think I should sign off as "Viviana" or have a cool nickname?? Let me know what you think!!

Over 2000 views!

Hello! ^_^

Have you been watching our videos?

I'm really please to have gain over 2000 views for Mother in the dream in just 3 months! And have close to 5000 overall views.






Anyways, I am really grateful for all of your support and the constructive comments which had helped me in improving my piano skills.

I'll be releasing my program for the upcoming December recital next week, so do remember to check it out!

Get the latest updates about Criserl at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.sg

A thank you to everyone

I really would like to thank you all for always visiting our blog and always being encouraging. It means so much to know that a lot of people care so much about music. I always enjoy reading all of your comments, and then replying back to them!

I also want to thank God right now. I never knew that anyone would actually read the blog, but He's given me people who really do care about my music. He's given me opportunities, and I'm just so thankful for them! THANK YOU GOD!!! :DD   My idea for this blog was to get my music out there, but also to inspire people. To tell them that you don't have to be a prodigy to be good at music. To every pianist out there: never give up music. Always continue. Have fun. Play pieces that you like! :)

Thank you all so much! I will be uploading more music soon!

~Viviana

Journey To My Heart by Emily Bear

Emily Bear's Journey To My Heart. The quality isn't the best...



Next week I may be getting a piano! It's a 1947 Everett in dark brown (don't worry, it's in good condition, just needs to be tuned). So once it's tuned, I will upload some more music!

Can't wait to start filming Christmas music! I started working on White Christmas. I just have to listen to the song to get more ideas for it.

Until next time,
Viviana

Criserl's favourite classical piece

Hello everyone!

My favorite classical piece is La Campanella by Franz Liszt. La Campanella also means little bells. When I was about 6 or 7, my parents brought me to Yamaha showroom and there was a middle age women dressed in baby pink gown playing La Campanella, I was really impress with the expression of the piece and since then I fell in love with it.

La Campanella technically demanding as it requires a lot of stretching and big jumps between intervals larger than an octave. I hope to be able to play this challenging piece one day.

Here is one of the best interpretations by Alice Sara :




Hope you will enjoy this piece as much as I do!

~Criserl~

Update -- 10/23/12 --Viviana

Hey guys! I'm thinking of uploading Journey To My Heart by Emily Bear! I want to practice a bit more though. I'm also practicing Tutti Cuore, but I'm only on the beginning of the 2nd page. (Hope that I don't procrastinate with it!!! :P) I've been looking for a piano to buy... It's really hard. Maybe soon you'll see a video with a new piano! :)

As you know, I will soon start with the Christmas music.

Also, I started composing again!! I need to finish composing the song though. It's going to be a little different from my normal. :D

I'm hoping to add another pianist on this blog to become an author on here. I think it'd be cool! If you'd like to do so, contact me at thepianistviviana@gmail.com

~Viviana~

Criserl's favourite concerto!

As the title suggest, today I will blog about my FAVORITE concerto.
A concerto is where on solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra or symphony.




The first concerto I have heard was Mozart concerto K488 played by Emily Bear. (you can refer to Viviana's blog post to read more about it) After spending more time on YouTube I was introduce to Beethoven piano concerto no.1 and a few others such as Schumann Piano Concerto, Op.54. But Beethoven piano concerto no.1 left me a deep impression as it starts off giving a very majestic feeling. I also enjoy all 3 Cadenzas written by Beethoven for this concerto.
 
I'll try to find time to blog about my favorite piano solo piece.

Hope you will enjoy this concerto as much as I do! :)
~Criserl

Get the latest updates about Criserl at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.sg

Another upload! ~Criserl~

Hi!
I'm playing Diabelli Sonatina op.151, rondo.This piece is in G major one of my favorite key.


As you can see , I didn't really get it memorize , therefore I was sight-reading and I made a mistake (maybe you didn't spot it)... But I think this piece has a really sweet melody, with the left hand playing something similar to waltz style.

A viewer of mine has requested that I come up with a to-play list of which pieces I would like to play and I'm currently working on that.


I've voted for my favourite musical era, have you?

Back to the revolutionary etude! ( Trying to get to tempo without playing the wrong notes. :) )
~Criserl~

23 Free by Emily Bear

Here is 23 Free by Emily Bear (I filmed this in my room!) It's not perfect, especially the ending, but I will upload another video of it at some point. I'm really glad to finally get this up! :)  I'm not sure if I'll be uploading anything new (maybe just a re-upload of Snowdance), but in November I'll start filming Christmas songs. Let me know what Christmas songs you'd like me to upload! :)  I already have When Christmas Comes to Town, Silent Night, The First Noel, and a bit of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, all of them just needing to be perfected.

~Viviana~

My favorite classical piece and concerto ~ Viviana

Criserl and I were asked by request to write about what our favorite classical piece and concerto are. My favorite classical piece is Moonlight Sonata (movement 1) by Beethoven, and my favorite concerto is Concerto no. 23 by Mozart. 

 <--Moonlight Sonata played by Willhem Kempff

<--Concerto no. 23 mvt. 2 played by Horowitz

 As I had said before in previous posts, Moonlight Sonata is my favorite, not only because it was the first classical piece that I learned, but also because it was what I played on my very first performance. The first time I heard it was when I was at Sunday school. There was a piano in the room and a girl started playing music. That's when I heard the Sonata, not knowing the name, but knowing that I wanted to learn it no matter what. Some months later, me and some other students were going to be allowed to perform at a homeschooling graduation. I decided to choose Moonlight Sonata for my performance. My teacher didn't exactly want me to play that song, believing that I would not be able to finish it in time, but as it turns out, I did finish it. Ever since then, Beethoven has been my favorite composer. 

One day, I was listening to Emily Bear's 23 Free, and saw that it was actually an improvisation off of Mozart's 23rd Concerto, second movement. I looked up the concerto on Youtube, and really enjoyed the way it had such a mellow sound to it, considering how the first movement was so energetic-sounding. Before, I had never really liked Mozart, but after listening to the concerto, I had a change of mind. 

~Viviana~

Christmas music will be recorded in November!

Hi everyone! This month I've been starting to work on Christmas music (I know, it sounds crazy. I don't have any Christmas sheet music, so I'm arranging it all myself)! Yesterday I arranged my own versions of When Christmas Comes to Town from The Polar Express, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, and The First Noel. I'm really excited for Christmas. Do you all think I should arrange another song?

I decided to start recording all of these songs in November, as it will be much closer to Christmas than now. As for the poll I put on which Emily Bear pieces to learn, I decided to learn The Way Back to Love. I do hope to learn Ka'iulani and Wyndham Court soon too. Wyndham Court was the top answer, but I cannot yet do it because 1) I don't have the Always True CD and 2) because nobody else has any recordings on Youtube for me to listen to. I always have to listen very well to a song before I can start learning it.

I'm also excited to announce that we now have over 50 posts on this blog!!!! Thank you all so much for always visiting and for the kind comments. I do hope to start writing about what my favorite classical piece and concerto is soon! If anyone has any suggestions for something to add to the blog, please do tell me. :)

~Viviana~

A new upload : Criserl

Hey!

Finally the long awaited Sonatina has been uploaded, sorry to keep you all waiting. :P



This will most probably be the last Clementi sonatina I learn and I'll be moving on with other pieces, I'm still working on the revolutionary etude by Chopin. It is really hard to accent the notes with the pedal as everything becomes so muffled after that. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Read more about the recital and get the latest updates about Criserl at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.sg

Tomorrow's Wishes by Emily Bear with new filming angle!!

Here is Tomorrow's Wishes by Emily Bear. I tried out filming different, and I really like how it turned out! I didn't play this perfectly, but it's not that bad; the camera was a little shaky. I hope you like it! :)

~Viviana~

More Music Will Come Soon!

Hello, everyone! I'm so excited because today I finished Tomorrow's Wishes! I want to upload it REALLY soon, but I first want to make sure I get the ending part down pat. As for 23 Free, I'm not sure if I will be able to complete it at the moment. The reason for that is because some of the notes go really low, and since I have a keyboard, I may not be able to play those notes. Maybe I can come up with a substitute for those notes. Also, I was wondering what everyone thinks: should I have the camera faced how I used to have it, where you can see my fingers? Or should I keep filming like I have been doing? Please let me know what you think!!

So yesterday I got a chance to play a Yamaha baby grand!! I was sooo excited and happy! You see, I was at a banquet hall for a family event, and so I saw this piano right in the middle of the room. My grandma saw it right away, and said,"Viviana, you should play that piano!!" And I said,"No...I would if I were alone. There's waiters and servers all over...I'm sure they'd tell me I couldn't play that piano." And so I didn't play it then. Later, this older guy went up to the piano and started playing songs by the Beatles. Then my grandma asked him,"Do you think my granddaughter can play on the piano?" And so I got to play that beautiful grand piano! My fingers were not used to the feel of the keys, and my hands were kind of cold... But after a while, I got more used to it. I LOVED using the pedal so much! It makes such a difference. My dream is to one day have a Steinway grand piano! Hahaha

Another thing, should I start doing weekly polls? I think it'd be kind of fun...

If you have any questions or would like to be a writer on A Pianist's Life (but you must be a young pianist) email me at thepianistviviana@gmail.com

~Viviana~

Criserl's Back!

Hello!

Yep, I'm back with a new upload on YouTube - Emily Bear tomorrow's wishes. :)



Sadly the examinations are still on going and I cannot spend too much time online. But I'm happy to announce that I am invited to a private recital in this December. But I'm having problems deciding on my repertoire so I hope you can give me some suggestions. You can either leave me a message or email me.

Read more about the recital and get the latest updates about Criserl at Criserl's blog : www.criserlpiano.blogspot.com

What I'm Working On!

Hey! I'm hoping to be finished with two songs from the Always True songbook--23 Free and Tomorrow's Wishes. I really do like 23 Free; it has kind of helped me think of things to try adding into my own compositions. Anyway, I just wanted to update this a bit. Be looking out for those uploads! :)  No promises of when I'll be uploading it...just hopefully soon. :D

--Viviana

New uploads on youtube!

Hi everyone,

I know I promised that I'll upload Clementi sonatina op.36. no.6 somehow I totally forgot about recording it so I guess I can only upload it after my end of year examinations ( 12 of October ). This is probably my last blog post before the examination so wish me luck!

To make up for this delay:
I've uploaded a beautiful piece by Emily Bear - Mary's Hope
 As it was recorded in my friend's apartment and I didn't bring my camera so I didn't get to film it.  The background of my video is edited by a friend of mine, Alexia. ( I do not own it. )



and also Bach's french suite no.6 - polonaise




Bach is really tough to play especially with all those trills so.. I hope you like my music!

To find out more about Criserl ,visit Criserl's blog at : http://criserlpianomusic.blogspot.sg/

Two Original Compositions: Birthday Wishes and September Breeze

I finally uploaded them! Here is Birthday Wishes which is dedicated to my Grandma for her birthday.

I composed this piece two days ago, so it's the newest. I call it September Breeze. 

Always True arrived today!!

So the Always True songbook arrived today!! I'm so happy about that! I already started working on 23 Free, and I'm close to finishing the first page! The music for sure is harder than the pieces from The Love in Us songbook. I'm not too familiar with all the pieces that are included, but I'm going to listen to them so that I will be able to work on them with no problems. 

Today I downloaded sheet music software called Muse Score, and I hope to try creating scores for my original pieces. I need to see if I have the right plugs to do that... Anyway, I've composed a piece for my Grandma for her birthday. I haven't named it yet, but I want to record it at some point. I've been lazy with music lately, as you can probably see... 

New upload on youtube!

Hello!

I'm pleased to announce that I've achieve distinction for my ABRSM theory exam !

Here is a video of me at age 12, playing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ballet suite op.20 also commonly known as swan lake! As the video was recorded on phone, it is in portrait instead of landscape... srry  :p



And I don't think I'll be uploading as often due to the upcoming school examinations. I take up 9 subjects in school , so I guess I'll be really busy...

The next piece that I'll be uploading will most probably be by Bach I think :) Do you all like Bach? Do feel free to leave me comments!

To find out which exact piece I am currently learning, visit my blog at : http://criserlpianomusic.blogspot.sg/

Ordered Emily Bear's Always True songbook!

I'm so excited! My mom ordered Emily Bear's Always True songbook! My most favorite pieces included in the book are "23 Free" and "March Majestic."  The video above is 23 Free played by EmilyBearFan. 

Over a thousand views! : Criserl

I'm pleased to say that my YouTube video had been viewed over a thousand times!

I'm would also like to take this chance to express my deepest gratitude to all (especially Alexia ) who have been supporting me by sending me emails and leaving nice comments on my website and twitter. 

I have received request of having me do tutorials on Emily Bear's music, I'm sorry but I don't think I have time to do so.

Here is another video of me preparing for my ABRSM examinations a few years ago. ( requested by RayRay )

For more detailed Biography and Repertoire, visit Criserl's website at : http://criserlpianomusic.blogspot.sg/

Update as of August!

Hey everyone! I haven't posted anything for a few weeks!!

I haven't been working too much on learning any pieces for piano lately. Of course, I've been practicing music, but just not working on any new pieces. I had lost page 3 of  the Tempest Sonata (I know, that's horrible. I'm still on page 3. I just didn't feel like getting any farther in the song...) but now I found it! So I'm still working on that... I've actually been having fun with my keyboard, putting the tone in "symphony" mode. It's really fun! I think it'd be really cool to compose scores for a movie. :D

I am so proud of all my piano students! They are so hard-working and eager towards piano. My sister is learning Sonatina in C by Clementi, and I must say, she's such a great person to teach. She's doing very well. I've been thinking about filming her playing music and uploading it on Youtube.

Until next time,
--Viviana

Music Websites I use

Here's some of the websites I use to find sheet music:

G Major Music Theory  I sometimes still go here to print out sheet music for me to learn and also for my students. It has some great stuff. If you're at a higher level, I would suggest going to the furthest level there is on the website. 

Making Music Fun This website is for people who are newer to piano. There's tons of stuff on there. I like printing out the worksheets for my students. 

Noteflight Great website for writing your own compositions. I don't use it too much, but it's great to even print out sheet music. You can find a lot of music by composers on there. 

And the last place I use is Youtube. There's lots of videos that include this software called Synthesia, which shows the keys that are supposed to be played. I wouldn't recommend using Youtube if you don't learn visually. 

So those are the websites I use. :D

--Viviana

Original Composition: A Travel Through Time

This is my newest composition. If sounds not so well put together, it would probably be because I composed this in 1 hour. I wanted to see if I could do that.... Anyway, I had a great time teaching piano lessons yesterday. It went much better than last week. I taught the kids about Mozart... Next week I'm going to teach about Beethoven! :D

Until next time,
--Viviana

My new blog

Hey guys, I started a new blog! This time it's a fashion one. It's not the best yet, but let's hope it gets better! :P I love fall fashion the best. Hahaha.  

You can view it here:www.vivianafashion.wordpress.com

You can also see Criserl's other blog here: http://criserlpianomusic.blogspot.sg/

Once again, thank you all for keeping up with our posts on here and for watching my videos on Youtube. This has all been possible because of God! He has been giving me great things, and I'm so thankful for them. I'm so blessed! All glory to God! 

Until next time,
--Viviana

1,000 views!

The blog has reached 1,000 views! Thank you all so much for keeping up with the blog posts and visiting!


--Viviana

New upload on youtube! ~ Criserl

 Clementi Sonatina op.36 no.4

Yup, I've finally uploaded Clementi Sonatina , I would like to apologize for taking such a long time to upload this as I'm really busy with school work :P.

  Also kabalevsky waltz Op.39 No.23



I'm 12 in this video so pardon the uneven rhythm.This video is unlisted, specially for you all who read this blog only! 

I hope you had enjoy reading and listening to my music. So, stay tuned for my next blog post and video :)

~Criserl~

Teaching Piano Lessons

Today was my first day teaching piano lessons. I had everything planned... and then it didn't end up the way I wanted it. I was expecting everything to take longer, but it went too fast, so I ran out of things to talk about. I ended up explaining about the composers and their styles of music. I think some of the students may have been bored with that... Oh well. Next time I will have a much better plan. 


If anyone ever has any requests for piano (something that's really easy to learn fast so that I could upload it) please email me at thepianistviviana@gmail.com

--Viviana

To All Musicians

I want to say to all musicians, don't let anyone tear you down. There will be people who will try to make it seem like you're not good, but don't listen to them. Continue to work on your music. Believe me, I've gotten some dislikes on Youtube, and I'm pretty sure at times it might be one person doing all of that, but I try to move on. I stick to the good things people tell me. Isn't so funny how a kind comment can change your whole day into something good, and how horrid comments make your day terrible? But don't worry about that. With practice, you will only get better. Imagine how many people didn't like Beethoven's music, or Chopin's, or Bach's. That didn't stop them; they kept striving to do their best. Use your talents for good works, strive for the best, and don't listen to the bad things people will tell you.

And to all the my friends and family, thank you for being a great support. I wouldn't have gotten past thinking about those "dislikes" on Youtube. You all have said very kind things. :)

To my readers on this blog and to my subscribers on Youtube: thank you all for reading and subscribing! But please do not be that type of person who criticizes or complains about someone's videos or anything of that sort. Do what you would like to be done to yourself. A kind comment can go a long way.

Blessings to all,
--Viviana

Video--Piano: My story(Viviana)

This took really long to make, but I think it was worth it. I hope you enjoy!

--Viviana

What I'm hoping to work on for piano

Hello my friends! What I'm hoping to work on for piano is Tempest Sonata by Beethoven (I mean, to finish it), Invention 8 by Bach, and Claire de Lune by Debussy (shorter version). I think Beethoven's Tempest Sonata is genius, the way it changes key in the middle of it, and the techniques that are used. I really like Invention 8 because it really has that Baroque style to it (well, it is Baroque) and it will give my fingers some exercise. As for Claire de Lune, I'm learning it for my Grandma, since she really likes it. It's not exactly my style, but I'm going to try it out. 


And something exciting: I have three people interested in taking piano lessons from me! I'm really excited to start! 


Something I really want to save my money for is a piano. I still have a keyboard... Well, at least it's something. I'm hoping to get a digital piano, since it would be saving money, as it would not need any tuning. 

Update: Criserl :)

I'm now working on the dynamics of two sonatina by Muzio Clementi before I upload them on Youtube. They are Sonatina No. 4 Opus 36  and Sonatina No. 6 Opus 36. Sonatina no.4 is probably the least known of the set, yet beautiful nonetheless. It’s in F major. Sonatina no.6 in the key of D major, it is by far the most difficult of all the set and it’s the only one in the set that does not have a second movement.

Avec mes amitiés ,
Criserl Teo :)

Prelude no. 1 in C Major (Bach) and two original compositions

--Prelude no. 1 in C Major by J.S. Bach

--Original Composition: Noche Serena. I wrote this quite a while back, probably does sound different from my style now.

--Original Composition: Souvenirs de l'été, for my Great-Grandma.

The Pianist (the movie)

The Pianist is a really good movie that's during World War II about a pianist named Wladyslaw Szpilman. The movie has a lot of music, and the opening song is Nocturne in C Sharp Minor (which I became excited about when I was watching the movie!). I don't want to say too much about it, since I might spoil something, but it has a very good story, and is actually based on a true story. If you want to watch something that has both classical music and action--watch The Pianist. Directed by Roman Polanski; starring Adrien Brody as Wladyslaw Szpilman.

And by the way, I decided to limit the amount of music I work on (since I never seem to finish anything that way!!). I got a sheet music book yesterday, and am looking forward to working on ONE piece. And then I'm still doing the Tempest Sonata. (Oh, and I'm just about finished with that original composition for my Great-Grandma.)

Au revoir for now,
--Viviana

Short introduction about me!

Hello, my name is Criserl Teo and I'm from Singapore. I'm very honored to be invited to have a joint blog with pianist Viviana. Viviana is an outstanding pianist on Youtube and also a great writer.I love playing the piano and dancing.I have passed Abrsm practical grade 6 with distinction and Abrsm theory grade 5 with merits.I play mostly classical music and my favorite composers are Chopin and Franz Liszt.

 I hope to become a really good pianist. Once again I would like to thank Viviana for giving me this opportunity to post on this blog.

~Criserl :)

Some news

I am very happy to announce that there will be another author on this blog!!!

Update as of July 2012

Hello! I've been getting a little busy with things. I started teaching my seven-year-old sister piano. She's really been progressing each day. I'm teaching her the right hand part of Invention 4 by Bach, and I think she's handled it pretty well. Then I've been teaching a her a bit on music theory, which she's not doing so bad in.


I started writing another story! No, I never finished my other one, but that was only because I was starting to change everything and had no idea what to do next. So this new story is about a girl whose parents decide to become missionaries to the people in Pakistan. I'm still trying to get more ideas. Once I get at least the first chapter or so done I might put it on here. Not too sure about that yet.


As for piano... I started working on Tempest Sonata Movement 3 by Beethoven. It's sure going to challenge me in areas I need some progress in. And then I think I want to learn another Nocturne by Chopin. My mom gave me the challenge of composing a piece for my great-grandma, which I'll need to have it done before August 5th. I came up with something, but ended up not liking it too much, so I started something new. Hopefully it will work out.


Peace out! :P
--Viviana

Three pieces re-uploaded: The Love in Us, Sunday Morning, and Invention 4

My re-uploaded version of The Love in Us by Emily Bear.

Sunday Morning by Emily Bear. I made sure do play the whole thing and play it faster. 

A more steady version of Invention 4 by J.S. Bach.