Each year on May 22 we observe National Buy a Musical Instrument Day. The day is all about playing music. If you are a musician, it might be time for a new instrument. Maybe you can learn to play a second or third one. If you have never played an instrument before, National Buy A Musical Instrument […]
On May 13, 2023 Brian Stevenson, Pender Music Director, produced our annual Spring Concert. This wonderful evening included music by Heidi Jacobs, pianist, the DC Harp Ensemble, the Pender Joy Ringers Handbell ensemble, Sean Wittmer, violinist, and an Irish music session. Heidi had just been hired as Pender’s pianist on May 11, 2023 and she […]
What a fantastic concert this was. There will be move videos coming in the following days but this is a great start! This is the grand finale – the Ukrainian National Anthem arranged by Brian Stevenson, director of Music Ministries at Pender UMC. The Pender Concert Supporting Ukraine on April 23 featured Liz […]
7 reasons why bi-weekly lessons do not work… Now and then, our studio gets asked if we offer bi-weekly lessons. I mean, doesn’t it make sense that if you take lessons every other week, you have half the number of trips into the studio, you have double the amount of time to practice, […]
Piano Day, an annual worldwide event founded by a group of like-minded people, takes place on the 88th day of the year – in 2021 it’s the 29th March – because of the number of keys on the instrument being celebrated.
Most anyone who has ever played piano has a love-hate relationship with the “Hanon”. The Virtuoso Pianist (Le Pianiste virtuose) by Charles-Louis Hanon, is a compilation of sixty exercises meant to train the pianist in speed, precision, agility, and strength of all of the fingers and flexibility in the wrists. First published in Boulogne, in […]
These are some examples of pedal marks in piano music: Pedals on a grand piano: There are two standard foot pedals on the piano: on the left side is the una corda pedal and on the right side is the sustain (damper) pedal. The middle sostenuto pedal is only standard on the American […]
During the Offering at Pender UMC’s Traditional Service on January 9, 2022, we were treated to Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique played by Liz Eunji Sellers . View the entire service Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, […]
I’ve always liked Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride as a secular Christmas song 🙂 It’s not technically a Christmas song since the words never mention Christmas but it’s often played now so it seems like a way to ease into the season. Anderson had the original idea for the piece during a heatwave in July 1946; […]
Come join us for a free concert of holiday music! Usher in the holidays with the sounds of the Harp, Flute, Piano, Organ, Soprano vocalist, Handbells, Jazz duo and an Irish session! The concert will conclude with everyone joining in singing some traditional carols. A reception will follow. At Pender UMC on route 50, […]
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