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, and you can save some money, right?
WRONG.
Aside from the fact that it is a scheduling nightmare for the teacher and studio, I want to outline a few reasons why (in most cases) bi-weekly lessons do not work.
Simply Piano is a fast and fun way to learn piano, no previous knowledge required. Works with any piano or keyboard. Chosen as one of the best iPhone apps for 2015.
– Tons of songs like Imagine, Timber, Counting Stars, Safe and Sound, also J.S.Bach
– Includes courses for different musical tastes and playing levels
– Learn the basics from reading sheet music to playing with both hands
– Daily workouts will help you practice what you learned while not at the piano
– Suitable for all ages, no previous knowledge required
No Piano? Try the Touch Course with 3D Touch!
How it works:
– Place your device (iPhone/iPad/iPod) on your acoustic/MIDI piano or keyboard and play; the app will immediately recognize what you are playing
– Receive instant feedback on your playing to quickly learn and improve your skills
– Discover fun songs and complete courses to really get you going
Simply Piano is developed by JoyTunes, creators of award-winning apps Piano Maestro and Piano Dust Buster. The apps are used by tens of thousands of piano teachers worldwide with over 1 million songs learned every week. JoyTunes are experts in creating educational and fun apps for learning piano quickly and easily.
Awards & Recognition –
– “EMI’s Innovation Challenge”
– “World Summit Award”, by the United Nations
– “Best Tools for Beginners”, NAMM
– “Best Tablet Game”, GameIS
– “Parents’ Choice Award”
– “Golden App”, Apps for Homeschooling
To celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, students who play any version of John Legend’s “All of Me” using Piano Maestro and get 3 stars will have a chance to win an Amazon gift card!
The winner will be announced on February 15th!
NOTE: This is a contest through JoyTunes/Piano Maestro so the winner may not be from the O’Connor Music Studio.
The holiday season is in full swing. The decorations are up, the presents bought (or in the process of being bought) but there’s no reason why our apps can’t get the same love this holiday.
So, without further ado, I’d like to jump into the updates we’ve made to Piano Maestro for you this holiday season!
Holiday Songs & Graphics
You’ll be able to impress your friends and family with a bunch of FREE holiday songs to play! We also added some new ones to the mix for our veteran Piano Maestro players.
You’ll find 50 free (yes, free!!) songs in this category from Christmas to Hanukkah and even New Year’s too! We just added Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is You” (because who doesn’t LOVE that Christmas classic).
Also available is the Christmas staple, “Jingle Bell Rock”.
The only thing missing is the ability for our app to make a strong cup of eggnog! We’ll try and work on that for next Christmas
The free holiday songs can be accessed from two places. As mentioned above, you can get there directly from the “Free Holiday Songs” button on the main menu as well as going to Library -> Songs -> and then choosing the “Free Holiday Songs” category.
Make sure to download the latest update of Piano Maestro.
Learning on your own? Don’t forget to download our free iPhone app, Simply Piano, and learn to play “Jingle Bells” in just 30 minutes!
Daylight Saving Time 2015 ends for the year so the clock change for the fall takes place Sunday morning at 2 a.m. on November 1. Daylight Saving Time 2015 seems overdue, but it is the same time each year.
The clock changes on the first Sunday in November. Daylight Saving Time starts on the second Sunday in March each year.
NOVA Community Chorus (Dr. Mark Whitmire, Director) will present it’s Annual Chorus Benefit Concert on Tuesday, October 27, at 7:30 pm in Schlesinger Concert Hall on the Alexandria Campus. It will be an all-Bach program including Cantata 80: Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott (A mighty fortress in our God), accompanied by orchestra.
Acclaimed duo pianists Christine and David Hagan will perform Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor and the Concerto for Two Keyboards in C Major.
NOVA students, staff and faculty are free with NOVA ID. Donations are requested. For information, call 703-845-6097 or email mwhitmire@nvcc.edu.
Don’t miss this chance for you and your students to hear the music of one of the greatest composers of all time.
JoyTunes (Piano Maestro) just released one of the most beautiful pearls of classical piano music, Bach’s Prelude in C major.
As a bonus, they also released the original version of Für Elise (till now we had the simplified version). You can find them in the Classical & Opera section.
Piano Maestro is available to students of the O’Connor Music Studio for no extra charge.
MaryO'Studio 