Pirate Queen

Happy Resurrection Day!

Haha! We're alike in that way! Yeah, I bet that really builds your self-esteem!

Meh, I need to give it more thought...=p

Enjoy!

Aw, Awesome (about the no school...not about the tornado )!

Haha, actually I write in this weird way so that my hand smudges the writing, too! Something about the way I hold my pencil I think...My handwriting is awful!

LOL! I might...I don't know.

collge life is very different.

That would be so cool

Oh well thats good that there is family out there Perhaps you can save some rooming money and stay with them

Awwwwww I've been to Italy (to see my family) and you need to go there. It's amazing there too. I hope you get to go one day!

It was with school

LOL. Yeah I have no idea what is with them We saw the London Eye, we didn't ride it though. If I had I probably would have died...the heights would have just killed me LOL.
It was so cool to see though!

I dont know...meanies! LOL Dont worry I love answering all the Europe related questions! London was magnificent!!!!! I saw the tower bridge and we walked through Windsor Castle and we saw Buckingham Palace....and all the other places like that. I dont know why but Trafalgar Square is my favourite place on earth and so is Picadilly Circus and Covent Garden.

I was in Europe for 11 days. Paris, the sights are super pretty, but the people are so rude, it smells funny and I just couldnt stay there longer than we did (which was two days)

My favourite parts were: London (all of it ), The Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, Provence and Nice.
It was wonderful!!
I know I've missed you!

Sherri!!! I did go to Europe! I had an amazing amazing time How have you been sweetie??? I havent seen you on here lately

Hi Sheri, Thanks for asking...
My favorite strategy is to memorize a piece backwards!
What I mean is start with the ending measure or ending 2 measures and memorize that little part first. Then when you have that done, add a measure preceding that chunk and learn that phrase together to the end. Little by little keep adding a measure at a time till you can play the whole piece through to the end.

The problem with memorizing is that most people start at the beginning and so that part gets practiced A LOT and is really familiar but the ending is really hard to remember. But if you memorize backwards, then you get to know the piece more evenly (and in my opinion more thoroughly).

A side benefit of this method is that you are more able to pick up the musical line if your mind goes blank while performing. You just skip to the next phrase and then carry on to the end where you can finish strong since you know the ending so well! No kidding, my daughter who has Down syndrome memorizes her recital pieces this way, and at a talent show this spring she got very stuck, but she calmly kind of wandered around that key till she got her bearings and finished fine. I was prouder of her for having the presence of mind to persevere and keep going calmly and ending well than if she had done it perfectly the first time!

I took lessons from kindergarten, so by the time I was in 6th grade I started accompanying Sunday worship on a regular basis and played for the choir too (my mom was the choir director). It was a stretching experience and sometimes I did not really understand the message of the hymns I was playing. As I look back now though, it was a good experience, and cured me of stage fright as I learned to focus on the words more so my playing would reflect them better.

I like playing classical music too, especially pieces by Bach because it is so logical and pure, or Mozart because of it is so playful and light. But alas, I haven't taken time to seriously practice in quite a while...except for pieces for church. But if I were to make a practice group I probably would include a Beethoven sonata, something by Debussy (maybe an arabesque?) and something by Bach (from Italian Concerto, or French Suites or Well-Tempered Clavier). Hmm maybe you will inspire me to get one of those out to work on...

hi Sheri
I just noticed on your profile that you play the piano! Are you taking lessons? What kind of pieces are you working on? I took piano for years and actually worked part time as a school accompanist for choirs in various elementary schools before -- a really fun job!