Imperfect Harmony - Reading Together - Missa Simile est Regnum Coelorum

"I tried to discover, in the rumor of forests and waves, words that other men could not hear, and I pricked up my ears to listen to the revelation of their harmony." - Gustave Flaubert

"That would mean that when we sing in harmony, the neurons in our brains are likewise literally, not figuratively, firing in harmony. Our brains are directly representing that harmonic interval, humming together in perfect neural rapport." (page 166, Kindle Edition)

"Teaching a choir to sing with good rhythm means to sensitize choral singers to a unanimous group pulse. Their internal clocks must be taught to perceive sound by the same scale of measure." (Jameson Marvin quoted on page 169, Kindle Edition)

"Their emphasis on the careful attention to text, combined with a concession to beauty, brought forth the measured and slowly evolving harmonies of the Simile est Regnum Coelorum." (page 184, Kindle Edition)

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Music Sale May 2014!

I am doing some purging of some of my piano music and have decided to sell some of it off. All the books listed below are either brand new or gently used. Please check the list below for the most up-to-date list of what I have on hand.

Any questions or orders, please email me: pianolessonsmn at gmail dot com

Selections from PreTime Piano Primer Level - 3.00 USD
ShowTime Piano - Rock n' Roll - 2.00 USD
ShowTime Piano - Jazz & Blues - 2.00 USD
ChordTime Piano - Jazz & Blues - 2.00 USD
Fun Time Piano - Kids' Songs - 2.00 USD
FunTime Piano - Jazz & Blues - 2.00 USD
Piano Adventures Level 4 - Technique and Artistry - 2.00 USD

I Can Read Music - Book 1 - 2.00 USD
I Can Read Music - Book 2 - 2.00 USD
I Can Read Music - Book 3 - 2.00 USD
The FJH Classic Note Speller - Book 2 - 2.00 USD
Discover Beginning Improvisation - 2.00 USD
Keith Snell - Piano Repertoire - Prepartory Level - 2.00 USD
Alfred's Basic Piano Library - Musical Concepts Level 2 - 2.00 USD
Alfred's Basic Piano Library - Repertoire Book Level 2 - 2.00 USD
Hymnproviser - Solos of Meditation and Worship Book 2 - 10.00 USD

Teaching Little Fingers to Play Recital Pieces - 2.00 USD
John Thompson's Modern Course for the Piano Second Grade Book - 1.00 USD
Sticking with the Basics - Rhythm - 2.00 USD

Shipping to the USA: 3.00 USD for first item, additional 0.50 USD for every additional item

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Imperfect Harmony - Reading Together - Ave Maria

Want to feel better? Sing! Join a choir! As music teachers, since we are surrounded by music on a daily basis, I think we sometimes forget just how beneficial music is to us and to our students.

"Almost every study of singing I've read comes to the same conclusions: singing feels great and it's good for you. It decreases feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Singing also makes you smarter. Children who sing in choirs get better grades, according to a 2009 study by Chorus America. Choristers are also nicer. They were found to volunteer significantly more than the general public and to give more money to charity.
There are physical benefits to singing, as well. Studies show that brain activity involved with learning music helps counteract the effects of aging and cognitive decline." (page 145, Kindle Edition)

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Imperfect Harmony - Reading Together - Missi in Angustiis

I was struck in my reading this week at the beauty of singing and specifically, singing in harmony with others.

"There is no question that America is musically in debt to our German immigrants." (page 96, Kindle Edition)

"What makes singing special is that it’s the one skill I've tried that makes my life better and it works even though I’m not particularly great at it." (page 114, Kindle Edition)

"Singing in quartets brings the music back to a feeling of intimacy and balance. I've loved being able to listen to individual voices singing right next to me on parts other than my own. It’s both energizing and stabilizing to be surrounded by all four parts. And the musical harmony spreads itself into my overall sense of well-being. After all, there aren't too many chances in ordinary life to be in perfect cooperation with other people. Singing fulfills that need." (page 121, Kindle Edition)

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Imperfect Harmony - Reading Together - Toward the Unknown Region

As Stacy reflects on choral singing and its history, here are the quotes from this week's reading that stood out to me.

"Choral singing was once exclusively a church thing, and it would appear that this is the message the religious want to give us at this lovely time of year: don’t get too excited about those cherry blossoms that have already begun to perish, because they won’t last forever and neither will you." (page 68, Kindle Edition)

"In the end, singing was simply the most democratic and accessible entry point to great art as a participant, and choral societies became the outlet for amateurs to sing and perform." (page 73, Kindle Edition)

"Even though God is not the answer for me, the music written in His name is. It both eases whatever pain I am suffering from and heightens all my joys. While it sometimes feels as if religion only separates people, the music brings us together." (page 78, Kindle Edition)

"Singing is the ultimate communion. You’re not just listening to the music, but becoming it." (page 85, Kindle Edition)

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