This 1982 American experimental non-narrative film was produced without dialogue or narration. Instead, American minimalist composer Philip Glass wrote a musical score that juxtaposes sound with images of cities and landscapes across the United States. Our students have taken this silent film and with thoughtful months of preparation, have developed their own musical score to accompany this film whose Hopi title translates as “life out of balance” In keeping with our study of the Merrimack River that runs through our town of Newburyport, this project is a reflection of how music studies can help students engage with the emotional aspect of piano performance. This project also connects our students with their community and environmental concerns, concerns that affect all of us.

This is a rehearsal for students who are participating in our public recital event using the 1982 non narrative film Koyaanisqatsi directed and produced by Godfrey Reggio. Our students will be supplying the music in lieu of Philip Glass’s original score.

Our practice project this year is to partner with Groundworks Lawrence, a river cleanup group dedicated to environmental equity for all, including mill and industrial towns on the Merrimack River that have been severely affected by factory and industrial waste. This will be a two way conversation between Lesly and our students as they embark on their practice project challenge to raise 5 cents for every minute they practice during a 7 week period. How does this tie into our piano music studies? Our students are studying and performing music that helps us to think about clean air and water as students get ready for our Silent Movie Project accompanying the historic environmental awareness movie Koyaanisqatsi on April 9th. We will also study music that represents the many ethnicities that have called the Merrimack River their home. Between now and our end-of-year showcase recital in June, students will be performing Puerto Rican, Mexidan, Guatemalan, Asian , Haitian and Native American music as we learn about the historic waves of immigration that fed the needs of the industrial towns upriver from us. This music will speak to the equitable need for clean air, water and earth for all. At the end of our discussion, we will all enjoy a locally made ice-cream cnamed “A River Runs Through it”!

5 students from Penny Lazarus Piano Studio join Alec Reduker, as he presents Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata in all three movements. Let’s come celebrate Alec’s post graduation from MIT in computer science with this remarkable achievement. Supporting pieces will center on composers most influenced by Beethoven either as a friend, a student, a colleague or from compositional influence.

The Adult Students of Penny Lazarus Piano Studio are gathering together to share their music in an informal setting that includes a pot luck supper afterwards

Let’s get ready for our practice project of the year by practicing together on Zoom! Practicing can feel like a lonely task. But today, we will share a practice goal for this hour and work together muted but with visual company. We will take 15-minute breaks to check in with each other so that everyone can share their tips for learning a new passage of music. At the end of the hour, we will share our progress by listening in with everyone. This will be the moment when we start writing in our practice times as we begin this year’s practice sponsorship project to raise money for a community group in need relating to our study of the Merrimack River.

This is the first ever Book Reading Party with Students at Penny Lazarus Piano Studio! Use the February winter break to read the very moving middle school age book “The Line Tender.” A line tender is a person whose job it is to help divers tend to work under the water. In this book, the work under water is investigating the seal and the great white shark population of the waters on the East Coast of Massachusetts. This fits with our music theme of this year; thinking about “A River Runs Through Us” since the Merrimack River is tidal and saltwater. Seals and sharks can be found where the river meets the ocean, even here in Newburyport. Joining us will be guests who study the health of our river and can shed light on the changing environment, the good and the bad and the ugly, of our vital waterway. But just in case you think “The Line Tender” is just about oceanography; it is not! Let’s also read and talk about the “tender” relationship between 12 year old Lucy Everhart, her best friend Fred and Lucy’s mother, who died from a brain embolism while studying great white sharks, all the while thinking of how the music we play can also be used to illustrate similar connections with our emotions.

Toy pianos are real! Professional pianists and composers have turned playing on toy pianos a specialty utilizing the limited range and high tinkling sounds. We will begin this festive event with music for both toy and full sized pianos in a lighter, playful mood. As the afternoon darkens toward the sunset of the winter solstice, our music too will reflect on the quiet beauty of winter using our favorite carols and music from around the world.

Toy Pianos have their own adult followers, performers and devotees. The tiny, twinkling sound of a toy piano is charming and as long as classical pieces can fit between 2 or 3 octaves, professional pianists will concertize using them. We will be using both a toy piano and the regular grand piano for our Holiday concert in December at St. Paul’s Church. Come to this Zoom session to learn about the history of toy pianos, hear Paula play her toy piano at her home in Rochester, NY and on Youtube where she plays with a story telling professional tap dancer in soft shoe. We will then brainstorm together to make a list of holiday pieces that would be appropriate to play on our toy piano for our recital.

Everyone wanted a Halloween recital event this year. So, what could be more perfect for Halloween than performing at the Ellen T. Brown Memorial Chapel built in a Gothic style in 1900! There is little in the way of overhead lights so we will use lamps and electric candles and daylight from the large paned windows. We will also use an electric keyboard and storytelling about some of the more famous Newburyport families from the 19th century.

Studio Closed.
We are following the public school holiday schedule on this day.

Pictured: One of the first cave-dwelling paintings “Cueva de las Manos” ever discovered, in Santa Cruz Argentina.

We are making a field trip on Sunday, September 24th at 3:00 pm to hear pianist Mahani Teave give an intimate recital of Chopin, Rachmaninov, and Liszt.  If this name is at all familiar to us, it is because Mahani is the creator of the music school called Rapa Nui on Easter Island.  Four years ago we studied music of the Oceans and raised money for the new Rapa Nui School of Music built entirely out of recycled materials!  We sponsored over $1,000 to support free tuition for the kids who live on Easter Island, off the coast of Chile.

Now we have the rare opportunity to meet Mahani in person!  We will have a meet and greet with her after the performance.

I have arranged for group seating so we can all sit together.

Our students’ tickets are free!

Parents, your tickets are discounted to $41 and we have first-floor seats.

I need to pay for our seats no later than September 20th.  I have reserved 20 seats for all of us.  On September 20th, they will release our hold on any seats that we have not yet paid for.  I will order the tickets through the box office using our group code.

You can Venmo me the payment for any adults in your family who are planning to go.  I just need to know how many total seats to hold….kids plus adults in your family.

When we did this project….Mahani gave us a piece of folk music from Easter Island.  We will learn this short piece.  Then, Mahani will perform an entire arrangement of this Indigenous folk song as part of her concert!

Please try to come….it will be a performance to remember, especially if you have never been to the Shalin Liu recital hall in Rockport.  

If anyone would like to go but the cost of the performance is holding you back….just let me know.

Our school year begins with a focus on music that recognizes our landscape, waterways, human resources and all living creatures in an effort to think about climate change. More details to come. But be ready to be an environmental ambassador through music!

All semester long our studio has worked with Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaahá Tate and the First Americans Museum in support of Native American music and the summer composition academy projects. We raised through practicing with a sponsor $2,000 for the rental of keyboards for the composition students. I’m very excited to attend the final performance with musicians from the Oklahoma City orchestra.

Students, this is a mandatory rehearsal for our recital on Sunday. Please make every effort to attend. Or make other arrangements with me. This is a drop-in event. Parents do wait with your student, as they can leave after they have had a chance to practice on the church concert grand piano.

We are going to celebrate the Winter Holidays this evening on Zoom so that students can share their music with family and friends all over the world! Zoom invitations will be available for families to invite their favorite people to join us as we begin the holiday week. Let’s decorate our pianos too! Awards will be announced in many categories such as most fun, most beautiful, most world inclusive, most childlike, most creative, best animal theme, best costume, etc.