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    • May 3, 2021
    • 3 min read

Newsletter April 2021 (2)

Introduction to the piano book

AWAY FROM THE GRADE

for early level pianists

It is our real pleasure to introduce you to this varied and imaginative collection of pieces by a talented composer, concert pianist and piano educator, Marcel Zidani. The book away from the grade is designed to follow on directly from Marcel’s Hey Presto! piano method book and complement other tutor books or courses of study. The music in this book provides the opportunity to build on the techniques introduced in Hey Presto! and foster those needed for all pianists at this stage of learning.

“A significant feature of Marcel’s writing is his introduction of the sustain pedal from the earliest stages of learning, giving the developing pianist the chance to explore the colour and timbre pedalling offers. This book provides opportunities to continue the use of the sustain pedal, but is balanced with plenty of chances to develop a singing legato line without the pedal and encompasses a wide range of articulation.

In pieces such as Your Song, Coming Home and Dreaming, techniques such as balance between the hands, voicing in chords and phrasing a melody are all placed within contemporary pieces which promote expressive playing. This is balanced with the techniques needed in the driving, lively pieces such as Momentum, Knight Riders and A Bit of a Stomp, where crisp staccato, accents, and a nimbleness in finger work and freedom of movement is needed. Marcel introduces all of the pieces with careful guidance and suggested approaches on how to achieve an accomplished performance. The music in this first book of Marcel’s series of away from the grade will engage and very importantly provide an enjoyable way of building repertoire beyond the confines of exams. It is essential to have a wide range of educational material which can be used as stepping stones between the grades to consolidate and progress learning…”

Marcel’s catchy and captivating piano pieces are on the programme listing of Around the Globe Piano Music Festival – 8th Piano Competition for this year including The Misty Vale (Away from the Grade) and Momentum (Hey Presto!).

Purchase away from the grade at:  https://www.marcelzidani.com/beginner-grades-1-3 For Hey Presto! Piano go to:  https://www.marcelzidani.com/hey-presto-piano-method

Listen and follow Marcel Zidani Marcel Zidani – YouTube

MEMO FOR JUNIOR MUSICIANS AND MUSIC EDUCATORS

Last month, our organisation launched the Young Musicologist Competition 2021, which has opened for junior students up to 18 years of age to encourage them to develop their musical writing to a higher educational level.

The winning article on the modern composers of different contemporary classical/jazz styles and their piano compositions (written after 1970) will be published in the next issue of Around the Globe Music Magazine No 4, Summer 2021.

Deadline for the article submission is 24th May 2021, 20:00 BST.

Competitor Guidelines for writing an article:

The length of the article should be between 700 – 1000 words, including a bibliography.

  1. The article should contain information about:

– the composer, his piano opus, style and the epoch – the chosen piano work, including the musical analysis and use of different techniques and creative history of the composition.

  1. In the article, you should give your personal view of the composition, including the reason behind your choice, its sentimental and creative value and technical challenges, as well as describing the interesting figurative aspect.

Applications need to be made by an adult, teacher, parent or guardian by email only.

You may apply by sending the article, written in English, using an attachment in the Word file or similar, along with your cover letter where it should state: – The name and age of the applicant – The title of the article – Name of applicant’s tutor/mentor – Correspondence email address

Entrance fee is £15 and can be paid electronically upon the application.

Application to be sent to the AGMA Editor: editor.agpmf@gmail.com

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