I hope you’ve enjoyed your Christmas holiday and are ready for the New Year!

I’ve just released by debut album EP! It has six songs which make up the complete “Children’s Corner” suite by Claude Debussy (1904-06).

You may listen to my album here: RoseMarieJames.com

This year I will be launching greater online accessibility to my recorded and live performances! For starters, this week I am launching my first unofficial live broadcast on UStream (using UStream Producer) at 7:00pm tomorrow Friday December 6, 2012. It is actually a technical rehearsal and will last appx. 15minutes. But if you happen to be near a phone/computer/TV with access to UStream, stop by and let me know you visited! I’m pumped and will be playing all of the songs from my latest album live See you at 7! Have a wonderful weekend!

Word of the Day: Absolute Pitch = The independant frequency of a note irrespective of surrounding related notes. This has moved up over the centuries.

Fun Fact: If Beethoven came back to hear Fur Elise today, the entire piece would sound a half step sharp to him!

Here’s my latest video hot off the press!!

I’m playing Scherzo No2 by Frederic Chopin. Scherzo literally means “joke” in Italian. Pieces with this name are often in triple meter (counted 1-2-3, 1-2-3) and played fast. I hope you enjoy this recording of the Scherzo No. 2 by Frekeric Chopin.

Hot off the press: As I shared with you last week, I’m in the process of recording my album titled, “Children’s Corner,” the complete suite by Claude Debussy. The progress is going so well I’m on schedule to complete the album next month! Today I finished recording & engineering Golliwogg’s Cakewalk, the 6th & final piece in Debussy’s suite, and my personal favorite!!

Secondly this past weekend I had the privilege of performing twice, The first was at my church for special music the piece I shared with you last week actually called, “The Snow is Dancing.” The second was my former piano teacher invited me to perform at her students’ piano recital which was also this past Sunday the 20th. She is known for having bright students and they all played a great selection of music!! And at the end, I performed my favorite piece from Debussy’s suite: Golliwogg’s Cakewalk! Below is the video link for your enjoyment.

Composer’s Quote: “When all’s said and done, desire is what counts.” ~Claude Debussy, 1862-1918.

The Life Connection: Conquering Nerves

Having grown up on the stage, I am well-acquainted with getting nervous before performing for others. But entertainers are far from the only people who perform for a living. Like entertainers, many people perform high-profile job functions regularly.

Becoming nervous is actually healthy way of your body letting you know that you care deeply about how others will react to your actions. If you are about to perform by, for instance, speaking publicly, conducting a meeting, or being interviewed, make sure you prepare to concentrate on a few aspects of your performance. By doing this, you will channel your nervous energy to help you deliver your ideal performance!

How can you channel your nervous energy during a performance this week?

1.) Video: Watch this week’s Musical Moment video here, called, The Snow is Dancing. Claude Debussy’s placed this fourth in his suite titled Children’s Corner, which he dedicated to his three-year old daughter, Chou Chou.

2.) Updates: I’m currently recording the LP (Long Play) of Children’s Corner. Find updates, music, and videos on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RMJPerformanceStudio.

3.) Practice tip of the Week: When practicing, isolate a difficult area and work on it slowly first. Then gradually increase your speed. As you increase your speed, aim for accuracy of notes and dynamics.

4.) Falling Snow Stories: When I was in high school and college, I used to enjoy spending time with students who had traveled from Europe, Asia, and Africa to study with us in Minnesota for a year. Despite the many differences, they were consistently fascinated with the first snowfall. Here in Minnesota snowfall is about as common as breathing air. However I quickly became aware that in some regions of the world snow either doesn’t fall at all or barely falls before melting away. You might be able to relate. So each year my friends would find creative ways to celebrate the new snow by sliding down hills, having snow fights, making angels, snowmen, the works! When I saw snowfall, I knew exactly where to find my friends

What are your favorite memories of falling snow?

Today I’d like to share with you the channel that I built on YouTube to house my Musical Moments archives.  www.YouTube.com/RoseMarieJamesJr/  This week I’ll be sending my Musical Moments newsletter on Friday because I now realize that most of you prefer to watch my videos on the weekends.

Thank you for reading and enjoy the music!

The background piece I’m playing is called, “The Little Shepherd.”  It was written by Claude Debussy in France, 1908.

Fun Trivia: Who is the other famous French composer during the 20th century?  Hint: He wrote a piece of music for piano translated, “In the style of Borodine,”

(Using Google you’ll have this answer in less than 5 seconds!)

Post your answer below.

~Rose Marie James

The keys are flipped so that the lowest note is actually at the far right away from the camera and the highest note is far left close to the camera.

Here are some elements to observe when listening:

Voicing

Pedaling

Timing

Enjoy:

Vladimir Horowitz Studio Recording:

Female Concert Pianist Live Encore

Male Pianist in a living room with comparable live acoustics