Chrissy Ricker

Battling Burnout: 5 Ideas to Jumpstart Your Musical Creativity

6/24/2022

We’ve all gone through periods where we have felt less-than-inspired at the piano. Maybe you feel that you have lost the “spark” you once had for teaching, or maybe the idea of practicing a new piece just doesn’t hold the appeal that it once did?

Whatever the case may be, musical burnout is very real, and most musicians face it at one time or another! In today's blog post, I will be sharing 5 ideas that I have found helpful for battling burnout and rekindling my own creativity at the piano.

Keep reading to learn more…

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New Piano Tutorial Video!

6/15/2022

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I was honored to be invited by Musicnotes to create a special tutorial video for their new "Behind the Notes" YouTube channel! In this video, I walk pianists through 2 versions of Leonard Cohen's famous song "Hallelujah"--one for easy piano and one for intermediate piano!

The easy piano version introduces students to the melody, harmony, and form of this famous song. We'll talk about I, IV, V, and vi chords; inversions (and why we use them); and how broken chords can add interest to an arrangement.

In the intermediate piano version, I'll share a few tricks that arrangers use to create more sophisticated sounding arrangements!

You can find the sheet music for both versions I demonstrate in the video at Musicnotes, as well:

The easy piano version (including lyrics and chord symbols) is available HERE.
The intermediate piano version is available HERE.

What do you think? Do you teach this song in your studio? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

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Happy Birthday, Edvard Grieg!

6/12/2022

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Did you know that this week marks the birthday of composer Edvard Grieg? Grieg was born on June 15th, 1843 in Bergen, Norway.

Through the years, I have played and taught many of Grieg's wonderful pieces--from easy arrangements of "Morning Mood" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from the Peer Gynt Suite, to his lovely Lyric Pieces for piano solo, to his exciting Piano Concerto in A minor. So today I am celebrating one of my favorite composers by sharing resources you can use to introduce your students to the music of Edvard Grieg!

Keep reading to learn how you can introduce your students to this famous composer....

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Superhero arrangements for all levels!

6/5/2022

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Who doesn't love superheroes and their amazing theme songs?

If you have a studio full of action movie, superhero-loving students, today's post is for you!

Read on to find arrangements from "The Avengers," "The Batman," "Superman," and more...for students at every level!

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Musicianship Monthly #17: 2022 Summer Review Challenge Calendars!

5/30/2022

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If the start of June means the start of a more flexible summer schedule (or maybe even summer break) for many of your students, today's Musicianship Monthly post is for you! (What is "Musicianship Monthly?" Each month, I share links to free resources you can use to focus on a specific musicianship skill with your students. Want to see past skills we have covered? Click HERE!)

Today I am once again sharing my popular "Summer Review Challenge Calendars," updated for 2022! These calendars will help your students to keep their musicianship skills sharp over the summer by giving them one piano-related challenge for each day of June, July, and August!

Keep reading to get your free copies of the 2022 Summer Review Challenge Calendars....

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Battling Burnout: 5 Ideas to Jumpstart Your Musical Creativity

New Piano Tutorial Video!

Happy Birthday, Edvard Grieg!

Superhero arrangements for all levels!

Musicianship Monthly #17: 2022 Summer Review Challenge Calendars!

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