Author: gillpianostudio

Barbara Bryner Gill--Whether playing the piano or singing, Barbara has always enjoyed making music. She holds two music degrees from the University of Utah: a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, and a Master of Arts in Musicology. While attending the University of Utah her teachers included Barlow Bradford, Gladys Gladstone Rosenberg, and Vedrana Subotic.

Barbara regularly performs in the community, and has played for weddings, ceremonies, and special events for over a decade. She has been a choir member of the Utah Chamber Artists since 1999 and is also the Librarian and Administrative Assistant. In addition to teaching private piano lessons and musicianship classes, Barbara has been involved in arts administration holding positions such as the Administrative Coordinator for the Maurice Abravanel Visiting Distinguished Composers Series, and the Marketing Assistant for the Virtuoso Series at the University of Utah. Barbara is also involved in the Salt Lake Piano Competition.

An active member of the Utah Music Teachers Association, Barbara is a past president of the Jordan River chapter. She is Nationally Certified through the Music Teachers National Association and received her Permanent Professional Certified Teacher of Music status in 2015. Her students participate in a variety of performing experiences including the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) festivals. Barbara and her husband have three boys and a girl (named after a concert hall).

Incentives

High Five Practice

Being consistent with practicing each week is a challenge. I am always inspired by my son’s charts at elementary school. His spelling graph for the entire year inspired me to do this visual incentive for “High Five” practice. At first I let the students put their hot air balloon anywhere in the sky, but then I couldn’t tell who was leading the pack with their tally marks so I rearranged them in January, plus they needed something new to notice on my wall.

When they get five tally marks they can pick a treat from my basket. To get a tally mark for the week, students need to practice five days and mark it on the chart. Some students have practiced the five days, but are not good at charting! When they reach 15 tally marks they get their choice of a two-dollar bill or a Texas donut. What is a Texas donut? Well, it’s huge and thanks to my son’s fourth grade teacher, it’s a hit at our house!

Tags Tallies

Performing

Reflections Contest & Recital

Post author By gillpianostudio
Post date January 20, 2015
1 Comment on Reflections Contest & Recital

A few of my students submitted pieces for the PTA Reflections contest and I thought about my own experiences with composing and arranging. Really, it’s creating and enjoying!

Congratulations to Ben and Lainey for doing all the work to submit their compositions. A nice, shiny medal is a great remembrance.

Notice my lollipop notes in “Sunrise,” a set of theme and variations. Notice the cassette tapes!

I also forgot to post the last recital!

Fun Photos Incentives

The Grand Champion of Ice Cream Scoops is…

Post author By gillpianostudio
Post date August 26, 2014
1 Comment on The Grand Champion of Ice Cream Scoops is…

Lainey! Congrats to Lainey for completing 13 scoops for the summer ice cream challenge. Not only does she receive her favorite ice cream, but she also receives a gift card for earning the most scoops. This year I had students complete two practice activities, concert attendance, theory (plus composing a piece), technique, and technology (optional). Students earned up to five “sprinkles” at each lesson and 15 sprinkles converted to one scoop.

Hooray! All of my students made the 8 scoop goal. Each of them will receive their favorite 1/2 gallon (or equivalent, 1.75 quarts or whatever) of ice cream at their first lesson in September.

Tags ice cream

Performances

Studio Recital at Wolfgang’s Konzert Haus

Post author By gillpianostudio
Post date June 17, 2014
No Comments on Studio Recital at Wolfgang’s Konzert Haus

June 7, 2014–3:00 PM

I was so happy to have all of my students perform their best and that they moved “forward” in their pieces. For many, it was their first recital and for Erica, Rachel, Amy & Maggie is was their last recital with me. I will post a few pictures from the past when they were little girls and not young women, but I am getting ready to head to Europe with Utah Chamber Artists where I will visit Mozart’s birth place and Beethoven’s house in Heiligenstadt. I reminded my students to be like Beethoven and not to give up when things may seem unsurmountable or when challenges (in Beethoven’s case, deafness) would allow us to quit.

Erica earned her 45-point cup through the National Federation of Music Clubs.

Brooklyn’s mom (and my friend from college), Jackie performed Aquarium from Carnival of the Animals and two duets with me.

photo 1 (4) — Erica, Rachel, Amy & Maggie

Fun Photos

Music Mapping

I asked my students to make a map of at least one of their Federation pieces. Lainey came this week and I followed her map of “Drifting Flight” by E.L. Lancaster. She said it worked because she tried it out on her brother!

We’ve been following music maps in each group class for symphonic works so I thought it would be a great memory device for their own pieces. Music maps outline gestures, show repetition of ideas, thicker lines can represent dynamic increases, and conducting the map follows the notion that “motion translates into sound and sound translates into motion.”

Preparing for Performance:

I also like to have a performance class dedicated to performing under pressure. We play games such as “jump,” “distraction,” and post-it practice.

You always want to move forward in your piece so you don’t get stuck. When given the signal or verbal shout “jump!” the performer needs to jump to the next section. In “Distraction,” your goal is to keep performing no matter if someone hears giggling, a cell phone, whispering, papers rustling, judges writing comments, etc. I’m good at continuing through distractions. As a mom, I need to practice with the distraction of “silence.”

Post-it practice is used in many ways: memory chunks, putting the form in order, and being able to link one section to the next. Performers should know their starting notes, fingers, and spots on the keyboard.

The last thing I am having my students do to prepare for solo festival is the “Performance Card.” They need to have six little performances leading up to the “big” performance so they are comfortable playing different pianos, playing in different situations, and for different audiences.

Fun Photos Incentives

Ice Cream Winners

It has taken forever to get the pictures off of my camera. Here are the winners and their favorite ice cream flavors.

Earned the most scoops and not only received his favorite ice cream, but also $5.

Incentives

Ice Cream Results are In

Congratulations to Drew W. for earning the most scoops during the Activities For Ice Cream Challenge. He will receive his favorite ice cream and a gift card to Jamba Juice for his efforts! 9, 10, and 11 scoops were also past the 8 scoop goal: Bella, Ben, Brooklyn, Damon, and Lainey will also receive their favorite ice cream.

Attending concerts is important and many of the students watched a concert from home by viewing http://www.fromthetop.org. We will continue to work on theory concepts, technic, and other skills during the year, but visually seeing progress through ice cream scoops is one of my favorite ways to reward and help students during the summer.

Way to go!

Federation Incentives

NFMC

Congratulations to Jill for earning her 45-point cup and Rachel for earning her 30-point cup. It was a group effort from family and multiple teachers.

While the rating is not the reason why I have my students participate in solo festival of Federation, it is the performance experience that I value. It does show persistence to earn gold cups when you consider it takes at least three years to earn one (15 points). The 45-point cup is Jill’s third gold cup, and the 30-point cup is Rachel’s second.

The National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Pledge is inspiring. Here it is: I acknowledge my indebtedness to good music; I know that the music of a nation inspires of degrades; I realize that acquaintance with great music instills a love of that which brings courage and lofty ideals and tends toward clean, noble living. I promise to do all in my power to make America truly musical.

Congrats girls!

Fun Photos Performing

Performance Class

Rachel, Maggie, and Jillian performed at Daynes Music October 2. I didn’t get a chance to snap a picture of Rachel. They all performed well. The goal is to have little performances before the “big” event so you can be settled, comfortable, and able to see how you react with adrenaline. It takes time for a piece to simmer and that includes being in front of an audience. I wish I had these experiences growing up.

Rachel is playing Vandall’s Queen Anne’s Lace. Maggie is playing Mozart’s 12 Variations on “Ah, vous dirai je, Maman” K.300e (K.265) AKA Twinkle Star Variations. Jillian is playing the lilting second movement to Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 in C Major.

Erica came to her lesson this month and showed off her torn ACL! Not good for a soccer player. Not good for a pianist without a grand piano. When did my students get so tall?

Incentives

Ice Cream Challenge Summer 2012

Post author By gillpianostudio
Post date September 3, 2012
No Comments on Ice Cream Challenge Summer 2012

Earn 8 scoops by the end of the summer and earn your favorite 1/2 gallon of ice cream!

Congratulations to the students who earned their favorite 1/2 gallon of ice cream. Lillian and Rachel tied for the most scoops. They also received a gift card to Jamba Juice. Way to go!