Called To Significance

Called To Significance

 Exodus 3-4

People often allow their lives to be marginalized and diminished when in reality our God, who is the God of the second chance, longs to give you a life of real significance and true impact.

End of the Year Recital

As I reflect on another school year ending and having a very successful piano recital performance from all my students... I firmly believe music educators change lives one lesson at a time.

Living a Life of Significance


So, I continually ask myself this question... What am I doing with the gifts God has given me? I know that it is very rewarding for me to teach young ones how to play the piano and improvise. I also love leading worship at the ladies morning Bible study. How about you? Here's some encouragement coming your way.

• Remember that the living God is always WITH you and is always FOR you. Acts 4:13 and 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
• Remember that the living God has given you a powerful MESSAGE. Mark 13:11

There is so much more meaning and purpose beyond this life!

• Remember that making an impact is accomplished by God's power not human power. 2 Corinthians 12:9
• Remember that the living God will always equip those whom He has called. John 14:26

In conclusion, you may be in the process of discovering your Spirit-given spiritual gifts. I sincerely hope you will look for opportunities to use them! My students were willing to perform several of their favorite songs (from pop music to movie themes) and the elderly at the assisted living facility in our hometown were deeply touched!!

If you're interested in taking a closer look at a 30-day trial training center, visit Musician Transformation & Gospel Music Training Center.

Blessings,

 LadyD

 "The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Make One's Fortune with Fortitude

Dear Reader's and Fellow Musicians,

From time to time  I make mention of music products, music sites and affiliate programs that I personally endorse. To be specific, you've heard me talk about HearandPlay.com In fact we had a membership drive contest and I came in third place and won $250.00 I am a moderator for the site and continue to endorse Jermaine Griggs' products.

I have also supported Willie Myette and Yoke Wong's musician sites and have endorsed their products as well. So you know when LadyD mentions a specific website, you will find me actively participating in the Forum and owning various Jazz and Gospel piano resources that I think are wonderful.

Well, the time has come for me to announce some exciting news. I was invited by Nick Oba, the founder of Fortitude to join the Fortitude Online Magazine's community of writers and share what I know about my particular niche, which you all know is teaching music! If you didn't know that, please read my blog profile! In fact I write about Greek food, too. I also love to write about my opinion of who I think are great upcoming musicians for the world to take notice!

Anyways, Nick dreams big and knows the potential we all have as writers. So, I entered an article about music, of course, called The Three R's of Singing for the launch of the new online magazine called Fortitude. Take a peek and see what you think: http://fo.rtitu.de/the-three-r-s-of-singing-12
On June 7th, the day of the launch, this article was on the Front Page of the new magazine site and I had received earnings for my hard work. Oh, my gosh, I immediate let my family know of my good news and now I am sharing with you, my family of musicians.

I was so thrilled to see that a community of writers agreed with my passion for writing about music and validated my efforts. So, here is how Fortitude, the online magazine works.

1. You can earn money by submitting pieces about anything you desire, in any format you choose, including rant, fiction, humor, articles, opinions or even poetry. If the piece makes the Front Page, via a democratic review process, the user is paid $10~$100.
https://fo.rtitu.de/

2. Another great incentive Fortitude offers is to refer more users. You can join their affiliate program and invite your friends to sign up. You'll find some great bonuses with their affiliate program as well.

There has been much positive feedback about Fortitude Magazine. I am indeed blessed to be writing about music and books, food and family and so much more that I am passionate about!

I'd love to hear from you after you check out the site. Won't you join me in being a part of something that is truly amazing and so very cool? http://fo.rtitu.de/1014

Thanks and Best Regards,
LadyD

Charlie Parker once said "Learn the changes and then forget them."

Most Frequently Asked Question

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 Music, by its nature, is not a competitive endeavor. However, in our culture competition has become a defining factor in determining how high along the music ladder a performer or ensemble climbs. Whether the musician applies to a competition, auditions for an opening group, or performs with a combo in a contest, he or she is bound to get caught up in this ever-present quest to do better than other musicians. 

I have met serious college students whose pursuits were primarily focused on academics, with the exception of extra-curricular performances which kept their musical techniques sharp. Other musician friends had won competitions and that victory had provided them with opportunities to jam with some other great musicians.

Through piano competitions, many will say that winning the competition wasn't to shine the spotlight on themselves, but that it was more about opportunities and doors that winning could open.
After winning a music scholarship back in my high school days, I found for myself,the same perspective to be true that I have heard from so many others. Winning any type of music competition gives you an incredible opportunity to learn at the side of great master musicians.

I think with humility and maturity the attitude comes through about the fact that we are always learning so in that sense when we jam with other musicians, it's not that we feel like we're the leader of the band or group or worship team but that we're part of a collaborative effort.

In my experiences through the many years of playing the keys with many worship teams, I found the other musicians were many years ahead of me but I loved the experience of playing with other musicians because it helped me to grow musically.

I've been teaching piano to children and adults for over fifteen years now. My respect for teaching is based upon my belief that it is not necessarily the best players who make the best instructors, but that teaching itself is an art form which takes a deep understanding of how to translate the information one knows in an efficient and effective way.

To all my dear readers, I thank you for your many letters and notes. Although I can not  answer each and every one, I would say that the number one question I am asked is "Where can I get chord charts (for free) to Christian Contemporary Worship songs?" I really don't mind questions, so please, continue to ask away and I'll try to post answers to the best of my ability.

Here is a great reference that I use:
I Will Worship.com

When you arrive at this incredible site, type in the search box Chris Tomlin, for example, and then click artist.... watch how many chord charts will be listed... Eureka! You have found a gold mine from one of my favorite artists. Plus, another great thing is that some songs are listed in different keys which is always nice for those who are new at modulating.

Well, I hope you will return to this post and leave me a comment on your favorite artist and what chord chart you will be using for your personal piano practice and for sharing with your worship team practice... Happy Sunday!

Thanks for stopping by.
I hope you enjoy your stay at LadyD Piano.

Four Videos for Free on Playing Piano By Ear (and More)

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Jermaine Griggs, the founder of http://www.hearandplay.com is reintroducing his great music resource offers, that is piano dvds, once again. I wrote a post awhile back on these excellent resources and if you missed it, here it is again:
http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2009/11/musician-transformation-collection.html

You can also see Jermaine and Sarah Grigg's new addition. Stop by his blog:
http://www.hearandplay.com/main/

VIDEO LESSON #1 - “Finding the key to any song”
If you ask any ear-musician, this skill will be at the center
If you can’t determine what key a song is being performed in just by listening, you’ll have many problems down the road (at least when it comes to playing by EAR in situations where you need to “think on your feet.”)
This is the most “intuitive” of all the skills and knowledge you’ll attain. It’s not like reading sheet music where you look at the grand staff and determine what key the piece is in by the number of flats or sharps that appear at the beginning of the music.
YOU DON’T HAVE MUSIC IN FRONT OF YOU.
No reference.
Just your ear.
This video will make it plain… Note: If you really like what I talked about, I have an 80-minute course that covers finding the key to any song. You can find it here.

VIDEO LESSON #2 - “The KEY to getting to the next level in your piano”
This next lesson reveals a very important STRATEGY you MUST have as an ear-musician.
Again, if you’re reading sheet music, this probably isn’t emphasized as much… but when it comes to playing by ear, “NUMBERS” rule.
And your ability to know your numbers “inside” and “out” will determine how far you get… and how fast you get there.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out the next lesson below. There is also a 28-pg report that goes along with it.
(You may also find my “core fundamentals” courses helpful)

VIDEO LESSON #3 - “The SECRET to playing ANY and EVERY chord you want in SECONDS”
This next lesson will take you even further…
It borrows a very familiar concept from the car industry (popularized by Henry Ford in the early 1900’s) and adapts it to music!
It’s the very next logical step in the process and you’ll get it laid out for you plainly in this video…
(there is a 14 page report included at the bottom of the video)
If this topic interests you, then you may like my “hear & play chords” series.
RESOURCE: Click here to download the free 14-pg report that goes along with this video lesson.

VIDEO LESSON #4 - “The MISSING PIECE OF THE PUZZLE to playing almost any song out there”
This last video could arguably be the MOST IMPORTANT part when it comes to learning real songs and understanding just how closely related songs are (yes… all songs follow the same general patterns and principles — this video will reveal all of this to you…)
There’s also a 12-pg report that goes along with it…
RESOURCE: Click here to download the free 12-pg report that goes along with this video lesson.
(If you’re into gospel music, GospelKeys 202 really breaks down the idea of “patterns.” 70 to 80% of songs have the same common movements in them. This course is revolutionary in that it breaks down all these patterns and covers the “how,” “what,” and “why.” Click here for more information)

Resources:
http://www.hearandplay.com/findingkey.html 

All the best,
LadyD

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Church Band Setting

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I have played on various worship teams for over 30 years. I am so grateful for the band experiences I have gained over the years. Plus, the wonderful friendships of so many talented musicians. I am always excited to discover reading material on how to jam with a band. I came across this post that I had saved from a friend and zone member over at HearandPlay.com One of the moderators, Hammondman wrote a neat post from his own experiences. Here it is... enjoy! (written May 7, 05)


"Getting your church band in total harmony with each other will take time, practice and dedication. There’s rules to apply for a setting like this…
one: you can not play like you’re the only one around! You have other musicians to consider. You have a pianist, organist, bass player, guitar player, keyboard, (synth) player, and drummer. Each has a part to do.

You have the drummer… that’s your time keeper… the most important cog in the band. He’s what keeps it together. DON’T DIS THE DRUMMER! The drummer should keep his/her beats to the basics until the group can get it all together.

The bass player is the second cog in the machine. They hold the bottom down for you, give you a rhythmic pattern for you to follow. That bottom provides the foundation for you to flesh out your chords.

The piano will be the melody instrument, it’s timbre is pretty high, especially if miced. The piano will be used more during a melodious song and maybe quiet music, all depends on the setting. The keyboard/synthesizer is the special effects maker. It’ll supply the horns, bells and whistles, strings..etc.
(**THE KEYBOARDIST SHOULD KNOW THE SONG AS GOOD AS THE PANIST/ORGANIST**)

The organist, he/she will be the pad king/queen. They supply the body to the song, putting it all together… sometimes barely even heard except for the high end part of
a song or intros and endings. The two or three keyboardists should not “step” on each
other, or always play the same things… and PLEASE don’t radically play different
chords. Remember the organ can play the full chord. The piano will play around the full chord and the synth will play the solos and flavorings around both, at certain points in the melody/chords.

Remember, this can apply to devotional, choir songs, and solos. The church setting is a “on the seat of your pants” type of thing especially during praise service when people will sing anything at any given time… if the pianist or organist can find
the key first, let everyone else know!!! Remember.. be on one accord!

Preaching chords and “house raising’ chords are usually done with the organ… they should have it…. The bass player and drummer usually comes in also, then the synth... all depends on the church. The band should practice all forms of music too, different
breaks, shout patterns, things of that nature, remember, you
must be together at all times… all four or five of you are one!

Now if you desire… if you want to dress similar to each other, that’s o.k. Matching tops and bottoms look nice and professional, something that will accommodate both male and female musicians. Please, no matter how good you get as a church musician…
your gift is on loan from God and share it to any and all who
are interested... remember, somebody shared their gift with you at one time also. Freely given, freely received!"

Thanks so much Hammondman for these great treasures here. Being a keyboard player, I have often been called "the carpet" or "pad queen" during certain 'string" or "air pad" patches on my Yamaha Motif keyboard! lol

All the best,
~ LadyD

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