Hsing-ay Hsu - Styles

STYLES: COMBINING ELEMENTS TO DEFINE YOUR VOICE

ONLINE PIANO INTENSIVE
Advanced Live Course for Adult Classical Pianists and Piano Teachers.
March 1-29, 2025. 5 modules - choose 1 or all
Auditors welcome.
Optional NYC trip with masterclass performance, April 26 - May 5, 2025.

How do you integrate musical elements and a deeper understanding to play with more STYLE?
How do composers combine musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture to create their own style?
How do you practice music with mindfulness and purposeful motivation?

Nutmeg Studio Home Page

Impact

100% of participants were able to integrate what I learned from this intensive into my everyday practice.
100% of participants improved musical skills, critical thinking skills, and lifelong learning skills.
"I want to reiterate how much I appreciated your guidance throughout this workshop. It was just right for me in so many ways - being introduced to new music and concepts, revisiting ideas that have long been forgotten, and pushing myself to explore musicality in addition to technical challenges." - Samantha C.
"I so appreciate all the thought and work you put into putting this class together and helping us learn and grow with it. I thought the repertoire you chose was great." - Judy A.

In This Course, You Will Get

6.25 hrs of live instruction on excerpts from the greatest masterpieces of piano repertoire (emailed to you as soon as you like).
Weekly home assignments 1 week before each Zoom class for your own score analysis of musical elements. Plan for 10-20 hrs over the 5 weeks, which can be part of your regular practice time. The more you practice, the more you play in the "Performer's Masterclass" portion.
Unlimited Feedback of individualized homework. Share your short videos right from your phone to my email. Analyze your score and get corrections by email.
Teacher's Analysis for each piece to compare your analysis with.
Listening Round One - Discover how the musical elements interact in excerpts from three contrasting works using Conscious Listening.
Listening Round Two - Revisit each excerpt to integrate, naturalize, and find your flow.
Listening Round Three "Performer's Masterclass" - Maximize the controlled execution of each element in each excerpt.
To present an expressive performance of any excerpt as often as you want, with a justification of your interpretation that is sensitive to the composer's vision.
Certificate of Completion with successful homework completion and masterclass participation of all 5 modules.
OPTIONAL: perform your excerpt live at my 5/3 Klavierhaus NYC in-person masterclass! (with livestreaming)

What This Course Will Teach You

MUSICAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Level up your knowledge of musical elements and stylistic differences
Improve score study music harmony skills, listening skills, emotional intelligence skills, and motor skills
Learn advanced music harmony and emotional intelligence skills
Improve motor skills and advanced technique

CRITICAL THINKING AND ENGAGEMENT

Learn how to ask questions, dig deeper, and get more detailed
Interactive communal learning to give and receive multiple feedback

LIFELONG LEARNING AND PERSONAL GROWTH

Expand your mindfulness within an interactive community
Find the motivation to practice with purpose
Build confidence by practicing performance anxiety skills
Challenge yourself to try new ideas

YouTube Demo

Why Hsing-ay?

30+ yrs Experienced as specialized private teacher of adult students
Speciality of teaching adults who had piano lessons earlier in life and want to develop technique and musicianship now.
Proven results for students of different learning types
30 yrs Experience as award-winning performer
15+ yrs Experience as university faculty member
Successful experience with, and deep understanding of, recovery from serious injury
Wide breath of teaching modalities including neuromuscular training
Up to date scholarship with the latest in piano pedagogy and educational psychology
Published writer with regular articles on listening skills and innovative pedagogy
I am a lifelong learner myself. I understand the courage it takes!

Teaching Results

"I am learning to think about the big picture while playing the piano, and learning to pause."
"I am thinking about enhancing and collaborating with the score."
"I am learning about intentional practicing and listening to myself"
"I am now using my body weight and hand movements."
"Amazing"
"The teaching was comfortable and encouraging while also being direct."
"Appreciated the piano a lot more."

Weekly Class Format

25 minutes of score study and Conscious Listening skills in Round One
25 minutes of different interpretations, to dig deeper and get more detailed in a Listening Round Two
25 minutes performance masterclass every week for you to workshop a 1 minute excerpt
Individual feedback on analysis homework and video evaluation, before or after each class
Optional: setup and soundcheck for your Zoom audio settings to be on Original Sound and High Fidelity. (No requirement for external mic, but you are welcome to use one.)

Schedule / Repertoire

Next Co-hort Schedule TBA. Please email to be notified.

5 Zoom Group Discussion and Masterclass Modules.

Please sit at your piano and pre-check your audio setup.

SATURDAYS 10 - 11:15 am ET Zoom
3/1 Mozart Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K 332, Mvmt 1 excerpt
3/8 Liszt Consolation No.4 in Db Major excerpt

3/15 Debussy Sarabande excerpt

3/22 Chopin Ballade No.4 excerpts

3/29 Beethoven Sonata No.24 in F#, "a Therese" excerpt

Homework assignments and scores will be emailed a week in advance, starting Feb 22.
Answer sheets will be emailed after each class.

SUSTAINED FEEDBACK:

Record your own performance for Video Evaluation (use YouTube, Google Drive, or DropBox)
Email your score study analysis as often as you want for feedback.
Practice listening skills at The Conscious Listening™ Café, March 21 1pm ET Zoom.

OPTIONAL TRIP TO NYC 4/26 - 5/3, 2025:

Perform (50% off $100 fee) at my SAT 5/3 Klavierhaus NYC in person masterclass - also livestreamed. Auditors free admission.
1 comp tkt to my SAT 3/22 or 4/26 Klavierhaus NYC Conscious Listening event.
Recommendations for NYC lodging and practice rooms available.

Questions? Get Answers!

thenutmegstudio@gmail.com

Cost

Discounted Cost for 6.25 hours of classes + up to 2.5 hours homework feedback + full participation:

FULL FIVE WEEKS Participant: $557.
Referral Discount - bring a first time participant and you both get $30 refund on March 1.
Piano Teacher Scholarships / Financial Sliding Scale Available. Please share how you would share this impact with others and how you can calculate what you are able to pay.

DROP-IN Participant: $117.

Must reserve 7 days in advance to get the homework directions and tips.
2-3 hours analysis homework and self-video (any way you want to submit it), with customized feedback.
Group discussion. Masterclass time to perform, with customized feedback.

DROP-IN Auditor: $37.

Must reserve 24 hrs in advance to get the digital score excerpt.

To Register As Participant:

1)Fill out the form - Register Now.
*Last year's participants who are taking the full course can opt to bypass this form.

2)For new Participant (not Auditor), email a one-minute video or link of your playing to thenutmegstudio@gmail.com. Short Zoom or phone interview may be requested to make sure it's a good match for you.

3)Make Payment. Rolling admissions until full.

To Register As Auditor:

1)Fill out the form - Register Now, or email me which week(s).
2)Make Payment.
3)You'll get confirmation now and the Zoom link later.

Payment Options:

1)ZELLE IS PREFERRED. Pay to "Nutmeg Press" as First Name. Email is "thenutmegstudio@gmail.com".
Or send me your name and email so I can send you an invoice. Non-refundable.
2)Paypal - paypal.me/hsu2507
3)Check. Email me at thenutmegstudio@gmail.com for address if you need to pay by check. Plan on 5 days for mail.