Portraits, Bk 2: Book & CD - Softcover

Baerman, Noah

9781929395460: Portraits, Bk 2: Book & CD

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1929395469 ISBN 13: 9781929395460

Publisher: WORKSHOP ARTS, 2001

The Portraits series fills one of the longtime gaps in student-level piano repertoire by presenting colorful, fun-to-play pieces in jazz, blues, rock and other popular styles. Portraits invites you on a guided tour through the music of various artists in these styles, exploring what gives each artist his or her own special sound, while the progressively arranged original pieces allow you to try out these styles on your own. Each piece is accompanied by a biography and photo of the artist who inspired it, listening suggestions and specially tailored preparatory exercises. While the Portraits books are recommended for students age 12 and older, younger musicians will certainly enjoy playing the pieces under the guidance of a teacher. A CD that demonstrates all the examples and allows you to play along (with solo keyboard or full band) is also available. The Portraits series is designed to complement all popular piano methods, including adult methods.

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About the Author:

Born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Noah Baerman began piano studies at age eight. He received his first formal jazz training at the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven and at Jackie McLean's Artists' Collective in Hartford. There, he began his professional jazz career, including a long and continuing association with saxophonist and fellow student Jimmy Greene; he also performed for fun with several rock bands. Noah went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in jazz studies from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and also taught several jazz courses there. While at Rutgers, he spent six years under the tutelage of the renowned jazz pianist Kenny Barron. Noah has worked in and around New York with a wide variety of artists, and from 1994 to 1999 he performed and recorded with the jazz quartet Positive Rhythmic Force (PRF).

Noah has also been active in interdisciplinary arts, creating pieces that employ spoken poetry, modern dance, theater and the visual arts. His performance time is spent freelancing throughout the East Coast as an organist and pianist, leading his jazz trio and serving as musical director for the soul group Mr. B's Boogie Band. He is also active as an educator and composer. Noah's other books include Jazz Keyboard Harmony and the three-volume Complete Jazz Keyboard Method published by the Alfred Publishing Company, Inc., in conjunction with the National Keyboard Workshop. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Kate TenEyck.

Learning from the styles of the masters has always been central to music pedagogy. For years, these styles were drawn almost wholly from European classical traditions. When jazz, blues and rock began to be incorporated into music education, it was often as a "dessert," a departure from more "serious" studies. More recently, however, these styles have commanded new attention and respect in the world of pedagogy. The challenge now is to find educational materials that do justice to these styles and are compatible with traditional, classically based teaching methods.

The goal of the Portraits series is to provide exciting and stimulating pieces for keyboard students while inviting them to explore the traditions and great artists of jazz, blues and rock. Unlike many student-level pieces of a popular nature, the "portrait" format allows the student to associate the music he or she is playing with an actual artist. It is clear that a student's motivation increases greatly when he or she associates an assigned piece with real music-music by influential, well-known personalities who are amply represented on recordings. This can enhance the student's sense of pride and set the stage for learning about other great artists in any style. The personalities presented in the Portraits series are not meant to represent the "best" or "most important"; rather, each is simply part of a diverse cast of great artists. These artists cover a wide spectrum of styles and time periods, and each has left a rich legacy for musicians and music lovers.

Teachers and self-directed students using the Portraits series need not be experts in these styles. While these books are rooted in traditional piano pedagogy, the pieces themselves remain true to the styles that inspired them. They can be used as technical studies, recital pieces or repertoire for just jamming out. Teachers can be comfortable knowing that in studying these pieces, students will receive reinforcement in reading, rhythm, fingering, phrasing and other important areas. Students need only enjoy themselves as they explore some wonderful styles and artists. The bottom line is that the music is both educational and fun.

The pieces in this second Portraits book are arranged progressively, beginning with some that use fairly simple eighth note rhythms and basic chords and arpeggios. By the end of the book, the pieces incorporate elements like syncopation, triplets, sixteenth notes, greater rhythmic independence between the hands and a greater variety of chord inversions. Enjoy!

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