Update on Upcoming Performances

Here are some updates and clarifications on performances coming up in the next two weeks.

• This Thursday (December 1)- College Choir Concert at 8 PM in Gamble Auditorium
• This Saturday (December 3)- Motet Choir Concert at 4 PM in Gamble Auditorium (I'll be performing on the second half of this concert for a combined piece: Passing of the Year by Jonathan Dove MY FAVORITE CHORAL PIECE!)
• December 10- Men's Chorus Concerts SOLD OUT!!!
• December 11- Baldwin-Wallace Holiday Concert at 2 PM and 5 PM. Tickets are $10 and available by calling 440-826-3853. 

Hope you have a wonderful week!

December Performance at B-W

Loving my time here at B-W. So many opportunities and great things happening in one place. Just wanted to give you some upcoming performances in December, because I know everyone's holiday schedule gets booked very quickly.

 College Choir Concert,Thursday, December 1, 8 PM- the wonderful choir I've been telling many people about that I'm in; it will be a wonderful concert!>>Free, in Gamble Auditorium

Men's Chorus Holiday Concert, Saturday December 10, 3 and 8 PM- Concer with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus>>Tickets $10 each: 440-826-2365 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            440-826-2365      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, conreach@bw.edu or menschrs@bw.edu Gamble Auditorium

Conservatory Holiday Concert, Sunday December 11, 2 and 5 PM- College Choir will be performing in this event>>Tickets $10 each: 440-826-3853 Gamble Auditorium

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Concert this Friday- 10/14

Hello all! Just wanted to remind you that this Friday, October 14 at 8:00 PM will be the Conservatory's Opening Gala Concert in Gamble Auditorium (campus of B-W). I will be performing in a choral work "Carmina Burana" in the combined College and Motet Choirs. There will also be performances of Poulenc's Two-Piano Concerto with the B-W Orchestra, and Motet Choir will be performing Rossini's Missa Solemnis. It will be a WONDERFUL concert of very exciting music. Hope to see you there!

B-W Concerts Coming Up in October

Well my first week is "under my belt" and I'm loving college life so far! Some of my favorite things include being able to sleep in, eat when I want, practice when I want, and I just LOVE being in the B-W Conservatory. I have the honor of being in College Choir which will be performing quite a bit coming up. It is such an AWESOME choir and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.

So, here are some dates you'll want to mark down on your calendars for performances. One of the dates my choir, College Choir, and the BW Motet Choir will be performing the first five movements from Carmina Burana!!! (If you don't know that piece here's the link to a YouTube video of the first movement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNWpZ-Y_KvU) I'll let you know which one as soon as I find out.

Saturday, October 8- 8:00 PM: Choral Gala in Gamble Auditorium

Saturday October 14- 6:00 PM: Opening Ceremony in Gamble Auditorium (Choir)

Saturday October 14- 8:00 PM: Opening Concert in Gamble Auditorium (Choir)

Friday, October 30- 4:00 PM: Barber Souvenirs, Op. 28 for piano four hands in the Women's Choir Concert in Gamble Auditorium (I'll play two duets with upperclassmen on the piano in this concert)

Peace!!

B-W Classes Start Tomorrow!

Hello all!

B-W classes start tomorrow for me. I moved in last Wednesday and have gone through the Weekend of Welcome (W.O.W.). It's been great to meet new people and make wonderful friends. I've scoped out the locations of each of my classes and will hopefully find my way to each of those places :)

My schedule is as follows:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 AM: Harmony I (Music Theory)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 AM: Aural Skills (Ear-training)
Monday, 2:00 PM: Piano lesson with Dr. Mayerovitch
Tuesday, Thursday; 10:00 AM- Math (MTH 137)
Tuesday, Thursday: 1:15 PM- English (ENG 131)
Tuesday, 3:10- Piano Studio Class
Thursday, 3:10- Departmental Recital Time
Wednesday, Friday- 11:15 Sight-reading I

**To be scheduled yet: Choir Rehearsals, and Organ Lessons (with Dr. Moyer)

Well it's a pretty full schedule, but I'm DEFINITELY looking forward to it! Wish me luck!

Peace!!

NOTICE TIME/DATE CHANGE BELOW!!

If you were planning on coming to my chamber concert please notice that the time and date have changed. Please see the post below (it has been edited to reflect the time and date change).

Chamber Music Concert TIME AND DATE CHANGED!!

What: Chamber Music Concert: An Afternoon of Piano and Violin Music
Who: Peter Douglas, piano     Krista Solars, violin
When: Thursday, August 18th at 2:30 PM
Where: Wayne Manor, Smithville Western Retirement Community

A variety of piano and violin music, including works by Mozart and Handel.

Piano Lessons!

I am now accepting students for private piano lessons. I will only be teaching from July 10- August 5. Beginning to advanced students of all ages are welcome, but STUDENTS MUST BE ABLE TO READ MUSIC BEFORE LESSONS (previous piano experience is recommended). Lessons will take place at my house in Dalton, OH. Please contact me at peteyd@zoominternet.net or message me on Facebook for more information or to set up lessons. Lesson fees are $10 per half-hour lesson but are negotiable. 

SENIOR PIANO RECITAL

Announcing: SENIOR PIANO RECITAL
PIANIST, PETER DOUGLAS

WHEN: Saturday, June 25, 7:00 pm

WHERE: St. Mary Catholic Church, 527 Beall Ave., Wooster, OH

PROGRAM: Bach. English Suite No. 2: Prelude
Beethoven. Sonata in D, op. 28
Prokofiev. Selections from Visions Fugitives
Brahms. Two Rhapsodies op. 79

The recital is free and open to the public.

Please plan on attending my last solo recital before college.

THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE!

GOOD NEWS---I've decided that I'm going to attend Baldwin-Wallace College/Conservatory in Berea, Ohio. I decided that its conservatory program was the best for me and it offers a wide range of programs that I'm interested in. I can really see myself there and I'm so excited for next fall!!

Brown-Bag Concert

Brown-Bag Concert Series: Peter Douglas, pianist and Emily DeVincent, violinist
Where: St. James Epischopal Church, Wooster, OH
When: Thursday, March 31- 12:05-12:35 PM
Cost: donations to the Viola Startzman Free Clinic

Bring your lunch and come listen to Emily and I perform Mozart's Violin Sonata in G Major. I will also be performing works by Beethoven and Brahms.

Any Dream Will Do

I feel truly blessed to be part of such an amazing cast for "Joeseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". The memories are so wonderful and the people so dedicated and fun. All that I can say, is thank you for everything, cast, you really have had a huge impact on my life. I love you all!

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

I've been very busy lately working with the rest of the Dalton Drama Dawgs to prepare for our performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Here are the details:
When: Thursday, March 24- Senior Citizen's Performance @ 9:00 AM (reservation required)
           Friday, March 25- 7:00 PM
           Saturday, March 26- 7:00 PM
           Sunday, March 27- 2:00 PM

Where: Dalton High School Auditorium, 177 N. Mill St, Dalton, OH 44618

Tickets: Tickets are $6 and are available by calling 330.828.2261
I will be playing the part of Jacob's eldest son Reuben, and I get to sing my own song. Everyone has prepared really hard for this and it will definitely be a show you don't want to miss!

Audition Season is Over!

I've decided to cancel my audition for Oberlin this Saturday. In comparison to the other schools that I've auditioned at, it doesn't stand a chance. I'm really happy to be done with auditions; it took a lot of time and energy to prepare for them and to actually do them. Yet, today I reflect on my wonderful experiences I had through auditions. I got too see wonderful friends, Natalie Horn and Kiana Jerard, and I got to spend two wonderful evenings in a BEAUTIFUL house in Virginia with family. I also really enjoyed spending time with my dad; he went to each of my auditions with me, which meant so much! So, now I wait for acceptance/decline letters and scholarship notices. So far I've been declined at University of Michigan and accepted at Kent State University.

Audition No. 5: Shenandoah Conservatory

Hello all! 5 down, one more to go. I have to say I'm really excited to have undergrad auditions done once and for all :) Anyways, I'm hear in Virginia writing this as I gaze out onto the Appalachian Mountains. It's so beautiful here, but unfortunately it's smokey too. Their have trouble with some fires caused by the high winds we're experiencing here. Yet, it's still beautiful to gaze on the hazy silhouette of one of God's amazing creations.

I'm staying at my Aunt (actually first cousin once removed) Megan Smith's house in Flint Hill. It's so beautiful and I thank her so much for hosting us this weekend.

We drove to Virginia yesterday. It took us about 6 1/2 hours.

I auditioned this morning at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA. It's a part of Shenandoah University, a private university with only about 3500 students. I learned about this school as I was originally looking to apply to their undergrad collaborative piano program (accompanying). Their one of a few schools that offer this degree. However, I decided it was best for me to pursue a piano performance undergraduate degree.

Outline of my day:

• 8:30 AM- Registration
• 9:00- Introduction and Curriculum Session
• 10:00- Diagnostic Aural Skills Exam (Sight-singing)
• 1:30 PM- Audition
• 2:00- Lunch
• 3:00- Campus Tour

So, my audition went very well. The piano faculty members had good feedback after each of the pieces I played. I played my whole program which included Kennan's Three Preludes, Brahms Rhapsody No. 2, Op. 79, and Bach Prelude and Fugue in E flat. I actually got to play through it all, unlike most all of my other auditions. I also did some sightreading and they were impressed by that. We talked a bunch about what I want to do later after school and then I left with a smile.

I really like Shenandoah, but if I decide to consider going there in the end I'll need to take a lesson with my prospective professor (my personal preference).

Next, week is OBERLIN.... Then, I'm done!

Peace!

Event: OrrVilla Recital

What: OrrVilla Community Event: Recital featuring Pianist/Vocalist, Peter Douglas
When: Wednesday, February 16, 7:00 PM
Where:
OrrVilla Retirement Community
Maple Terrace
333 East Sassafras Street
Orrville, Ohio 44667

Piano works by Brahms and Chopin; Vocal works by Faure and Dvorak

Hope to see you there!


 

Audition No. 4: Webster University: Department of Music

Another great audition, yay! I have really enjoyed coming back to St. Louis. I feel very comfortable here and it is definately one of my tops. Anyways, today I auditioned at Webster University of Webster-Groves, Missouri. It's about 15 minutes from St. Louis. It's a small university with only about 125 music students. They are an all-Steinway school, which is very enticing (they have only Steinway brand pianos). I also studied with the piano professor, Daniel Schene, at Indiana University's Piano Academy. He is great!

An outline, of course:

Friday

• 5:00 PM- Departure from Cleveland Airport

*note change to central time

• 5:45- Arrival at St. Louis Airport
• Arrival at Hotel and Dinner at Chilis

Saturday

• 8:30 AM- Registration and breakfast at Webster
• 9:00- Introduction and meeting with Dr. Jeffrey Carter, Chair of Department of Music
• 10:30- Aural Skills Test
• 10:40- Meeting with Professor Schene
• 11:40- Audition
• 12:00- Theory Placement Test
• 1:00 PM- Lunch

The aural skills test and theory placement test were a piece of cake. I thank my wonderful choir teacher, Mrs. Heather Carr, and my great band teacher, Mr. Randy Kaserman for helping me aquire the solfege, rhythm and sight-reading skills needed for these tests. The aural skills is another name for an ear-training test. They tested my on identifying the pulse of a piece, matching pitch, repeating a played melody, and sight-singing. The theory test was simiilar to the Kent State theory test: key signatures, scales, rhythms, and Roman numer analysis.

The audition portion was very comfortable for me, as I have already had three under my belt (but I did experience a little nervousness which supplies some nice adrenaline). I played for the entire available faculty-about 11 professors! I played the first two Kennan preludes, half of the 1st Brahms Rhapsody, and the exposition of my Bach fugue. They all went well and I think really showed my strengths as a performer, musician, and interpreter.

Next weekend is Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Viginia. For those who might ask, I will be doing a piano solo audition there, not collaborative. I'm delighted that I will be staying with my dad's cousin Megan Smith. Can't wait!

Peace.

Audition No. 3: Kent State University: The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music

Best audition yet!! YAY!!!! This morning, I auditioned at Kent State Univesity's Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at their main campus in Kent, Ohio. It was so nice to be back in this wonderful builiding. For those who may not know, I attended two summers of Kent State's Piano Institute (2007 & 2008). I had a wonderful experience there and it helped me decide that I was going to strive to study piano performance in college. For interested pianists, here is their website: http://www.kent.edu/pianoinstitute/index.cfm. I'd be more than willing to answer questions or share my experiences at the Institute. Just leave a comment here or on Facebook and I will get back to you.

Here's an outline of what I did:

• 7:15 AM- Departed for Kent with dad
• 8:15- Arrived at Kent, Registered, A little practice/warm up
• 9:00- Welcome Meeting
• 9:30- Theory Placement Test
• 10:45- Audition
• 11:30- Starbucks- Cafe Mocha :]

This is the first audition where I had to take a theory placement test. It was a test to see if you need to be placed in the remidial theory, therefore it was a pretty basic test. Topics included key signatures, writing out scales, ect. There was also an ear training test in which they played a series of notes and I had to pick what they played from four choices. I found it fairly simple.

So, now the audition itself. I was invited cordially into the room and talked with the faculty members awhile about what I was up to this year. Next, I played Kennan's Three Preludes in their entirety. Next, came bits of the first movement of the Haydn and the 2nd Rhapsody of Brahms. I finished playing through my Bach prelude and fugue. The pieces went really well. I believe that I had a better mind set coming in then my previous audition, which helped with my confidence and ability to focus on making music. I finished by playing four scales and sightreading a piece.

So, I'm very excited to hear the results of my audition; I should hear back from them late next week!

I'm off to St. Louis for my next audition at Webster University on Friday. We're flying. Everyone have a wonderful week!!

Tri-County Honors Band

What: Tri-County Honors Band
When: Sunday, February 6 at 2:30 PM
Where: McGaw Chapel, on the campus of The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH

Performers are auditioned high schoolers from Wayne, Holmes, and Ashland counties. Each student was admitted by recommendation of their band director and a successful audition. Three bands will perform: the top honors band directed by Nancy Ditmer, Professor of Music and Director of Bands at The College of Wooster, the second honors band directed by Marshall Kimbal, Assitant Professor and Director of Bands at Marietta college, and The Scot Symphonic Band (The College of Wooster) directed by Nancy Ditmer.

Please come see a beautiful afternoon of concert band music performed by the best of Tri-County. It can be a memorable prelude to Super Bowl festivities :)

Audition No. 2: University of Michigan: School of Music, Theatre, and Dance

Second audition--check! Today I auditioned at the Univeristy of Michgan (UM) School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. It is located in Ann Arbor Michigan. I had the priviledge to spend most of the day with my awesome friend, Natalie Horn, who was also auditioning for piano performance. We became friends when we both went to the 2009 and 2010 Indiana Univeristy's Piano Academy. It was great to see her again, and I think it eased my nerves a bit :) Here's an outline of what I did:

    Thursday

• 6:30 PM- Left for Michigan, with my wonderful father
• 10:30- Arrived at a motel to sleep for the night

     Friday

• 8:30 AM- Breakfast at Big Boy
• 9:30- Registration
• 10:00- Information Session
• 12:45 PM- Audition
• 1:45- Lunch at Panda Express at UM

Details on Audition:

The audition went okay. I started off with Bach and got to play through the prelude. Then they asked me to play Brahms Rhapsody No. 1 and I played about have of it. Next, I played the first half of the first movment of my Haydn sonata. Lastly, I played throught the entire Chopin Etude. I'm not quite sure why I feel a little bad about my audition (probably because I didn't get to play any of the Kennan preludes), but I know I did the best I could do. In the end that's all that matters.

Next audition is on next Saturday at Kent State Univeristy.

Audition No. 1: Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music

So, my first audition is finished. Yay! Today I auditioned at Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory, a section of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Here's a little outline of what I did today:

• 7:30 AM- Left house for Berea, Ohio with my awesome dad, Larry Douglas
• 9:15 AM- Registration and Welcome
• 9:30-10 AM-Warm up in practice room
• 10:20 AM- AUDITION (see note below about how the audition went)
• 11:00 AM- Watched BW Orchestral Rehearsal
• Noon- Lunch in Union
• 1 PM-3 PM- Watched a Piano Trio Rehearsal
• 3:00-4:45- Campus tour/Chipotle stop with the amazing, Matt Torgler
• Went home

Details on the audition:

Well I thought for my first audition, things went pretty well. First, I played two scales and arpeggios for the committee. Next, I played my complete Bach prelude and fugue. It went well but I missed some notes. Next, I played the G minor Brahms Rhaspsody until the return of the main theme. I finished with the preludes one and two from Kennan's Three Preludes. They, unfortunately, didn't have time to hear the third. Lastly, I had to do some pitch matching (they played a pitch and I had to match it by singing) and sightreading. Both went well, especially the sightreading :)

Overall, I really liked my second visit/audition at BW. The piano faculty members are very nice and I really enjoyed my lesson with one of them on my first visit. I like the small size of the campus and the overall supportive atmosphere is gives off.

My next audition is at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Friday, January 28. In the meantime I'll be practicing. :]

DHS Voice Recital

When: Tomorrow (January 18, 2011) 7:00 PM
Where: DHS Auditiorium
Who: Dalton High School Voice Students and Guests Artists
Cost: FREE!

It will be a wonderful recital with a special opera showcase of the seniors. I will be accompanying all of the seniors and will be singing "Finch'han dal vino" from Don Giovanni. Hope you can make it for a night of beautiful music.

Schedule of College Auditions

As you all may already know, I am a senior in high school. After I graduate, I plan to go to college to get my undergraduate degree in piano performance. I will be auditioning at six schools in order to gain admission into their music programs. They are:

1. Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory, Berea, OH; January 22
2. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; January 28
3. Kent State University, Kent, OH; February 5
4. Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri; February 12
5. Shenandoah Conservatory, Winchester, Virginia; Febuary 19
6. Oberlin Conservatory, Oberlin, OH; February 26

My audition repertoire is as follows:

Johann Sebastian Bach. Prelude and Fugue in E flat, BWV 876 from WTC Book II
Franz Joseph Haydn. Sonata in C, Hob. XVI:50
Johannes Brahms. Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79
Frederic Chopin. Etude in C minor, Op. 25, No. 12
Kent Kennan. Three Preludes (1938)

I'm very excited and will definately enjoy the traveling.