Homework: My recommendations for students:

• Practice daily (at least 4-5 days per week) for 45 - 60 minutes or more depending upon your age and level of advancement.
• In the beginninig of your practice, warm up your fingers by playing scales, chords, arpeggios, and the rest of technique of your level.
• Put a clock on your piano. Always make sure you divide your time between all the pieces of your program. Start with the most complicated piece, or with the one which I asked you to practice more.
• Never choose a fast tempo in the beginning, concentrate on the clarity, texture, and voicing of each musical phrase. Increase the tempo slowly as you improve. Never forget that multiple repetitions of a phrase, and later of the whole piece, is the key to your success.
• When you work on polyphonic music, play each voice separately, then try to combine pairs of voices, and later play all the voices together. So much fun!
• If you use the damper pedal, make sure you can still hear the original composer's chords and clear melodic line. Some students forget to release the pedal!
• Please use appropriate shoes while practicing (dress shoes are the best). Please do not practice barefeet or in slippers.
• Understanding of style and specific details of the pieces you are working on require some knowledge of the time, epoque, and biography. Read some books on music, musicians, and music history - it will help you to understand the music that you are playing.
• Listening to classical music CDs may help you, but please ask for my recommendations - listening to a poor performer on Youtube may do you more harm than good!