Last month we focused on the amazing faculty that form the core of RPPF’s daily lessons and masterclasses. Today, let’s explore the other festival events in which students participate!
Faculty Soirées, Legacy Forums, and Q&As
Students are immersed in a living timeline of pianists, hearing performances and memories of past generations and discussing issues that face current generations looking to the future. Faculty make personal connections through informal performances and open question-and-answer sessions. Programs and topics are still being determined so check the website for updates!
RPPF Ambassador Concert Series
Our talented students from around the world share their gifts with the Tampa Bay community during RPPF. They gain confidence in performing and speaking while enjoying the opportunity to connect with different audiences. Past concert locations included live WUSF radio broadcasts, the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College, Westminster Shores, Royal Palms, and churches throughout Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. RPPF closes out the season with a Student Showcase that features all 36 participants in a fabulous recital. Complete details on the 2020 series will be announced soon!
Special Topics Classes – Engaging sessions that optimize learning habits and provide instruction on a variety of subjects. Featured guests include:
Terry Boyarsky, Dalcroze Eurhythmics
During the second week of RPPF 2020, students will enjoy three evenings of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a practice that helps professional musicians “understand the components of rhythm and sound, develop attention, improve coordination, and challenge the mind.”
Kenneth Frazelle, Composer
Joining us for the first time this summer, renowned composer Kenneth Frazelle will collaborate with students on crafting interpretations of newly composed, unrecorded pieces. Students will be introduced to Professor Frazelle’s own piano works through several days of both large workshops and smaller group lessons.
Ray Gottlieb, Attention & Memory
Over the course of the three weeks at RPPF, each student will discover their habits of attention and memory with guidance from Dr. Gottlieb through individual coaching sessions and three group classes. “Brains can change at every age when challenged by tasks at an appropriate difficulty/skill balance. That’s what we call the stress-point. Success is possible but only if attention and intention are fully engaged. Body coordination, information processing, eye movement and aiming, and attention and memory can all increase through this process.
Rie Tanaka, Yoga
Good habits are important from the beginning! As the festival opens, Rie Tanaka will guide students through various yoga sessions for two weeks. Her own injury recovery as a pianist led first to extensive research and then to her pursuit of practicing yoga for wellness and injury prevention.
Apply by March 3 for your chance to experience new discoveries in your musicianship! And to everyone in the Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg areas: stay tuned for more details! Email us if you’d like to be added to receive event announcements.
