Author Archives: Susan
Syllabi and PublishingSept 2008
Most of the pieces in my ‘Let’s Pretend‘ Collection has been added to the Contemporary Showcase Syllabus. As well, my piano solo ‘Cloaked’ has also been listed at the grade 2/3 level.
News!Spring Festival 2008
The Toronto Academy of Music has chosen ‘Rock Climbing’ from ‘Little Hands, Big Pieces‘ as the Test piece for the 2008 Spring Music Festival this year.
Syllabi and PublishingSpring 2008
My little solo ‘Dreamcatcher’ will be included in the Northern Lights Discoveries 4B Collection published by Mayfair Publishing.
Syllabi and PublishingMay 2007
I have just been advised that ‘Dancing Clowns’ and ‘Sleepwalking’ from my ‘Piano Mime‘ Collection have been selected for the 2008 RCM Piano Syllabus. They will be listed at the Grade 5 level.
Syllabi and PublishingSpring 2007
My little solo ‘Cloaked’ will be included in the Northern Lights 2B Collection published by Mayfair Publishing.
New Book Release!Spring 2006
‘Let’s Pretend‘ is now out! Your students will enthusiastically ‘pretend to be’ with each enchanting tale. Every piece includes words to help tell the story. Have fun choosing whether you want to be a ‘Scary Monster’, a ‘Robot’, a ‘Fireman’, a ‘Soldier’, an ‘Alien’, a ‘Wizard’, an ‘Astronaut’, a ‘King’, a ‘Beautiful Princess’, or a ‘Pretty Ballerina’. You can even ‘Fly’ or be ‘Invisible’. For those adventurous types you can also be a ‘Rock Star’ and rap while you play! Lots of fun for everyone!
ReviewNovember 2005
My three newly released collections are reviewed by CFMTA’s The Canadian Music Teacher Magazine. “A very modern sounding collection, these works come with a description of the intended sound of each piece.”
“Her goal in composing ‘ Little Hands, Big Pieces‘ was to create music that “is easily learned, easy to teach but sounds difficult.” A good way to work with major triads, Griesdale has built these pieces almost entirely of them.”
‘Piano Mime‘ is a collection of character pieces designed to introduce students to a new sound and delve into greater technical challenges
‘Out of the Box‘ is another collection of character pieces that is both cheery and quirky. Works in this 8 piece collection include Carousel, Bounce, Rattle’n Squeak, Shhhhh, The Jitters, Spriggans, among others.
ReviewOct 2005
Clavier Magazine wrote a review of my ‘Little Hands, Big Pieces‘ and my ‘Piano Mime‘ books.
“Students can use their creativity to explore new sounds with these pieces. A wide range of the keyboard is used, yet the hand spans are appropriate for the levels these book are intended. ‘Little Hands, Big Pieces’ uses blocked and broken triads to create a variety of sounds and moods. This is an excellent study of chords. All the pieces in these books have a clean look and are easy to read with many details, such as dynamics, tempos and metronome markings included. The titles and artwork are imaginative and appealing for young children.”
ReviewSept 2005
The Manitoba RMT Journal wrote a review of my ‘Out of the Box‘ book.
“The eight pieces included in this collection have all been written without key signatures, showing all accidentals on the music. A Ms Griesdale states, ‘the music is designed to be light-hearted and whimsical’. All selections here are a move away from traditional harmony. The dissonance allows students the opportunity to express the dynamics and felling s suggested by the composer’s titles and performance comments. The tricky rhythms used in all the pieces tend to be played in repetitive patterns so that the student can keep up with the quick changes of pitch. Dynamic changes cover the extremes and make and exciting canvas for any performer. This book provides and interesting introduction to contemporary music for the young pianist.”
On the RoadJuly 2005
At the CFMTA Annual ‘Peak Performance’ Convention in Calgary, Alberta, myself and colleagues Pianist Alison Wiebe and Composers Beverly Porter and Stella Terhart, presented piano works to an enthusiastic audience. Our session was titled ‘Exciting New Contemporary Canadian Literature for Beginner to Intermediate Piano Students’. Featured were my three books, ‘Piano Mime‘, ‘Little Hands, Big Pieces‘ and ‘Out of the Box‘.
On the RoadSeptember 2003
‘Gentle Dissonance for the Student‘ – I gave a presentation to the members of the Etobicoke-Mississauga branch of ORMTA, introducing a variety of pieces from all levels and discussing the pedagogy behind the music. These miniatures are written to give the student the opportunity to explore new sounds as they tackle technical challenges.