Archived - 2021
December 25, 2021
Merry Christmas!!!
Wishing all my students and their families a wonderful Christmas! Thank you again for such an incredible year, full of wonderful accomplishments! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their holiday break with nice rest, good health, and plenty of family time!
Our Christmas Recitals on December 19th were outstanding, so many great and breathtaking performances! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves during the shows and at the receptions. Thank you to those who contributed yummy treats to share!
See you all in 2022!
Our Christmas Recitals on December 19th were outstanding, so many great and breathtaking performances! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves during the shows and at the receptions. Thank you to those who contributed yummy treats to share!
See you all in 2022!
2:00pm Showtime
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4:00pm Showtime
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November 16, 2021
CFMTA Fall Festival Highlights!
Thank you all for participating this weekend at the CFMTA Fall Festival! What an amazing experience! I was so impressed by everyone's bravery, preparedness, and incredible perseverance! Watching you all perform live and in-person in a “more serious” event after what feels like such a long hiatus—it’s unlike anything else. What we learn at these events is so valuable, especially as we look ahead to Local Auditions and Federation. Everyone should be proud of themselves on such a huge accomplishment!
As usual, I do like to recognize students who absolutely excelled in their performances. The following students accomplished a perfect score of 36 out of 36 PLUS the bonus point, giving them a 37!
As usual, I do like to recognize students who absolutely excelled in their performances. The following students accomplished a perfect score of 36 out of 36 PLUS the bonus point, giving them a 37!
Ethan Felsted
Helena Freeman
Michael Madani
Adam Phan
Chloe Phan
Andrew Sexton
Juan Torres
Samuel Vernon
Sarah Vernon
Alex Yang
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Helena Freeman
Michael Madani
Adam Phan
Chloe Phan
Andrew Sexton
Juan Torres
Samuel Vernon
Sarah Vernon
Alex Yang
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Mr. Fernando Ramos with Mrs. Cheryl Dietmeyer, Fall Festival Chair
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Judge Cindy Perkins hard at work.
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October 30, 2021
Spooky Hall - Now Open!
The time has come! And a day early makes it even better! Now you can enjoy these amazing performances throughout the weekend.
I am simply at a loss for words! Students have gone above and beyond what I expected and I am so grateful for the extra effort. It truly makes a world of difference and adds so much fun to my original intention! Thank you all for participating and making this one-off event so spooktacular!
Now please,
I am simply at a loss for words! Students have gone above and beyond what I expected and I am so grateful for the extra effort. It truly makes a world of difference and adds so much fun to my original intention! Thank you all for participating and making this one-off event so spooktacular!
Now please,
Enter the Spooky Hall
(if you dare!)
(if you dare!)
October 19, 2021
October Updates!
It’s hard to believe Fall is here! We seem to be moving at the speed of light!!!
- 🎃 Halloween Video Recital 👻 - Website page goes live on October 31. I have started receiving videos, and I am soooooo excited to share everyone’s hard work! If you haven’t recorded yet, remember to be creative, dress up, decorate, get friends and family involved, and maybe add little effects (if you know how). Videos should not exceed more than 30 seconds worth of “non-performance” footage. You can send me the videos as soon as they are done, no later than Friday, October 29.
- No Lessons Nov. 3-5 (Wed, Thurs, & Fri Only) - Please remember there will be no lessons on these dates. This will be the week immediately after Halloween. There will still be lessons for all Monday and Tuesday students that week.
- 🍁 Fall Festival 🍂 - Saturday, November 13th, Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church (101 N Peachtree Pkwy, Peachtree City). Showtimes are 9:00am, 10:30am, and 12:00pm. I will inform everyone of their performance times as soon as I receive them. The church has asked that masks be worn at this event. All music performed must be memorized. Make sure you bring an original copy of your music. No photocopies are allowed.
- 🎄 Christmas Recital ❄ - Sunday, December 19th, Word of God Lutheran Church (4486 SR-34, Sharpsburg, GA 30277). I don’t know about y’all, but I’m in dire need of some Christmas spirit already!! Let’s start picking songs! No repeats—first come, first served!!! If there’s a song you really want, let me know ASAP. Christmas music is not mandatory. As usual, there will be two showtimes (2:00pm and 4:00pm). Please let me know if you will be participating as soon as possible but no later than November 30. I will post students’ showtimes 2 weeks prior to recital. If you have any prior engagements, don’t hesitate to request a specific showtime. Otherwise, please leave your afternoon open. This helps coordinate the shows. $15 recital fee per student. Any parents want to join the performances?
September 4, 2021
Reminders and Updates
- There will be no lessons next week (Sept 6-10)! I hope everyone has a great long weekend and a wonderful Labor Day!
- CFMTA Program - David Watkins presents Beethoven’s Transition from the Classical to Romantic Period - Tuesday, September 14, 10:30am. Yes, this is during school hours, but I have adult students and parents who are either musicians or music enthusiasts, so I wanted to share this program with everyone. It is open to the public! Click here for more information.
- 🎃 Halloween Video Recital 👻 - Sunday, October 31. Many students are hard at work on fun Halloween-inspired music. Videos should be recorded in some kind of costume, funny or spooky (but tasteful!). Family involvement is a plus! We can record videos at the studio as well. Please submit videos by Friday, October 29, though sooner is better. If you’re like me and despise dressing up (what a fuddy-duddy!), that’s fine too. How about just a cool or funny hat? Dressing up as yourself doesn’t count! Or at least it shouldn’t, but fine—be yourself if you must! Sheesh…
- 🍁 Fall Festival 🍂 - Saturday, November 13. Recital format. Students receive judged evaluations. This is also a great performance opportunity! $20 fee in October Tuition. Please let me know by October 1 if you will be participating. Fee will remain refundable until October 8 if you change your mind. Click here for more information.
- Dr. Elena Dorozhkina in Recital: Russian Piano Music of the 19th and 20th Centuries - Sunday, January 16th, 3:00pm, North Fayette United Methodist Church. Students don’t get very many opportunities to be inspired by live piano solo performers of this caliber, especially so close to home. Concert is free of charge, though we will accept donations on the day of the event in hopes that it can remain an annual event. I don’t know the program yet, but Dr. Dorozhkina has expressed her love of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. This is exciting!!! And should be required attendance for all my students!
- Local Auditions and Theory Exam - Saturday, February 26. First round of the GMTA Competition. Regional Round will be virtual. If students make it to the final State Round, they must be able to travel to Piedmont University in Demorest, GA, on April 22 or 23 (TBD). Click here for more information.
- Federation - Saturday, March 26. Click here for more information.
August 2, 2021
Happy First Week of School!
I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe return!
May 24, 2021
Spring Recital, Summer Schedule, and other Updates!
2:00pm Showtime
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4:30pm Showtime
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Yesterday was an amazing day, with two wonderful recitals! There were some truly breathtaking moments I won't be forgetting anytime soon. Thank you all again for working so hard to put on a remarkable pair of shows!
The studio will be closed for the next two weeks.
If you have any travel plans this summer that conflict with a lesson time, please remember to reschedule.
In the meantime, let me know if you would like to participate in any of the events below (click on the event for recently updated information). No final commitments are needed at this time, but I'd like to start preparing now and re-evaluate later if necessary. Time sneaks up on you!
Fall Festival
Federation 2022 (Piano Solo, Theory, Piano Duet, Junior Composers)
GMTA Auditions 2022
I am opening up the RPS Junior Club to two other Federation Events: Theory and Piano Duets. These are separate events on the same date/location but scheduled without conflict. If you are interested, please let me know and I can be more specific than the information provided here.
Rest assured that I will be there every step of the way to explain, remind, and makes sense of it all! Just be willing to practice, study, and perform. I'll take care of the rest.
The studio will be closed for the next two weeks.
If you have any travel plans this summer that conflict with a lesson time, please remember to reschedule.
In the meantime, let me know if you would like to participate in any of the events below (click on the event for recently updated information). No final commitments are needed at this time, but I'd like to start preparing now and re-evaluate later if necessary. Time sneaks up on you!
Fall Festival
Federation 2022 (Piano Solo, Theory, Piano Duet, Junior Composers)
GMTA Auditions 2022
I am opening up the RPS Junior Club to two other Federation Events: Theory and Piano Duets. These are separate events on the same date/location but scheduled without conflict. If you are interested, please let me know and I can be more specific than the information provided here.
Rest assured that I will be there every step of the way to explain, remind, and makes sense of it all! Just be willing to practice, study, and perform. I'll take care of the rest.
May 7, 2021
Studio Calendar has been updated.
May 3, 2021
GMTA State Auditions - Results!
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Sophia Madani for achieving Honorable Mention at the GMTA State Auditions! This is the second year in a row Sophia makes it all the way to State and is awarded a State Rating! It's so very difficult to claim this achievement. What a talented young lady. Keep it up, Sophia!
Cat Doodle by Sophia
April 24, 2021
CFMTA Honors Recital - Now Live!
Come watch performances by some of the top students from our local community. CFMTA had a pretty big turnout this year. In fact, it was record-breaking. Our students are certainly excelling!
April 13, 2021
Spring Recital Announcement!
Please visit the Spring Recital Page for more information.
April 12, 2021
NFMC Junior Composers Competition Results
The NFMC Junior Composers Competition is another amazing opportunity from the National Federation of Music Clubs. The concept is very similar to Federation, but geared toward young composers. Students' compositions are rated and awarded points that accumulate on a yearly basis as they work toward their cups.
The following students received the highest rating of Superior:
The following students received the highest rating of Superior:
Garran Crane
Ayodeji Omotoso
Ayodeji Omotoso
April 10, 2021
CFMTA Honors Recital Announcement
Every year, eligible students are invited to perform at the CFMTA Honors Recital. This is a very special event because it showcases some of the best students in our local community performing under one roof. Due to the pandemic, CFMTA had to move the event to a virtual format in 2020, and now once again in 2021. The 2020 Honors Recital is still available for viewing on the CFMTA Website.
The following students will be featured this year:
The following students will be featured this year:
Garran Crane (TC)
Ethan Kwok (OP at GMTA Auditions)
Sophia Madani (OP at GMTA Auditions)
Ayodeji Omotoso (EiA at Federation)
Juan Torres (OP at GMTA Auditions & EiA at Federation)
Garran is my pick for Teacher's Choice for Honor this year. I have proudly chosen Garran for his passionate dedication, consistent and tireless practice, and unbelievably active musical growth.
April 8, 2021
Special Acknowledgment!
Further congratulations to Juan Torres!
Juan has won the Third Place Award at the Great Composers Competition Series in the Best Rachmaninoff Performance category. This is an international competition open to students from around the world! Juan was amongst other 14-16 year-old competitors from France, Canada, China, Bulgaria, Poland, and New Zealand. What an outstanding accomplishment!
April 2, 2021
Studio will be closed next week for Spring Break, April 5-9. No lessons.
Happy Easter & Resurrection Day!
Happy Easter & Resurrection Day!
March 30, 2021
GMTA Regional Auditions - Results are in!
The following students ranked OP at Local Auditions and moved on to Regionals, where they once again received Outstanding Performance Awards and have moved on to State:
Ethan Kwok
Sophia Madani
Juan Torres
Sophia Madani
Juan Torres
Congratulations once again to all three of you!
They have been working so incredibly hard, fixing their performances and tirelessly re-recording their videos from one round to the next. No matter the outcome at State, they keep taking further steps on the road toward success!
March 29, 2021
Federation Results are Announced!
Federation is officially over! Everyone has been working so hard this year and the results easily prove it.
The following students received ratings of Superior at the 2021 NFMC Federation Festival:
The following students received ratings of Superior at the 2021 NFMC Federation Festival:
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Hannah Ambrose
Simon Carney Garran Crane Julia Dahl Ethan Felsted Helena Freeman Agustin Fritschy Juanchy Fritschy Lilly Grant Mayiah Grant Aaron Jiang Joshua Jiang Mahika Kumar Rishaan Kumar Ethan Kwok Danica Lua |
Ethan Lua
Lily Madani Michael Madani Sophia Madani Ayodeji Omotoso Tamilore Omotoso Grant Prather Carmen Rubado Saakshaat Sawhney Anna Schafer Alexandria Thompson Autumn Thompson Juan Torres Samuel Vernon Sarah Vernon |
Incredible!
The following two students received the Excellence in Artistry Award:
Ayodeji Omotoso
Juan Torres
Congratulations, everyone!
Ayodeji Omotoso
Juan Torres
Congratulations, everyone!
February 23, 2021
CFMTA Local Auditions Results are in!
The CFMTA Local Auditions is the first of three rounds in the GMTA Auditions Competition, the largest piano competition in the state of Georgia. Three of my students participated this year and have all won a rating of Outstanding Performance, which means they are now advancing to Regionals!
Congratulations!
Ethan Kwok
Sophia Madani
Juan Torres
Ethan Kwok
Sophia Madani
Juan Torres
February 9, 2021
Ramos Piano Studio Hosts the 2021 CFMTA Annual Masterclass,
featuring critically-acclaimed concert pianist Dr. Robert Henry
featuring critically-acclaimed concert pianist Dr. Robert Henry
Four students from our local community were chosen to participate in this amazing opportunity.
Although Masterclasses are usually held in front of a live audience, CFMTA decided to provide an alternative format this year due to COVID considerations. Robert Henry was gracious enough to accommodate our students by giving each one a 30-minute private lesson. All four of these students are currently preparing for the upcoming GMTA Auditions Competition. They are so lucky to receive further guidance from such an accomplished pianist!
I couldn't be more proud to host this event at my studio, and even more proud to have one of my own students selected to participate. To watch the Masterclasses, please visit the CFMTA Masterclass Page on the Coweta-FayetteMTA Website.
