It’s so wonderful to have cyber colleagues. Lately some of mine have launched new projects and even a blog or two. I celebrate with them as they add new facets to their careers. A web guru friend cautioned me to beware of promoting others’ work lest it pull readers away from my own. But, I just don’t see it like that. I think there’s room for all of us. So does pianist, Lara Downes.

In her post, Frenemies: Sharing the Bench, Lara addressed the question of why she uses her blog to “boost the competition”. She gave 3 basic reasons for the possibly non-strategic move of giving exposure to others.

1. To communicate with my comrades in arms…

2. To give a peek into the weird and wonderful world of the professional pianist…

3. To make the point that all of us are very different people – emphasis on people – with different stories to tell and different ways of approaching our instrument, our music and our lives…

Add students and amateur pianists to numbers 1 & 2 and, voila, you have the very reasons I started Piano Addict. So without further ado, here’s what some friends (new and old) have been up to. Congrats to them and enjoy!

  • Malan Wilkinson recently moved her blog, Pianists From The Inside, to a new home on WordPress. Catch Malan and a host of pianists in her insightful interviews.
  • Erica Ann Sipes, of Beyond the Notes, has added practice coaching to her busy career. Check out her blog and FB page for details and, of course, her wise and entertaining posts.
  • Irina Gorin started a new Facebook Group, The Art of Piano Pedagogy.  The group went live in the middle of June and already has over 1500 members! Discussions range from transfer students, to upcoming educational opportunities, to technique, to studio organization. I find the discussions & comments by teachers -from studio to university- both challenging and enlightening.
  • Frances Wilson and her blog, The Cross-Eyed Pianist have headed in new interesting new directions. Her new series, Meet the Artist, features interviews with a range of musicians- instrumentalists, conductors, and composers. She also has begun to regularly feature short beautifully detailed descriptions of piano repertoire. Have a look!
  • Many of you remember Geraldine in a Bottle, in which Geraldine Boyer-Cussac gave candid and very helpful advice in all aspects of a career in piano.  Well, she has taken that idea to the next level and launched instead, The Successful Musician, a blog dedicated to supporting musicians in their career choices. From gigging to score preparation to naming your price and getting it, you will find it here.
  • NPR’s Deceptive Cadence has recently featured two new series: In Practice, a series of videos invading the space of prominent musicians and The Young Persons Guide To Making Music which includes advice from young musicians and their mentors on topics ranging from anxiety to stage parenting, to finding the right teacher. Don’t miss out!
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