PA Shorts: Ignition – Blast Off!
Since I have been convalescing and forbidden to do anything particularly physical, I have had a lot of time to read. Two tidbits struck my fancy this week. The first…
Guest Post: Teaching Students From Different Backgrounds, Neeki Bey
Those of you who know me, know that I am totally against, what my friend calls, "drive by arts experiences". These experiences can encompass a range of genres; the Chopin…
Lately, Some Things Have Made Me Smile
Hearing Emily tell me a passage of fingering in her Chopin Waltz was Stupid, tell me why, and give a crackerjack way to fix it. Listening to some awesome Beethoven from…
PA Shorts: Hard Work
How often do our students (and occasionally ourselves) end up banging against a brick wall (figuratively speaking) because we need to change our game plan and gain the knowledge and…
Review: Tales of a Musical Journey
Irina Gorin’s Tales of a Musical Journey starts a young beginner on a trek through an enchanted musical land called The Magical Kingdom of Sounds. Along the way, students meet…
Playing With Wolfgang
No one was more surprised than I when I conceived of the Menuetto to my Mozart Sonata as a heated discussion between a married couple. When I talked about it,…
Artist Portrait: Sarah Fimm
Last week, singer songwriter Sarah Fimm and I chatted via Skype about what drew her into music, her teachers and mentors, helping young artists, her new album Near Infinite Possibility,…
In Your Face Two
Remember the old story about the class of young music students who were told by the teacher that they must all comment after each other’s performances, and, they must always…