My students are awesome! Last night was piano recital night at our college and it went wonderfully. This was the first time, since I have been teaching there, that we have had a piano recital to ourselves without sharing with vocalists or strings. While I miss the chance to plan with my colleagues and support them, I am thankful that nobody had to accompany and then turn around and play a solo on the same program.

My friend Nancy, who is also a piano teacher, once told me that studios are tribal. We had done a joint recital and while the students played well, the audience did not enjoy the event as we thought they would. They resented having to listen to students from the neighboring pianistic tribe.

Perhaps our success last night can be partially attributed to the fact that everybody there was there to enjoy piano music—the EAC Piano Tribe if you will. (OK, it is true that all music majors must attend 3 of the student recitals offered each semester. Still, they chose us!)

My mantra over these last two weeks has been- it’s not about the notes (INATN). Against that little voice inside me, which was often screaming at me to fix- correct- repair, I told my students it was their job to be sure the notes and rhythms were at the service of the music.

When a student would stop and apologize for missing the Ab or the diminished 7th or the triplets, I would quietly say- this is about the music. Several times yesterday, during the only rehearsals students had on our lovely Yamaha in the hall, I had to say it more than quietly.

While I did have to administer some emergency musical surgery, in most cases the students fixed nagging problems because they didn’t want them to spoil their own or the audience’s experiences. There were no disabling attacks of nerves causing train wrecks. Student’s stayed “in character” when trouble arose and allowed the musical message to shine through.

Of course, there will always be some who play with great fire but without caring a whit for precision. And there will alas, always be audience members who praise them for it. That is, perhaps, a topic for another blog post.

Overall, I consider that our listening project and ongoing musical adjectives project (See Playful with a Hint of Brooding) were and are a howling success—with a little help from well timed use of our new tribal mantra, INATN.

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