Ogres Are Like Onions: Listening to Layers
In the middle of a lesson a few weeks ago, I found myself saying, “Music is like onions.” There was no laugh or questioning look. My student simply sat and…
Presents Under The Piano
My favorite holiday note ever is written on a piece of binder paper in pencil and goes like this: Thank you for being my piano teacher. I hope to be…
Aging Audiences, Elitism, Strong Bass, & Dumbed Down Ears: A Kind of Rant
For years there has been discussion ad-nauseam about the aging of classical audiences and what the best ways are to engage and connect with younger audiences. Don’t get me wrong…
eBooks: Chord Piano Is Fun & Three Books on Practice
Chord Piano is Fun! by, TK Goforth If you want to learn how to play from lead sheets or need a refresher on keys, scales, and chord construction, this book…
Becoming a Non-Commissioned Piano Teacher
The tweet said, "Make time for non-commissioned work." I thought, Non-commissioned??? Have I ever even been given a commission??? This week, thanks to a post by Richard Byrne of Free…
A New Tribal Mantra
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…
Mind Your Manners
A couple of years ago our Fine Arts Department hosted a series of piano masterclasses and an evening recital. Our school is located in a rural area about hours away…
Yodeling Puff The Magic Dragon
It started with a performance of a method book piece with the word Yodel in the title. “It sounds weird,” said my young student, “and I don’t understand why that…