I’m a TFDer: The Play in Playing the Piano
In her book, Bird by Bird, Ann Lamott writes about the common fantasy view of successful writers as people who “sit down at their desks every morning feeling like a…
Creativity & Method
I was pursuing the old inter-web this morning and came across an interview with Montreal pianist, André Laplante. In it Mr. Laplante touches on the difference between piano performance and art.…
Summer Reading
For me, one of the great things about summer is that I have the time to catch up on my reading. Actually, it is 100+ degrees for months on end…
Clara & Robert Sitting in a Tree
I have always secretly had it in for Clara Schumann. There was that Trio that I was forced to work on for an entire semester and then there is the…
Great Expectations
Saturday night I tripped in a parking lot and was instantly involved in a spectacular fall. No, contrary to rumors, I was not attacked by ninjas nor did I lay…
Day After Day
Some time ago, I was at the checkout counter at the grocery store after 9 pm. It had been a long day of piano practice, a meeting, dog training, some…
Momentous Playing
The great comedian Bill Cosby said- Don’t play the moment- find the honesty in the moment. That is a mouthful for sure. I recently asked my students how they thought…
It Sounded Better At Home
"The really exciting part," said Eeyore in his most melancholy voice, "is that when I left it this morning it was there, and when I came back it wasn't.” We…