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…
A Shocking Discovery
My husband and I were in the car to make our weekly grocery run. Schumann- he said in response to the in progress piece on the radio. Fantasiestucke- I said.…
Philosophically Speaking
My colleague Elaine tells of the teacher who was asked about her teaching philosophy during a certification exam and answered, "Oh, I teach the Alfred method." Methodology and philosophy are…
A Romantic Accusation
“You’re a romantic!” said my teacher in a surprised voice, as though this explained everything he found perplexing about me. I had never been accused of being anything but a…
A Little Technical Cheer
Ok girls and boys, it’s football season and in this grand tradition let's do a little cheering! Give me a D! Give me an E! Give me an E! Give…