This Week I Learned Some Things About Making Videos
We're definitely not in Kansas anymore. As one of my teaching friends put it, within the last week and a half, we musicians and teachers have completely upended our entire…
Seven Pieces To Play When You’re Feeling Expressive
One evening, after a truly rotten day, I came home feeling drained and out of sorts. Traffic had been terrible, practicing had been a hard slog, and there was this…
How To Teach Composition Remotely (with a little help from some Cereal)
I absolutely love it when fellow teachers get creative with my teaching tools. After all, my motto for Fistful of Notes is; Because a good teaching tool shouldn't just work…
Advice for Balancing Family and Profession When Working Remotely
I once started a joint conference presentation by saying, For the past few years I’ve been collaborating with this guy I met on the ;It was actually the truth. There were…
Key Signature and Accidental Potholes: 5 Ways to Fix Them
My Dad taught me to drive. He spent many hours on the road for work and was a demanding teacher. One day we were practicing on a back road that…
The Enterprising Pianist: Story, Music, Art, Video
When I was a kid, I was kind of addicted to the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. The idea of reading a story and being able to proactively change…
Materials for a New Year: 7 Things to Keep in Mind
It’s back to piano again. For me the start of a new semester can be both exciting and overwhelming. There are new students to get to know and ongoing students…
Piano Maker’s Corner: Engineering Soundboards With Carbon Fibre
This article was written by Richard Dain. Additional comments, photos, videos etc. by Doug Chapman. The best soundboards need to be light weight and very stiff. We, at Hurstwood…