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…
Take that Trouble Spot Out of the Box
In a perfect world we would all be perfectly prepared to tackle a piece before we ever attempted to learn it. Spoiler alert! The world is rarely perfect and neither…
Using Block Towers In Piano Practice
I love teaching intermediate students who have come back to piano after some time away or who are mostly self-taught. They are all passionate about music. Most read well, can…
Graceful? Simple? Dramatic? Crafting an Effective Ending
I discuss beginnings with my students often. Does the piece open into an ongoing plot like a certain Star Wars film? Must they imagine and set the atmosphere, then let…
Rubato: Naughty or Nice?
Santa's Naughty Musicianship Listening to the Christmas station on Pandora while driving certainly helps to mitigate my stress and allow the holiday spirit to overcome the awful traffic and rude…