PA Shorts: Soulful Stuff
A young student and I have been practicing and improvising with 5 finger and chord patterns in all keys. This week we began to explore the minor keys and delighting in how…
I Just Like It
Why music and piano? The question has come up many times over the years, asked by relatives, teachers and mentors, and people in business who clearly thought I needed a…
Playing With Wolfgang: Do Or Do Not
I stomped in the house, blew past my Mom and slammed my bedroom door behind me. Actually it might have been the first time I had ever done such a…
PA Shorts: Do It Again…
The following funny struck a chord (voiced of course) with myself and many others when it went live last week. Most of us who are teachers have experienced both sides…
Vintage PA: 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…
Playing With Wolfgang: How Messiaen Taught Me The Law of Opposites
I was immersed in 5 pieces from Messiaen’s Contemplations of the Infant Jesus. It’s hard not to be once you step through the rabbit hole and begin working on them.…
Great Finds: Stories, Technique, & Pianism
Stories, Images, and Magic from the Piano Literature Neil Rutman From Bach to Scarlatti, to Beethoven, to Schubert, to Granados, to Prokofiev, these 190 pages will inspire pianists of all…
Playing With Wolfgang: A Romantic Accusation 2
“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…