PA Shorts: Finding Waldo
“You need to find Waldo,” I said. It was true. Maggie was working on polishing the Bartok Sonatina and it needed character, action, detail, and nuance to truly come to…
Artist Portrait: Ola Gjeilo
Say hello to composer and pianist Ola Gjeilo. Ola's concert works are performed all over the world and he recently finished a residency with the Phoenix Chorale. Both of his…
Taking My Own Medicine
Last Wednesday evening I played a recital with Soprano Cynthia Sanner. It was a privilege to play the repertoire she had chosen—some works were new to me and others I…
PA Shorts: On Forging A Personal Musical Connection
I'm always encouraging students to find something personal in their music—something from their own lives and experience. Often, they look at me like I have lobsters crawling out of my…
Vintage PA: Amateur Exploration 2
Yesterday''s wonderful post on amateur pianism by Fran Wilson, More Than Hobbyists, deserves some extra airtime. "...all the amateur pianists I have met and know play the piano because they…
Resolutions: Salvage & Recycle
It happens to all of us. We set goals and start out with such good intentions. Then, the world gets in the way and, little by little, we lose our…
Vintage PA: Chestnuts II, A Rubato Geek Vindicated
I think piano students can learn more from Frank Sinatra about phrasing and rubato than from most classical instrumentalists. — Stephen Hough (@houghhough) December 12, 2013 I couldn't agree more.…
Touch & Go
Megan sighed, “I’ve never been able to play louder with one hand and softer with the other. I just can’t do it.” We had been working on balance of layers…