So Not About The Notes
Without question our studio motto is: Not About The Notes (#NATN). Against that little voice inside me, which often screams, “fix-correct-repair,” I remind myself to step back and let students take…
Vintage PA: Happy Little Trees
One evening, while my class piano students were working on their improvs for the midterm, I suddenly found myself saying, “You don’t need to apologize! Maybe in your world there’s…
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…
Piano Maker’s Corner: A Truly Moving Tale
This month, Daniel Ley tells us the tale of an unusual piano delivery he once made. This story made me think again about how we never know who our music…
Playing With Wolfgang: Random & Awkward Redeemed
I remember a feeling of complete frustration and incomprehension. It happened frequently during my undergraduate years. But two incidents really stand out from the rest. The music? Liszt’s Sonetto 104…
Lapbook Project For High Schoolers
Last semester I asked my high schoolers who study at the college to create a lapbook detailing one of their performance pieces. Some had no idea what a lapbook was.…
Playing With Wolfgang: Wolf In The Dark
Today's Playing With Wolfgang was written by Ellen Shallcross. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving! I grew up in a musical household. My dad was always listening to classical recordings, my mom taught…