Looking in the Mirror
Last week, I was given the gift of seeing myself and my teaching from without on two different occasions. Firstly, Matthew Odell was at the college to do a workshop…
PA Shorts: Competition With A Twist
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of adjudicating for a piano competition about a 90 minute drive from here. The format was pretty much what you would expect: four divisions…
Middle Parts & Orphans
“I’ve played piano for over 30 years and nobody has ever told me to start in the middle of a measure,” said one of my adult students last week. She…
Some Sage Advice
Often when I am teaching and practicing, I say or do something successful and think, "How did I know that?" Sometimes, I can mentally thank the person who blessed me…
Vintage PA: The Uncertainty Principle
Remember my story wherein Teacher 42 became so uncomfortable with musical choices that she finally said, "You mean there's no right way?" I concluded that I had given that teacher…
PA Shorts: Ignition – Blast Off!
Since I have been convalescing and forbidden to do anything particularly physical, I have had a lot of time to read. Two tidbits struck my fancy this week. The first…
Vintage PA: What’s On The Inside
“Wow !” I said, “You are like a different pianist!” And she was. Before, there had been surges and awkward accents in the opening to her Intermezzo, impossible to remove…
Artist Portrait: Reuel Meditz
This Artist Portrait comes to you in a bit of a different format. Because of Reuel's tour schedule, we were unable to video Skype our interview. So, we talked on…