How an Alternatively Sized Keyboard Transformed my Artistry and Life as a Musician and Teacher
Autumn 2024; Vol 16, No. 3
I get asked this question a lot when I perform on an alternatively sized piano keyboard that better fits my hands. This well-meaning comment reveals inherent biases against using a smaller keyboard for greater artistic possibilities. Does playing on a smaller keyboard in some way...
A Quick Look at Wellness: What Pianists Should Know
Discovery homeSign up for email updatessubmit a question Special thanks to the NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference Wellness Committee for their contributions to this post. Why is wellness an important topic for pianists today? It is known that few pianists go through life without encountering...
Self-Compassion In the Studio: Helping our Students Practice with Kindness
Winter 2020; Vol. 11, No. 5
As musicians striving towards perfection, we engage in destructive self-talk while practicing, undermining our confidence, disconnecting us from our bodies, and cutting us off from authentic artistic expression. With increasing rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents and teens, our young students often feel overwhelmed and unworthy while...
Tips for Healthy Remote Teaching
Summer 2021; Vol. 13, No. 2
While preparing for the 2021 National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, members of the Committee on Wellness for the Pianist collaborated to establish wellness tips specifically for teachers. At the beginning of the pandemic, most students and instructors were obliged to cope with the challenge of...