May 2018: Perspectives
May 2018; Vol. 10, No. 3
Change When you think of the word “change,” what comes to your mind? Without trying to think too hard, or second guess if I am after something specific, find a piece of paper and a pen/pencil (remember those?), or go to your computer or other device...
May 2018: Closer Look
May 2018; Vol. 10, No. 3
An invitation to the piano party SE3-4) Lang Lang Academy: The Lang Lang Piano Method, Levels 1-5, by Lang Lang. No one could ever rightfully accuse Lang Lang of a lack of enthusiasm. The pianist is known for his chops, his energetic and physical stage presence,...
Too much of a good thing: The dangers of over-demonstrating in a piano lesson
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
The scope of teaching tools at the disposal of any music instructor is often as rich as the music they teach. Since the earliest days of education, there has been an ongoing evolution of what teaching is, how learning happens, what role the teacher plays...
March 2018: First Looks: New Music Reviews
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
(SE3-4) Fantasia del Tango: 6 Original Piano Solos and 1 Duet, by Eugénie Rocherolle Fantasia del Tango augments The Eugénie Rocherolle Series with a volume of tangos by a perennial favorite pedagogical composer. Dedicated to Kathleen Theisen, the seven pieces in this collection (six solos and one duet) present a solid introduction...
March 2018: First Looks: Apps for Teaching
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
Looking for fresh ways to prepare students for an upcoming theory test? Need a new method to reinforce and build student confidence in any music-related topic? Consider using Heads Up or Kahoot. Heads up Ellen DeGeneres introduced Heads Up for her show years ago, as...
Benjamin Grosvenor: Beyond His Years
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
When Benjamin Grosvenor walked onto the stage of Oberlin College’s Finney Chapel, he easily could have been mistaken for one of the many piano majors on campus. From the opening measures of the Bach French Suite in G Major, however, any thoughts that Grosvenor was...
March 2018: The Winds of Change
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
You may have heard that I am retiring from my teaching position. If all goes according to plan, 2017–2018 will be my final year of piano “professordom.” It was not an easy decision, but after forty years in the studio, it’s time to make room for others. I will still teach, but...
From Schumann to Schoenberg
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
Blaues Selbstportrait, 1910 by Schoenberg Breakfast was not a good idea before tackling measures seven and eight that featured sixty-fourth notes and tremolos, as well as a meter shift from 6/8 and 3/8 to 2/4, among other mind-bending directions. Is playing music meant to induce...
Why Don’t You Come Out of the Pantry? Is Left-Handed Piano Music Anything More Than Just a Historical Curiosity?
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
Why should a pianist with both hands in perfectly working order bother to devote their time and energy to study—not to mention perform—compositions or arrangements for the left hand alone? Is there any value in exposing oneself to that obscure genre? And what if you actually have some inclination towards it, but...
March 2018: Create and Motivate
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
The previous issue’s column included a list of the benefits of scale practice as well as an approach to “squaring” scales to fit the four- and eight-measure phrase lengths so common in piano literature. Now, here’s another way to practice scales for advancing pianists. Assign...
March 2018: Poetry Corner: Gradus Ad Parnassum
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
Oh I know If I’d practiced the piano I’d never be so low As I now am Where’s Sylvia Beerman? Married, rich and cool In New Rochelle She was nobody’s fool, She didn’t write in verse She hardly wrote at all She rose she didn’t...
March 2018: Pupil Saver
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
Got a Pupil Saver? We love to hear from you. If you are interested in submitting your Pupil Saver for consideration, please contact Susan Geffen at m.editor@claviercompanion.com Pikes Peak Rag by Melody Bober Sometimes, a jaunty little rag is just what students need to rejuvenate...
March 2018: Making Money, Making Space
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
The swap list: Rules of engagement More and more teachers are moving to a no-makeup-lessons policy and reaping the emotional and physical rewards of not giving away too much of their time.1 But for most teachers who have this policy, “no make-ups” does not mean...
March 2018: Mind Matters
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
What is your performance fear? I just returned home from doing an interview with Dave Wagner, host par excellence, at the WRCJ-FM in Detroit. It felt wonderful to walk into the studio on a frigid morning here in Michigan and to be warmly welcomed with...
Rediscovering the Past: Alexander Borovsky
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
Editor’s note: Clavier Companion reviewed these recordings for the May/June 2018 issue. Click here to read it. It is a delight to uncover lost gems from the last century such as Alexander Borovsky, a great 20th century pianist and teacher, and his paper entitled “The...