A bravura piece for the left hand
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
Melody Bober’s multivolume set of Grand One-Hand Solos for Piano (Alfred) offers some really cool pieces for the intermediate-to-late-intermediate pianist. Although they are written for one hand (either right or left), the compositions are interesting, musical, and highly motivational. Many teachers will use this collection when they are...
Creating cherpumple
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
You may wonder what baking a cake and giving a performance could possibly have in common, and I have to admit that I never thought about it until the other day. There is something helpful to be learned about yourself in everything you do. Recently...
Three keys to making a consistent income
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
One of the unhealthy mindsets in our profession is the notion that piano teachers cannot make a reasonable or a consistent income. This is tragic because it is simply not true! Adjusting your business policy to ensure a consistent and reasonable income can be accomplished...
Studio policies for your sporadic adult students
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
I am a very happy and fairly healthy “Baby Boomer”—my father was a World War II veteran, and I was born in the fifties. We “Boomers” are your current and upcoming adult piano students. Why? Because we realize we have more to learn—we are excited...
More Than Just the Notes: An Interview with Sean Chen
May 2015; Vol. 7, No. 3
Attendees of the 2015 National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy will have the exciting opportunity to hear guest artist Sean Chen—a brilliant pianist who was the first American in sixteen years to win an award (the third-place Crystal) at the 2013 Van Cliburn competition. Among his...
The many benefits of teaching in a large program
May 2015; Vol. 7, No. 3
As musicians and music teachers, we are immersed in a field that necessarily comprises creativity, not just in the finished product of our art, but also in the way in which we accomplish that art. As such, there is an endless array of teaching environments...
The miracle of music: An interview with Stephen Hough
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Stephen Hough has been called a Renaissance Man. In 2009 he was named one of the top twenty living polymaths by The Economist and Intelligent Life magazines. In addition to a full international concert schedule, the award-winning pianist and recording artist—who in 2014 was made...
Dorothy Stolzenbach Payne: Remembering a legendary Cincinnati piano teacher
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Last year I stumbled upon a short book called Is There a Piano in the House? This book is about the life of Dorothy Payne, well-known teacher and pianist in the Cincinnati area. I was astonished to read about a teacher who specialized in group...
The Future of Piano Teaching: Evaluating new teaching tools
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Editor’s note: In the November/December 2014 issue, Clavier Companion launched a series of articles addressing the future of piano teaching. This article is part of that series, which will continue in future issues. The tools for education have changed greatly in recent decades, and they are...
Advancing intermediate students
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
In today’s world where younger and younger students are effortlessly performing advanced repertoire, I want to gain insight from their teachers on how this has been accomplished with multiple students. Donald Morelock is one of these brilliant teachers. It is no accident that his students...
Comping 102 — Going further with “boom-chicks”
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Last time, we explored playing a basic (boom-chick) stride pattern to accompany students when no duet part is provided. Now, we’ll consider two ways to enhance and adapt this useful “stock” accompaniment. 1. Passing note bass Add variety and momentum to the steady boom-chick of...
Brahms and the women in his life
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Johannes Brahms was born into poverty on May 7, 1833, in Hamburg, Germany. His mother, whom Brahms adored, was seventeen years older than his father, a double bass player. Recognizing Johannes’s musical talents and thinking he might be another Beethoven, the father began giving Brahms...
Do perfect performances exist?
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Do you remember how old you were when you started playing the piano? How old were you when started lessons; when you played in your first recital? I recall picking out tunes on the piano when I was four years old. My first piano was...
Effective, enforceable studio policies
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Why do I need policies? Constructing effective and enforceable policies is ultimately about preserving relationships with our piano families. By communicating our expectations formally, we are making space to concentrate on what is most important—teaching. It may feel a bit stiff to require that parents...
January 2015: Variations: Take the leap
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Do you remember your first piano student? I certainly do. His name was Steve Glickman, and I was his fifth piano teacher in four years. It was 1974. I had just completed my Master’s degree in Piano Performance at Northwestern. True, I had studied Piano...