Adaptive Piano Lessons: An Incredible Adventure
January 2019; Vol. 11, No. 1
According to dictionary.com, to adapt means “to adjust, or modify fittingly to requirements or conditions.”1 Although the demands are many, piano teachers routinely adapt instruction to meet the needs of their students and should consider three ways of adapting piano lessons to the individual student. First, recognize when a student has a unique situation...
Spring 2019: Questions and Answers
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
Q: I’ve read that robots and artificial intelligence will eliminate 50 million jobs in the US within the next few years. Are the robots coming for OUR jobs—even in the arts? Even in music and teaching? A: The source of the statistic you cite is a...
Spring 2019: New Music Reviews
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
(S1-3) Imaginations Books 1 and 2, by Kevin Olson. Kevin Olson has a knack for creating fresh and original sounds at every teaching level. While incorporating the reading, rhythmic, and technical skills needed to advance the piano student, Imaginations offers a wide variety of appealing pieces. With...
Spring 2019: Poetry Corner
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
Mouse II Today I’m a mouseminute enoughto patter along the pedalsinto the pianoThe smell of this feltyou must realizeis something divineassailing our nosesover a distance of milesEagerlywe set about the hammersexploiting them to build our neststhen we nibble at the dampersuntil they stop dampingWhat’s the...
A Partnership in Music and Life
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
An Interview with Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy is thrilled to welcome Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow as the 2019 NCKP Conference Artists. This will be the second appearance at NCKP for the wife-husband duo, having first performed in 2005...
Technology Review: Slack — A Time-Saving App for Collaborative Projects
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
Music teachers who collaborate with other equally busy musicians, must find creative ways around full schedules and unusual working hours. Email, text message, and social media platforms are cumbersome when communicating about team teaching, shared events, and group organizations. Consider a new tool to facilitate shared...
Spring 2019: Book Review
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
The Contemporary Piano: A Performer and Composer’s Guide to Techniques and Resources, by Alan Shockley. The introduction to Alan Shockley’s The Contemporary Piano: A Performer and Composer’s Guide to Techniques and Resources indicates that the “book is designed as a resource for composers writing for the...
Recovering from Focal Dystonia
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
2018 marked my twenty-fifth year of living with focal dystonia in my right hand. During this time not only have I learned much about this condition, I’ve also learned a great deal about human anatomy, musician’s wellness, the brain, and perhaps most importantly, how to practice...
Dystonia: Thoughts and Attitudes
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
When a doctor diagnosed me with focal dystonia in 1996, it was as if a line suddenly divided my life between “before dystonia” and “after dystonia.” Numerous physicians had already given me other diagnoses, but this one was different—it could mean the end of performing....
Dean Elder: Forever Missed, But Never Forgotten!
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
On December 3, 2018, the piano world lost a true icon of the profession, Dean Elder. His life ended, but his brilliance lives on in the amazing legacy that he left for generations of future pianists. Harold Schonberg said, “Dean Elder is one of the few...
Spring 2019: Pupil Saver: Muzio Yankee van Doodle?
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
What do you get when you combine an American folk tune with eighteenth century quintessential Classical style? “Yankee Doodle arranged as a Rondo” by American composer Benjamin Carr! Carr was British-born, but moved to the United States in 1793 and made his home in Philadelphia....
Bringing Performance Experience with a Period Piano to a Modern One
Spring 2019; Vol. 11, No. 2
If Mozart had had a modern concert grand piano, would he have composed the same music? Absolutely not! No doubt, he would have been strongly influenced by the characteristics of the modern instrument, and his musical approach on the piano would have been completely different. Why...
Finding Fingerings that Fit
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
The impact of hand size is attracting much attention in the piano world. Several studies have demonstrated that the conventional piano keyboard is sized for a relatively large hand, presenting challenges for small-handed pianists as well as raising the risk of injury.1 Areas of particular concern for small-handed pianists include navigating...
Pianist, Patron, and Philanthropist: An Interview with Paloma O’Shea
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Paloma O’Shea is a pianist, patron of the arts, and philanthropist. In her presence, one senses a formidable intellect, great passion, and a personal distinction that belongs to the age of aristocracy. She is intense, but affable and her eyes twinkle as she talks about her life and great loves. At...
A Diary of Clara Schumann’s Last Years of Teaching
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Because of poor health, Clara Schumann (1819–1896) gave notice in February 1892 that she would no longer teach at the Frankfurt Conservatory. Her daughters Marie (1841–1929) and Eugenie (1851–1938) also left the conservatory at the same time. The next month Eugenie became ill and remained in a weakened state for several...