May 2016: Mind Matters: Less is More
May 2016; Vol. 8, No. 3
Full disclosure: I have repeatedly tried to write this column for a couple of weeks. I have thought about it for much longer. I usually have my Clavier Companion column completed long before it is due. I do not like last minute crunches. I have...
Five income-affecting policy tweaks
May 2016; Vol. 8, No. 3
As you review and send out your new studio policy for the coming year, it might be wise to re-examine a few important aspects of that policy. These five income-affecting policy tweaks have the potential to generate more income or more cash in hand, thus...
May 2016: Questions and Answers
May 2016; Vol. 8, No. 3
Q: Is piano study for everyone? Why or why not? A: There’s an answer to this question that I WISH were true. And there’s another answer that probably IS true. WISH piano study was for everyone because I believe that everyone—at any age, with any...
Tone production: Doing the right things for the right reasons
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
As a sophomore in college, I performed in a master class given by a former Van Cliburn Competition medalist. At one point, I was asked to play certain chords so that my fingers moved toward the fallboard as they depressed the keys, and this was...
The Sound of the future
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
Editor’s note: In the November/December 2014 issue, Clavier Companion launched a series of articles addressing the future of piano teaching. The following article is part of that series. In the mid 1900s, electronically produced sounds were only available to an elite group of composers, artists,...
The dynamics of sound and time
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
Music is at once simple and complex. We hear it, and we are moved by the feelings the music evokes. Yet, it is also a complex matter. There are eight ingredients of music: medium (the sound), meter-tempo-rhythm (the time), melody (the tune), harmony (the chords), texture...
Learning to play by ear
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
The purpose of this exercise is to plant a seed of playing by ear in fertile minds, a seed that could germinate and result in life-long learning. A command of basic chords is important, but expanding your vocabulary of chords can become a source of...
Twenty-first century trends in computer-assisted ear training
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
A fine chef is expected to taste a dish and identify the key ingredients and an artist is expected to identify the nuances of color and shade, yet many young and inexperienced musicians do not fully understand or appreciate the need to accurately hear and identify...
Blues 103-Improvisation
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
In the last two columns, we looked at the steps involved in composing and varying a basic Blues melody. The next step is to stretch the form even further by adding improvisation. Blues scales You know how it feels good to complain a little now...
Learning John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
I couldn’t use percussion instruments for Syvilla’s dance, though, suggesting Africa, they would have been suitable; they would have left too little room [on the stage] for her to perform. I was obliged to write a piano piece. I spent a day or so conscientiously...
Vivid imagery in a piece from China
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
The Chinese composition “The Young Shepherd with his Little Flute” (in Chinese Folk Music for Children, Schott/Hal Leonard) is not only accessible for late-intermediate pianists, but has a colorful image that will motivate students. When I presented a poster session about the piece at the...
Girl Scout tricks: What music teachers can learn about retention from scouting
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
Who would have thought that my experiences and the training I received as a Girl Scout leader would influence my approach to piano teaching? Good retention is as important to the Scouts as it is for piano teachers. Teens everywhere are busier than ever, and...
If my studio is full, why should I keep marketing?
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
Marketing piano lessons is most often used to refer to the process of obtaining new piano students. Consequently, when our studio is full or has a waiting list, it is easy to think that we no longer need to market. But marketing is also about retaining...
Music notation: A brief look at its historical evolution
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
In early Medieval times, if one wanted to learn a song, one listened to someone sing it. It wasn’t until the ninth century that monks began to experiment with various ways of notating music in written form, with the goal of helping people across a wide...
Why do you play the piano?
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
For years, I have written about and counseled many people regarding their performance anxiety. I have lectured on the topics of symptoms and symptom reduction, as well as deeper psychological issues that fuel stage fright. I have heard numerous comments about “wanting to play perfectly,” “wanting the...