It’s just like riding a bike
Keyboard Companion Autumn 2008; Vol. 19, No. 3
That’s a phrase we hear and say all the time, but until recently I hadn’t put too much thought into what it really means. We say it when we want to imply that a task is natural, instinctive, and easily recalled by our memory – typically our kinesthetic memory. We use...
A student’s view of the benefits of piano study
Keyboard Companion Autumn 2007; Vol. 18, No. 3
When a parent (or child) inevitably asks the questions “why piano lessons?”, there are a variety of potential responses. From the purist music for music’s sake perspective to the pragmatic and practical account of the many non-musical benefits of music study, there is much to discuss...
Yoda Eats Mushroom Pizza
September 2017; Vol. 9, No. 5
It’s the last lesson before the recital. Garrett, age five, is playing “Graduation March,” the final piece in Time to Begin from The Music Tree. The B section is made up entirely of half notes and whole notes. The good news? Garrett’s rhythm is perfect; a huge improvement...
Letter to the Editor: September/October 2017
September 2017; Vol. 9, No. 5
Dear Editor, The Editor’s Page (“Who will save the guitar?” July/August 2017) commented on the 10,000 hour rule of thumb. This has been rumbling around in my mind for a little while as a confluence of discussions that all reference this “law” have been keeping...
Thank You
November 2017; Vol. 9, No. 6
This Editor’s column will be my last for Clavier Companion. After eleven years at the helm of this magazine and its predecessor, Keyboard Companion, I have decided to step aside. Eleven years is a long time, and I have enjoyed every moment of this wonderful ride. When...
Another World
March 2017; Vol. 9, No. 2
I recently had the privilege of attending the Winter meeting of the National Association for Music Merchants (NAMM) in Anaheim, California. This is one of the two biggest music industry trade shows in the world, and it was quite a spectacle. The Anaheim Convention Center covers...
May/June 2017: New Music Reviews
May 2017; Vol. 9, No. 3
(S3) Aurora: 5 Original Solos Inspired by the North, by Naoko Ikeda. Japanese composer Naoko Ikeda composed five lyrical character pieces based upon “the Scandanavian landscapes of [her] own imagination.” Aurora has the potential to motivate intermediate students, especially those who enjoy music with lyrical phrasing and...
News and Notes: May/June 2017
May 2017; Vol. 9, No. 3
Actors at the piano Musicians are occasionally disappointed to see inaccurate portrayals of instrumentalists performing in the movies or on TV. For close-up scenes of a character playing a musical instrument, many actors use hand doubles, or act out a performance which is later overdubbed by...
I Failed to Plan
May 2017; Vol. 9, No. 3
I try not to use clichés in this column, but lately I’ve been reminded of the ubiquitous quote, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” As commonplace as this saying is, it holds great truth. Some say this proverb dates back to Benjamin Franklin, though...
In Memoriam: Robert Vandall
May 2017; Vol. 9, No. 3
Robert Vandall, a beloved composer and teacher, passed away on Feburary 9, 2017. Vandall was born on February 15, 1944, in Ohio, and he earned music degrees from Baldwin-Wallace College and the University of Illinois. He owned and operated the Vandall Piano Studio for thirty-eight years,...
Who Will Save the Guitar?
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
In recent years, there’s been a lot of discussion about the state of the piano teaching industry. We know that piano sales have declined dramatically, but has there been a decline in the number of people studying piano? In the absence of thorough data, we...
A World of Music – Guide to the Seven Cover Story Articles for Jan/Feb 2018
January 2018; Vol. 10, No. 1
In less than forty-eight hours, it is possible to move between almost any two points on the globe. A hundred years ago, many of these journeys might have taken weeks or months. In addition to the incredible ease of physical travel, in the last ten...
Appreciation
January 2017; Vol. 9, No. 1
I recently had the pleasure of hosting ten high-school girls from Kenya. This was their first trip to the United States, and the girls have been part of an online music teaching program at The University of Georgia, where I teach. These girls were very...
Musical News and Notes: January/February 2017
January 2017; Vol. 9, No. 1
Benjamin Grosvenor awarded new Philharmonic prize Benjamin Grosvenor is the first recipient of the Ronnie and Lawrence Ackman Classical Piano Prize, the newest prize awarded by the New York Philharmonic. In October, a confidential panel of musicians selected Grosvenor, 24, as the inaugural recipient. The award includes a cash prize...
January/February 2017: Recent Research
January 2017; Vol. 9, No. 1
So happy together. An upcoming study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior finds that employees showed higher degrees of cooperation and lower degrees of self-interest when listening to happy music. Study participants took part in a public goods game that involved choices that were either...