In this issue
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Isata Kanneh-Mason: A Rising Star
The Kanneh-Mason family is not your typical family. All seven siblings, whose ages range from nine to twenty-two, have achieved musical accomplishments far beyond their ages. …
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Clara Schumann: Role Model for the 21st Century
Clara Josephine Wieck was born two hundred years ago on September 13, 1819, in the German city of Leipzig. Her father Friedrich chose the name Clara,…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Elementary and Early-Intermediate Piano Music by Women
Every piece students play creates an opportunity to make an emotional impression on themselves and others. Experiencing a variety of well-chosen literature helps students to further…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Brazilian Dance Music For Intermediate and Early Advanced Students
Francisca (Chiquinha) Gonzaga is one of the most important Brazilian composers from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Born in 1847 in Rio de Janeiro, her personal…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Undiscovered Gems of Canadian Pedagogical Piano Literature: The Works of Violet Archer, Jean Coulthard, and Barbara Pentland
Canadian composers Violet Archer, Jeanne Coulthard, and Barbara Pentland were three amazing women composers representing different parts of Canada: Archer from Quebec, Coulthard from British Columbia,…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Diversifying Concert Programming: Introducing Works for Solo Piano by Asian Female Composers
As a performing musician, I am always looking for ways to expand my concert repertoire, not only to promote diversity in music programming but also to…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Autumn 2019: Questions & Answers
Note from Sam Holland The great psychologist, Abraham Maslow once observed, "In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Myra Hess and Wartime London, 1939-1945
Are the arts a societal luxury or a necessity? How do people respond to the arts during times of suffering and destruction? The destruction of World…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Autumn 2019: Life in Music
The process of redesigning the Piano Magazine gave us, as an organization, the occasion to reflect and innovate. During that process, it emerged that it would be valuable…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Autumn 2019: Keyboard Kids
To print or save, use the PDF below. Hover your cursor over the document and a black bar should appear with print and download icons. Download…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Piano Pedagogy’s Towers of Technology
In many fields, it can be hard to find central figures who aren't men. In the niche of keyboard pedagogy technologies, however, many significant practices and…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Appreciating Our Inheritance of Piano Technique Literature
Pianist and pedagogue Joseph Hofmann states: "To transmit one's matured conception to one's auditors requires a considerable degree of mechanical skill, and this skill, in its…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Autumn 2019: Recordings
FARRENC: VARIATIONS FOR PIANOBiliana Tzinlikova, pianoPaladino Music PMR 0088[Total Time: 53:02]www.paladino.at This is a significant new recording of Louise Farrenc's piano works. The program consists of four…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Examining the Life and Works of Louise Farrenc
Female composers have been historically underrepresented in the canon of piano literature. Although celebrated in her time, Louise Farrenc—French composer, virtuoso pianist, editor, and professor at…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Autumn 2019: Book Review
In Transformational Piano Teaching: Mentoring Students from All Walks of Life, Derek Kealii Polischuk provides an overview of various student populations we might encounter as piano teachers, and offers…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Autumn 2019: Pupil Saver: The Peacock by Olive Dungan
Olive Dungan's intermediate solo, The Peacock (a Poem without Words) was first published in 1953. I have found that students today still delight in this musical depiction of…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Autumn 2019: New Music & Materials
(S4-5) PIANO PIECES by Otilie Sukov Very little is known about the composer Otilie Suková (1878–1905), yet a great deal is known about her famous father, Antonín Dvorák.…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
First Looks: Music for Young Children® (MYC®), A group piano program for young children
MUSIC FOR YOUNG CHILDREN (MYC) is a piano-focused music curriculum designed for age-based classes of up to six children (ages 3–9). Founded in Canada by Frances Balodis program's focus on group learning and…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
2019 Collegiate Writing Contest Winner: Helping Students Develop a Mature “Why”
2019 Collegiate Writing Contest Winner: Alissa Dorman This past May, the Piano Magazine held the ninth annual Collegiate Writing Contest. Collegiate students from across the country submitted 1,500-word essays…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Finding Fingerings that Fit
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,…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Pianist, Patron, and Philanthropist: An Interview with Paloma O’Shea
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…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
A Diary of Clara Schumann’s Last Years of Teaching
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)…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
2019 Collegiate Writing Contest Runner-Up: The A-B-C’s of Nocturne Repertoire: Alexander Before Chopin
By Michaela Boros Piano students transitioning from method books to standard intermediate repertoire often yearn to study the beautiful and deservedly popular Chopin Nocturnes. However, these…
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
Autumn 2019: Editor’s Letter
Indeed, one of my areas of formal research is understanding how musicians maintain careers across an entire lifespan. It is no surprise that professional musicians engage…