In this issue
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
The gift of music: Teaching piano in a women’s correctional institution
"Most people take piano lessons as a child, not as a middle-aged woman in prison." These words, spoken by a piano student at the Goodman Correctional…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
A moment that makes a difference
Teaching music to prison inmates is exactly 30.8 miles from my front door in suburbia to the thick metal door of the Warren Correctional Institution, home to…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
The Cincinnati Adaptive Music Camp
The Cincinnati Adaptive Music Camp (CAMC) was born out of a dream that violin teacher Jennifer Petry had to expand her teaching experience with her own…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
Adaptive Approaches to Piano Study
Early in my piano education, I realized that sometimes I would need to play with my hands crossed. After I announced to my parents that I…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
More than a lesson: Piano study and students with special needs
Students with special needs face unique challenges every day, and those challenges may become pronounced in the intense interpersonal environment of the piano lesson. Many of…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
Notable next-door neighbors
Many music theory textbooks illustrate melodies that often consist, in part, of chord tones—the notes that match an underlying harmonic progression. An example of this may be…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
Music by heart: Tips on memorizing more efficiently
More than one hundred years ago, at a Paris book stall by the river Seine, a young German scientist had a flash of inspiration—an idea that changed…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
Creating by chance
Can't get started making your own music? No excuses! Use the laws of chance to prime your creative pump. In the eighteenth century, Mozart devised a game…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
Gretchaninoff’s musical gems
My teacher Eugene List once commented, "The piano literature is so vast, that at any level pianists can find beautiful music they are able to play."…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
Imagination and mischief
Students who love stories of magical worlds and mythical creatures will jump at the chance to learn William Gillock's early-intermediate "Elfin Pranks." This whimsical piece set…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
The power of one–a legacy of beautiful music
Back in the 1930s a young Venezuelan pianist wished to further her musical studies, and did exactly what many aspiring musicians from North and South America…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
Preparing the mind and body for performance: Conquering stage fright through effective practice
The brain is a complex organ. It controls our systemic functions and sparks our moods, thoughts, and actions. Physiologically, the brain registers fear differently, depending upon the…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
July 2014: Questions and Answers: Recollections of Louise Goss
In lieu of questions in this issue, the author will share recollections of Louise Goss, visionary teacher, author, composer, editor, and friend who passed away this Spring.…
July 2014; Vol. 6, No. 4
Génie Oblige: Franz Liszt and musical service
For Franz Liszt, music was a moral force. He would surely have agreed with Alfred Cortot who used to proclaim, "Music forces Mankind to confront its nobility."…