In this issue
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
“I have a student who…”
The next time you are sitting with a group of teachers, count the number of times someone says, “I have a student who…” When I am…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
Blizzards, performances, and best-laid plans
So many of you experienced a winter similar to or much worse than the one we had here in Oklahoma, with blizzards, winter storms, and unexpected…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
The life, love, and legacy of Morty Manus: An Interview with Nancy Bachus
During Morty Manus’s tenure as owner and president of Alfred Music Publishing Company, he guided its growth from a small print and pop song catalog to…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
Preluding with the Masters
For centuries, improvising introductions to keyboard works, also known as preluding, helped inspire musicians and prepare audiences for what was to come. (The German verb präludieren and the…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
Scalin’ the chords
When I was about twelve years of age, my parents took me to a restaurant that featured a live jazz trio. I was amazed to see…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
How can colors be used to help students learn to read music?
For centuries, music notation has been a “black and white” subject. To read this music, musicians have decoded black and white print and transferred it into…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
A survey of current methods: Music Moves for Piano
This issue continues Clavier Companion’s survey of piano methods.1 Each article in this series has three sections—an introductory synopsis by the Associate Editor, two articles written by…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
Adele Marcus: Master teacher
“They don’t make them like they used to,” my grandmother often said, shaking her head. She was referring, of course, to some deed—or misdeed—of mine, compared to…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
Opposing perspectives
Respected as a celebrated concert artist throughout his lifetime, Sergei Rachmaninoff ‘s compositions were not as universally appreciated until more recent years, and were in fact sharply…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
How can student notebooks be more effective?
When I first started teaching, I was determined not to make my students fill out the dreaded practice log. As a young teacher, I still had…
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
Introducing students to the music of Schumann
Because of the textural, technical, and interpretive demands of music from the Romantic era, students usually do not encounter it until their early intermediate years. Most likely…