In this issue
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Summer 2020: Keyboard Kids
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Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Summer 2020: Editor’s Letter: Summer: A Time for Renewal of Musical Passion
Typically, summer is a time of rest and renewal for piano teachers and performers. Even those who are lucky enough to perform and participate in summer…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Then and Now: A Retrospective of the New School for Music Study’s Sixty Years
A green scrapbook full of newspaper clippings tells of the excitement surrounding the 1960 grand opening of the New School for Music Study in Princeton, NJ. "New Music School…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Magic in the Air
As I concluded my master's degree in piano performance, the age-old question, "What will you do after graduation?", haunted my conversations with professors, friends, relatives, baristas,…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
A Life-Changing Decision
In 1981, the year I received my graduate degree in piano performance, advanced degrees in piano pedagogy were just beginning to appear. Thanks to the work…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Engaging the Brain: Practice Tips from an Interview with Spencer Myer
I attended Spencer Myer's practicing workshop at the NCKP 2019 Conference. His emphasis on engaging the brain in variable practice techniques sparked my interest and supports research…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Exploring the Tactile Foundations of Sight Playing
One of our highest priorities as piano teachers is to provide a solid foundation for music reading. Students who read well learn music faster, stick with…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Improvisation for Students of All Ages
Reading music is an amazing skill. If you're like me, you love being able to read a new piece of music, and love teaching music this…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
bitKlavier: Expanding Musicianship bit by bit
Jai Raman, a sixth-grade student at the New School for Music Study, was not excited to study Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude in C Minor, BWV 999. When…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Motivation and Performance in the Time of COVID-19
When COVID-19 began to cause shutdowns this year, pianists, teachers, and students faced completely unprecedented challenges. The remainder of concert seasons were put on hold, performance…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Summer 2020: Questions & Answers
What is the difference between a fake book and a real book? Both fake books and real books are collections of lead sheets, that is, pieces…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Summer 2020: Life in Music
Legacy and Innovation It is fitting that we are celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the New School for Music Study by Frances Clark…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
The Teacher’s Role in Hearing Health
When I was a young music student, I remember one of my teachers telling me, "I am not teaching you how to be a musician, I'm…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Summer 2020: Pupil Saver: Toccatina No. 5 by Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee
Toccatina No. 5 by Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee, Modern Miniatures for Piano Solo, Book 2 I had a dull moment this weekend (doesn't happen too often) and decided it…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Piano-a-thon is Paying it Forward Through the Power of Music
As Lloyd and Lyle Anderson rested in their incubators receiving expert care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Akron (Ohio) Children's Hospital, surely the…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Voices Silenced: Piano Music by Composers Killed in the Holocaust
Last year, I went through a bit of an existential crisis —feeling like I wasn't making enough of a difference, questioning what I as a music…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Character Conundrum: Literary Lessons for Pianists in Schumann’s Kreisleriana
Robert Schumann's oeuvre owes structural and inspirational credit to the works of numerous German romantic authors. However, some aspects of his literature-inspired compositional style are more often discussed…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
An Asian Perspective on Study Abroad
In my new role as Co-head of Keyboard at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in Australia, I find myself checking in frequently with colleagues here about…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Summer 2020: New Music & Materials
Emilie Lin has arranged five traditional melodies in her publication Hearts of Asia: Chinese Folk Songs, published by FJH. The first four pieces have lovely, cantabile…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Summer 2020: Book Review: Master Classes with Menahem Pressler by William Brown
William Brown has once again made a valuable contribution to the piano world, thanks to his thorough research on the life and teachings of his mentor.…
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Summer 2020: Recordings
Arthur Lourié (1892–1966) is, even in most pianistic circles, a barely remembered figure. A leading composer in the early years of the Soviet Union, he was…