Monthly Archives: September 2012
Just relax
I managed to passively avoid the golf courses and driving ranges for most of the summer – until a couple of weeks ago. I was back at the driving range again this afternoon – trying to keep all the details … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
2 Comments
Attitude Adjustment
You go to workshops and conferences hoping to learning something new. How much you learn depends in part on how much you already knew. Some sessions are great, some are not. Sometimes I walk away thinking I don’t know a … Continue reading
They are beautiful human beings
They walk into our studios. Vulnerable. For whatever reason they have decided to make the switch from another teacher. We don’t really know why – we are careful not to get into the reasons. But we represent a move to … Continue reading
Posted in Inspirational, Piano pedagogy
Tagged APTA Conference, Marvin Blickenstaff, Piano Lessons, Piano pedagogy, transfer students
5 Comments
OK. I’m ready. Let’s go.
I woke up with an excess of energy despite a bad night (must have been something in the herbal tea I drank last night). But who needs sleep? I had a great run. The sun had just risen. It was … Continue reading
A Trumpet Extravaganza
Wow. An evening I didn’t want to end. Two trumpet superstars on the same stage at our world-class Jack Singer Concert Hall along with Calgary’s own Prime Time Big Band and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Jens Lindemann. Trumpet soloist extraordinaire from … Continue reading
Posted in Performance
Tagged Al Muirhead, Allen Vizzutti, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Derek Stoll, jazz, Jens Lindemann, Prime Time Big Band, Trumpet
1 Comment
Familiarity and exploration
“…the first-time listener needs an experience … they need to feel like there’s a journey and they need their dopamine (smiling) … you can get that through familiarity and you can get that through exploration and if a piece has … Continue reading
Posted in Canadiana, Performance
Tagged British Columbia, Emily Carr House, Emily Carr String Quartet, Klee Wyck, String quartet, Tobin Stokes
3 Comments
Concert for Baby Bro
Here’s a picture that’s all wrong. Imagine – a girl with her back to us at a keyboard (from the looks of it, not a high-quality one) – sitting on an old chair, obviously way too low – not good … Continue reading
Poor Elvis
A new-to-me acronym for the treble clef lines – from one of my students who heard it from her school music teacher: Elvis’s Guitar Broke Down Friday. I see Anne Crosby has a great new graphic for Bass Clef lines … Continue reading
Just. Be. Sympathetic.
I was talking to another piano player – at least my age – who does a lot of playing a lot for this and that. She mentioned the shoulder and arm pain she had last year. It was so bad … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
5 Comments
Starry Nights and Earworms
It doesn’t matter how much music I hear throughout the day. The first tune of the day just gets stuck. I play it in my head over and over and over – not even realizing it half the time. This … Continue reading
The soul of the piano
Oh the gaps! It was one of those moments. I was reading a book on pedal technique and a 150-Watt light bulb came on. How could I not have known? I knew that pedal was more than just a means … Continue reading
Posted in Books about Music, Performance, Piano pedagogy, Practice Tips
Tagged pedaling, Piano pedagogy, Piano pedal, Piano Performance, Practice Tips
2 Comments
Yes, Virginia, There is a Line
I blog. Obviously. I’m on Twitter. Or is it correct to say I have Twitter? I know my daughters have corrected me on this. Have to say – I don’t click on that little bird much at all – I … Continue reading
Posted in Business of Teaching
2 Comments
