It’s been over ten years since I met Jeremy Denk when he presented a convincing concert and a terrific master class at my university. Every time I run across his work, either via a recorded performance or through his writing, I’m compelled to pay attention. So I was very glad to read his article, “Every [Read more...]
PermalinkBlog
Dorothy Taubman’s passing is a time to recognize and celebrate her significant and enduring contributions to the the field of piano pedagogy. Although I had no direct experience with her, I was first exposed to her ideas through a series of lessons with Julian Martin, who was working with Ms. Taubman at the time. Later, [Read more...]
PermalinkAnthony Tommasini’s excellent article probes this question anew. Check out interesting perspectives on what might “result in the best, most confident performance.”
PermalinkSteve Call was musical, but struggled in school as a kid with dyslexia. Learn about his “Aha!” moment that led him on a path toward a music professor–and hear him perform some jazz for cows, solo, and with The New Hot 5.
PermalinkStephen Hough gives voice to a question that most of us have asked at one time or another: Why can’t students be bothered to go to concerts?
Permalink- 4 Comments
This winter I am teaching at Syracuse University’s Strasbourg campus. Living in a foreign country has led to many changes in my daily routine. One of the most striking is the amount of focused time I have been able to give to the piano. Every morning at eight o’clock, five to six days a week, I walk [Read more...]
Fred Karpoff performed a recital with soprano Janet Brown at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg on February 4, 2013. We’ve made available Fred’s complete performance of Liszt’s Sonetto 104 del Petrarca.
- 4 Comments
For the past four years, I have asked all my students to complete the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS-II) at http://keirsey.com. After they take this test, I have them write a detailed report on the experience. Was it valuable? Do they agree with the evaluation they received? The Keirsey test (and students’ evaluation of their results) provides insights [Read more...]
- 3 Comments
This month is conference season. I’m traveling to four state music teachers conventions—performing, presenting and meeting fellow teachers. I so enjoy the interaction with teachers from around the country and the chance to learn from one another by sharing our common challenges and ideas. One of the top challenges is understanding and conveying basic biomechanics [Read more...]
- 2 Comments
Recently, while coaching a violin and piano duo, it struck me just how common it is for musicians to “miss the forest for the trees,” particularly in regards to the essential rhythm of the music. We were working on Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro. In the Kreisler Allegro, the violinist presented a sixteenth-note passage in this [Read more...]