Tag Archives: teaching piano to adults

The piano learning process at all levels of study

Posted on March 2, 2013 by

In spite of my having studied piano for decades, each learning experience is filled with challenges that I must approach with a glut of patience. A new composition has its own form, architecture, harmonic rhythm, fingering that requires a big … Continue reading →

Posted in "Tales of a Musical Journey" by Irina Gorin, Chopin Waltz in A minor no. 19, classissima, classissima.com, Irina Gorin, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano blogs, piano instrruction, piano lessons, piano lessons for adults, Piano Street, piano studio, piano studio in El Cerrito, piano study, piano teacher, piano teaching, piano technique and breathing, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, practicing piano, practicing piano in slow motion, practicing piano in slow tempo, practicing piano with relaxation, relaxed arms in piano playing, scales, scales and arpeggios, separate hand piano practicing, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, Shirley Smth Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, teaching Beethoven Fur Elise, teaching Fur Elise, teaching piano scales, teaching piano to adult students, teaching piano to adults, teaching piano to young children, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The joy of working on Chopin’s phrasing with an adult student (Waltz in A minor, No. 19, Op. Posth.) Videos

Posted on November 13, 2012 by

A teacher/student musical collaboration is a uniquely poetic experience.. Continue reading →

Posted in Chopin Waltz in A minor No. 19 Op. posthumous, classissima, classissima.com, Frederic Chopin, piano instruction, piano lessons, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, teaching piano, Uncategorized, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Doing Piano Push-ups to feel connected, and dead-weighted into the keys (The B minor arpeggio is my Cardio-activating springboard) VIDEO

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

Piano Cardio isn’t such a far-fetched description of a good piano workout when it comes to playing scales and arpeggios. (You can throw in a few push-ups to practice connecting into keys with an added health benefit) *** An adult … Continue reading →

Posted in B minor arpeggio, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, teaching piano to adults, The Visible and the Invisible in Piano Technique, Tobias Matthay, You Tube interview with Lugansky from Israel, you tube video, yout tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Excerpts from my POWHOW TOP NOTCH TONE TUTORIAL! (webcam piano instruction)

Posted on April 29, 2012 by

Snatches from our first class! We’re working on sculpting a beautiful musical line in a five-finger position. RELATED: http://www.powhow.com/classes/shirley-kirsten A POWER Piano POWHOW LAUNCH: http://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/a-power-piano-powhow-launch-live-webcam-class-instruction/ AVOIDING PENCIL POINT PLAYING http://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/piano-technique-avoiding-pencil-point-playing/

Posted in pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, Piano Street, piano teaching, Piano World, piano world-wide, playing piano, POWHOW piano instruction, POWHOW.com, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten certified piano instructor at POWHOW, Shirley Smith Kirsten | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Skyping piano lessons with an iMac, Logitech cam, and Yeti mic (videos)

Posted on March 30, 2012 by

Here’s my set-up for Skyped piano instruction. A travel itinerary minus airport delays and x-ray scanners included stop-offs in Pennsylvania, Sydney, Australia; Portland Oregon, and London, England. Lessons have been scheduled as needed. A Power Point-less presentation offers more: *** … Continue reading →

Posted in Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, teaching piano, video instruction, video performances, video supplementation of piano lessons, virtual piano lessons, virtual piano teaching, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, Yeti mic, Yeti microphone, you tube, you tube video, yout tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Technique: An adult student works on rolling forward wrist motions in Two, Three, and Six-note groupings (Video)

Posted on March 18, 2012 by

This particular student has come a long way in the six years we’ve worked together, and as always been the case, I’ve probably learned more from her than in reverse. From my second piano, I can gaze over at my … Continue reading →

Posted in Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano arpeggios, piano lesson, piano scales, piano teaching, piano technique, playing piano, practicing piano, rolling forward wrist motions in piano playing, Shirley Kirsten, teaching piano to adult students, teaching piano to adults, undulating wrist in piano playing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Even piano teachers have their unguarded moments….zzzzz

Posted on February 26, 2012 by

Many of us keep full schedules, often teaching into late evening hours–The following day, we’re up at the crack of dawn to mentor a stream of students. This past week, I Skyped a 7:00 a.m. lesson to Pennsylvania that spilled … Continue reading →

Posted in Fur Elise by Beethoven, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York City subways, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano teacher nearly falls asleep, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, teaching an adult student, teaching Fur Elise, video bloopers, video outtakes, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Adult Piano Student of the Week: From Poland (Польша) Comes Ania! (Videos)

Posted on December 13, 2011 by

Over a year ago, Ania arrived for her first lesson at my El Cerrito piano studio. A graduate student in the Sciences at UC Berkeley, she had passed through the esteemed Massachusetts Institute of Technology with flying colors. The Back … Continue reading →

Posted in classissima.com, Cradle Song by Felix Rybicki, Felix Rybicki, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, teaching piano to adults, Uncategorized, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Adult “Piano Student of the Week” lands the Gold!

Posted on November 12, 2011 by

Today, I launched the piano Olympics.. well not really. No one in this studio of hard-working adults and children is competing for a medal, but just the same, I have shimmering GOLD stickers that are individually awarded to deserving students. … Continue reading →

Posted in pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teaching, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, studying piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano scales, teaching piano to adult students, Wild Rider by Schumann, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Profile of a courageous adult piano student (with a video out-take)

Posted on October 9, 2011 by

I’m fortunate to be working with five adult students who love the piano and its repertoire. Their enthusiasm is at high volume–keeping the live wire connection between student and teacher bristling with energy. Regardless of busy work schedules, they still … Continue reading →

Posted in adult piano students, athletics and piano, baseball and piano, classissima.com, Impressionist Music, Mildred Portney Chase, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, muscular memory, music and the breath, music teachers association of california, musical phrasing and breathing, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lessons, piano student, piano teacher, piano teaching, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, satire, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, sports and piano, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano to adult students, The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey, whole body listening, whole body music listening, Willie Mays, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video, Zen and the Art of Archery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments