Month: November 2011

Baroque music, Cyprien Katsaris, Johann Sebastian Bach, JS Bach, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano pedaling, the art of piano playing, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

When piano playing soars to spiritual heights: The artistry of Cyprien Katsaris

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Words fail me when trying to describe this performance of Cyprien Katsaris over You Tube. Stage setting: A majestic church with big resonance, and while the soundtrack is scratchy, what emanates from the piano makes the listener forget any mechanical distraction. The playing is so ethereal, one senses an immortality channeled through a mortal. So… Continue reading When piano playing soars to spiritual heights: The artistry of Cyprien Katsaris

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

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

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

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. Today, Marie earned her sparkling medallion and proudly displayed it after some prodding. In addition… Continue reading An Adult “Piano Student of the Week” lands the Gold!

Chopin Waltz Op. 64 no. 1, Cyprien Katsaris, Masterclass Media Foundation, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, music, music and heart, phrasing at the piano, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano masterclass, piano masterclasses, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano student, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano to children, The art of phrasing at the piano, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

A Little Dog Chasing its Tail: Cyprien Katsaris celebrates Chopin in this inspired Masterclass (Waltz, Op. 64 no. 1)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Cyprien Katsaris is a teacher's teacher and pianist's pianist. His prowess is on full display in a masterclass with a young girl who plays the Chopin Waltz, op. 64 no. 1. (Kudos to the Masterclass Media Foundation for adding this gem to its roster) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUqLjdy4cO4 Like Boris Berman, Katsaris has a unique talent for transforming… Continue reading A Little Dog Chasing its Tail: Cyprien Katsaris celebrates Chopin in this inspired Masterclass (Waltz, Op. 64 no. 1)

Boris Berman, Masterclass Media Foundation, piano instruction, piano masterclass, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Inspiring masterclasses of Boris Berman, Russian Pianist (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I usually pass over e-mailings from the Masterclass Media Foundation because none of the offerings to date had lit a fire, that is, until Boris Berman suddenly turned up on the roster. First, the mandatory bio: "Internationally regarded as one of the great keyboard teachers of our time, Boris Berman is well known to the… Continue reading Inspiring masterclasses of Boris Berman, Russian Pianist (Videos)

Fresno, Fresno California, piano maintenance, piano maintenance in small communities, piano repair, piano technician, piano technician's guild, piano tuner, piano tuners, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, wordpress.com

The original article in the Piano Quarterly that inspired an examination of the piano tuner/technician landscape

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

RELATED: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/treading-on-hallowed-ground-the-challenge-of-maintaining-fine-pianos-after-a-personal-tragedy/ https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/the-voices-of-piano-technicians-around-the-country/

"Tales of a Musical Journey" by Irina Gorin, Irina Gorin, Irina Gorin piano studio, pianist, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessons and parental support, piano pedagogy, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano practicing motivators, piano student, piano teacher, piano teaching, piano technique, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, practicing the left hand at the piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, studying piano, Teach Street, teaching a piano student about melody, teaching piano, teaching piano to children, the art of piano pedaling, the art of piano playing, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Lesson: Rina, 4, learns about “Long and Short sounds meeting High and Low Sounds,” Chapter 15, Tales of a Musical Journey (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Today was Rina's 14th piano lesson and she's moving right along. Her hand position is greatly improved and she has a nice appreciation of the singing tone. Irina Gorin's instruction is laid out in such a way that a student takes no short cuts in learning piano. The physical approach to creating a beautiful tone,… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Rina, 4, learns about “Long and Short sounds meeting High and Low Sounds,” Chapter 15, Tales of a Musical Journey (Videos)

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When a piano student is not working up to potential, the meeting and e-mail that are needed…

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I was reminded by a reader of my post titled, "When love for the piano dies.." and in that particular writing I focused on situations where certain pressures brought by parents and/or the piano teacher can trigger practicing avoidance, leading to the obvious, piano lesson termination. In these scenarios, mom or dad may live through… Continue reading When a piano student is not working up to potential, the meeting and e-mail that are needed…

Bridgeport Connecticut, Czar Nicholas I, Druskininkai, East Bronx, Eastern European Jews, family Geneology, ILGWU, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Jessie Taft, Lithuania, Morris Eli Taft, South Bronx, union organizer, Vilna, word press, wordpress.com, Yiddish melodies

Little apple, Big Apple, mayhem, murder and music: my family’s history and genealogy

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

While shuffling papers within a folder labeled “Piano tuners/technicians,” I stumbled upon two pages clipped together, titled “Descendants of Zalmen Tapruakh (1835-1915) and Michelle Tzinn.” (1850-1915) These were my maternal great grandparents. Tapruakh means “little apple.” (Ironically, I lived in the Big Apple for the first 30 years of my life) The genealogy papers were… Continue reading Little apple, Big Apple, mayhem, murder and music: my family’s history and genealogy

"The Endangered Piano Technician" by James Boyk, arioso7, Dale Erwin, Dale Erwin Modesto California, Dale Erwin pianotechnician and rebuilder, James Boyk pianist, New York Steinway hammers, Ny Steinway vintage piano, piano, piano technician, Piano Technician's Guil, piano technician's guild, piano tuner, piano tuners, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld.com, PTG, Registered piano technician, Renner piano hammers, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway piano factory in Long Island, Terry Barrett, Terry Barrett piano technician, voicing pianos, word press, wordpress.com

The voices of piano technicians around the country

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I had the invaluable opportunity to interview various Registered Piano Technicians around the country about various aspects of their profession. First, to become a RPT, the candidate takes an exam that's administered through the Piano Technician's Guild (PTG) which has branches in cities all over the country. Since piano tuning is not a licensed profession,… Continue reading The voices of piano technicians around the country

"The Endangered Piano Technician", James Boyk, Los Angeles Philharmonic, piano technician, Piano Technician's Guil, piano technician's guild, piano tuners, problems with maintenance of fine pianos, PTG, Scientific American, voicing pianos, word press, wordpress.com

Treading on hallowed ground: the challenge of maintaining fine pianos after a personal tragedy

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I kept this controversial blog topic in my back pocket for safe keeping until a close friend fired off an e-mail with a link to a recent movie review of Pianomania: From IMDB: "Pianomania follows Stefan Knüpfer, a piano tuner from Steinway and his famous clients Lang Lang, Brendel, Buchbinder and Pierre-Laurent Aimard as they… Continue reading Treading on hallowed ground: the challenge of maintaining fine pianos after a personal tragedy