Overscheduled Piano Students

Here's a snapshot of overloaded kids FOLLOWING their Friday afternoon piano lessons. MOM: "Shiloh, Get ready for swimming. Your towel is folded into your backpack.... Math Club reminder. Your cubic folder is on top of your cups. (athletic protectors), and grab your Ukelele for choir. (The private school purchased 150 ukeleles so each over-booked kid…

Video supplements for piano students assist practicing

Whether giving piano lessons LIVE or by SKYPE, sending students video excerpts of their lessons-in-progress, or creating a short film that zeroes in on a particular technical challenge, is always helpful. In the old days when I studied with Lillian Freundlich in NYC, a reel-to-reel tape recorder was the standard for memorializing lessons. No tripod…

My Steinway upright has a “new” home, and so do I

Model 1098 was eased out my front door by two piano moving Zen masters, Greg and Jeremy. (I'll give them a Yin/Yang Yelp for their artful twists and turns) http://www.mcpianomove.com http://youtu.be/tNexl2D3NsU It wasn't the first time McCrea's picked up or delivered a piano for me. Two years ago, they transported my Kawai GE20 grand from…

A Conversation with David v.R. Bowles, Award-winning Classical Recording Engineer/Producer

David v.R. Bowles inhabits a sprawling space in Wildcat Canyon, high up in the Berkeley Hills where nature's bounty is a source of inspiration. It also happens to be home to his Classical Recording Company, Swineshead Productions that he formed in 1995. Here's where Bowles does mixing and mastering once he's wrapped up meticulous recording…