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The neighborhood piano teacher lives on….

Well into the Millennium, the "neighborhood" piano teacher owns a special "place" in our hearts! Amidst countless telephone and web driven lesson inquiries, her location will always be a top priority. "So where do you live?" (Not how do you teach?) In the Bay area, one can be sure that Richmond and Oakland are off… Continue reading The neighborhood piano teacher lives on….

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Local Piano Competitions and the judges

I don't like being labeled a sore loser because it indicates an unwillingness to accept a loss gracefully. And I'm not talking about myself as much as piano students who practice arduously in preparation for local competitions and expect to be judged fairly. And then again, what is really "fair" when it comes to assessing… Continue reading Local Piano Competitions and the judges

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The nitty gritty reasons why piano students drop out: Two staunchly different opinions

The current rage on the Internet surrounds a Facebook posting that claims a 95% dropout rate among piano students. The nitty gritty reasons cited by the poster are contained in what I view as a tirade against what he terms "standard lessons." He insists that the "music teaching industry" uses a "status quo method that… Continue reading The nitty gritty reasons why piano students drop out: Two staunchly different opinions