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Sister and brother piano lessons in the Hills

I enjoy my weekly journey to a home way up in the Hills of El Cerrito (neighbor to Berkeley) There, I teach Lucy and Fritz who play a lovely, resonant Baldwin Acrosonic that I advised mom to purchase (over at DC Pianos) Acros happen to be among my favorites in the spinet/console category. The Back… Continue reading Sister and brother piano lessons in the Hills

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Teaching piano to Rina, 5, with a supplementary video for mom that outlines our lesson plan and goals

Rina's mother attends her daughter's lessons, takes notes, and receives a follow-up assignment. Today, I sent her a video that summarized what we had accomplished yesterday along with a goal-setting outline. *** The child has been working on her legato which is a new and enticing musical universe. For the better part of 6 months… Continue reading Teaching piano to Rina, 5, with a supplementary video for mom that outlines our lesson plan and goals

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The joy and value of teaching a piano student over many years

Claudia, age 6 playing a duet with me I recall Elaine Comparone, the renowned harpsichordist having described a student she had mentored for 35 years before a move cut short a lasting musical relationship. "She was the real deal," the musician insisted. Seymour Bernstein, author, With Your Own Two Hands, often shared the joy of… Continue reading The joy and value of teaching a piano student over many years

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The Formative Years of Piano Study and the basic building-blocks of learning (Videos)

Just as a child needs a wholesome diet from birth through adolescence to insure healthy growth and development, a beginning piano student requires the equivalent in musical nourishment. Cocoa Puff pieces that squeeze out whole grain servings of the classics will not in the long term cut the cake. (And I don't rule out compositions… Continue reading The Formative Years of Piano Study and the basic building-blocks of learning (Videos)

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Practicing knotty piano passages, and tips on how to avoid fatigue while boosting technique (Videos)

At my You Tube Channel site, I routinely pick up comments daily, and the majority center on piano technique. While I lay no claim to being an expert in this complex universe, my trial and error practicing over decades has come with insights that I enjoy sharing. Earlier today, I'd noticed the following note posted… Continue reading Practicing knotty piano passages, and tips on how to avoid fatigue while boosting technique (Videos)

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Down to the wire: An 11-year old piano student prepares for a competitive Baroque event (VIDEO) with a tender flashback

Claudia has made significant gains this year. She's shaping her phrases more, and becoming ear-attentive and physically responsive to the music she plays. Today, she made additional headway with J.S. Bach's Prelude in C minor, BWV 847. Coming into her lesson with two introductory readings, she was bobbing her head up and down, reinforcing beats… Continue reading Down to the wire: An 11-year old piano student prepares for a competitive Baroque event (VIDEO) with a tender flashback

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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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In and out of the closet: The business and practice of private piano teaching

I once posted a blog about this very subject, then deleted it, thinking it sounded like a series of whiny complaints that would pin me as bitter and unrelenting. Then, to my surprise, ten readers contacted me wondering what happened to the writing? They had apparently strongly identified with its content. Well, I had safely… Continue reading In and out of the closet: The business and practice of private piano teaching

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Piano Lesson: Rina, 4, climbs the staircase, and then learns about happy and sad in music

The first video below showcases the partial content of today's lesson. Because I am a staunch believer in introducing black keys early on in the course of piano study, I explored mood affect in music and lowered the E of "Frere Jacques" to E FLAT. Rina was basically exposed to the "minor" mode without a… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Rina, 4, climbs the staircase, and then learns about happy and sad in music

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The most popular blog explores piano teacher/student relationships

I've been aware that this particular writing seems to touch a nerve, or strikes a chord of recognition among piano teachers, parents and students: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/pulls-and-tugs-two-sides-to-the-studentteacher-piano-lesson-relationship/ It's only rival in popularity on my roster has been "Funeral for a Cracked Plate," a real life soap opera about a piano buyer who slipped up by ordering a… Continue reading The most popular blog explores piano teacher/student relationships