No Skimming the surface in piano warm-ups and a Chopin exchange with a sixth-grader

Lucy started piano about four years ago in El Cerrito, a short Bart ride from Berkeley, my current residence. A transfer student, she'd been immersed in Bastien primers and hand-outs of various patriotic pieces. Note-reading skills were minimal. Over time, as our musical relationship unfolded, Lucy played scales, arpeggios, and through her patient efforts performed…

A Love Story Woven on a Chopin Canvas

A few years ago, I received a telling message through my Authors Den website. John Bidwell, a spirited short story writer and poet, shared more than a literary connection with me. He waxed poetic about his late mother and father, Eleanor and David, who were pianists and 1950's classmates at Oberlin. (my alma mater) A…

Old World piano playing (1949) with a pronounced wrist break

The supple wrist amounts to a "wrist break" that is discouraged among partisans of the Taubman approach. In the main, they adhere to a forearm-driven piano technique along with rotation, and relaxation . The videos embedded, however, contradict such rigid thinking about the wrist, as demonstrated by the performance of a Polish pianist (1949) A Chopin Mazurka is energized by redundant wrist breaks without incurred injury. As one colleague related in reference to Taubman/Golandsky, "how could decades of Russian teaching so easily be tossed aside."

Where harmonies shape phrases: Chopin’s Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4

Chopin cloaked one of his most memorable preludes in lush harmonies that reveal the beauty of a simple melody.

“The Secret Genius” of Pianist, Vitaly Margulis

A serendipitous Facebook Friend request from Jura Margulis on the eve of my birthday, led to this bundle of love delivered on You Tube. As oxymoronic as it may sound, the pianist's father, Vitaly, channeled through cyber, wooed me into a sanctuary of beauty by his liquid phrasing and total immersion in Chopin's palette. It…

Preparing for a Skyped piano lesson to Europe by tweaking a Logitech Cam (Videos)

Since there's a 9-hour difference between my West Coast locale and London, England, I had ample time to prep my external cam for the right keyboard angle. Conversely, the student beaming in from Europe had her SWEEX HD all lined up, with a link to Amazon where she purchased it, but not to THE AMAZON,…

Aiden Cat choreographs the Chopin C# minor Waltz.. seeing is believing

Watch this amazing cat at the beginning and close of this "foot"-age. If any ballet companies are looking for new talent, this floating feline is up for an audition. In any case, he earned himself a well-deserved catnap after a virtuoso "paw"-formance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v38sPHrPSP0 Notice his graceful balletic form as he sleeps. purrrrr......

Hitting new lows with SKYPE/Comcast: How one Chopin Waltz was eternally hexed! (Videos)

Last night was a first. This time it wasn't Aiden cat who short-circuited my re-recording of the Chopin C# minor Waltz. It was a Communications giant that was somehow to blame. Aiden was off the hook: Two belches into measure 66, (one 6 short of the Devil's doing) and my performance was corrupted. A few…

Playing through Chopin’s B minor Waltz with its sighing motif (Video commentary)

Last night I sat myself down at my imperfectly regulated Steinway M grand and managed to sigh several times through torrents of phrases crafted by design and inspiration to tug at the heartstrings. And in the video below, I journeyed in baby steps through this intensely emotional landscape pinpointing how I could flesh out the…

Only the singing nightingale could be true to Chopin’s music

Haddorff came through with her beautiful voice today. Her older brother, Steinway M on the far side of the room, had some communication problems while upright Steinway, the middle child of the trio, couldn't begin to rival Haddy's tone and temperament. So as it happened, One special piano sang her heart out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFT8VzE0UGc Haddy's bio:…