Tag: Oberlin

Just Being at the Piano, Mildred Portney Chase, Peter Illyich Tchaikovksy, pianist, piano, piano playing, Tchaikovsky

Imagination fuels expressive piano playing

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

As my local and Online piano students gear up for their bi-annual music sharing this coming Saturday over Skype, a commonly expressed concern is how to harness the imagination to feed a musical journey right from the opening measure of a piece to its final cadence. The challenge for everyone embodies a centered period of… Continue reading Imagination fuels expressive piano playing

classissima, classissima.com, Franz Josef Haydn, Haydn Sonata in Eb Hob.XVI:52 (Rondo), Haydn Sonatas, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Oberlin Conservatory, piano lessons, piano study, piano technique, Schmitt exercises, Shirley Kirsten, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, youtube.com

Piano technique is about flexibility not finger strength

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I remember my days at the Oberlin Conservatory pumping out meaningless Schmitt finger exercises, often holding notes down, while a selected persecuted finger had to brave the pain is gain ritual. (tap, tap, tap, tap, and move on to the next unlucky digit) Looking back, it was a wasted effort which had NO relationship to… Continue reading Piano technique is about flexibility not finger strength

music and heart, musical inspiration, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin Conservatory, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, talkclassical.com, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Eurhythmics, A Whole Body Listening Experience (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I took a Eurhythmics class at Oberlin taught by a magical, mystical, musically in touch woman named Inda Howland who was a student of Jacques Dalcroze. Barefoot, wearing a native Indian garment–embracing an exotic percussion instrument from Bali as her trademark, she entered our classroom as a spry, sagacious woman in her 60′s. As she… Continue reading Eurhythmics, A Whole Body Listening Experience (Video)