My duo piano partner sparks an Oberlin reunion with a long lost classmate!

Yesterday marked a special event in my life--a rekindled tie to an Oberlin Freshman dorm mate made possible by Anita, my 92-year old, 4-hand piano partner. A twenty-year donor/subscriber to Philharmonia Baroque (PBO) a celebrated Bay area-based orchestra, Anita had placed its glossy program brochure on the coffee tray right at our mid-point playing break.…

The shrinking world of music

To put it lightly, degrees of separation in our musical cosmos are melting rapidly. By example, a Facebook post to my profile page from my 1960s era Orchestra teacher, led to a long lost neighbor who was the youngest member of the New York Philharmonic. To backtrack a bit, Herbert Gardner, a time-honored music director…

Haide Lin, the Cultural Revolution, and Violin-making (but don’t forget the piano!)

Don't worry. This blog hasn't been transformed into a Violin Journey. It's only a side-trip to a universe that I knew before immersing myself in the piano. In fact, this signature piece, re-recorded for the nth time last night, is a reminder that my heart sings without a bow and four strings. http://youtu.be/MWk0qSO_Lvg Having pardoned…

Showcasing two of my exquisite instruments (Violin and Piano)

First the violin, a 1799 Horenstainer, Mittenwald that replaced the "cigar box" I was handed as a kid. My precious teacher, Samuel Gardner selected this German original for me in Paris, France. From there, I took it to Merrywood music camp in Lenox, MA where I coached under Eugene Lehner of the Boston Symphony. Oberlin…

Mommas and Babies in the Music World

At a Skype lesson to Alaska

My Journey to Ifshin’s in El Cerrito, CA where violins, unlike pianos are thriving!

I headed over to the premier string HAUS in the Bay area today to bring my 1799 vintage German violin back to life. For years it had been laying at the bottom of my closet, layered over with two portable digital pianos and an old computer. This was a violin selected by my teacher, the…

“Jerusalem of Gold” led me to a violin treasure

Yesterday, I decided to record Nemer's "Jerusalem of Gold" to prepare for a luncheon appearance at an East Bay Jewish Community Center. http://youtu.be/wBjvDRmJgDE Little did I know that after reviewing my you tube upload, that I'd spot a right column of videos with Ida Haendel, a near 90-year old violinist who proved to be a…

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…

A Long Lost Concert Program turns up on a dusty grand piano

One of the fringe benefits of tidying up a piano room filled with unsorted piles of music and the rest, is finding a gold mine of goodies that have been missing for months, if not years. Have you ever experienced lost this, found that--found that, lost this? It's embarrassing, but as we age, more of…

The value of studying the piano and a second musical instrument

While the study of two musical instruments is time-consuming, it can reap benefits in widening a student's horizons. If a pupil plays only piano for years on end he may deny himself the rich experience of participating in an orchestra or small ensemble. And while it's true that some pianists manage to grab a score…