Rami Bar-Niv’s Adult Music Camp is for pianists of all levels

Concert pianist, Rami Bar-Niv has a large serving of musical talent that spills into an assortment of activities. He's a well-spring of creativity: performing, teaching, composing and publishing (a book on fingering, no less) while his sheet music is circulated far and wide. Now add to the list, Rami's Rhapsody Camp for Adults wrapped in…

Tchaikovsky and his solemn chorale

Last night I discovered one of the most gorgeous hymns composed in the Romantic genre. It is Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "In the Church," Op. 39, a perfect segue way to Christmas. My diverse journey through the composer's Children's Album has been a potpourri of moods and colors sprinkled through "Sweet Dream," "Playing Hobby-Horses," "Song of…

If it sounds like a lark, it must be one (Tchaikovsky’s “Song of the Lark”)

http://youtu.be/Hu43yQUbgcA After I recorded Tchaikovsky's precious tableau from his Op. 39 Children's Album, I discovered a true-to-life rendering by Russian pianist, Igor Galenkov, who delicately imported a bird to embellish his performance. http://youtu.be/sqdVlA7c_bg *** Instruction: The rolling forward wrist motion in Lark http://youtu.be/AXspi9vh3vY ***

Celebrating Beethoven’s Birthday!

Albeit a day later, the composer's music is worth our adulation. Since words cannot amply express the beauty of Beethoven's outpourings, I've selected a favorite movement that speaks volumes about his genius: http://youtu.be/jGJ_4CS_c4M

Piano Technique: Spring forward wrist/bounce motions applied to the piano repertoire (Videos)

I use Edna-Mae Burnham's Dozen a Day exercises with my adult students because of their application to the piano literature. Naturally, pupils transpose these warm-ups to all Major and minor keys around the Circle of Fifths though these short romps are written within the scope of five-finger positions. A particular favorite is "HOPPING" (in staccato)…

The Biggest Challenge for Adult Piano Students (Video)

While I underscore the adult student population in this discussion, it's not meant to omit students of any age who study piano. Almost universally, those coming back to the piano after a significant hiatus, or those just beginning lessons in adulthood, have big expectations to "succeed" and progress at an imagined rate of "speed." Such…

An adult piano student’s musical journey began in Holland

Marie, a pupil of long-standing, bestowed a heartwarming narrative about her piano study and its European roots. Uncannily, when I'd posted a beautiful rendering of Chopin's Db Nocturne in one of my blogs, she commented that pictures imported through the soundtrack were places she had known as a child, so her memoir flows from these…

An adult piano student teaches her grandson!

As I continue this series, "Celebrating Adult Piano Students," I couldn't help but snatch a narrative from Lisa, a very dear friend, who is not my pupil, but shares a passion for learning the great masterworks, and channels her deepest emotions into every musical phrase. Her grandson, Collin, is particularly fortunate, not only to have…

Starting lessons with a new adult piano student

Just this past week, I had an ice-breaking LIVE lesson with a new adult student. Naturally, the introductory inquiry sent by email turned out to be an invaluable opener, since the prospective pupil imparted a generous serving of his musical history. As counterpoint, I responded with a few additional questions to fill in minor gaps.…

Celebrating Adult Piano Students, Part 2

This student lives in the UK and takes piano lessons by Skype. Her answers to my inquiries are below: 1) What drew you back to the piano in adulthood? Bundled into that question: What were your early experiences taking piano lessons? (positives, negatives, mixed bag, whatever) I started as a complete adult beginner about five…