A daily calendar that I have in my studio had this wonderful quote by John R. Mott yesterday, “Difficulties are not without their advantages. They are not to unnerve us. They are not to be regarded simply as subjects for discussion nor as grounds for skepticism and pessimism. They are not to cause inaction, but […]
Inspirational
Music-Related Book Reviews
One of my favorite things to do is read a good book! Last year, I posted a list of recommended biographies, compiled from my own reading and recommendations from other Music Matters Blog readers. This year, I thought I would share several reviews of music-related books I read last year. I always want to read […]
Stop Moving!
Trevor, of the Teach Piano Today blog, posted a fabulous little lesson gleaned from a skating outing with his daughter the other day. It reminded me of the importance of making sure that students know what we expect of them and then praising them appropriately when they achieve the goals we’ve set for them before […]
Solution-Oriented Teaching
In the current (Fall 2011) issue of Listen music magazine, I was greatly inspired by an instructional approach advocated by David Robertson, music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. In his interview with Ben Finane he has this to say: “One thing that I have found is very helpful – and I wish that […]
A Wonderful Piano Improvisation Project
Anyone who’s been reading here very long knows that I’m practically in love with the Pattern Play series by Forest and Akiko Kinney. So I was thrilled to recently come across this fabulous improvisation project that Anne Crosby Gaudet used with her students! Read the post for a complete description of how she set the […]
Crafting and guiding interpretations of great beauty and expressive power
Isn’t that a beautiful aim for every musician? It comes from a column by Thomas Lanners in the recent e-newsletter put out by The 3-D Piano Method. His piece, More Virtues of Letting Go, eloquently expresses the importance of patiently working with students to help them give up control in order to achieve greater musicality. […]
