Top Tips on Performing Well Under Pressure
Piano Addict
by Siqian Li
11M ago
(Photo by Sophie Zhai) End of the semester recitals are upon us and with the preparations come nerves. Meet pianist Siqian Li who has some well timed advice for students and teachers to help work through the nerves and achieve their best performances. Thank you Siqian. Solid skills and practice are the keys to confidence. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced pianist, practising solidly and mastering every detail of the music you perform, are always the keys to building up your confidence on the stage, especially under huge pressure. Before looking for any other method to relieve nervousne ..read more
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Artist Portrait: Martin Listabarth
Piano Addict
by Gail Fischler
11M ago
(Photo: Theresa Pewal) Meet pianist and composer Martin Listabarth. Martin is a jazz pianist and composer based in Vienna. His music is a true marriage of hand, heart, and head. Martin’s new album is titled Dedicated and is a musical tribute to 10 people who have fascinated and inspired him—from the fields of soccer, mathematics, mountain climbing, merry-go-rounds, painting, and more. We did this interview via email and I couldn’t be happier with this post in which he shares his compositional/improvisational process, growing up in music, and kind words for both teachers and students ..read more
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Deep Practice: Inspect Your Piece
Piano Addict
by Gail Fischler
11M ago
My creative juices started flowing when I read this article by Terry Heick of Teach Thought, How to Read a Book (super info-graphic included). Many of the points he makes about reading books can be applied to helping music students read and practice music. The sketch style graphic included in Terry’s article illustrates 3 strategies for critical reading and puts them in a way that is understandable and memorable for students.  One of my number one priorities is to encourage my intermediate – advanced students to go beyond the notes, rhythms, etc.—no matter the genre. A col ..read more
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Dwelling in Possibility: Inspiring Children to Compose
Piano Addict
by Daniel J. Kennedy
11M ago
The greatest contribution my own early piano teacher Mr. Ball made to my musical development was to listen to my compositions. Often, after all of my scales, exercises, and pieces were played, he would sit back and listen to my latest noodling on the keys. Through his encouragement I soon realized that I was not just noodling, I was composing. I see this daily with my own students. The student whom we teachers suspect of daydreaming, her hands stirring up and down the keys, may in truth be improvising at the piano, and not aware that music is being created. As a teacher, we can try to make th ..read more
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Backing Up Your Studio Parents: 5 Things You Can Do Now
Piano Addict
by Gail Fischler
11M ago
This year, with so many families simultaneously working and schooling from home, I’ve needed to go out of my way to communicate more with all my studio parents. I’ve also had to find ways to make parents’ parts in supporting their children easier. Plainly put, now more than ever, I must always have my studio parents’ backs. So, I’ve started doing a few simple things which have made a big difference. Here they are – in no particular order. I hope they help you. Please share your ideas and tips in the blog comments or on my PA social media posts. Streamline Emails, Texts, Newsletters, and Other ..read more
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6 Beginner Piano Improv Exercises to Improve Self-Expression
Piano Addict
by Julian Harnish and Gail Fischler
11M ago
Improvisation is an important form of self-expression at the piano. Yet, improv at the beginner stages is tricky. It’s tricky not because there aren’t enough options. It’s tricky because there are too many options.  Stravinsky once wrote, “The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees oneself of the chains that shackle the spirit.” In other words, by decreasing the number of choices we have, we are freer to express ourselves because we don’t have as many options to sift through. In this post Julian Harnish of Find Your Melody and Gail Fischler of this here blog share six ..read more
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Beethoven As An Icebreaker?
Piano Addict
by Gail Fischler
11M ago
Do you teach classes or small groups as a part of your studio or music center curriculum? I do. One of the toughest parts of my year is sizing up a newly assigned classes. My new classes contain students who have just joined the faculty mixed with a few whose teachers are no longer teaching for our program. They have typically studied for several years and may even be returning to piano after several years off. Two things need to happen within the first few weeks. I need to get a good grip on where they are in their learning and foster a kind learning environment where they feel safe, respect ..read more
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So Not About The Notes
Piano Addict
by Gail Fischler
11M ago
Without question our studio motto is: Not About The Notes (#NATN). Against that little voice inside me, which often screams, “fix-correct-repair,” I remind myself to step back and let students take ownership of the music. And, I try to remember to do this throughout the learning process not just when we are polishing something for performance. Some of us like to see the big picture (the forest) and work back to the details (the trees). Others like to have all those trees in place before we can even think about a forest. Honestly, I don’t find it matters so long as the ultimate goal of pr ..read more
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Top Tips on Performing Well Under Pressure
Piano Addict
by Siqian Lee
2y ago
(Photo by Sophie Zhai) End of the semester recitals are upon us and with the preparations come nerves. Meet pianist Siqian Lee who has some well timed advice for students and teachers to help work through the nerves and achieve their best performances. Thank you Siqian. Solid skills and practice are the keys to confidence. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced pianist, practising solidly and mastering every detail of the music you perform, are always the keys to building up your confidence on the stage, especially under huge pressure. Before looking for any other method to relieve nervousn ..read more
Visit website
Artist Portrait: Martin Listabarth
Piano Addict
by Gail Fischler
2y ago
Photo: Theresa Pewal Meet pianist and composer Martin Listabarth. Martin is a jazz pianist and composer based in Vienna. His music is a true marriage of hand, heart, and head. Martin’s new album is titled Dedicated and is a musical tribute to 10 people who have fascinated and inspired him—from the fields of soccer, mathematics, mountain climbing, merry-go-rounds, painting, and more. We did this interview via email and I couldn’t be happier with his post in which he shares his compositional/improvisational process, growing up in music, and kind words for both teachers and students. Th ..read more
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