Finding the Kinesthetic Feeling of the Keyboard

 Featured, Practicalities  2 Responses »
Dec 032014
 
Finding the Kinesthetic Feeling of the KeyboardThe piano and the pianist have a relationship. It’s different from the violinist who cradles the instrument under his chin or the cellist whose body enfolds the instrument. It’s different from the woodwind or brass player who constantly breathes the life of music through the instrument. It’s certainly different from the singer who is their instrument. read the rest

Kinesthetic Sensation: Meeting Place of the Mind and Body

 Issues  No Responses »
Jan 012014
 
Kinesthetic Sensation: Meeting Place of the Mind and Body

Sensation as Knowledge

When someone startles me I jump. I jump before I know I’m startled. It never works the other way around. I never think I’m startled — and then jump. The body is the first to know something happened. It owns this primary sense of the feeling of what happens. This feeling is knowledge of the body’s state and it does not need words for its knowing. read the rest

The Fossil Mind of Concepts

 Issues  No Responses »
Jan 012014
 
The Fossil Mind of ConceptsThe mind of the fossil is not too old to learn anymore than the body is. The minds of adults do work differently than children’s. Unfortunately, little thought has been given to these differences other than to say adults don’t learn as well as children. Certainly most teachers and students don’t understand these differences. While these differences may complicate the adults’ ability to learn to play the piano; they certainly don’t make it impossible. read the rest

Priorities for Teachers and Students

 For Teachers  No Responses »
Feb 282012
 
This is the transcript of my presentation given at the Levine Summer 2005 Pedagogy Workshop at the new Strathmore Arts Center on August 25, 2005. This workshop was sponsored by the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC. A Buddhist legend tells of the Prince of the mythological kingdom of Shambhala coming to the Buddha saying: Our people revere your teachings, but we cannot all become monks for we must work, have children and do the other activities that make life possible. read the rest

Overcoming the Power of Old Myths: Public and Private

 For Teachers  1 Response »
Feb 282012
 
Overcoming the Power of Old Myths: Public and PrivateWhen people learn that I teach adults, I’m always taken aback when they say:  “It must be so much more satisfying teaching adults than children because you know adults are taking lessons because they want to. This is today’s first myth. There is a prevalent misconception that teaching adults is easy. It’s just not true. Yes, adults want their lessons (so do my young students, for that matter) but wanting something doesn’t automatically provide motivation. read the rest

The Game of Music

 Practicalities  1 Response »
Feb 282012
 
People consider sports and music at opposite ends of the spectrum but they aren’t. The verb itself is the same. One plays football and plays basketball and plays piano and plays violin. In music, only singing and drumming have their own verbs and they are the oldest of all musical activities. Both sports and music involve endless amounts of practice. read the rest

Memory Lapses

 Practicalities  No Responses »
Nov 282007
 
Recent exchanges on the MusicalFossils message board expressing concern about memory lapses offer valuable insights. I would like to talk about this issue from a different perspective than I have before. I often hear my adult students bemoan that they don’t memorize as well as they did as children. The next statement usually has something to do with aging and memory loss. read the rest

What One Student Learned – Letters From St. Petersburg, Russia

 Issues  No Responses »
Jan 012004
 
What One Student Learned - Letters From St. Petersburg, RussiaThis installment of MusicalFossils is a series of e-mails written between Victoria (Vica) Achim, from Russia, and me. Most of them are hers. Vica is an adult amateur pianist studying in a culture where classical music is held in higher esteem than it is in the United States. Russia has (I do not know if this continues) a national system of musical education that seeks to find and develop the best and brightest young musicians as a national treasure, somewhat like athletes in the US. read the rest