Category: Uncategorized
What I see in piano.
One of the first exercise I propose on piano is fairly simple. Put your hand on the keys with your right thumb on the middle C and the rest of the fingers on the notes above, ending with the pinky on G. Then, one key at a time, go up and down the notes. You…
Easy or difficult?
Today we’re talking about the simplicity of music. There is an enduring myth out there that music is difficult. It has to be, because if you’ve been on this earth for awhile, chances are you will meet someone who tried to become a professional musician and didn’t succeed. By the same token, when you turn…
Recession
They say we need to run for cover. They say we are headed for economical bad times. They say the economy is about to turn. We’re going to suffer. I do not know if any of it is true. Really, I have no idea. They talk about the yield curve. Ah! Oh! Wow! And that’s…
Learning from others.
I have been teaching since 1989. That’s before the dinosaurs. In that time, I’ve always taught drums. Only in the last 12 years have I taught piano. I have been fortunate to be able to explain the different concepts of music to the students who have been asking for my help. I don’t have a…
The mission 3
But Music is not a mission, and Music is not an absolute. Music must be tailored to the dimensions of the person playing it. Only then will we have the chance to hear what is inside his heart, which is the only truly interesting part of Music. Music must be practiced and played with a…
The mission 2
That is where we use one lesson to talk. We need to sort a few things out. In particular this all so important question: what is Music? Bob sits down and is willing to talk. He explains to me all the techniques he is not getting, what he should be understanding faster, what he ought…
The mission
It is hard to understand what music is about. As someone’s who’s been teaching this art for almost 3 decades, I must say that sometimes the work gets delicate and complicated. I have a student, let’s call him Bob, who has done everything he was supposed to do. He has picked up the sticks with…
Here is what happened, part 2 (The revenge!)
So, Bob was not doing good. And we talked. One of the difficult part of being a professional musician is to keep your confidence. By confidence, I mean self love, the drive, the energy to know you can do the job. Bob had to retain a little love and appreciation for his own talent in…
Here is what happened, part 1.
The life of a musician is seen as chaotic, unpredictable, maybe even dangerous. And, although my life is fairly mundane and uneventful, it is common to experience dramatic upheaval as a working musician. A colleague was telling me about his band. They had a lot of gigs, the crowds seemed pleased with their performances, he…
Climate change and our sense of rhythm clash.
Here is a working theory: we have a hard time understanding climate change because of our inner rhythm. Now, bare with me. Our whole life is a groove. As soon as we are born we fall into a series of ritual, or rhythms that take place in a sequential way. So, birth, and already, we…