Happy Holidays!

Look for a new post January 2, 2012

A Tribute to Vaclav Havel

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Václav Havel

Vaclav Havel ~ Image via Wikipedia

When the news of Vaclav Havel‘s passing appeared in the news, I mentioned it to someone in her early 20’s who had never heard of him.

That, of course, is unacceptable to me.  I am writing this post in the hope that others born after the fall of the Berlin Wall will want to know about Havel’s life and follow the links provided.

Place in the world

I admired Vaclav Havel’s world-changing, focused political resistance as much as his talent as a playwright.

Vaclav Havel, president of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992) and the first President of the Czech Republic (1993–2003), was at the center of the people’s resistance to Communism.  He had an acute awareness of all the disparate views around him while simultaneously acting with great clarity upon the path ahead.

No shots were fired during the volatile transition of power.

During his presidency, Havel visited New York.  Between meetings and  honors ceremonies, he and his wife got together with Milos Forman and his wife.  Havel was staying in a hotel near the U.N.

A funny op-ed

Milos Forman ~ Image via Wikipedia

Milos Forman wrote an op-ed piece about Havel’s 1990 visit, which I can’t seem to locate online.

What I remember from Forman’s piece is that passersby would recognize Havel as the foursome was standing outside the hotel talking.  People would approach him to ask about his country and what his plans were for the future.

He had changed from a suit into jeans and a sweater.  This was time with friends, the only goal of which was to have fun!  Havel’s response to people was something like, “We’re not talking about that right now.  Where’s the best place to get a hamburger?”

Early indications

In one recent article, the author said that Havel was born into wealth but his family lost everything during the war.  When he was a child, he rejected the isolation of privilege, wanting to fit in with his friends.

One could infer that he was already on the path to leading a revolution for the People.

Rest in peace.  The world has lost a great statesman.

Links

Thousands of mourners in the streets (with photos)

Havel attends a rock concert

New York Times obituary

Havel’s theatrical work (with quotes)

Artist’s politics and politician’s art

“Our Moral Footprint” 2007 op-ed by Vaclav Havel

New York Times search results page for “Vaclav Havel”

Please add your thoughts to the comment section below.

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Why I love Placido Domingo’s conducting

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breathing, Madama Butterfly, Martin Katz, Metropolitan Opera, NY Philharmonic, Pablo Sarasate, Plácido Domingo, Sarah Chang, Verdi "Requiem", Westminster Symphonic Choir, Zubin Mehta

Image via Wikipedia

Have you listened, really listened to Placido Domingo’s conducting?

During my first year of graduate school, the Westminster Symphonic Choir sang the Verdi “Requiem” with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center.  The choir of 200 was located behind the orchestra of 110.

By request

The orchestration is extremely dense, with a lot of brass sound.  With that in mind, our conductor, Zubin Mehta, handed his baton to Placido Domingo, our tenor soloist, at one point.  Mehta walked out into the hall in order to listen to the balance in the “Dies Irae” (which turned out to be fine).

I was somewhat surprised, not knowing that Domingo actually was a conductor.  (That happens when you spend 1/3 of your life in the practice room, 1/3 in class, and 1/3 in a sub-basement of the library.)  But according to his web site, he had studied both conducting and piano before circumstances led him, at age 17, to focus intently on his singing career.

In that rehearsal, Domingo stood hunched over the conductor’s score.  Considering that Mehta hadn’t given him a chance to prepare for conducting that day, we understood completely.

Domingo, of course, knew the entire score, orchestration included.  (Soloists learn only their part all too often.  Done with your aria?  Close the score and check out.)  He cued all the orchestral entrances and the chorus.  We were impressed!

At The Met

Fast forward to Saturday’s Metropolitan Opera broadcast of “Madama Butterfly”  with Domingo conducting.  This is what I heard:

• extended applause before each act upon his arrival at the podium.
• the most wonderful cohesiveness throughout the performance, with the conductor, orchestra, and cast breathing exactly as one.

By “breathing,” I mean not only the intake of breath, but the apportioning of its release throughout every phrase.

From the first note, the orchestra was stunning.  I did not personally enjoy the singing quite as much, but it was certainly credible.

Domingo’s understanding of how to breathe was so irreproachable, when a singer needed what may have been an emergency breath just prior to the end of a phrase, the entire orchestra was right there.

A special talent

In his book, The Complete Collaborator:  The Pianist as Partner (Oxford, 2009), Martin Katz emphasizes that:

The primary building block of successful collaboration is surely the breath.

and

… nothing approaches the importance of breathing in the quest for true collaboration.

He insisted that all his collaborative piano students breathe this way.  The breathing must be visceral:

• deeply felt in the body;
• never merely intellectual;
• the way one breathes when feeling raw emotion.

(adapted from Merriam-Webster.com)

Maestro Domingo has this in his blood, a wonderful thing to witness.

Video

Please take a few minutes to watch this video of the violinist Sarah Chang conducted by Domingo.  She plays Pablo Sarasate’s “Ziegeunerweisen” with the Berlin Philharmonic.  You will enjoy listening as well as seeing the unspoken, joyous communication between soloist and conductor.

The audience is also shown, in completely immersed appreciation.

I would imagine that no violinist could have asked for a more responsive, gifted, energized, sensitive conductor.

What do you think?  Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below!

E-books

Give the gift of music! “Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” will give every musician a fresh perspective!

My book frees up time to learn more music, memorize, or do something else entirely!

“Goal-oriented Practice” is also available in print!

Goal-oriented Practice

August 2011 review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

When You Buy a Piano

How to Maintain Your Piano

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Holiday listening links

Tags

holidays, recordings

Rockefeller Center 2003 ~ Image via Wikipedia

An Evening of Readings and Carols
from Westminster Choir College
Monday, December 19 at 8 p.m.
and Sunday, December 25 at 3 p.m.
A little less formal than Kings College, with several choirs.
WWFM The Classical Network.

This beautiful movement is part of Rachmaninoff’s “Vespers,”
all of which can be heard on YouTube.
http://youtu.be/Dp82BXNwrWcRachmaninoff, “Bogoroditse Devo,” conducted by Robert Shaw

“A Car Talk Christmas Carol”
(self-explanatory!)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4231170

“Downtown Messiah,”
a street-smart version of the oratorio.  You’ll love it!
This link features a one-hour “best of” version in addition
to the full-length show. 
http://www.wfuv.org/search/node/Downtown%20Messiah

Sticky fingers

Tags

Mozart Minuet, Music lesson, student

Image by Myles! via Flickr

We already know what his hands look like!

This post is a followup to “Student makes a breakthrough!”

After my student’s lesson this past Saturday, I have become a shameless advocate for sticky fingers!

Sticky fingers? I don’t want anyone to play my piano with sticky fingers…

Neither do I!  Let me explain.

Brief recap

Two lessons ago, an “adult beginner” and I spent the entire time on a Mozart Minuet. For the first time ever, my student understood how to use the indicated fingerings.

Throughout the next lesson, she stuck to the fingerings! She played the entire Minuet perfectly. So we decided that we would explore the Trio (the middle section of the Minuet and Trio) at the following lesson.

The most amazing progress!

My student arrived this week with the Trio ready to go.

She played hands alone first, with perfect fingering, phrasing and dynamics.

The she played hands together the same way!

Funniest moment

My student told me about finishing a practice session.  As she stood up from the keyboard, she glanced at the music again. Her eyes took in a ledger line note above the treble clef.  This is what went through her head:

It’s a “C” on flute.  I wonder what it is on piano?
Oh, right.  I read the music the same way I always have.

New achievements this week

• The learning time for the Trio was 3 times faster than for the Minuet.  The difficulty level is the same.
• The fingering, phrasing and dynamics were all there the 1^st time.
• The Trio had direction! There were absolutely no pauses.

Our discussion

I was, of course, thrilled. But since this wasn’t my lesson, I wanted to discuss things with my student.

When I asked her how it felt to be able to play this way, she was reluctant to own her success:

I thought maybe it (the Trio) was just easier (than the Minuet).

But I’m sure she’s remembering all the angst she usually goes through. I responded with encouragement, repeating that I was very happy and that she had made major progress.

Next, I asked her how she did it!

Me:  Did you put in more time practicing?

Student:  No.

Me:  How much would you say you practiced?

Student:  Oh, about 5 or 6 times.

Me:  For 1/2 hour each?

Student:  Yes, for about ½ hour. 

Me:  How did you go about it?

Student:  I kept saying to myself, “Not flute!  Not flute!”

because flute and piano fingering are different (she plays both). 

Her next comment is well worth remembering:

It’s a matter of focus (not added practice time). When I focus on the fingerings (and not all the other things that usually lurk around), I can play it!

In addition, she realized that when she feels tired, it’s time to stop.  Mindless repetition is not helpful, and neither is the influence of force.

The “secret”

There is no secret about how to do this. Nevertheless, I learned something today:

• No additional practice time was required.  (It would have been my assumption that it was.)
  
• It is important for teachers to be very specific. Don’t just say “Pay attention to the fingerings.” Show your students how they can do that.  Make sure they can do that at least twice before they leave.
• I will always discuss practicing with my students.
• As my student said without prompting, “It’s a matter of focus.”

Upcoming lesson

I get to hear both the Minuet and Trio! And we’ll do some Christmas music, too.  This student is, just in the past month, no longer a beginner. I can’t wait!

All of us need to remember:

It’s about focus, not time!

More discussion about this is presented in my E-book (see below).

How do you work on fingering with your adult students? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Related article

• Student clears a hurdle! (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)

E-books

Give the gift of music! “Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” will give every musician a fresh perspective!

My book frees up time to learn more music, memorize, or do something else entirely!

“Goal-oriented Practice” is also available in print!

Goal-oriented Practice

August 2011 review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

When You Buy a Piano

How to Maintain Your Piano

Back to top

How important is the way we listen?

Tags

George Frideric Handel, Hallelujah, independence, Messiah, music education, Young People's Concerts at Lincoln Center

Gramaphone ~ Image by annavsculture via Flickr

In graduate school, one professor insisted that we listen to music in a certain way.

I resisted valiantly!  I had good ears, and heard a great amount of detail in the music without “help.”

A child’s concert experience

Soon after that, I had students in New York. One of them, an 8-year-old, told me during her lesson that she had attended a Young People’s Concert at Lincoln Center. I was excited about that, and asked her to tell me what it was like.

Me:  What did they do?

Student:  They did this piece by this guy named Frederic.

Me:  George Frederic somebody?

Student:  Yeah, I think so…

Me:  George Frederic Händel?

My student ran to her room, returning with the concert program.

I look at the program and see that they had sung the “Hallelujah” Chorus from Messiah.

Me:  How did you like it?

Student:  Wellllllll, it was boring.

Me:  Why was it boring?

Student:  They said the same word all the time!

What would you have said next? I couldn’t tell her she was required to like it… she had listened, after all, and besides that, she was correct!

We talked about how sometimes the words aren’t so important, and that sometimes they can just be there and the chorus can sing like instrumentalists.

A regimented listening requirement, in this case, may have ended with my student hating music!

Something different

On Tuesday evening, I was listening to a jazz program. The experience of hearing music that sounds completely different from classical got me to think about what I was hearing.

Since I am not completely conversant with the vocabulary used by jazz musicians or reviewers, hearing and reading about the genre is something I find refreshing.

One piece in particular caught my attention. Why is that?

The piece was:

• not beautiful

• nor lyrical

• not performed by a singer

• recorded by a group I didn’t know

The opening was played by tenor sax in wah-wah fashion. How did he do that? The instrument didn’t sound at all like a tenor sax.

The drummer kept the same off-beat through the entire piece. The only variation was that he was louder toward the end.

What was exciting about this performance?

• innovation

• imagination

• great rhythm

• unusual sounds

• wonderful energy

• it was new to me

• and it was fun!
  

Listen on the merits

I think that since every genre, every hall, every instrument, every performer, every composer, and every group is different, each type of music and each performance deserves to be listened to on its own merits.

Our responsibility as teachers

Our role is to encourage our students to listen, and then to follow up.  A student may be interested in different types of music, use different words, and not fit the mold we had in mind.  What we need to do is listen attentively while they describe what they’ve heard in their own way.  And then, without ever telling them they’re wrong, put negatives into perspective and guide their listening experience.

What do you think?

• Do you listen to everything in the same way?

• Do you listen to music that you think you may not like?

• Do you talk with your students about what they hear?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Related article

• The best time to introduce your child to music (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)

E-books

Give the gift of music! “Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” will give every musician a fresh perspective!

My book frees up time to learn more music, memorize, or do something else entirely!

Goal-oriented Practice

August 2011 review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

When You Buy a Piano

How to Maintain Your Piano

Back to top

30 Obscure Scholarships That Actually Exist

Tags

Education, financial aid, scholarships

Many thanks to Jasmine Hall of http://onlinecolleges.net for sharing this post!

by Staff Writers

November 28, 2011

If you’ve been doing lots of searching for a scholarship, it’s probably no surprise to you that weird prizes exist. You can win money for college by duck calling, being a Star Trek fan, and even just for having the right last name. Read on, and we’ll take a look at 30 obscure scholarships you might not even believe exist.

Distinctive Talent

If you can do amazing things with duct tape, or even predict the future, you just might win money for school with these scholarships.

1. Stuck at Prom: It’s been said that you can do just about anything with duct tape. For some creative high school students, “anything” includes a prom dress. For 11 years now, Duck brand duct tape has offered a Stuck at Prom scholarship contest, which awards $5,000 scholarships to the couple with the most creative use of duct tape in their prom outfits. A bonus? Their school also gets $5,000.
2. The Kor Memorial Scholarship: Can you speak Klingon? Knowledge of the Star Trek language is encouraged, but not required, for this scholarship that awards $500 to a student in language study each year.
3. Make It With Wool: For budding clothing designers and wool lovers, the American Sheep Industry’s Make It With Wool competition offers several different scholarship winnings to students who make the most interesting and creative wool pieces, with some prizes as high as $1,500.
4. Ursinus College Creative Writing Award: JD Salinger once attended Ursinus College, and it seems the school is looking for their next great writer in residence with this scholarship. Applicants must share a portfolio of creative work in fiction and/or poetry in the spirit of Catcher in the Rye‘s unusual perspective, brilliance, and voice. The winner will receive not only a whopping $30,000, but also the honor of living in JD Salinger’s former dorm room.
5. Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest: A total of $4,250 in scholarship money is up for grabs at this duck calling contest, open to any current high school senior. The first place winner receives $2,000 to use for school. In 36 years, the contest has awarded more than $60,000 in scholarships.
6. Icy Frost Bridge Scholarship: Are you a female music student who can sing or play the national anthem with sincerity? Do you want to go to DePauw university? You just might qualify for this award, which offers money to attend the university to female students who take the national anthem seriously.
7. Excellence in Predicting the Future Award: You don’t have to be a psychic to win this award, but we think it might help. The Excellence in Predicting the Future award offers a maximum of $400 on a continual basis to the winners of a Prediction Market competition.

Unique Interests

Love candy, bagpipes, or amateur radio? These scholarships award cash to those who have obscure interests.

1. American Association of Candy Technologists John Kitt Memorial Scholarship: Students who love candy, and we mean really love candy, can qualify for this $5,000 scholarship from the American Association of Candy Technologists. College sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have a demonstrated interest in confectionery technology, and are majoring in food science, chemical science, biological science, or fields of related study, can qualify to win this sweet award for school.

1. Carnegie Mellon University’s Bagpipe Scholarship: Students who love to play the bagpipes, or even those who would like to, can take advantage of the bagpipe scholarship at Carnegie Mellon, which allows for the study of a bagpipe major. This difficult subject is often not financially rewarding, but those that love to play the ancient instrument can find great value in it, including this scholarship.
2. The National Association for Amateur Radio Foundation Scholarships: Students who love to practice on the amateur radio can qualify for these scholarships, especially if they’re pursuing studies in electronic engineering or related technical fields. The organization offers many different awards, some as high as $10,000 or more.
3. American Society for Enology and Viticulture Scholarship Program: If you plan to work in the wine and grape industry, this scholarship is for you. It’s awarded to students pursuing degrees in enology, viticulture, and other curriculum that studies the science of wine. Scholarship amounts vary from year to year.
4. Alice Mcarver Ratchford Scholarship: If you’re a female student at UNC Greensboro and like to keep things simple, the Alice Mcarver Ratchford Scholarship might be for you. This award is given to female undergraduate students who live on campus, do not possess a car, are single, and don’t have any other scholarships.
5. National Potato Council Scholarship Program: A love of potatoes can add up to a whole lot of money if you’re the lucky winner of this scholarship. Each year, a graduate student pursuing advanced studies in agribusiness for the enhancement of the potato industry will win $5,000 to put toward his or her education.

Special Groups

If you’re a member of a distinctive society, or someone in your family is, it’s worth checking out the possibility of getting a scholarship from that group, and we’ve detailed some of them here.

1. NRA YES Program: Every year, the NRA hosts the Youth Education Summit, where students participate in an educational opportunity that revolves around becoming knowledgeable about the Constitution, Bill of Rights, the federal government, and civic involvement. At the summit, scholarships totaling $10,000 are awarded through competitive debates, and a second round of $20,000 is available for participants who go through a secondary application.
2. National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance: For some people, fat is just a fact of life, and this organization awards scholarships to students who specialize in fashion design and health for fat people. The scholarship program offers $1,000 to a budding fashion designer specializing in plus-size fashions, and $1,000 to students who utilize Health At Every Size tenets in their studies and research.
3. Starfleet Scholarships: Star Trek fans who are also members of the Starfleet Star Trek Fan Association are eligible for scholarships from the organization. To qualify, you must be a member for at least one year before applying. Scholarships are available for medicine, engineering, performing arts, foreign language, business management, veterinary medicine, education, writing, law enforcement, and more.
4. Little People of America Scholarships: Anyone who can demonstrate a need for financial assistance can qualify for scholarships through the Little People of America program, but preference is given to LPA members with a diagnosed form of dwarfism, their family members, people outside of LPA with dwarfism, and disabled students in general.
5. Tall Clubs International Student Scholarships: On the other end of the scale, extremely tall people can qualify for scholarships as well. Women who are at least 5’10″ and men who are at least 6’2″ can qualify to receive $1,000 to put toward school funds.
6. The Vegetarian Resource Group: If you don’t eat meat, you just might get money for college. The Vegetarian Resource Group awards $10,000 in college scholarships each year to students who promote vegetarianism in their schools and communities. This $10,000 is split into two awards of $5,000, so being vegetarian and sharing your lifestyle in the community can really pay off.

Family Honors

If you belong to a family of rich people, chances are you’re going to be okay in the college finance department. But even long lost relatives, or anyone who shares your name can help.

1. Zolp: At Loyola University Chicago, some families just have all the luck. If you’re a Catholic student with the last name of Zolp, you could get a full scholarship to Loyola, no strings attached, but paperwork is definitely required.
2. Scarpinato Scholarship: Just like Loyola, the Scarpinato family has it easy at Texas A&M, with a full-ride scholarship available to anyone born with the last name, or those who have married into the family. According to the New York Times, the university sends out letters to every Scarpinato they can find.
3. Gatling Grant: Students born with the surname Gatlin or Gatling can qualify for the John Gatling Grant program at North Carolina State University, which offers $9,000 for NC residents and $18,000 for out-of-state residents. Unlike other family awards, this grant does have exceptional demand, and qualified students will have aid distributed according to priority, including qualifications such as residential status and financial need.
4. Harvard Ancestry Scholarships: Harvard has several scholarships available for select ancestors and those bearing chosen family names or ancestry, including Downer, Dudley, Ellis, Bright, Amory, Pennoyer, Hudson, Baxendale, Slater, Appel, Goodbar, Thayer, as well as funds for descendants of the Harvard College Classes of 1889 and 1902.
5. Van Valkenburg Memorial Scholarship Competition: Any member of the Van Valkenburg family attending college can qualify to receive $1,000, as long as they’ve completed an application that verifies they are a descendant of Lambert and Annetje Van Valkenburg, as well as an essay on Van Valkenburg heritage.
6. Sons of Confederate Veterans Scholarship: Ancestors of Confederate veterans (not just sons) can win this award of $1,000 for school, provided they are a member in good standing of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Children of the Confederacy, or United Daughters of the Confederacy, organizations which require members to be ancestors of Confederate veterans.

Sports

Most students might expect to see scholarships for football, basketball, and baseball, but big team sports aren’t the only ones getting scholarship money. Check out these fun and unusual sports scholarships to see if you qualify.

1. Barry Lefkowitz Scholarship Billiards Tournament: University of Akron alumnus and former university billiards champion Barry Lefkowitz started this scholarship program to keep billiards alive at the university, and through tournaments in the spring and fall, three talented players can claim up to $1,000 to use for school and books at the University of Akron.
2. American Water Ski Educational Foundation: Water skiing can be much more than just a fun sport: it can earn you money for college, too. Young water skiing athletes can qualify for these awards as members of USA Water Ski, with good academic achievement, community activities, and a 500-word essay.
3. Body By Milk Sammy Scholarship: America’s Milk Processors, the people behind the “Got Milk?” campaign, have created the Sammy Scholarship, an award that shares $7,500 scholarships with 25 student athletes each year. Applicants are judged by their academic performance, athletic excellence, leadership, community service, and milk experience essay, and if they win, will be invited to take part in their own Got Milk? mustache ad.
4. Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship: Most people think of golfers as the only athletes in the sport, but the fact is that caddies have a vitally important role to play in golfing as well. The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship honors the role of caddies, providing funds for outstanding caddy students to attend select universities with an Evans Scholarship House.
5. Robert J. Marriott Scholarship Grant for Fly Fishing: Fly fishing is a fun pastime, hobby, and even career for some, but without fish, there’s nothing to wade in and fly for. That’s why this scholarship grant offers $500 to a deserving student who is specializing in fish studies, including fishery management.

——–
Apologies for the numbering.  I was unable to make it continuous.

E-books

Give the gift of music! “Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” will give every musician a fresh perspective!

My book frees up time to learn more music, memorize, or do something else entirely!

Goal-oriented Practice

August 2011 review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

When You Buy a Piano

How to Maintain Your Piano

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Student makes a breakthrough!

Tags

arts, flute, music education, piano lesson, student

Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954) ~ "The Piano Lesson" ~ Image by wallyg via Flickr

Fingering matters!

The 2 most recent lessons my adult student experienced overwhelmingly prove the point.

Relevant history

My student has played flute for several years, taking up piano more recently.

Flute vs. piano fingering

Playing the flute involves one position for the hands most of the time.

Flute fingering is notated with T(thumb) 1 2 3 4.
Piano fingering is different: 1(thumb) 2 3 4 5.

Printed music

Since the lowest note on the flute is Middle C, flute music is notated in the treble clef, on one staff.

Piano music is usually notated on 2 staves, with treble clef for the right hand and bass clef for the left. So it looks more complicated right away.

Lesson

We are working on a Mozart Minuet and Trio.

My student’s approach is to use just about any available finger at random.

One left hand passage, C G rest C D, is fingered 5 2 rest 2 1.

We discussed how using the correct fingering would make this passage easier to play… reliable, no hesitation between notes.

My student tried the fingering as written.  The outcome was C G, what’s next?  C D.  Whew.

I showed her how she could play 5 2, then keep move her hand to the next spot on the keyboard keeping the 2^nd finger ready to play immediately.

She tried that. When she reached the G with her 2^nd finger (so far, so good!), she switched to her 3^rd finger while still playing G. (That happens a lot.)

We talked about that, and she tried it again.

The same thing happened. I made an involuntary sound in my throat, and she picked up on it.  When we talked about that, I said, “I know you can do it!  Try it again!”  She was almost there.  I wasn’t ready to give up.

So she tried a 3^rd time, and voilà!  She played the passage perfectly!

Next step

We discussed how that sounded, and decided it had musical flow!

We talked about how it felt to be able to do that, and my student was very happy!

I gave her an assignment, asking her to focus only on the fingering in this one piece for next time.

She mentioned having to look at the notes, too.

I encouraged her to look at the notes and the fingerings together.  She tried it, and played the passage flawlessly!

My misgivings

After my student left her lesson, I began feeling that perhaps I had pushed her too hard.

Next lesson

Two weeks later, my student played the entire Minuet with perfect notes and perfect fingering!  This is a first!!!

Since the fingering was perfect in more than one lesson, there’s a good chance that the new approach will stick.

The piece is under tempo, but that isn’t what we’re working on right now. She didn’t backtrack and she didn’t give up.

That’s progress!!!  ♥ ♥ ♥

How do approach fingering with your adult students? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Related article

• Student clears a hurdle! (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)

E-books

Give the gift of music! “Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” will give every musician a fresh perspective!

My book frees up time to learn more music, memorize, or do something else entirely!

Goal-oriented Practice

August 2011 review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

When You Buy a Piano

How to Maintain Your Piano

Back to top