THE HINER METHOD

April 1, 2016     Spring Issue, 2016. Vol. 1     , , ,     2

Interview by Esther Basha (MGBH)

 

Friendly spiders, Mr. Oops, colorful butterflies, cute mice drinking tea at Princess Tonic’s palace. All this is a magnet for toddlers whose eager parents are on a quest to raise XXI century Mozarts.
Based on the Hiner method, this computerized piano learning system consists of 6 (six) games and a music repertoire curriculum. Its name reflect the target result – SoftMozart.
Add to it an international community of excited parents who share performance videos of their styles, with Hellenistic Hiner herself awarding butterflies for top performance, and you will get a perfect environment for learning piano at home on a budget.
Intrigued with the idea of SoftMozart, we met with Dr. Hiner (MGBH), a renowned musicologist and pedagogue, to learn more.

PP: Dear Hellene, please, tell our reads how you became interested in teaching music and why.
HH: It happened in May of 1976 after my graduation recital in music school. I received A+ for my performance first time in 7 years of study piano. For years I struggled learning how to play piano and read music, but became a prodigy a year before graduation. My enthusiasm to learn why so many beginners fail music education and what should be done in order to change the situation became my passionate priority in life.

PP: What is the philosophy behind your method? And what is the core of your teaching method?
HH: We all know how important music education is for young children. In this regard, I share the same philosophy with majority of my colleagues that every individual should have music education. All children are gifted, and our goal is to ignite their best potential with music. However, we are all humans and our perceptions and physiology has its limits and restrictions. For example, our eye is built in a specific manner, and we first learn how to focus on one object at a time and only after that are capable of shifting focus among the lines.

For this exact reason, all written languages on Earth are linear. Music notation is completely different. First, it is multi-linear; second, spaces are not just ‘breaks’ between the lines. They are tracks of information too. It is quite difficult for beginners to follow up with all these tracks. Add to this equation time measurement and duration, and we have a problem: we have to use theory and a lot of cramming.

Interestingly enough, at the beginning of XX century we had almost the same struggles with teaching beginners to read books using Bible or Psalter. I found this fascinating. When alphabet with pictures was invented, everything turned around towards successful learning. Placing a picture next to abstract note became the game changer!

I created the same approach for music literacy: we offer different formats of music text from elementary to original and let our students use the most comfortable for their visual perception. We have formats similar to picture books, chapter books, and novels. It gives teachers and students flexibility and ability to maneuver. We do not adjust a student’s eye to a rigid text format.

Eye Focus

Instead, we transform text format to the student’s visual perception and gradually develop his vision to read music notation like a professional. Visually the piano keys, lines, and spaces of the Grand Staff are the same unit. It is so bold and simple that every child can intuitively follow as ‘monkey see – monkey do’. If we start teaching like this, every child should learn how to play piano and read music from the Grand Staff as starting point of his/her music education. By active involvement in music making through sight-reading, children develop their musical talents and later in life can apply their music literacy to different music instruments and activities. If we can make it happen, we will raise a new generation of people who will be smarter, more balanced, and make music literacy global.

PP: What is the earliest age, in your opinion, for kids so start taking piano lessons?
HH: 24 months and up. Some of my trainees showed amazing results even with younger ages, but 24 month is about average age for piano lessons. Children of this age already craving activities that involve their fine motor skills and music production. They can control each finger and coordinate both hands. There are billions of neurons in their brains that had better be used then lost forever. Pediatricians suggest working with small objects – with play dough, for example. I think, playing piano is the best activity for the most effective fine motor skills booster of early learners. They develop their minds, learn to use all fingers, develop hand-eye coordination, both hands coordination, music ear, voice, music memory. We kill way too many birds with one stone by starting with my method early in life.

PP: What came first: your method or software idea? Is it possible to teach with Hiner method without software?
HH: The method came first.  I came up with the games, exercises, and vertical sheet music long before the software was incorporated into my teaching system.  Software added more interactivity to what was initially developed. Interaction is the most important component of successful learning.

The Hiner Method Book

For example, Leopold Mozart (OBM) was 24/7 interaction for Mozart (OBM). When one learns something new, one feels better and develops faster if one receives immediate feedback. Materials that I created gave learners such information, but was not 100 % intuitive as they are now. In some countries my method is being used without software for financial reasons. Now computers and digital pianos are less expensive, and people prefer to teach with software. I suggest using software for the most effective results.

PP: Does one need a teacher in order to work with your method or is it possible to learn piano on his/her own?
HH: You will find the best answer to this question in our history of learning how to read. Does a child need a teacher to learn letters of the alphabet? Many do, many manage on their own. However, we all go to school to improve our reading skills. After that, some become writers, some readers, some actors. For that we need special training. The same applies to learning piano. I have homeschooling families that couldn’t afford piano teachers. They learn by following my lesson plans and interact online with other teachers. The more they achieve, the more they need private instructions. Of course, it would be ideal to start my method with a certified piano teacher. This is the best combination possible! We have winners of piano competitions in Spain, Ukraine, and Israel. All the winners started SoftMozart with certified teachers.

PP: What was your goal/objective in creating the software?
HH: My method is about active learning, hands on experience, building concrete applicable skills. Objectively, computer + piano is the most effective training tool for gradual skills development. Piano keys are like buttons of a spaceship. It requires many different complex skills to navigate them with ease. We have special software – flight simulators – that teach pilots to fly. This software was built with similar intention.

PP: How can a piano teacher work with your software? What is its benefit vs. Traditional lessons? Does a teacher require training in your method or is it enough to read the book?
HH: Working with the software is simple. Piano teachers can find regular repertoire that they use for their lessons. The fun starts when they can give their students additional options to play the pieces with different font sizes, with or without colorful prompts. They will be able to offer different options to make music reading and memorization the most enjoyable and fun experience.

We have some animated characters that provide learners with intuitive hints about everything: how long to hold a note, how to develop legato, is the note right or wrong, how to fix a mistake, what the time delay in playing piece is, etc. Students and their parents will be pleased to feel in control of homework progress. With my method, teachers are no longer ‘mistakes registrars’. Computer is doing this job. Instead, teachers utilize their lesson time for professional work: helping with mastering the technique and art of performance.

Teachers love SoftMozart, too, as it frees up their expensive time from the tedious technical work and allows them to focus teaching the art of playing piano.

PP: Can one learn to play piano using only acoustic piano with your method?
HH: Yes, but they won’t be as successful as those who also use the interactive component that a digital piano or keyboard with a computer provides. Our students perform and polish their artistic performances on acoustic instruments, but learn to play pieces with the software. It saves a lot of time and energy. It is similar as use of computer for typing the interview VS writing it on paper with a pen. Of course, writing with a pen came first, but spell check, ability to correct mistakes, change formats, etc. make computer typing more fun and enjoyable.

PP: Where is your SoftMozart mainly used?
HH: SoftMozart is used everywhere where we teach music: in private piano studios, in public schools, at homes, in group and individual lessons, in day care centers, and in homes. We currently offer the software method in English, Russian, Spanish, and Kazakh languages. Getting ready to translate it to German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and French.

PP: What issues, in your opinion, does your software solve?
HH: The method and software can completely solve the sourest problems of music education in America.  First of all, it gives the opportunity to start music education from 24 months on the mass level. Imagine, how many educated listeners, smart students will come to elementary schools? By the age of 6 they will know what instrument they prefer to play. In fact, piano is just a starting point for music education in this regard. The cost of such education will be affordable for each family. Moreover, such classes can be provided in day care centers. Piano labs can easily replace lessons about music. After graduation, students will have applicable skills. Classical music will become popular in society again, and recitals and contests will involve more people. Creating music is an excellent alternative for playing computer games and surfing the Web. It is a wonderful social tool that children love to have especially when they becoming teenagers. It means also that they will use their energy in a creative, positive way. And by spreading music literacy overall, we can bring more prodigies to our professional teachers. In addition, we create millions of educated listeners that will appreciate the talents of the prodigies. Finally, the music education will start shining and make everyone happy. Today, due to the high cost of the piano lessons, we teach only those who can afford them. For the same reasons, we unable to teach many subjects that a well-rounded music education requires: solfeggio, ear training, chords, music dictations, transposition, music theory, etc. My method and software solve many (if not all) of these problems. The curriculum gives students well-rounded and affordable education.

PP: What are your plans for SoftMozart for the next five years?
HH: I plan to complete an online training course for music and piano teachers (currently I have to train teachers 1 on 1, and it is time consuming and very expensive). This will drastically decrease the cost of training and certification. Piano teachers today are not appreciated enough.  We have to do everything to help them expand their businesses and to make their hard work highly recognized by society. I think, with my method we can achieve this goal and give piano teachers plenty of new opportunities and students. Of course, my goal also is to create more tools for educators to make their experience most enjoyable. There are new features and games, more piano pieces and duets, better technology and lesson plans in line. I have a goal to collaborate with educators in order to bring the system to the public schools and colleges, planning to approach day care centers and special needs children facilities to spread the system anywhere possible. I is the win-win situation for all to have it. Of course, we will expand the relationship with homeschooling community and continue working with current trainees from different countries.

PP: On your SoftMozart.com website I saw a “community” tab. What is it all about?
HH: We have an online community of teachers/parents, where we share our experience, find help and support, provide different contests, recitals, progress diaries. My method is very young, it is still in development stage and we – members of the community – have a unique opportunity to be pioneers and see how children and adults learn with it, what they achieve, and how they do it. It is so much fun, when you watch videos of a 3 year-old-girl playing something elementary and in couple of years see the same girl performing Rachmaninoff (OBM) in front of the audience. You may go and watch all the milestones of her development and better understand the dynamic of her development.

PP: Does SoftMozart award scholarships? If so, on what basis?
HH: Yes.  Our dedicated learners do not pay full price for their education. We have families on full scholarships. The only criteria is DEDICATION. We want to see disciplined, serious learners that follow lesson plans, learn, and participate in Academy and recitals. We provide recitals through YouTube twice a year: Winter Butterfly Ball (Dec15–Jan15) and Graduation (May 15 – June 15). Butterfly Ball is about quantity.   I send all the participants as many butterflies as pieces played. This recital is planned to combat perfectionism and spread love for music making. Graduation recital is more formal and our goal is quality of performance. Children gets diplomas and gifts. Internet society helps us keep motivation going. Children are happy to perform, interested to see other performers, communicate, and receive gifts from Texas. I think, it works like a charm for creating music education awareness.

PP: How many hours a day/days a week do you recommend that students study?
HH: It depends on a student, his/her goal, and level of involvement. I usually recommend to work on piano the same healthy way as we take meals: very often, but in small portions.

With the intuitive aspect central to the method where kids learn through play, gaining knowledge and skill becomes its effortless byproduct.

PP: What other aspects besides piano performance does your software teach?
HH: Sight-reading, sight-singing, transposing, harmony, music dictations, music appreciation and music history, theory in form of interactive theory and Puppet theory (where different characters and their stories used as concrete explanations of  abstract concepts. For example, Tonic is a Queen of music and her husband is a King Dominant. He is absent-minded and always asks questions. Tonic answers those questions.  After watching such a story, students play D-T in different keys through my software. After that we give them explanation what different tonalities – Tonic and Dominant – are.

PP: What equipment does one need to use SoftMozart?
HH: Technically Soft Mozart doesn’t require much: any computer – Mac or Windows and any digital piano or keyboard. Keyboard should have at least 61 keys.

PP: Thank you, Hellene, for the interview. We hope many piano teachers as well as piano students will benefit from your method.

 

SINGING MUSIC THEORY

April 1, 2016     Spring Issue, 2016. Vol. 1     , ,     1

Article by Chai L. Chien (MGBH)

Music theory makes the music world go round.

This is the motto I like to say at the start of my piano lesson. I find that kids may or may not know what music theory really is. However, if it is explained in their terms such as “chords are like transformers that change into different entities” or “arpeggios are like a skipping song” where I show a demonstration skipping a step or stairs as I sing “ar-pe-ggio,” they eat it up like a delicious cupcake.

But when an older student learns theory, it becomes a daily chore in a sense. They have to use their brains and think about music as a concept, mentally combining note functions rather than what is written on paper. Therefore, theory needs to be explained visually (written on paper)  or sung.

Throughout years of teaching, I have been pondering the following: if teaching music theory supposed to be musical, then why are we not teaching in a sing-a-song fashion?

I found that utilizing this principle positively transforms theory learning experience for my students.  I often take a familiar song such as “Heart and Soul” or use the “I, vi, IV, V” chords and sing “How many sharps does A major have?” In turn, my students respond in a singing fashion: “Three sharps, three sharps”. Thus, I engage them in a familiar tune where they get to learn theory at the same time. As time goes by, the tune gets stuck in their heads and they just sing the entire song – all 12 major keys.

Here are some of the topics and explanations I like to use when explaining music theory.

Scales: What goes up must come down

Chords: Transformers in disguise

Inversions: Bottom, Middle, and Top

Intervals: I am Here and You are There

Major vs. Minor: Happy vs. Sad Baseball teams

Arpeggios: Skipping song or flying over fingers

Sharps: Ouch, it’s sharp!

Flat: Flat tire on a bicycle

Number of sharps and flats: Drawing of the letters for visualization

“Any questions so far?” I ask my students after a brief visualization of a concept. But silence takes over as theory is sinking into their minds. Hopefully, they are thinking about mathematics rather than what they will be eating for dinner that night. In this case silence is golden because it is the time used to absorb what was just explained.

And then, the epic question pops up: why should one learn all that theory if playing a song is just about coordinating hands? Well… It sure does make a teacher’s life a little easier in trying to explain how to play a passage. Instead of showing every time “this is how it’s played,” the teacher can communicate the answer through a theoretical concept.  Once a student is able to grasp concepts  and learns to think “general to specific”, he/she is on the way of truly understanding the mystical structures of music theory. And as a pedagogue, you will, finally, be free to focus on teaching what you love  – the art of playing music.

 

About the Author:

Chai L. Chien (MGBH) is a piano and ukulele instructor in Hollywood, FL.  She obtained her undergraduate Degree in Piano Performance at the University of Michigan.  Mrs. Chien is the President of Music Club of Hollywood (FL), which focuses on supporting music students financially through grants and concerts.  Besides being a talented performer, teacher, and singer, she is an avid golfer, loves cooking and reading about neuroscience.

PIANO ARCHITECTURE: The Schimmel Experience

April 1, 2016     Spring Issue, 2016. Vol. 1     , , ,     0

 

Interview by Esther Basha

Browsing the Internet for interesting piano photos, I stumbled upon Schimmel Pegasus, which left me speechless and star-struck. Its futuristic design as well as its sound made me want to find one and play it.  I got in touch with Robert Slayman (may G-d bless him), the VP of Schimmel Pianos in North America who told me the Schimmel story and the company behind it.

PP: Dear Robert, can you, please, tell our readers a little bit about yourself? How did you get into piano distribution? Do you have a background in piano performance?
RS: I was a late bloomer as a pianist, buying my first piano and taking my first lessons at age 19. I entered college a couple years later as a piano student but had a lot of catching up to do. While I was a student, I stopped by a piano store one day to inquire about part time work to help pay my ay through school. I ended up taking a full-time position in piano sales and a few years later opened my own piano store with two partners. When our lease expired we didn’t renew but went on to other careers. I became involved as a manufacturer’s representative and have been with Schimmel for 16 years, now as their North American vice president and director of marketing and sales. (By the way, I did finish my piano degree!)

PP: Please, tell us about the Schimmel Piano makers and what makes the company different from others.
RS: Schimmel was founded by Wilhelm Schimmel (OBM) in 1885.  They have always been a family-managed piano builder whose motto from the very beginning was, “Quality will prevail.”  Wilhelm’s son, Wilhelm Arno Schimmel eventually took over the company and he unexpectedly passed away in 1961 leaving his son Nikolaus Schimmel (MGBT) to take over. Nikolaus oversaw much growth in the company and began exporting pianos around the world. He is also responsible for many of the innovations including the art pianos Pegasus, Plexiglas, and the Otmar Alt. He is retired now but still very active. The company is now managed by the fourth generation family members Hannes Schimmel-Vogel and Viola Schimmel (MGBT). So, the name on the piano isn’t just a name, it is a direct reflection on the Schimmel family. For this reason, they strive to build the best instruments possible in each of the three market segments they cover. Such care is taken that Schimmel allows certain periods of “rest” as their pianos are being built so they become very stable over time. It takes a full year for Schimmel to build a grand piano.  A recent exciting innovation that makes Schimmel pianos unique is that the Konzert Series grands all have the same key length and action as the 9’2 concert grand. So there are six models all the way down to 5’9″ with the same “engine” inside. This means that a student can now practice on a piano with the same feel and response that he/she will have on the concert piano on stage.

LUIGI COLANI
Luigi Colani (MGBH), designer of Schimmel Pegasus Pianos.

PP: Please, tell us a little bit about the Schimmel Pegasus model. It looks amazing: the ultimate futuristic model of pianos. What inspired the owners of the company to create such an unusual design? Who was the designer?
RS: At first it was just a daring idea on the part of the eccentric German designer Prof. Luigi Colani (MGBH) and the German piano manufacturer Nikolaus W. Schimmel (MGBH). It was their vision to free the grand piano, the most expressive of traditional acoustic musical instruments, from its form, which had hardly changed in the past 150 years, as well as to impart a future-oriented design. It takes a full year for Schimmel to build a grand piano.

PP: Who are some of the famous piano performers that played Schimmel Pegasus and/or own one? What about institutions?
RS: Lenny Kravits (MGBH) purchased both a Pegasus and a Plexiglas Schimmel. Prince (OBM) purchased a Pegasus.  A jazz pianist Joey Calderazzo (MGBH) has owned two Schimmel grands. Some of the institutions that have purchased or performed with Schimmel are NPR Studio in D.C., Royal Academy of Music, London, Boston Ballet, Toronto Symphony, Bolshoi Theater, Moscow, L’Opera de Marseille, English national Ballet, ASU in Tempe Arizona, and Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris.

PP: How is the Pegasus model made? Is the keyboard different from a regular one? What materials are used in the manufacturing process?
RS: The Pegasus is made as one continuous fiberglass piece without seams except for the clear plexiglass stand that supports the tail. Even the pianist’s bench is part of the one-piece design.

The inside of the instrument is otherwise the same as the Schimmel top line Konzert Series with spruce keys and solid spruce soundboard.

PP: How much does a piano like this cost?
RS: The Pegasus is priced at $300,000 and is made by special order. Schimmel is able to make two per year and it typically takes 6 months to a year to get one.

PP: What is the price range for other (traditional) models and where can piano lovers can find these pieces?
RS: Schimmel MSRP prices start at $15,000 for a Wilhelm Schimmel vertical piano and go up from there. Schimmel pianos are displayed by a network of about 25 dealers in the U.S. and Canada, mostly in the larger cities. Especially good selections of many Schimmel models can be seen in Toronto, Seattle, Portland OR, Houston, Dallas, Raleigh, San Diego, San Jose, Phoenix, and Paramus NJ.

The keyboard of the Pegasus model is uniquely ergonomic in that it has a slight curvature rather than being in a straight line.

PP: Have Schimmel pianos been in any movies?
RS: Yes. The clear Schimmel Plexiglas was in the new Annie movie in 2014 with Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, and Quvenzhané Wallis (MGBT).

PP: Can an organization rent a Schimmel piano for an event? If so, how and where?
RS: Yes, depending on the market and availability. You would contact the local dealer in the market, or myself.

PP: I saw a photo of a red Schimmel Ferrari piano. Who does it belong to? Was there only one made?
RS: This instrument was sold to an individual who owned a car-racing track in Texas. I think it was sold several years later to someone in L.A. There were a couple other red Pegasus models sold in the world to private individuals.

PP: Can we talk a little bit about a Schimmel Silent Piano? Was there only one made? Or is it available for sale?
RS: The silent system for Schimmel is called Twin Tone and is made by Yamaha. “Silent” is a trademark of Yamaha Corporation. It can be added to most any instrument at the factory while the instrument is being built, as a special order.

PP: What is for Schimmel in the nearest future?
RS: Schimmel has sponsored a couple of piano competition in the U.S. and does much more of this in Germany. Schimmel just entered into a strategic alliance with the largest piano make in the world, Pearl River. With the added resources, Schimmel should soon be in a position to do more in this area.

FEATURED ARTICLE: Benjamin Grosvenor – The British Romantic

April 1, 2016     Spring Issue, 2016. Vol. 1     , , , , , ,     2

Interview by Esther Basha (MBGH)

 

One of the top pianists of today, Benjamin Grosvenor (MGBH) amazes audience with his sensibility and distinct character. The youngest all-time double winner of Gramophone awards, Benjamin has toured half the world performing with the best orchestras. During his visit to the US, we contacted him for an interview.

PP: Dear Ben, welcome to the US. How has your tour been so far? Do you have any unusual stories?
BG: I suppose the most unusual thing to happen on this tour was in Raleigh with the North Carolina Symphony. I was playing the Mozart (OBM) D minor concerto,  and, in the last movement, one of the bass players (MGBH) fainted.  There were two loud thumps: one as he hit the ground and one as his instrument hit the ground. We continued for a bar or two before those of us at front of the stage realised what had happened. It was all very concerning at first and a shock for everyone. Doctors were called from the house (there were a few in attendance). The bass player and his instrument were fortunately OK.  He had fainted after an extremely active day with golf and a 20 km bike ride. We took an early intermission and agreed to play the last movement afterwards.  Certainly this was a first for me.

PP: I have read that your mother (MGBH) was your first piano teacher. How is your mother’s teaching style different from your other piano teachers?
BG: My mother was able to act as an advisor throughout my early career, traveling with me to my concerts.  I am very grateful for the help and advice she was able to give. It was invaluable to have her ears in rehearsals and concerts.  When I began at age 9 with Hilary Coates (MGBH), and soon after with Christopher Elton (MGBH),  she was able to help me consolidate and build on what I had learned between lessons.  The other influence during my studies was Daniel-Ben Pienaar (MGBH), with whom I learned a great deal in our lessons, when we would discuss music and listen to recordings.

PP: You have played quite a lot of Gershwin (OBM). Why does his music attract you?
BG: I have always been attracted to this musical idiom since playing a number of pieces by the English composer Billy Mayerl (OBM) as a child. I appreciated the rhythmic exuberance if jazz and the uplifting nature of this music.  I would very much like to learn the piano concerto at some point in the near future.

PP: Why do you play? What inspires you in your piano performance?
BG: I play because I love music,  and because I love the act of communicating (or trying to communicate) the essence of that music to an audience.

PP: If you weren’t a pianist, what career would be your second choice?
BG: I’m not sure.  I decided that this is what I would like to do at quite a young age (10) and have been on that path since then. I suppose at times I thought I might like to go on to study English or Science,  but where it would have gone from there I do not know.

PP: What are your hobbies?
BG: I enjoy reading very much,  which encompasses a lot of things (I am currently reading Bleak House).  I enjoy acquiring knowledge on a variety of subjects and take a moderate interest in politics and current affairs.  I enjoy movies and comedy and have been trying to learn German,  though my progress in this moves in fits and starts as I find the time and inclination.

PP: Do you still practice scales every time before you warm up? What warm up exercises do you use?
BG: I actually don’t do much in way of exercises.  I will make sure not to jump straight in with something too demanding (as with anything else that is physically demanding a warm up is a good idea) but will usually use an appropriate passage from a piece I am playing.

PP: Is there a day in a week when you don’t practice and just rest?
BG: I met a conductor recently who takes a day off a week from music,  quite consistently,  and this does seem like a good idea in some respects.  I haven’t attempted it consciously myself, but life can become busy so that there are invariably days on which you find you cannot practice as much and when, on tour for example,  you might not be able to access a piano for very long.  What is important is managing time efficiently and working when you need to, so that you don’t have to so much at other times! I aim to have two blocks of about 4-5 weeks free from concerts a year when I learn new repertoire,  but also during one of these periods I try to have an extended period of time free from touching a piano. A vacation,  if you will..!

BenjaminGrosvenorAlbumsBenjamin Grosvenor Albums – Available on iTunes and Amazon.com

PP: What other pianists inspire you?
BG: I admire a great number of pianists.  Firstly, a number of pianist-composers through their writing, and I take a strong interest in historical recordings. It is fascinating to be able to hear people like Rosenthal play (OBM) – a towering figure who had direct contact with someone such as Liszt (OBM).  It is a kind of playing that is very different to that which we may be used to, but interesting to consider that this is playing much nearer in time and lineage to people like Liszt and Chopin (OBM) than we are now. I love Cortot (OBM),  Moiseiwitsch (OBM),  Hofmann (OBM),  Horowitz (OBM),  Schnabel (OBM), to name a few.  Some in certain repertoire more than others and some in certain works in particular.  They were all astounding artists with their own distinctive voice at the keyboard and then own strong personality.

PP: What qualities in a person do you find most essential?
BG: I like people who treat others in the way in which they themselves would like to be treated.

PP: What was the first music piece that you remember connecting emotionally to?
BG: I remember playing a piece when I was 6 called the Stegasaurus Stomp, which I very much enjoyed since I was going through a huge dinosaur phase! But on a deeper level,  I suppose it was perhaps the first piece of Chopin I played – a waltz – which had a mournful quality that I could feel but perhaps did not fully understand.

PP: Do you compose your own music?
BG: I tried this a little when I was younger,  but haven’t attempted for a while. I didn’t think I had any particular gift or talent for it.  I haven’t tried in a number of years,  so perhaps there will be a time soon when I can start afresh and see if my suspicions are reconfirmed.

I like people who treat others in the way in which they themselves would like to be treated.

PP: How did you feel when you first performed with an orchestra? How old were you?
BG: I first performed a Mozart concerto with a student orchestra when I was 11, but later that year I performed Ravel (OBM) with the BBC Scottish Symphony.  It is an exhilarating and exciting experience to have the body of an orchestra behind you and to be able to become immersed in that wonderful variety of colour and sound.

PP: How many hours a day did you practice when you first started piano vs. now?
BG: I’m sure when I first started it was very little indeed, less than half an hour a day.  It increased gradually over the years.  This is probably the question I get asked most frequently after performances.  I suppose the answer I usually give is six hours a day,  to which the response is often one of shock or surprise at that level of commitment.  It’s worth pointing out though that most people work for that amount of time a day and longer!  It is sometimes more than this however,  and sometimes less, and my advice would be not to focus on the quantity of practice.  It is the quality that is important.  One should practice intelligently.

PP: Does your wardrobe effect your performance? Do you prefer a suit or t-shirt and jeans?
BG: I do not think my wardrobe has an effect on my performance –  though when I was very young I had a ‘lucky blue shirt! I used to wear various coloured shirts for performances,  but now stick with a blue suit.  I enjoy wearing a suit for performances, and see them as special events that call for that kind of dress, but I have never worn tails.

PP: Do you have dreams about music?
BG: I dream about many things,  and occasionally music comes into them.  There have been times when I feel I have heard passages of what seems like original music in my dreams,  only to wake and find myself struggling to remember them after a few seconds.

PP: Do you meditate/pray before your performances?
BG: I try to clear my head before a performance,  but I don’t think if it counts as meditation.  At one time,  I used a technique where I pictured in as much detail as I could a particular country scene I remembered in my head,  which at the time I found helpful. I don’t find myself needing to do this any more, but think correct breathing is important and try to take deep breaths before going on stage.

PP: What feelings do you experience when you are on stage after a performance?
BG: I suppose it depends on the performance and how I feel it went!  Ideally, some degree of satisfaction at having done something that is extremely difficult to a standard at which I am at that moment contented and a sense of privilege in having it (seemingly)  appreciated by the
public. Of course, sometimes, exhaustion, but that usually comes after a short while.

PP: Do you do special exercises to be in a better shape to play piano?
BG: I try to swim or run when I can.  As pianists we can sit for a long time, so stretching is advisable.  I am very interested in taking up yoga and intend to have some regular lessons next time I have a stretch of time free from touring.

PP: Do you have pets?
BG: I have recently acquired a number of goldfish,  left behind by the previous owners of my house. Other than various goldfish and a stick insect (called ‘Sticky’) my family never had any pets as my Dad (MGBH) has allergies.

PP: What is the hardest music piece you ever played?
BG: That’s a difficult question,  as obviously different pieces are hard for different reasons.  I suppose, for a solo work one that comes to mind is perhaps the Liszt sonata,  for the immense physical and intellectual challenge of it.

PP: What are your Sundays like?
BG: Often not hugely different from any other day,  but with the bonus of not having respond to emails..!

It is an exhilarating and exciting experience to have the body of an orchestra behind you and to be able to become immersed in that wonderful variety of colour and sound.

PP: What is your favorite place to travel to?
BG: I enjoy visiting places for the first time of course,  but it is great to return to places where you may have met people and formed connections. For example,  I recently returned to Miami for the fourth time where I now know a few lovely people. Minneapolis/St. Paul and Singapore come to mind as examples for the same reasons – they are places a long way away, but where I have visited repeatedly over the years.  There are also cities I love to visit for the unique vibe of the themselves like Hong Kong,  New York,  San Francisco, etc.  I often enjoy visiting small towns as much as large cities  and am very fond of the countryside,  particularly, in my home country of England. I have had some wonderful experiences playing in churches and other small venues in villages up and down the country.

PP: Could you share some of your insights with our readers about the most valuable lessons that you have learned so far by being a piano performer?
BG: A lot of things I have learned have been too specific to me to be of use to anyone else. I think as a generalization relating to performance,  that when you go on stage,  you have to be fearless and give everything that you have.  It takes a great deal of courage to be able to do that.

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Code Word – Ivory Keys

April 1, 2016     Spring Issue, 2016. Vol. 1     , , , ,     0

Article by Esther Basha (MGBH)

For centuries, the one of the main components of a piano – its keys – have been made out of elephant tusks. While many were obtained as the legacy from the elephants who passed of natural causes, others were bought from elephant hunters who would cut off tusks from the elephants they hunted leaving them on the ground to suffer a slow and painful death.

And for centuries, seemingly sensitive people (because isn’t music aimed to teach sensitivity?) never thought of how the energy of these keys affects the spiritual quality of sound and souls of those playing the instrument as well as those listening to its music.

One may say that piano is not the only instrument that was made out of animal parts. Shofar, an old instrument in the Bible, was made out of a ram horn. Drums and bagpipes were made out of animal skins. Violin strings are still often made out of horsehair. Even today, some piano manufacturers use hooves, horns, and bones of a variety of animals to made piano keys. And guitar strings are sometimes made out of gut strings of sheep, kangaroo, cattle, and water buffalo (1).

This argument, however, may have little to no validity, as all the above-mentioned animals either died of natural causes or were slaughtered primarily for the purpose of satisfying the man’s primary need – the need to eat, in order to survive. And the byproducts of those animals were used to make music instruments.  Elephants, however, have been repeatedly hunted and stripped of their tusks while being alive (2) (another prohibition in the Bible) and left to die in pain, only to satisfy an auxiliary, artificially created need – the need to obtain an essential component for a musical instrument.

Today, in the XXI century America, ivory keys have been outlawed, and elephants have one less thing to worry about. But how did this initiative start?

Interestingly enough, the use of synthetic keys was not spurred by a heartfelt desire to save elephants and relieve them from unnecessary suffering.

There is an old saying – follow the money. And it applies in this situation as well.

During the Great Depression, piano manufacturers were looking to cut costs and decided to use plastic keys instead of ivory (3). Thus, fast-forward till now, today have excellent quality synthetic replacement for ivory.

We have a precious opportunity to teach our audience and students values through piano performance.

However, the question remains:  if music develops such qualities as compassion and sensitivity, why has the Christian society at large (whose creed is to promote love and kindness for all) not vigorously objected the use of ivory in pianos?

The answer is rather Kabbalistic.   Music, just like many activities, is just a tool. Human beings have free will to use it for Light or for Darkness; for selfless or selfish purposes, which are sometimes intertwined.

I believe, today, in the ultimate age of free choice, we have more opportunities than even to think about these concepts and find reasons to use music for Light. A piano career does not have to be about competition with other performers, but about collaboration for the sake of receiving joy and bringing joy to others.  Many musicians claim to receive inspiration from a higher source and play to celebrate and become one with that source.

By the same token, piano teachers can tremendously benefit by sharing their methods and experience with each other instead of falling into the hole of “high brow” attitudes. Yes, piano performance has been notorious for its elitist approach for centuries, but we don’t have to take this attitude to the new millennium.

Instead, we can connect, learn from each other, and help each other. It will come naturally if we choose to replace the mindset of scarcity with that of abundance. Spiritual disciplines teach us that every person is born with resources allocated to him/her. He or she brings sustenance to the world and no one can take it away. What we must do is look with a magnifying glass on what we have and be exceedingly grateful for it. And this is the secret to getting more of what we have. The law of attraction, if you will.

And once that mindset permeates our community, we will be able to feel truly connected and feel tremendous bliss in this oneness.   We will start using music as a tool that helps develop sensitivity towards all living creatures on Earth, just like our Creator commanded us.   And when we forget and veer off the way, we can play the code word – ivory keys – to remind us.

 

 

REFERENCES:

(1) http://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/do-musical-instruments-utilize-animal-products/

(2) https://www.thedodo.com/community/Elegirl/the-truth-about-tusks-648225506.html

(3) https://anamazingmachine.wordpress.com/piano-resources/

AND ALL THAT JAZZ: LENORE RAPHAEL

April 1, 2016     Spring Issue, 2016. Vol. 1     , ,     1

Interview by Esther Basha (MGBH)

It took me a while to pick a jazz pianist to interview. Many outstanding artists came to mind, but when I saw a video of Lenore Raphael playing (MGBH) “Miss Jones,” I became convinced that she was the one I was looking for.  And it wasn’t even the sound that fascinated me. It was her hands and fingers.  They had magic. They danced. They had a life of their own. Full of character, strength, and… faith. Unconditional faith.  

PP: Dear Lenore, I have read on Wikipedia that you have decided to become a jazz pianist after you have heard Oscar Peterson play(OBM) . What in his performance inspired you become a jazz pianist?
LR: His technique and virtuosity was amazing. His sound was clean and each note seem to have a “sparkling” quality. Most of all, as a jazz lover, the music “swung” and to me that is the most important thing.

PP: Please, tells us more about the JazzLive series.
LR: The JazzLive series is a concert series I started 5 years ago in Apex, North Carolina. Having been new to the area as a part-time resident, I saw a need for jazz in the area and since I started, we now do a series of 4 concerts a season. I have been able to bring down great artists from all over the USA and we usually sell out every concert.

PP: What did your parents think about your choice of jazz over classical career path?
LR: I didn’t know I was going to be a jazz pianist until I was into my mid-twenties but they were quite supportive even though I think they thought I was a little crazy.

PP: One of the articles about you mentions that you have started playing at the age of 3. What instrument did you start with and at what age did you start learning piano.
LR: I started with piano…just walked up to it and began to play what I heard my brother, who is 6 years older than I am, play. He was studying piano and said that when he heard me, he quit.

PP: You have developed your own method of teaching jazz by tape. Can you, please, elaborate?
LR: In 1989, I had about 30 piano students and realized that in order for many of them to know what the piece sounded like, they would benefit from hearing it. They did. I approached Charles Hansen (OBM) (Hansen Music Publishing) with the idea and he took to it immediately and published a book with companion cassette. The book did very well and is still available from Swingin’ Fox Music, Inc. www.swinginfox.com. It deals with basic jazz theory…chords and chord progressions, and was written with the beginning jazz student in mind.

PP: Please, tell our readers about your jazz tours. How often do you tour? What what’s coming up in 2016?
LR: These days I probably tour almost half the time and keep adding more time because I really enjoy traveling to different parts of the world and seeing how jazz has really reached everywhere. In 2016, April is Jazz appreciation month. I have an upcoming week-long tour in Colorado, a performance in North Carolina, then 3 performances in Chicago. On Thursday, April 21, the radio station WDCB will broadcast its fundraising concert and I will be performing for that. It can be heard live. After that I perform again April 16th at my JazzLive concert in Apex, NC at the Halle Cultural Arts Center www.thehalle.org. I will be performing again in NYC in September and in England in November. Things keep coming in all the time.

PP: Besides being a live jazz performer, you are also a recording artist. Please, tell us more about your latest CD: what inspired your choice of songs and what was it like working in it.
LR: The latest CD is called Strings Attached with a wonderful guitarist, Wayne Wilkinson (MGBH), I met while doing a jazz master class in Colorado. We just clicked musically and Wayne decided to arrange for us to do a live recording at a later date in Colorado. I love “live” recording because the energy is so much greater…no worries about mistakes…at least that is the way I feel. I feel more restricted in a studio. I also love getting the audience feedback immediately. The songs I choose are ones that have lovely or interesting melodies and I am very much into melody and also interesting harmonies.

lenoreraphaelCDs

PP: Do you like to improvise? Is there a chance to hear Lenore Raphael as a composer?
LR: I am always improvising when I play but I do pay homage to the composer by being true first to the original melody. Then I can do whatever I like with that. As a composer, I have written quite a few tunes, which can be heard on my recordings but also a recent one was recorded by a vocalist in California.

PP: What makes you feel connected to jazz?
LR: The freedom to try new things is what drew me to jazz initially and still does. However I also love the rhythm and that “swing” that good jazz has. Perhaps, because I am a Gemini, I can’t be restricted to playing one way…each time must be a little different. Also I love to play with melodies and harmonies and see how they can change the music.

PP: Is there a funny/unexpected story that happened to you during your live performance that you would like to share with our readers?
LR: There are several funny and unexpected things but one stands out. When I was just starting to perform professionally, I was a passenger on a major jazz cruise with the top artists of the day: Oscar Peterson (OBM), Ella Fitzgerald (OBM), etc. I went into the lounge area which was deserted to practice a bit and became aware of someone standing in back of me just listening. When I turned, it was Dizzy Gillespie (OBM) who simply said “Far out” and that was that. Unexpected and really embarrassing was a time when I was attending a jazz workshop under the leadership of the great pianist Barry Harris (MGBH), who I adore to this day. It was during the final concert and I was in the “pianist chair” because Barry singled me out I guess as someone who could play the chart. Anyway it was a tune in the key of D flat with a “Basie-type” ending. I was really playing my heart out that day and my solo was great but when it was time for me to play that “Basie…plink-plink-plink ending and hit the final D flat…I accidentally hit a D!!!!! I wanted to go through the floor but Barry just laughed.

PP: As a professional performer, a woman must learn how to balance her family life with her career. How did you do it having raised two sons and what advice would you give other women who are trying to balance the two?
LR: Ouch. First of all, you have to have a cooperative and understanding other half.  As a dedicated musician I feel I probably sacrificed a lot of family time and also don’t quite know how I did raise two boys and work 5 nights a week until 2AM sometimes but I was very determined. I made sure that I did spend time with them too…gave them music lessons, helped with homework and whatever problems they brought home.

PP: Please, tell our readers about the JazzSpot.
LR: I had always admired Marian McPartland (OBM) both as a performer, and then when she did her Piano Jazz radio show on NPR radio. With the advent of Internet radio, someone mentioned the station Purejazzradio to me about 5 years ago, and I approached the manager about doing my own show in which I would invite well-known jazz artists to be interviewed and perform some tunes with me. He jumped on that and I found that Steinway Hall in Manhattan would allow me to use one of their performance rooms as the place to record the shows. I found a wonderful engineer who would just bring his equipment in and record the show and it all came together. I have had Jon Hendricks(MGBH), Harry Allen(MGBH), Warren Vache(MGBH), Howard Alden (MGBH) and many more guest on the show. We now have about 40 done and I keep recording more whenever I can…even on tour, when possible. The show is now heard on www.purejazzradio.org, www.jazzlondonradio.com and has recently been picked up by Radio Overberg in South Africa.

PP: When and on what occasions were some of your deepest connections with the audience?
LR: I would say that most of the time I try to connect with the audience on some level. Perhaps when I do a beautiful ballad I do feel that connection more.

PP: There are many types of music that serve different needs of a soul. Bach period classics is all about structure and spiritual purification, Mozart era is about lightening up the spirit, Chopin era is about focus on emotions. What, in your opinion, is a function of jazz piano?
LR: It seems to me that jazz piano has always has an emotional aspect. At least that is what I try to convey to my audiences and often do hear from people that it touched them emotionally.  I think every musician should hope to touch his/her audience in some way.

PP: How did being a piano performer affect your character building as a person and you as a woman?
LR: I think perhaps it made me a little more aware of people and their feelings. Audiences are so varied and the responses to the music are often so different I have become a little more open to listening to people’s reactions to things…perhaps a little more accepting. I don’t think often of myself being a “woman” performer so I really don’t know how to answer that. I am always surprised when people say things like “you have such strength for such a slim woman” etc..I just say that I lift weights and go to the gym every day. That seems to satisfy them…don’t know what else to say.

PP: What are your hobbies?
LR:  I am addicted to the Investigation Discovery Channel  (ID addict) and love to see if I can solve the crimes before they show the solution on the show. I am getting pretty good at that.

PP: Do you have pets?
LR: Yes, a pet cockatiel named Spike. He is 16 years old and sweet, cute and says “Gimme a kith”  (birds sometimes lisp…no teeth) His picture is on the cover of my “Winging’ it” CD. We tried not to let it go to his head but he demanded better seeds after that.

PP: What kinds of food do you like?
LR: I am primarily a vegetarian…love all kinds of vegetables but occasionally can’t resist good fish tacos.

PP: Do you have spiritual connection to the music you perform? Can you describe it?
LR: Definitely, On occasion I have done concerts where the music just seems to be coming from an outer source and I am just the vehicle that is allowing it to come to life. It is like being in another space…doesn’t happen all the time though. I also have that feeling when I compose a song. Often it presents itself “finished” in 5 minutes and I get the same feeling…it has come from somewhere else and I am just taking the dictation.