AND ALL THAT JAZZ: Christian Tamburr

Interview by Alex Davydovich (MGBH)

When it comes to the business of piano performance, Christian Tamburr (MGBH) seems to have it all figured out.  A talented entrepreneur as well as a gifted musician, he has paved his road to success (not without divine providence, of course) by using his outstanding interpersonal skills and a solid business sense.  With vibraphone as his secondary instrument, he has performed in dozens of prestigious venues, produced his own albums, collaborated with many outstanding musicians, and even created a successful corporate leadership program.   Here is an up close and personal with Christian Tamburr.  Prepare to take notes.

American Council of Piano Performers

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PPM: Would you, please, tell our readers a little bit about yourself? Your family, your childhood…..
CT: I grew up as an only child.  My mother and father always had music playing in the house. My father played guitar. Some of my first memories were sitting on his lap strumming along. When I was 6 years old, I visited my great aunt in New Jersey whom I had never really met, however she had a beautiful baby grand in the living room.  My parents told me not to touch and, of course, once I was out of sight of them, went and started to play the instrument. Apparently, I had a certain sensibility on the instrument and much to the shock of my parents, my aunt seemed to enjoy seeing me play this forbidden piece of furniture. A few years later, my great aunt passed away and her entire estate was auctioned off.

Approximately a month after the estate sale, a moving truck arrived to our home in Florida with a delivery for “Christian Tamburr” (which I was 7 years old at the time).

Approximately a month after the estate sale, a moving truck arrived to our home in Florida with a delivery for “Christian Tamburr” (which I was 7 years old at the time). It turned out my aunt only left one thing to one person and that one thing was her Wurlitzer baby grand piano to me. I really fell in love with the piano and, although with limited understanding of the functionality, used my ear to navigate playing along with my father as he played the guitar. This early developmental step in learning to play by ear was a critical step in my ability to understand harmony, melody, and improvisation.

 

PPM: Where did you get your music education and who was your first piano teacher?
CT: My first piano teacher was Mrs. Rowe. I took approximately 6 months of lessons when I was in 4th grade. I wasn’t exactly the best student.  I realized my ear was much better then my sight-reading, and I would have my teacher tape the exercises and etudes. I would go home, play the tape and learn it all perfectly by ear. That for me was the fastest way to get the “required material” learned and move on to making up my own music.  Mrs. Rowe could have hampered that approach, however she fostered it.  She continued to bring in harder material both classical and popular music, and her approach was to maintain good technique over sight-reading.  I paid a bit for this when I first got into band in Jr. High but I eventually got it all together. In all honesty, I’m still not the strongest sight-reader, however I can hold my own in a professional setting and after one pass I generally have it, both by reading and also using my ear!

After completing High School I went to the University of North Florida and studied jazz performance on piano and vibraphone. I left after two years and moved to Las Vegas, which is pretty typical, so people tell me. With regards to education, my “real world experience” has led to various teaching opportunities including teaching as an adjunct faculty member at UNLV when I was 21 years old, to most recently as Artist in Residence at Florida Institute of Technology.  I spend a great deal of time traveling to schools of all levels with the opportunity of inspiring young musicians to pursue their dreams in music.

I spend a great deal of time traveling to schools of all levels with the opportunity of inspiring young musicians to pursue their dreams in music.

 

PPM: What was your first piano project/job?
CT: My first major “job” as a musician was playing for vocalist Michael Andrew (MGBH) out of Orlando, Florida. He had produced a show called “Mickey Swingerhead and the Earthgirls.”  I played piano, vibraphone, and percussion in the show, and it was truly my first paying “gig” at age 14.  We continued to work together for many years, which included performances all over the US with his touring band Swingerhead, headlining at venues such as Windows on the World on the 114th floor of the World Trade Center, Merv Griffin’s (OBM) Coconut Room, and The Rainbow Room.  Michael was a huge supporter of my talent and as a friend in the industry.  His mentorship as a bandleader taught me from the start of my career how to treat other musicians and tour around the world. We continue to work together and maintain a great friendship.

  

I began my career with Julio Iglesias in September of 2006, and the opportunity came about in a rather strange way

 

PPM: Can you tell our readers about your experience of working with Julio Iglesias (MGBH)? How did this project come about and what were the most valuable experiences you took with you moving forward?
 CT: I began my career with Julio Iglesias in September of 2006, and the opportunity came about in a rather strange way, which harps back to the “ya never know who you are talking to” mention from above. I was touring my quintet in St. Petersburg, Russia as a part of a jazz cruise we were performing on. While on an excursion with passengers of the ship, a man approached me and commented on how much he enjoyed my playing and band. I thanked him, and he went on to say he was a drummer. In that split moment, I put on the professional hat and commented on his kindness towards our music and asked a bit about his musical experience. As it turned out, he was the touring drummer for Julio amongst many other major touring artists. Of course, I’m so glad I approached his “hey I’m a drummer” comment with positivity as his connection led to a direct call with Julio who was looking for a pianist. After some very exciting phone calls and negotiations with Julio and his road manager, I took the position as 2nd keyboardist.  We rehearsed for weeks in Miami learning all music “by ear” as there was no music, and the music that did exist was old and didn’t match the updated show. I spent time with recordings that were given to me and created my own lead sheets, which I used as basic road maps but ultimately I had to use my ear to get through the rehearsals. Once into the touring show it took months but I slowly integrated real piano into the somewhat synth heavy sonic landscape.  We were in Paraguay, and I started a song, usually on electric keyboard, on piano, and Julio turned right around and looked at me… smiled and made a hand gesture for more.  Over time I started to integrate my love for the acoustic piano into the show, and by 2008 I had moved my sound into his music and was leading the band as musical director.  From a technical stand point, Julio expected to hear his accompaniment exactly the same every night. There was little to no improvisation or variation on harmony or melody in the piano chair, which for me was actually quite hard.  As my experience was always based in jazz, which thrives on variation, learning to play the part (which technically never existed) exactly the same each night was incredibly difficult, but valuable.

 

I reached out to Clint (MGBH) as I knew it would be an incredible opportunity to spend quality time together, make a lot of music and really get the chance to show him all sides of my musical diversity… from performer to arranger to band leader.

 

PPM: How did you start working with Clint Holmes (MGBH)?
CT: I met Clint Holmes when I first moved to Las Vegas in 2001. I saw him performing at Harrah’s and remember thinking to myself just how amazing he and his band were. He acknowledged the musicians and really let them play, and for all intensive purposes seemed to be having a great time musically on stage.  In 2013, met up with Clint again at a jam session in San Francisco. We shared the stage and really hit it off.  A month later I was presented with the opportunity to feature a jazz septet on a jazz cruise where I could bring 6 internationally recognized musicians with me. I reached out to Clint as I knew it would be an incredible opportunity to spend quality time together, make a lot of music and really get the chance to show him all sides of my musical diversity… from performer to arranger to band leader.  We did that tour and have been working together ever since.  In March of 2015, I started working as an arranger/musical director for him at his residency at the Smith Center here in Las Vegas. In January 2016 I became his full-time Musical Director and Arranger for our new headline show “Clint Holmes – Between the Lines” at the Palazzo Hotel here in Las Vegas. The show features a stunning 8 piece band and original arrangements on music ranging from Stevie Wonder (MGBH) to John Mayer (MGBH) to Bruno Mars (MGBH), to Ed Sheeran (MGBH), to Gershwin (OBM).

 

PPM: What is Sonic Leadership and where are you with this project now being so busy with your current engagement with Chris Holmes?
CT: I developed Sonic Leadership in 2009. I was asked to put together a brief 15-minute keynote speech for a leadership seminar. I focused the speech on attributes of leadership musician’s use when we walk on stage to execute a high level performance and translated it into content that business executives could understand and learn from. Since then, we average about one or two Sonic Leadership presentations a month, and as they often are onsite at companies around the world, they fall in the middle of the work week, which works well with my long weekend performance schedule.  To date we have presented this musically inspired program on leadership to companies such as Google, Cisco Systems, St Regis, and Starwood Hotels amongst many others.  The program is scalable and the presentations range in length from 45 minute to 90 minutes using a live five-piece band, myself as lead presenter and a whole lot of interaction with our attendees. I love it as it combines my love of music, the business behind making it all happen and of course talking!

 

 

PPM: Can you, please, tell our readers a little bit about ShowHive?
 CT: ShowHive is a production company based out of Los Angeles and New York City. It’s co-owned by two brilliant friends of mine Garrett Cain (MGBH) and Emmett Murphy (MGBH). This company focuses on the creation from the ground up to final execution of live production shows. As head arranger and composer, I work with the creative team to produce original new music and original new arrangements of popular music for these production shows. We just finished a huge project creating 8 brand new production shows for Norwegian Cruise Lines, which are being performed nightly around the world.

 

I don’t care if you have 6 Grammys or if you just walked out of your senior recital from college, if you are a nice human being, I’d love to work with you.

 

 PPM: As a Jazz Cruise producer, what do you look for in selecting talent for your projects?
 CT: A person must be a true artist on his or her instrument. Must be passionate about their music and the value it brings to those around them. Must be a professional. This sounds obvious, but this entails everything from showing up on time, dressing appropriately, having the material learned and ready to play to being respectful of me, other musicians and crew. Being a nice human being. I don’t care if you have 6 Grammys or if you just walked out of your senior recital from college, if you are a nice human being, I’d love to work with you.

 

PPM: What is your dream as a jazz piano performer?
 CT: My dream as a performer is to have the blessing to be able to continue to make a living doing what I love to do.  I have had the great fortune of only playing music as a career for the past 20 years and at 36 years of age I still have a lot of playing and living to do. Getting to travel around the world and share great music with appreciative listeners is so special.

 

PPM: Your have travelled over 65 countries. What are some of the most unforgettable experiences for you on a personal level?
CT: With over 65 countries visited, and I think 66 since my bio was last updated, it’s a whole other article worth of some of the great stories… but here are a few highlights.

Sitting at the piano with basketball legend Michael Jordan playing together “How do you keep the Music Playing” in Charlotte NC.

Renting a Ferrari for a day to drive the Monte Carlo race course while in town at the Monte Casino with Julio Iglesias.

Rolling a marimba down the streets of Abu Dhabi preparing for an outdoor performance in 114-degree heat.

Throwing snowballs in June in Siberia while on tour with my quartet.

Performing on top of Windows of the World on the 114th floor of the World Trade Center – NYC.

African Safari with band while on tour in Cape Town – South Africa.

Crossing a rushing river with 27 person Julio Iglesias crew on board a barge from Argentina to Paraguay.

Surprising actress Julia Roberts (MGBH) for he 40th birthday with a special private performance in NYC.

Performing inside Japanese Buddhist Temples throughout Japan.

Opening my first main stage headline Las Vegas show as co-producer arranger/band leader for Clint Holmes ‘Between the Lines.”

 

PPM: How did you pick the members of your quintet? Is there a story with each player?
CT: I pick musicians to be in my band that I enjoy spending time with. Considering we only spend about 90 minutes on stage, the other 22 hours or so in a day has got to be filled with good times and good people. Over the years, my band members have changed, but there are a few long time members.

My bassist, Billy Thornton (MGBH), is from Tifton GA, and we met my first year of College. He and I have toured all over the world together, and he is one of my favorite people on this earth. He is an amazing bassist, and I look forward to his energy and smile each time we walk on stage. My Trumpet Player, Dominick Facinacci (MGBH), is from Cleveland Ohio. We met in 2009 after knowing of each other for years through mutual mentor Ira Sullivan (MGBH). There are few people that can make me laugh as much as he can, and his playing is truly superb! Each “kat” as we call them in the jazz world has their story and I’m grateful to share the stage with them anywhere and anytime we can.

When I was 22 years old, I was living in Las Vegas and had just finished a short residency performing at the Bellagio with a great band called the Noel Freidline Quintet. The ever-changing landscape of live performance venues in Vegas has meant you really need to keep on your toes. By chance, magician Penn (MGBH) from Penn & Teller had learned of my playing, and we became friends. One day he asked me to come see the show and comment on the opening act called “the magic box,” which featured Penn playing upright bass and Teller playing a spinet piano. In the green room after I mentioned that although Teller playing the piano at the end is impressive, its not a very powerful moment as the small box piano didn’t sound all that great, and he was seated, which didn’t look all that great. I suggested he should consider playing the simple melody on Vibraphone (my other primary instrument). Penn loved the idea, and in the next 24 hours I was tasked with composing the music for Teller to play and installing it into their multi-million dollar production show at the Rio.

 

I tell students all the time, when the phone rings, the more opportunities for you to say “yes, I can do that” is just one more opportunity for you to keep moving forward in this business.

 

I mention this story, because as a performer, I found myself in a unique situation to expand my ability to make a living. Composing and directing was something I did all the time, but had never thought to capitalize on it. This opportunity really brought me out of my shell for the commercial composition side of the business and opened my eyes to a ton of opportunity. I tell students all the time, when the phone rings, the more opportunities for you to say “yes, I can do that” is just one more opportunity for you to keep moving forward in this business. I spend about 50% of my time in the studio composing and arranging and the other 50% of the time performing. I compose and arrange in all styles and genres, and love being challenged with new projects.

 

PPM: What are the biggest challenges of a professional musician today, in your opinion?
CT: As professional musicians we have a lot to go up against. So much has changed even in the time that I have been playing music – from the record industry, to live music to social media. We now more then ever have the ability to connect with our audience. We can share our travels, our performances and our personal life with a click of a button. Where I don’t believe EVERYTHING should be shared I do believe in a fast moving technology driven society, we must find a way to use these tools for the good of our career. I spend a great deal of time on LinkedIn, which connects me to professionals in all areas of music, production, booking, film, TV, and touring. I spend about 70% of my time focused on my professional career and the other 30% of the time playing music. If that seems off to anyone, then you’re probably not making a living playing music. When you achieve a certain level of professionalism and accreditation on your instrument the assumption is “that’s good enough” and now I’ll just sit back and wait for the opportunities to come along. The truth is, I’ve never wanted to wait. I prefer to be the one making the phone calls verse waiting for them.

 

I remember a clinician in college telling my jazz combo, “They see you before they hear you”. He was referencing the importance of how one carries oneself both on stage and off, from how you dress as a professional to how you speak to people. You never know who you’re talking to, and in many cases people will form an opinion of you before they even hear you play your instrument.

 

PPM: Can we discuss your CD “People Talk”? What was the inspiration for it and what was it like working on this project?
CT: My newest album “people talk” – released January 2016 is my first “concept album”. I generally release pretty typical “band” configuration albums, but I wanted to try something different with just piano, vibraphone, and percussion. The two other artists on the album are Takana Miyamoto (pn) (MGBH), and Keita Ogawa (pc) (MGBH) are both from Japan and are both fantastic. The music I wrote has influences of Asian, South American, and American music. The music was specifically written for this ensemble, and it’s a joy to play. The City Suite is a three-piece movement that takes my impression of the sound track to three of my favorite cities – Tokyo, New York City, and Paris.  I loved exploring my memories of those cities and writing that suite. It’s my favorite music on the album.

 

PPM: From reading your bio, what struck me the most was not only your professionalism, but also the fact that you were able to build a career by successfully collaborating with so many other musicians, creating and maintaining professional relationships. It seems that you know how to talk to people, how to get them inspired, and, most importantly, you inspire them for meaningful collaborations.
CT: I’ve always been a “people person.” Growing up in a home without other children made it that I was interacting with adults more then I was other kids.  I remember a clinician in college telling my jazz combo, “They see you before they hear you”. He was referencing the importance of how one carries oneself both on stage and off, from how you dress as a professional to how you speak to people. You never know who you’re talking to, and in many cases people will form an opinion of you before they even hear you play your instrument. In this industry, we need all the help we can get so the importance of being comfortable talking and interacting with your audience is as important if not more important then how you play on stage. When people meet you and get to know you, they start to learn about where your passion comes from, what drives you to pursue your dreams. They hear your personal triumphs and also your struggles. When someone can relate with you be it a doctor, or a lawyer, a football coach, they can relate with how you play your music and the connection becomes that much stronger. I try to be myself, smile, bring a sense of humor to the stage (which is who I am) and that spirit fills the music and fills the ears and minds of the audience.

 

I spend about 70% of my time focused on my professional career and the other 30% of the time playing music. If that seems off to anyone, then you’re probably not making a living playing music.

 

PPM: Thank you for sharing your story and your insights with the readers, Christian. May your dreams come true, and may you be always full of energy and enthusiasm towards your work and people in general.

 

 

 

SHARING IS CARING: Pre-Screening Auditions

Article by Michael Refvem (MGBH)

With the end of the summer festival season, a new school year has arrived, and for many young pianists so has the college application process. Perhaps, the most important aspect of applying for music schools is the pre-screening recording that determines which applicants are invited for a live audition in the winter. With the level of competition higher than ever to be accepted to prestigious schools, the level of professionalism behind your recording can make the difference in being invited to audition or being rejected.

Being new to this process can feel daunting. From a young age, we, pianists, are trained to focus on just one thing – our playing. But in this modern world, it isn’t enough anymore to just play one’s instrument. You need to also have knowledge of other aspects of the music industry, where the art of recording is one of the key aspects.

There is something sacred about the recording process. All is silent in the hall, you press “go” and wait a few seconds, absorbing the silence. Then, when the moment is right, the music takes over. Unlike in a live performance where the audience is, to an extent, also a participant in the activity, recording is all about the pursuit of perfection, seeking your definitive interpretation and setting it down for all time.

You’ll be surprised at first to hear your recording. The way we perceive our playing when it is happening often isn’t the same as the audience perceives it.

 

WHAT TO PLAY

I would recommend only setting your most comfortable, well-tested pieces to record. Try recording yourself on a regular basis so that by the time you get set to make your final recordings, you feel centered and ready to go. You’ll be surprised at first to hear your recording. The way we perceive our playing when it is happening often isn’t the same as the audience perceives it. You might notice strange tempo fluctuations or that your range of dynamics needs to be improved.

 

RECORDING TIMELINE

With most pre-screening recordings due alongside the applications for many schools on December 1st, I would recommend doing your recordings well before the due date. October is a really good time to record, and it can be helpful to do a live recital a few weeks before to make sure your pieces are really ready to go. Setting your music to record a few months before the due date also gives you the chance to do the recordings again a few weeks later if you discovered that you weren’t ready.

 

PRESENTATION

Of course, it helps to have a well-maintained piano of the highest quality possible.  Of course, if you’re still in high school working on college pre-screening recordings, your best options may be a church or a local piano dealer. See if the manager will let you do some of your recordings after normal business hours.

On the day of the recording, it is worth it to play around with the arrangement of objects on stage and the lighting in the room. It also helps the overall production your playing to dress professionally. Treat this like an actual performance!

 

EQUIPMENT

Recording equipment (cameras, microphones, tripods) is usually available for check out from the technology center at your school, meaning this can be done for cheap.

Make sure to test out all of the equipment a few days before you record to make sure you are familiar with the set up. Some microphone systems require a ‘mixer’ that plugs into your computer (essentially a device that helps the microphones communicate with your computer). There are also some microphones that require what is known as “phantom power.” Without the phantom power switched on, your microphones will not actually pick up your performance. Try to familiarize yourself with GarageBand if you own a Mac or a related program so you aren’t trying to learn this for the first time on the day of the recording. Video cameras should also be tested a few days early so that you are familiar with the recording mechanism. Once I turned on the camera and played for about an hour and a half only to discover that the camera stopped recording after 30 minutes because it was on the wrong setting! Be sure to check the settings for automatic shut offs. You want to make sure that you have all of your bases covered prior to recording.

Once I turned on the camera and played for about an hour and a half only to discover that the camera stopped recording after 30 minutes because it was on the wrong setting!

The placement of your equipment during the recording is also an important factor to consider. I had the best result when I placed the microphones about 4-5 feet away from the piano. Having the microphones at this distance from the piano allowed for the sound to blend with the natural acoustic of the room without sacrificing the clarity of attack.  Placing the microphones too close to the strings works with some types of microphones, but I found that it creates a sound that is shrill and bright. Placing the microphones too far away from the instrument results in a warm quality of sound, but the music itself sounds washed-out.  On the day of the recording, you should expect the set up to take at least an hour in order to arrange the equipment and balance the microphones.  The input level should be set as high as possible without “clipping” the sound and tripping the feedback detector; you should play the loudest sections of your pieces when testing the microphones to attain the right balance.  If the input is set too low, then the recording will not register a very wide range of dynamics.

For the camera, you’re going to want to make sure you can see your whole body in the pre-screening video, and especially the hands must be easily visible. The most conventional position to film is the pianist’s profile, but one time I experimented with setting up the camera way up high over my left shoulder and was quite satisfied because it provided such a great view of my hands (see my self-produced video of Liszt’s 13th Hungarian Rhapsody on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GZDA5H6ops).

 

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM

In my experience, if you haven’t gotten the take you hoped for by the third try, it probably isn’t going to happen that day. I have found that two things could result from putting in too many tries. First, continued takes will put a strain on your concentration and the mistakes will begin to multiply. The second thing that may happen is that you finally achieve that note-perfect performance only to listen back and realize that the expression was flat. You’ll be surprised how many times I listened back to my own takes just to realize that the first take was actually where I played with the most vitality.

 

SHOULD YOU HAVE A HELPER?

I have found that I perform at my best when I am uninhibited by time restraints. Having others around causes me to feel concerned about how the process is taking up a lot of their time. Of course, it can really help to have someone more experienced with the recording process around, but once you get the hang of things, it is best to manage it alone.  I have also found that it isn’t always necessary to stop recording in between movements or entire pieces. If you think the extra step of getting up from the piano bench to stop the recording is distracting, then keep recording.

Remember that, above all else, you want this recording to capture the essence of who you are as a musician.

EDITING

Many schools require pre-screenings to be submitted as a video in addition to the audio to ensure no cheating took place. This video should be submitted without any cuts, but it doesn’t hurt to use iMovie to put some credits and a fade-in at the beginning.

Remember that, above all else, you want this recording to capture the essence of who you are as a musician. The faculty are really looking for somebody who plays with a lot of expression and personality, and who seems very dedicated to the music. They aren’t necessarily looking for perfection, so get out there and have fun while you play!

 

 

About the Author:

Michael Refvem enjoys a multifaceted career as recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist. He recently moved to Montréal, where he enjoys walks in the old town and Mount Royal in his spare time.

THE PIANO BRAIN: MUSIC AND MINDSET

Article by Michael Griffin (MGBH)

“Prince, what you are, you are by accident of birth; what I am, I am through my own efforts.
There have been thousands of princes and will be thousands more, but there is only one Beethoven
!”
-Ludwig van Beethoven (OBM)

 

Ludwig van Beethoven showed scant respect for those who generated their sense of worth through birthright alone. In his view, achievement and success were the result of effort and perseverance. But most people see it differently. The majority – even 75% of music educators – subscribe to a theory that superior achievement in music is part of a genetic endowment. Most will put that it must also include hard work, opportunities, parental encouragement and so forth, but ultimately, one must have the X factor, the natural, unbidden genetic talent, to really achieve. Logically, knowledge and ability can only derive from genetic endowment or living experience, so it must be one or the other, or the combination theory. The problem with gene theory is that researchers are yet to find gene systems among the 25 000 or so genes with which we are born that result in special musical ability. If musical talent or any other talent is innate then there must be a gene for it. Where is the evidence of genes for complex and multi-faceted behaviours? This is the challenge for talent theorists. Talent genes may well be discovered in the future but if they do not exist, then where does musicality emanate? Can something come from nothing? Is talent a gift from G-d? Homer (OBM) seemed to think so. From the Ancient World through the Renaissance, artistic skill was viewed as an intuitive gift rather than the result of effort. To this day, musical ability is more often considered innately derived than any other ability or human faculty. This is the elephant in the music education classroom.  Ignorance is not a point of view. We must get to the truth of this because of the seismic impact of the implications. According to talent theory, some lucky individuals win the genetic lottery. They are born with musical talent and fortunate circumstances allow them to find opportunities to nurture this gift early in their lives.  So-called evidence for this is anecdotal and stories of exceptional prodigies abound. How, for example, could Mozart’s (OBM) precocity be explained in any other way?

To this day, musical ability is more often considered innately derived than any other ability or human faculty. This is the elephant in the music education classroom.

Actually, Mozart’s musical feats can be explained rationally. The biographies of all great composers reveal substantial and sustained early training, supported by family and tutors. Mozart was no different. It is difficult to separate fact from fiction 230 years after the event, but several factors do help account for his accomplishments. Mozart was immersed in a concentrated musical environment from his earliest days. His father, Leopold (OBM), was an excellent music educator and took every opportunity to earnestly promote his son’s musical ability. Stories such as that of two-year-old Wolfgang identifying the sound of pig squeals as G-sharp should be taken with a grain of salt, as they were most likely spawned by his father, who was not always honest in relation to his son where music was concerned. As Camille Saint-Saens (OBM) says, “History is made up of what probably happened; mythology of what probably did not happen. There are myths in history and history in myths .” Leopold was known to subtract a year from the ages of his children, Wolfgang and Nannerl, when advertising their performances. Leopold was a smart operator. He knew that lowering his children’s ages would augment their appeal and perhaps enhance his own reputation as a teacher; it is not unusual for parents to embellish facts to help their children get ahead. A closer inspection of Mozart’s childhood compositions indicates assistance from his father as well as thematic material borrowed from other composers, notably Johann Christian Bach (OBM), with whom Mozart collaborated in London at the age of nine. If we accept that these are normal processes that lead to achievement, even extraordinary achievement, then none of this is an issue. Imitation is a natural part of the learning process, and lying about a child’s age does not detract from the skills exhibited. However, it does skew the picture. The possibility that Mozart’s great desire to make music was rooted in pre-birth fortune cannot be ruled out, but his early musical environment was encouraging and inspiring. Having a great passion for music—and a supportive even if overbearing, micro-managing and opportunistic father—led him to take advantage of his opportunities and to practice for several hours a day from the age of two.  Estimates have Mozart reaching an accumulated practice figure of 10, 000 hours by the age of eight.

Even if you take the position that a child is born with genetic potential, this potential can only become skill and ability through work. As John Maxwell (MGBH) implies in the title of his book Talent Is Never Enough, major achievement requires preparation and persistence on top of any natural potential. This is most true as we progress in our skills. The assumed natural talent that differentiates children becomes less evident as they age, as dedication and sheer hard work play greater roles in achievement. Malcolm Gladwell says, “The further a career develops, the less important the role of assumed innate ability in comparison with preparation or practice”. Quality and quantity of practice develop expertise.

 

She plays so well because she has talent. How do I know she has talent? That’s obvious, she plays so well!

 

In every case, identifying talent is retrospective, and the emergence of prodigious skill follows rather than precedes unique opportunity and substantial work. In the investigation of superior achievement, precocity is the result of early childhood experiences, parental support, a young starting age, training, practice hours, habits, metacognitive skills, and opportunity. What distinguishes prodigies is the fact that they are constantly compared with children their own age, rather than with others who have accrued similar quantities of practice hours, similar opportunities, and family support. Take Tiffany Poon (MGBH) for example. Born in Hong Kong in 1997, this girl has experienced a meteoric rise as a concert pianist and has been lauded far and wide for her giftedness and substantial accomplishments. No doubt it is rare to find a child her age who has achieved so much and who plays the piano so well. At the age of eight, Tiffany accepted the opportunity of a scholarship at The Juilliard School in New York City, and flourished. As is usually the case with young achievers, testimonials on her website make age comparisons.

“Tiffany Poon possessed skills of a kind that I had never observed in such a young musician. She displays a sense of musical maturity that goes well beyond her current age.” – Gary McPherson (MGBH), Ormond Chair of Music, Head of the School of Music, University of Melbourne.

“Tiffany Poon plays with technical skills well beyond her years.” – the Columbus Dispatch.

Tiffany’s biography states that she started playing on a toy piano at the age of two and when she began formal lessons at age four-and-a-half she practiced four hours a day for the next two years. If we assume Tiffany had a rest day and practiced six days per week, this totals 1,248 hours of practice. This is substantial for one so young and is many times the practice hours of other children of that age. Assuming that fifteen minutes is about the average daily practice time for this age group, we have a 1,600 percent differential in practice time. Professor John Sloboda (MGBH) says, “There is no evidence of a fast track for high achievers,” which suggests that in terms of time expenditure, the pathway to progress is basically the same for everyone. To achieve you must put in the hours and do the work. In one study Sloboda found that predominantly it takes individuals about 1,200 practice hours to reach a formal music examination level of Grade Five, and 3,300 practice hours to reach Grade Eight. Accumulation of practice hours is not the only factor in musical achievement, but it is the predominant one.

We owe it to Tiffany to give her the credit for having achieved excellence. As an infant she had an intense curiosity for music and quickly developed the ability to concentrate for long periods of time. Note also that the testimonial from the Columbus Dispatch refers to “technical” skills. Fields such as music, chess, and mathematics are suited to young achievement because the precocity is almost always derived from algorithmic study. In later life real musicianship requires much more than technical prowess. Adult musicians with technical skills alone are not special.  Tiffany’s parental support also has significantly influenced her achievement.  Not only did the family relocate from Hong Kong for the express purpose of gaining a better music education for Tiffany, but Tiffany’s parents also instilled in her the critical learning strategies we call deliberate practice. From the earliest stages of Tiffany’s musical development her mother challenged her to play through passages several times correctly in succession. This game taught Tiffany the power of repetition. Contrast this with how most children practice music. One study found that more than 90 percent of children’s practice time was spent playing pieces from beginning to end only once and without stopping to correct any errors. In their coaching, Tiffany’s parents showed great astuteness, especially considering neither of them had any formal musical training.

Fields such as music, chess, and mathematics are suited to young achievement because the precocity is almost always derived from algorithmic study. In later life real musicianship requires much more than technical prowess. Adult musicians with technical skills alone are not special.

Carol Dweck (MGBH) predicts developmental problems for students praised for innate talent rather than effort. Dweck’s research, as documented in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success presents a strong case that a focus on genetic gift can lead to a poor work ethic. Children with this fixed-intelligence mindset get the impression that they do not need to work as hard as “average” children do. Natural ability should not need to make an effort. People labelled as ‘naturally talented’ or ‘gifted’ can be ruthlessly protective of their labels and therefore avoid challenges or risks that might lead to their making mistakes. This desire to look smart and prove their intelligence, at the expense of improving it, must be preserved at all costs. This mindset is more likely to hide rather than correct mistakes, and following a setback, is less persistent when compared with growth-mindset individuals. Hence the typical combination – gifted and lazy. On the other hand, people who believe their intelligence is a potential to be developed through effort are less worried about short-term mistakes, difficulties, and failures. They view these events as an essential part of the learning process. People with this growth-intelligence mindset tend to reach higher levels of achievement and enjoy the learning challenges inherent in the process. The advantage of the growth-mindset is not just about learning how to succeed but about learning how to persevere when one does not succeed.

Dweck’s research, as documented in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success presents a strong case that a focus on genetic gift can lead to a poor work ethic. Children with this fixed-intelligence mindset get the impression that they do not need to work as hard as “average” children do…. People with this growth-intelligence mindset tend to reach higher levels of achievement and enjoy the learning challenges inherent in the process.

To prove or improve my intelligence; that is the mindset question!

Research into the effects of mindset on achievement is of particular interest to music educators. Susan O’Neill (MGBH) found noticeable differences in the practice efficiency among children exhibiting different mindset. For one, fixed-intelligence-mindset children practiced roughly twice as much as growth-intelligence-mindset children to reach the same level of moderate performance achievement. Fixed-intelligence-mindset students use their time less efficiently. They are more likely to avoid practicing pieces or passages that pose particular difficulties. These children probably spend more time on what they already can play well, which might be enjoyable but will hardly improve performance. Growth-intelligence-mindset children are more likely to embrace the challenges that lead to mastery. It is not easy to teach learning strategies to fixed-intelligence-mindset students who have deep-set beliefs about their potential. Unless this mindset is reformed, they emerge as adults with stifling doubts about their capacity to learn. In his book Effortless Mastery, Kenny Werner (MBGH0 refers to “the menacing voices from childhood” – the struggle to learn is very often a result of being told that the task is really difficult, or you have not the talent for it. The word difficult can be discouraging. I like Werner’s suggestion to explain task complexity in terms of “unfamiliar” and “familiar” rather than “difficult” and “easy.” By attributing failure to lack of effort or poor practice strategies, rather than natural ability, teachers and parents can help transform mindset.

The word difficult can be discouraging. I like Werner’s suggestion to explain task complexity in terms of “unfamiliar” and “familiar” rather than “difficult” and “easy.”

 

 

An excerpt from “Learning Strategies for Musical Success” by Michael Griffin.

 

About the Author:

Michael Griffin is an educator, speaker, author and pianist. His core topics are practice, mindset, metacognition, and intrinsic motivation. His latest book is “Learning Strategies for Musical Success.”

 

VENUES: Harpa Concert Hall | Reykjavik, Iceland

Article by Ronald Hawkins (MGBH)

A venue is more than a place where an event happens.  It is where history is made and, often, a lifetime memory is created. Within the walls of these buildings, they capture the sounds from the ordinary to the extraordinary performances.
So, grab your passport and lets explore concert venues throughout the world!

The home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and The Icelandic Opera, HARPA CONCERT HALL is one of Reykjavik’s greatest and distinguished landmarks, which opened to public on May 4, 2011.  The name Harpa was the winning name out of 4,156 proposals entered by its 1,200 citizens. The requirement was to name the modern space an Icelandic word that is easy to speak in most languages – Har-pa, which means “harp.”

Designed by Henning Larsen Architects, Olafur Eliasson (MGBH), and Batteriiò, Harpa’s crystalline structure was inspired by Icelandic landscapes and traditions. Its dramatic design captures and reflects the light of the city, ocean and sky to thrilling effect (1).

The concert hall and conference center are located in the heart of the city, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the host to many diverse musical genres and music festivals year round. There are four performance spaces in Harpa: Eldborg , Nordurljos, Silfurberg, and Kaldalòn.

Halls

Eldborg is the largest hall in Harpa, accommodating 1,800 guests. It is truly a world-class concert hall hosting some of the biggest names from all over the world. Moving along the second floor situated between Eldborg and Silfurberg is the 520 theatre style recital hall, Nordurljòs. This space is ideal for chamber groups and smaller ensembles.

If you are looking for the best technology equipment at Harpa, check out Silfurberg – a conference hall named after a translucent crystal rarely found outside Iceland. The hall can accommodate up to 840 people. Interesting to note is the hall’s acoustics are configured for spoken word.

Lastly is the smallest hall in Harpa – Kaldalòn auditorium.  Kaldalòn is perfect space to accommodate 195 guest for concerts, conferences, meetings, screenings, and lectures. A curious fact about Kaldalòn is that its reverberation time may be altered, making this hall accessible for many different types of events.

Numerous music festivals have been held in the building including Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavik Midsummer Music, Dark Music Days, Reykjavik Arts Festival, Reykjavik Jazz Festival, Sónar Reykjavík, Tectonics, and Harpa International Music Academy (2).

Harpa has hosted a Master Pianists Concert Series where such world  known pianists as Jorge Luis Prats and Richard Goode, appeared in concerts. Young artists are also kept in mind, with Harpa granting an annual award – the Upbeat – for children and youth compositions.

Olafur Eliasson (MGBH)

Olafur Eliasson (MGBH), the artist behind Harpa

A recipient of a number of accolades, Harpa has been chosen one of the best concert halls of the new millennium by the prestigious music magazine Gramophone magazine as well as  the best performance venue in 2011 by Travel & Leisure magazine.  Most recently is the prestigious 2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. Wiel Arets ((MGBH), Chair of the Jury, said: “Harpa has captured the myth of a nation – Iceland – that has consciously acted in favor of a hybrid-cultural building during the middle of the ongoing Great Recession. The iconic and transparent porous ‘quasi brick’ appears as an ever-changing play of colored light, promoting a dialogue between the city of Reykjavik and the building’s interior life. By giving an identity to a society long known for its sagas, through an interdisciplinary collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects and artist Olafur Eliasson (MGBH), this project is an important message to the world and to the Icelandic people, fulfilling their long expected dream.”

 

 

About the Author:

Ronald Hawkins is a Schimmel Artist who serves on the piano faculty at The Conservatory for the Arts, Calvary Music School and Encore Music Academy in in Chrystal Lake, IL (USA). His current projects include performing the Well-Tempered Clavier (Book I) by J.S. Bach and an unique multimedia program – Masterpieces: Arts that Inspired Music.

 

References:

(1) http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-376_en.htm

(2) http://en.harpa.is/about-harpa

Nannerl Mozart: Neglected Sister or Wolfgang’s Childhood Muse?

Article by Jacqueline Leung (MGBH)

At times, “history” has been interpreted as “his story”. Although the ancient French root of the word “estoire” does not point to this particular meaning, it is, nevertheless, impossible to deny that up until the late 19th and early 20th century, the majority of historical documents which have been preserved, passed down, and studied, were written by men. In music textbooks, we have been taught that the reason female composers are so rare is because of lack of educational opportunities with their only role being a mother and wife rather than having an option to also pursue a career path.

On several occasions as I raised the topic of Nannerl (OBM), the common reaction would be, “Mozart (OBM) had a sister? I never knew that!” When the word “Mozart” is mentioned, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is the name, which springs to mind and, perhaps, by relation, his father Leopold Mozart (OBM). Maria Anna, or Nannerl as was her nickname, is rarely mentioned. Alongside Wolfgang and Leopold, at most, there would be a sentence referring to her as “an accomplished musician”. What were the events that rendered her to become a mere minor figure alongside her superstar genius brother after being recognized as his equal during their childhood and teenage years?

Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart was born in 1751, four and a half years before the most famous musical genius known to mankind. She began musical training with her father, who taught her to play the harpsichord at the age of 7. Subsequently, when Wolfgang’s precocious musical talents began to manifest itself by the age of 5, Leopold jumped at the chance to display his two “wunderkinder” around Europe like a circus act, enduring all the discomforts of 18th century travel to perform for royalties and aristocrats in some of Europe’s most lavish palaces and noble homes. In a study of letters where Maria Anna’s name was mentioned, there was nothing but words of praise. In letters to his wife from Leopold Mozart, it is evident that many members of royalty and aristocracy remember Nannerl fondly and regularly asked her father to send her their best regards. In a particular letter home dated 3 February 1770, Leopold mentioned that Pietro Lugiati (OBM), a wealthy man from a Venetian family and an official of the Venetian Republic lauded his “astonishing daughter” as an “object of universal admiration” and, in particular, praised her “rare talents” (1).  In another account from Count Karl von Zinzendorf of Munich (OBM), Nannerl’s performance was described as “masterly” (2). In order for the two children to be displayed as a pair of “wunderkinder” and for the performances to garner such praise, it should not be presumptuous to assume that Nannerl’s musical skills were on par with Wolfgang’s, at the very least.

… her perfect insight into harmony and modulations when she improvises is so successful that you would be astounded.

Some may argue that the aristocrats and royalty who adorned Nannerl with such flattery and commendation were not professionally trained musicians and were, therefore, less discerning. However, in her father Leopold’s own words, he proclaimed her to be one of the finest keyboardists in Europe, and “her perfect insight into harmony and modulations when she improvises is so successful that you would be astounded” (3). Up till now, studies have concluded that none of Nannerl’s compositions survived. Yet, when we read Wolfgang’s letters to his sister, we find evidence that she did, in fact, compose. In a letter written while Wolfgang was on tour, he wrote, “My dear sister! I am in awe that you can compose so well…the song you wrote is beautiful” (4). And in another letter from 19 May 1770, evidently having reviewed his sister’s composition, he commented, “You’ve written a wonderful bass for it, without a slightest mistake” (5).

The siblings had been extremely close since childhood. Not only did they share a secret language together, which is evident in some of the letters, but they also imagined a kingdom where they ruled together as King and Queen. As Wolfgang grew, Nannerl also matured. Unfortunately, she had reached the age at which it was unsuitable for her to travel as a performing musician. Her gender meant that her role in society was bound. When she reached marriageable age, she was instructed to remain home for protection while Leopold took young Mozart to perform all over Europe. However, for a young girl who has travelled across Europe and performed in Paris, London, and the Hague in front of Louis XV (OBM), King George III(OBM), Queen Charlotte (OBM), and Johann Christian Bach(OBM), the homebound lifestyle would take a toll. In Leopold’s letters to his wife, it is apparent that he was very much concerned with Nannerl and asked questions such as, “Is Nannerl keeping busy practicing the harpsichord regularly?”(6).

As a musical genius himself who possessed skills and talent rising above so many, he had great reverence for Nannerl.

For a pair of siblings who shared stage time and musical language as well as so many travel experiences, separation proved to be difficult. There are often references in Wolfgang’s letters of him wishing for Nannerl’s company. He longed to hear from her everyday. As a musical genius himself who possessed skills and talent rising above so many, he had great reverence for Nannerl. He once wrote, “I said to Papa at once: Oh! If only I were as clever and wise as she is!”

Musically, apart from being on stage together, they were collaborators and inspired each other. Wolfgang’s Prelude and Fugue in C, K. 394 was written for her and his Divertimento in D major, K. 251, nicknamed the Nannerl Septet, was written for her name-day. He also frequently sent her his latest piano concerti. Examining earlier compositions, K. 16, Wolfgang’s first symphony, received help from Nannerl who was responsible for putting some of the music from pen to paper.

The most well known group of compositions associated with her name is the Nannerl Music Book (Nannerl Notenbuch), recently published by Henle Verlag (MGBH). These compositions date back to the years between 1759-64 and originally were comprised of 48 pages. However, only 36 pages survived to this day with 12 pages missing. According to historical sources, the notebook was compiled by Leopold who wrote pieces for the young Nannerl to practice. Within the book, there also are compositions by the five year old Wolfgang with the authorship of miscellaneous pieces not verified. They are currently categorized as “Anonymous 1, 2 & 3”. In light of this, is it rather inconceivable that none of her compositions survived? For a girl who most certainly possessed such a high level of musical skills, would it be impossible that she also had written compositions in her own musical notebook? And what course of events made those 12 pages disappear so mysteriously?

K. 16, Wolfgang’s first symphony, received help from Nannerl who was responsible for putting some of the music from pen to paper.

According to practices of the time, women would not be earning from a performing career. When Nannerl’s performing tours abruptly ended, she became a piano teacher in Salzburg. Her father dictated her marriage. She was forced to abandon her true love Captain Franz d’Ippold (OBM) and married the twice widowed magistrate Johann Baptist Franz von Berchtold zu Sonnenburg (OBM). When her first child was born, she left him in the care of her father Leopold who wished to train another musical child prodigy. Subsequently, she bore two daughters but both died – one at infancy and one at age 16. Was this the real reason why the shadow was cast over Nannerl which propelled her into oblivion for the rest of her life and in the textbooks of musical history? Was little Wolfgang engineered by Leopold to be the sole breadwinner of the Mozart family because Nannerl would not be able to provide?

Of course, it is not my intention to conjure up radical conspiracy theories, yet it could open the doors to some important questions. Was Nannerl Mozart’s voice stifled and were her wings clipped because she was born at the wrong time? Is it really plausible that even with limited opportunities for education no women had musical talents to match their male counterparts for the past hundreds of years? As I dug deeper into this, I could not help but ask, how many other women composers’ works may have been made to disappear and how many were published under a man’s name with their talents unduly neglected?

References:

(1) Davis, Elizabeth. “Was Mozart’s Sister Actually the Most Talented Musician in the Family?” Classic FM. 2 Nov. 2015. Web. 18 May 2016.
(2) Eisen, Cliff et al. In Mozart’s Words, ‘Maria Anna Walpurga Ignatia (Nannerl) Mozart’ <http://letters.mozartways.com>. Version 1.0, published by HRI Online, 2011. ISBN 9780955787676.
(3) Milo, Silvia. “The Lost Genius of Mozart’s Sister.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 08 Sept. 2015. Web. 18 May 2016.
(4) Rusch, Elizabeth. “Maria Anna Mozart: The Family’s First Prodigy.” Smithsonian. 27 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 May 2016.
(5) Scheideler, Ullrich. “Preface.” Piano Pieces from the “Nannerl Music Book” Berlin: G. Henle Verlag, 2014. Web.
(6) Scheideler, Ullrich. “Critical Commentary.” Piano Pieces from the “Nannerl Music Book” Berlin: G. Henle Verlag, 2006. Web.

 

About the author:

Jacqueline Leung is a Hong Kong based concert pianist and educator. She was trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. She has performed on four continents and is in demand as a solo and chamber musician, lecturer and adjudicator. Alongside music, her passions include traveling and cooking. She also holds a MA in Comparative Literature from the University of Hong Kong.

FEATURED ARTICLE:
Condolezza Rice (MGBH) –
Piano In My Life

Interview by Peter Robinson (MGBH)

When one studies piano from childhood and puts effort to excel in this craft, it stays with him (or, in our case – with her) for life, regardless of the occupation she chooses as an adult.  Many times an opportunity of continuing with piano professionally is foregone due to limited career choices as a pianist.
Nevertheless, once a pianist – always a pianist.  Even if one becomes a Secretary of State.

Peter Robinson (MGBH), (PR): You have given a very substantial portion of your life to this endeavor. Why?
Condoleezza Rice (MGBH), (CR) : Classical music is one of the highest forms of the arts that human beings have ever achieved. If you look at the complexity of what these great composers were able to do, you wonder how the mind was able to create this. And we have to stay connected to this marvelous music. We have to stay connected to this heritage of this highest art form. And I understand that it’s not “popular,” but not everything is “popular.” We still have to preserve it, we have to perform it, we have to play it, we have to try to introduce our children to it and one of the ways that we do that is to make certain that we keep the arts in the schools and we keep the arts in a sense of a broad education. I know there is a lot of talk these days about stem and technology, but there is nothing more human in terms of what these composers were able to do.

Classical music is one of the highest forms of the arts that human beings have ever achieved.

PR: Take me to the Rice household, back in Alabama. Who persuaded you to start playing?
CR: Well, I was very fortunate. I come from a musical family. My mother (OBM), my grandmother (OBM), and my great grandmother (OBM) were all pianists. And my mother was a wonderful pianist and a church organist. And my grandmother was actually classically trained… in the South, right? In the early 1920s…

Condoleezza Rice Little Condoleezza playing piano

PR: How did that happen? That’s extraordinary!
CR: It’s kind of a mystery to me, too. She was the daughter of an African-American episcopal preacher or bishop, actually, very high up in the church. And he somehow found this Viennese master to teach his daughter piano. And, so, she learned to play very young. She taught piano lessons, and while my parents were teaching school, I would stay at her house from age 3,4, 5, until I could go to school. And I wanted to play. Her kids would come over to have a piano lesson. She charged 25 cents a lesson. And at the end of it, I would go to the piano, and I would bang at the piano. And my grandmother said, finally, “Angelina (my mother’s name), let me teach her how to play. I think she wants to learn to play. “ I was three. And my mother said, “Don’t you think she is a little young?” And my grandmother said, “Well, we are gonna find out.” And so, I, actually, never remembered learning to read music, which I do think it’s an advantage, because reading music, particularly reading piano music, is quite complex. You have two hands, you have clefs. They are moving this way and that way simultaneously. And, by the way, if people want yet another reason to play the piano…. I played Schumann (OBM) with the Omaha symphony a couple of years ago, and I realized I had to memorize the score because you can’t really play with the score. And a few weeks later I was talking to the head of neurology here at Stanford, and he said, “You memorized that score?” And I said, “Yes.” And he said, “You have no idea what you’ve done for your neuroplasticity!” So, for all of us that are looking for agelessness, learn to play the piano. But I started very, very young.

She charged 25 cents a lesson. And at the end of it, I would go to the piano, and I would bang at the piano.

My parents let me learn to play the piano. And there is one great story. I said as a 4-year-old, “I need a piano.” We didn’t have one at home. We had a little organ, you know, one of those little play organs for kids.   And I said, “I can’t play all the notes that I need on this little organ.” So, what my father said was, “Ok, when you learn to play What a friend we have in Jesus  perfectly, we’ll buy you a piano.” My grandmother said that the next day at her house I sat there for 8 hours. I wouldn’t even have lunch. When they came back, I knew What a friend we have in Jesus perfectly. And my parents had to go out and rent a piano, ‘cause they couldn’t really afford one. But I am lucky to have been exposed to music, classical music, very early.

PR: That’s an unusual story. Even at that, a lot of kids will start fairly early and then junior high comes along.  Sports kick in. They drop it. Or they go to college and drop it. Was there a moment when you knew, “This is a keeper for me. This is going to be part of my life”?
CR: Well, there was a moment when I almost dropped it. At age 10, having played by now for 6 and a half years, I went to my mother and said, “I am quitting. I am tired of playing the piano.” And my mother said, “You are not old enough or good enough to make that decision.” So, I kept playing. And when I had a chance to play this great music with George at his studio or to play with Yo-Yo Ma (MGBH) in Washington or play with the Omaha Symphony, I looked towards heavens, and I said, “Thanks, Mom, for not letting me quit.”

Condoleezza Rice At the age of 10.

PR: So, you are practicing the piano while working in the White House. Practicing the piano as a Secretary of State. Now, I’d like to probe that very odd notion a little bit. You are known as a person of unusual accomplishment. That’s not subjective, anyone would agree to that. Also, as a person of unusual discipline. I think that’s generally the case. But there is nothing about the sort of “dread sense of duty” that I pick up when you talk about the piano. What were you getting out of it? Why did you make the time?
CR: Well, the first thing… because I had decided at the end of my junior year that I was about to end up playing in those department stores while people shop, perhaps, I could find something else. I’ve gone to the Aspen Music Festival and met real prodigies, and I thought, “Oh, I am really ok, but not THAT good.” And, so, I went back to college at the end of my junior year, found International Relations and decided to go that direction. And that’s why, of course, ultimately I would end up Secretary of State because I made the switch. But in-between, finishing college and going to graduate school, I played, actually, very little. I taught piano lessons to make money for graduate school because it was better than waiting tables. Only barely, but better than waiting tables. And then, I was here as Provost. And in 1993, Paul Brest (MGBH), we was then Dean of the Law School, and plays the viola, said, “You play the piano. My chamber group would like to play some music with a piano. I said, “Paul, I haven’t played serious music in years.” But I started playing a little bit with him, and I thought, “You know, if I am gonna do this, I’m gonna do it right.” And I went to George Bart (MGBH) and said, “Who is the head of the piano department?” I’d just become Provost. They said, “George Bart.” So, I called up Professor Bart, and I said, “I’d like to come see you. I want to take piano lessons.”

PR: Was there one lesson when you could tell that George was taking you seriously?
CR: Oh, from the very beginning. I played about four bars, and he’d say, “No, no, no. Wait, here. Let’s do that again . . . and think about this.” But that Brahms (OBM), the wonderful thing about this, it’s a bear of a piece for a piano. It really is. And we would work two hours – three hours at a time on this piece, ten hours a week. And in life you have to find time for things that are fulfilling for you. And for me these were in many ways the most fulfilling two or three hours of the week because… people say, “Well, it must be relaxing.” It’s not actually relaxing struggling for Brahms. It’s really hard work. But it is transporting. When you are playing, when you are practicing, nothing else can be in your head. And that was the secret also when I was a National Security Advisor, Secretary of State. Even if you are trying to relax and say, “I am just gonna sit here and read a book. I am just gonna sit here and watch a television,” your mind is spinning. When you are playing the piano, there is no room in there for anything to spin. So, it truly does get you completely away.

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice playing with in a chamber group

And during those 8 years in Washington, I found a chamber group I played with mostly very fine musicians who were no longer professional musicians. And they were wonderful, because they didn’t care if I am “Secretary of the Moon.” They just wanted their pianist.

It’s really hard work. But it is transporting. When you are playing, when you are practicing, nothing else can be in your head. And that was the secret also when I was a National Security Advisor, Secretary of State.

PR: So, this is a crude way of putting it, but again, I am still on this question what it did for you, what you got out of it. Did it enable you to serve as a Secretary of State better? Were you a better Secretary of State because you were playing Brahms?
CR: Absolutely. Apart keeping my balance, keeping my center during all of the troubled times, when you are Secretary of State, and you are at the top of the food chain, so to speak, you can also lose a sense of who you were and who you are and that kind of core. And music, maybe because I started so young, maybe because I associate it with my mother and my family, is the core of who I am. And in those times you have to hang on to things, the core of who you are.

PR: You’ve mentioned Brahms. And I know from reading up on you and from talking to George, that you just love Brahms. And if I may say so, Brahms seems to me an odd hill, on which to make a stand. Bach (OBM) – way in the beginning. You know what it is. It represents the whole world onto itself. Mozart (OBM) – of course. Beethoven (OBM) – of course. And then, on the other side of Brahms, you have the people who are real romantics, people who are really just … wonderful tonal experiments: Chopin (OBM), Debussy (OBM). But Brahms, Madam Secretary, is not one thing or the other. He is kind of stuck in-between this classical world where form is everything and the romantic world where it’s subjective and impressionistic. He is just stuck there. I ask you to rise to the defense of your honest Brahms.
CR: Brahms, obviously, cared a great deal about a classical form. And that’s what I love about Brahms – it’s this effort to bring back Bach or Mozart. And when you look at what he did, it’s remarkable that you can compose within that discipline.

PR: …he saw himself as a reinventor of the tradition, in part. No?
CR: Well, I think he extended that tradition. Of course, he lived in a period, in which all of this expression was possible, and in which as these modulations and harmonies were modulations and harmonies that you find even anticipated in Mozart or Beethoven, but taken to their fullest extent in Brahms. And the really interesting thing is that… he died in 1897. So, had he lived a few more years, he would have experienced the 20th century. And I find myself all the time wondering how Brahms would have experienced 1910, 19…, because he anticipates some of what you’ll see in Schoenburg, even. And Schoenburg wrote a very famous article “Brahms, The Progressive?” in which he lays claim to Brahms as someone who was already pushing the envelope. So, I, actually, see Brahms as someone who took this classical tradition, this what someone might have experienced or thought of by the time Brahms was composing, as a straight jacket. He didn’t think of it as a straight jacket. He thought of it as enabling him to push this forward and move this forward. And you look at some of the harmonic and rhythmic uses that he makes and it’s just extraordinary. Brahms is also for me passionate without being overly sentimental. And I rather like that.

PR: Ah… That’s your formula.
CR: That’s my formula.

PR: Got it. Ok, that one clicks for me. Who is your current? Is Brahms still your man?
CR: Brahms is still my man. I love a lot of composers.

I don’t know that entry needs to be easy for everything in life. Sometimes having to work at something is not a bad thing.

PR: I know that you believe in free markets. Does it shake you a little bit, does it shake your faith in free markets that the markets don’t really reward this endeavor, particularly? As they said, the classical music is 2% of the marketplace. This is nothing new. Mozart died virtually bankrupt. In a certain sense, people treated him more as a celebrity rather than showed deep appreciation of his music.
CR: Brahms, by the way, did very well thanks to the piece that he hated – Brahms’ lullabies. But markets operate on information. And sometimes information is imperfect, economists will tell you. And I think information is imperfect about what classical music can provide. And that’s why I think it is so important to introduce kids to it, it’s important to bring it into the schools, bring students here who, perhaps, don’t know it when they arrive but when they find it compelling.   I just have to believe that when people really have a chance to encounter classical music, they’ll buy it.

Markets operate on information. And sometimes information is imperfect, economists will tell you. And I think information is imperfect about what classical music can provide.

PR: Ok, so, one more question along those lines. It was thought. I will put it in a passive voice. I’ll put myself in the middle of it – I thought. A lot of people thought, ten years ago, a dozen years ago, as first CDs came along, and then the Internet… Itunes, Spotify, and so forth, that we have this wonderful democratization of music. You know we are a long way from having to get dressed up in an evening gown, dinner jacket, and go to Carnegie Hall to hear classical music. You can download it at the touch of a button. And I was among those who thought, “People will find it. It’s so powerful, it’s so beautiful, and it’s so compelling.” We stand at the very beginning of an age of rebirth and interest and appreciation of this kind of music.” And it just hasn’t happened this way.
CR: Well, I’ll give you two reasons for that. One is, first of all, entry to it isn’t that easy. And I don’t know that entry needs to be easy for everything in life. Sometimes having to work at something is not a bad thing. Sometimes having to read great literature even though it’s not immediately like the plot line one finds in a half-hour sitcom. There are these great arts that take a little work sometimes …So, I think getting kids introduced to the arts in a way that allows them to access them rather than dumping it at them, is really very important. Then, secondly, I do think that we may underestimate the degree to which people go online and maybe they just listen to one piece, maybe they hear one performance. And finding way to capture that is not so easy. But I suspect that there are more people who hear this music in one way or another, maybe if it’s even in a movie theme or something. But we have to do a better job, we have to do it in the schools, we have to do it in places like this. We have to make it available. And I still think people will learn to love it.

 

About the Interviewer:

Peter M. Robinson is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he writes about business and politics, edits Hoover’s quarterly journal, the Hoover Digest, and hosts Hoover’s video series program, Uncommon Knowledge™.

 

 

 This Interview has been transcribed with permission of Hoover Institute at Stanford University.

THE ART OF PIANO PERFORMANCE: Anna Sutyagina

Interview by Alex Davydovich (MGBH)

The Art of Piano Performance is a category in Piano Performer Magazine that features pianists who show outstanding creativity and imagination in engaging audience and presenting musical pieces in innovative ways.  
Anna Sutyagina (MGBH), a German piano performer, amazes with her vision, desire, and ability to break the mold of traditional presentation of classical music.

PP: Dear Anna, from reading about you, I know that you studied at a school in the United States. What is the difference, in your opinion, between the mindset of an American and European piano performer/teacher? What about the difference in the feel of the audience?
Anna: The biggest difference is that in Europe the mindset is to preserve the tradition and in USA it is more to find your own way of interpreting the piece. My German teachers would always say that XY would play it better and would give me a reason why I couldn’t play this piece. American teachers were more concerned about my individuality. I also like the feeling “you can do it!” The best book that I am still consulting from time to time was The Musician’s Way – A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness by Gerald Klickstein (MGBH). I just love it! It was my “university” for learning about piano performance!

PP: What made you choose Germany as your home?
Anna: It was by chance. I had a student job as an interpreter for Fraunhofer Institute in Munich. It was my first exposure to Germans and German culture. My German colleagues were very nice, and we connected very well. I liked their way of working. “DAAD” exchange program scholarship was my luck – it gave me a chance to study in Frankfurt for one year, and I fell in love with this country.

PP: In your performances, you use a mixed media approach combining sound with color and textures. What is the idea behind it?
Anna: I love to be creative with my performances. There are so many great musicians who offer “pure music only” approach. When I go to concerts, I search for something unusual. There are film music concerts with the videos on the screen, but listening to a Beethoven (OBM) solo recital of Hammerklaviersonate visually enriched through the use of color, laser textures, and unusual effects is way more exciting!

PP: Can you, please, tell our readers about your Concerti Series?
Anna: The idea of Concerti Series came to me last year as I was trying to design a concerto program that would appeal to broad audience. I was going through the catalogues and could see that the usual program format would be maximum 3 composers per recital with the emphasis on larger works. This works perfectly for the big halls, but not for concerts that are more intimate. My Concerti Series tell a story. I would like to give the context for better listening and guide the audience through a 70-minute musical journey. Concerto Sentimentale is a musical journey through the world of emotions. Concerto Amoroso is a love story told by the grand piano. Concerto Misterioso is, perhaps, the most unusual program that takes listeners to discover mysteries of the night.

Concerto Sentimentale is a musical journey through the world of emotions. Concerto Amoroso is a love story told by the grand piano. Concerto Misterioso is, perhaps, the most unusual program that takes listeners to discover mysteries of the night.

PP:What is Münchner Klassik Salon?
Anna: Münchner Klassik Salon is a music company that puts together music concerts 4 times a year. We organize concerts in Munich Steinway Hall for about 100 people. Our motto is “search for old and new beauty ideals”. The idea is to offer the audience of Munich something different from traditional concert format. Two concerts are a combination of vocal and instrumental music. There are about 10 performing musicians of different nationalities, levels, and even genres. We can perform an operetta piece right after a Bach choral, and our audience loves it!  Other concerts are themed theatrical music performances like Henry Miller (OBM) in Paris; Ernest Hemingway (OBM): People in the Stream; Madame Pompadour (OBM): Game of love and power and others. We work with the theater group Post It Productions and a Stage Director Jörn Mensching (MGBH).

PP: You made beautiful videos featuring your piano performances. One of my favorites is your interpretation of Moonlight Sonata. Can you comment on the space suit and the dog? What is the story behind the video?
Anna: When searching the Internet, I was surprised to see that the Moonlight Sonata is the most recorded composition. I was going through 200 videos of it and then the idea came to me: instead of recording one more piece, why not do a persiflage, something satirical? And make fun of the title that was not even given by the composer himself. So, immediately, my imagination took me to the Moon with Neil Armstrong (OBM), and, because fantasy has not limits, I took a Laika (OBM), a Soviet space dog, with me. When I play Moonlight Sonata, I feel the sadness – as if I am playing it on the Moon, missing the Earth. I wanted to express the longing and sadness through my performance…

PP: How do you choose your repertoire? What makes you connect to a performance piece?
Anna: Choosing the right repertoire is, perhaps, the most important part of a pianist’s job, and it is always a challenge. I have experienced it many times in competitions. Playing the right repertoire is part of winning a competition. In a free market economy your repertoire choice will decide if you are booked or not.  To be able to earn a living as a pianist, you need to have at least 2 solo recital programs and 1 piano concert in store to start you going. It is a special thrill in playing at premieres:  nobody played it before, there is no tradition, you have absolute freedom to do whatever you love – the luxury of your own interpretation! I only play the pieces I can connect to. There must be a mixture of following: I can play it, I love listening to this piece myself, it tells something about me, and, more importantly, I can incorporate this piece into my programs that will be liked by audience. I try to change the perspective and always ask if others would love to hear me play it. What can I give to this piece to make it sound “mine”?

Playing a right repertoire is part of winning a competition. In a free market economy your repertoire choice will decide if you are booked or not.

PP: What do you envision the role of classical music to be in the 21st century, and how do you see its transformation?
Anna: The role of classical music is changing. I am very concerned about the average age of classical music concertgoer. Every time I see it, I get aware of the task we, musicians, have! It is up to us to define the role of the classical music in the 21st century. We cannot play the same repertoire, in the same impersonal way, in the same halls! I think the trend is going back to home concerts where classical music will be part of the social ritual to be enjoyed with the friends.  There are more and more salons popping up throughout major cities of the world.  This occurrence reflects a desire for individualization.  I also see classical music thriving on the Internet. It is becoming more accessible with, finally, having a chance to be explored and enjoyed by masses.

It is up to us to define the role of the classical music in the 21st century. We cannot play the same repertoire, in the same impersonal way, in the same halls!

PP: What do you think are the ways to engage younger audience in classical music?
Anna: The best ways would be to show them that classical music can be not only beautiful, but is also fun! Schools can help, too, by organizing “classical music days” from time to time or offering more classical music within their school curriculum.  Music can be used for memorization, consolidation of the learned material or as relaxation. There are so many ways!  It is important for us, musicians, to get creative.

What thought would you like to share with your fellow piano performers?
Anna: Always stay creative and search for new ideas.

SHARING IS CARING: Advice for Collaborative Pianists

Article by Michael Refvem (MGBH)

As collaborative pianists, we often have to meet high expectations with little appreciation of our role in performance. For centuries, the now antiquated term accompanist has been used to imply a role lesser than that of a soloist. In early film depictions of concert violinists such as Joseph Szigeti (OBM), the pianist is featured in a distance, almost made invisible by the camera.  Over the years, thanks to the advocacy of collaborative pianists like Gerald Moore (OBM) and Martin Katz (MGBH), the author of The Complete Collaborator, the role of a collaborative pianist has risen in prominence.

BeeSzigeti plays Schubert’s “The Bee”

WITH COLLABORATION IN MIND

Being new to collaboration with other musicians, a pianist may think that her/she has no say so in interpretive matters of a given work. A soloist, however, often needs input, especially from a pianist with experience. In music interpretation, it is important to trust instincts. “Does the tempo really need to be so fast?” “How is the balance?” “Are our interpretive ideas matching (articulation)?”

 

MUSIC SCORE IS JUST THE BLUEPRINT!

For a collaborative pianist, to fully understand the music piece, it is important to see the big picture. Thus, it is best to listen to a recording of a particular piece. This will help in understanding the structure of the composition as well as peculiarities inherent in other types of instruments and how they can affect your performance.

Do not begin your work with the piano part alone. Remember that the score is merely a blueprint of the completed art. The purist conception of a work begins with the sound itself.  Martin Katz takes this one step further in The Complete Collaborator (2) and recommends being able to sing the soloist’s music and play your part simultaneously!

Remember that the score is merely a blueprint of the completed art.

Pianists are often less aware of the necessity for wind and brass players to breathe and how their breathing can influence musical pacing (inserting a little bit of time between phrases to catch a quick breath). The physics involved in sound production for string players means that there is a split second between the movement of the bow and the full maturation of the sound. Pianists should also study the text in vocal scores and be aware of how the language impacts ensemble. My favorite example in German is the word klang (sound). Play with the ANG and not the KL as that is the point where the tone actually forms.

 

LEARN THEM WELL

No matter what, it is essential to give it your best in your collaborative effort.

Sometimes pianists are approached to participate in a project last minute without being given sufficient time to work on a music piece. Unless you know the piece perfectly from, it is never wise to accept such task putting both his and the soloist’ performance at risk.

I can’t tell you how many times I have played Brahms’ (OBM) Clarinet Sonata in E flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2. It is one of those music pieces that pianists are expected to know. If I hadn’t initially learned the piece thoroughly, I would certainly be paying for it today. Having learned that in advance, however, I have ultimately saved myself a lot of frustration and a potential refusal of work.

It is also important to remember that a rehearsal time belongs to all collaborators and not just one. That is why arriving at rehearsal fully prepared is the core of the code of ethics for collaborative work.

 

IT WILL HELP YOUR SOLO PLAYING

There are so many benefits of collaborating with other musicians. In many ways, collaboration has helped me solidify my musical principles and hone in on my weaknesses.

Young pianists often lack awareness or ability to play with a steady pulse and good rhythm. Working with other musicians can bring attention to a proper rhythmic control when the elements have be played in sync.

Typically, expected timeframe for learning collaborative works is shorter than that of solo performances. Thus, pianists have to prepare a new repertoire under tighter deadlines, which can push them to potentially become better musicians by having to be more organized and systematic in their practice.

The essence of great collaboration rests in the act of communication.  Collaborating with an instrumentalist or vocalist is one of the most intimate of settings and thrives on the exchange of intricate musical ideas between the players. Paying attention to the part or parts of the other player(s) helps create an overall synergy, harmony, and a feeling of oneness. In contrast, playing with over-the-top bombast runs the risk of completely drowning your partner.

It is my hope that by adopting these principles, a beginning collaborative pianist can attain the next level of mastery as well as appreciation and recognition.

 

 

References:

(1) “Szigeti plays Schubert’s “The Bee”” – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pm6kBXkqT4

(2) Katz, Martin. “Two. Breathing and Singing.” The Complete Collaborator: The Pianist as Partner. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. 7. Print.

 

About the Author

Michael Refvem enjoys a multifaceted career as recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist. He recently moved to Montréal, where he enjoys walks in the old town and Mount Royal in his spare time.

AND ALL THAT JAZZ: JOEY ALEXANDER

Interview by Tanya Levy (MGBH)

The name of Joey Alexander (MGBH), a 13 year-old jazz pianist and a native of Bali, has become known in the US after Wynton Marsalis (MGBH) invited him to play at the Jazz at Lincoln Center 2014 Gala, while Joey was only 11 years old.  After that in February 2016, Alexander became a runner-up through his nomination for the Grammy Awards Best Jazz Instrumental Album (for My Favorite Things, 2015) and Best Improvised Jazz Solo (for Giant Steps). He performed live at the Premiere Ceremony, the pre-telecast ceremony at the Grammy Awards.
In-between Joey’s rehearsals and recital schedule, got a hold of Joey in Sausalito, CA to ask him a few questions.

Joey AlexanderJoey AlexanderJoey AlexanderJoey AlexanderJoey AlexanderJoey Alexander

THE HINER METHOD

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 (Dec15Jan15) 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

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

 

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

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

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

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.