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The Olympics of piano, as I like to call it 😊

The Chopin competition takes place every 5 years (although this time we waited 6 due to covid), in Warsaw, Poland. For the first time in history, Canada won the grand prize!! 🇨🇦 We also placed 6th, which is no small feat. Over 500 pianists from 53 countries around the world applied to be contestants in this competition. 160 of these were admitted to perform in the preliminary round. This in itself is an honour. 87 of those pianists were accepted into the competition. From there, more competitors were eliminated with each of the three stages, until there were only finalists. Talk about gruelling! The amount of pressure is unimaginable. All of the competitors had been dreaming of this moment, many of them for their entire lives. If they win, they’re basically set for life. They will never lack musical engagements; people will always know who they are in the classical music world. They will travel the world playing concerts, students will want to learn from them, professional musicians will want to collaborate with them, they will record albums…. and this is all on top of the €40,000 grand prize! (This amounts to nearly $60,000 CAD). 

Back to the competition itself. The pressure increases with each stage. The repertoire requirements are extremely demanding, and if you make a mistake you’re eliminated automatically. Wrong notes are unacceptable. This is why there is some controversy surrounding these types of competitions. When Chopin played his own compositions, he was always changing them by adding embellishments, changing dynamics, experimenting with different phrasing, etc. He was even changing the notes he had written down, up until the very last second when he had to send it to the publisher. Often his various publishers would receive different copies if he sent them off at even slightly varied times. To him, the utmost importance was that of musical expression. So why must the performances for a competition dedicated to his music be note-perfect? Doesn’t this inhibit musical creativity and expression? Aren’t the performers so terrified of wrong notes that they aren’t willing to try out their best ideas? I guess you just have to be the most musical of the perfect performances 😅 I certainly think that deserves an award!🥇

Here is Canada’s champion pianist, Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu’s performance in stage 3:

September is always a busy month with going back to school. It takes a few weeks to get everyone’s schedules sorted out and back into a practice routine. Add a couple of master classes to the mix, and the whole month just flies by! 

My first event was a Polonaise weekend. It began with a workshop delivered by Jarred Dunn. Having lived and studied in Poland for a number of years, he has insight into this music that few people in Canada have to offer. He illuminates the music of Chopin and the Polish culture, which enriches our practice and performance of the music. 
The next day was a master class with Polish teacher Krzysztof Jabłoński, who I had never met before but had heard great things about. And great, he certainly is! Such a fabulous pianist, and a jolly person! It was very entertaining to see him working with the other students, and incredibly inspiring. Some of the pieces he hadn’t touched since he was in high school, yet it seemed so natural and effortless for him to play them, regardless of how technically demanding they were. 

I loved his camera setup! He had about 4 or 5 different cameras arranged at different angles, and could switch between them with the click of a button. Need to see what he’s doing with the pedal? No problem! Care for a zoom in on the LH? Coming right up! Of course he had a camera facing him straight on, so you could watch his animated expressions as he explained things to you. 

I would be delighted to have an opportunity to learn from prof. Jabłoński again in the future! Thank you, Jarred, for arranging yet another successful and inspiring musical weekend! 

As always, if anyone is interested in trying something like this out- let me know! Spectators are welcome, as well as playing participants. 

Check out these videos of Jabłoński! The first is him playing a Polonaise, and in the second you can hear him talk a bit about Polish music and play the E Minor Chopin Concerto.

I hope everyone enjoyed their summer, and is geared up to begin this new and promising academic year! I’m excited to start in-person lessons again, and can’t wait to see what everyone‘s been working on this summer! ☀️

As always, I will arrange two recitals (most likely Facebook video recitals again), and look forward to preparing everyone for our first performance in December. 

I have another interview lined up this semester as well- can’t wait to share!

There are some online master classes and workshops I plan to attend, organized by Jarred Dunn, featuring some special guest teachers from Europe and the United States. 

One of the great things about studying music is that there is always more to learn and experience! 🎶

I hope you enjoy the fruits of some summer practice- Oscar Peterson’s ‘Hymn to Freedom’ 💜 

To start off, I will answer Seymour’s first question from our zoom class.
The question was this: Why do you study music?

Answer: I love music. It’s what keeps me going. It’s always been there for me as a comfort and a challenge throughout my life. I would go as far as to say that it’s brought me back to life a few times. It offers an escape from the trials of life when I need it most, and with absolutely no negative effects. Only positive. I always feel better after a practice session, even if I was already feeling good to begin with. Music is constantly pushing me to new limits. All around, it helps me to be a better person. I teach music because I want for other people to be able to have this as well. It really makes a difference in a human being. 

I continue to study music because the more I know about piano and music, the better teacher I will be. Sure, it can be a love/hate relationship at times! But that’s part of the beauty of it. It’s something that will be with you until the end, no matter what. 

Plus (and this is a huge plus!)… being in music, you get to meet some truly remarkable and brilliant people. This is so inspiring in life!! 

To those of you who have read my blog- thank you! It has been nice to know these words weren’t just lost in the wind. 

A (school) year long project… and one out of my comfort zone… I’m happy to say I have completed this goal! What a relief to finally be at the finish line 😀 I’m not saying I’ll never write a blog post again! I’m just not going to commit to doing it every week. I’m sure that my handful of readers will survive 😉 I’ll take it casually next school year, and just write when I’m inspired to write, if there’s something to write about. Here’s hoping that there is!! This blog has got me thinking about my teaching and piano life in a slightly different way. Usually, I just go about living it. By removing myself from it to write about it, I’ve gained a bit of a different perspective- always a good thing!

I wanted to send a special thank you out to my friend Christina Philips! Without you, this blog would never have existed. Thank you!! 🤗

If anyone has any questions, or topics you would like me to write about, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. 

I hope everyone has a beautiful, relaxing, and safe summer this year! 

Ciao for now‼️😌🎶💞☀️🎹

For those of you who don’t have Facebook, I’ve included my recital video here. Enjoy!

The zoom master class with Seymour this past Sunday was incredible! I learned SO much. It was supposed to be 2 hours but ended up running for 3! The time just flew by. Each student only had 15 minutes of individual attention, but the whole group benefited so much from the entire class. You can learn so much by watching someone else being taught! I had a ton of questions ready to ask him (in standard form of me being over prepared 😊), and we got through quite a few of them. He helped bring my technique to the next level in some particularly challenging passages, and showed me some practice ideas that were extremely helpful. I’m so glad I participated, and am already on the list of participants for the next one! 😀

When Seymour made his surprise appearance at studio class the previous week, he presented us with 2 questions. Today I will answer this one: Why would Jarred invite us to play for other teachers? (Sadly, music teachers are known for being quite territorial over students). 

Here is my answer:

Everyone has a different take on music; a different way in. Sometimes you just need something explained to you in a different way to finally make it click. Or maybe you just need to hear it in the exact same way but from somebody different 😅 to really drive the point home. Someone who hasn’t heard you play before might notice something that your regular teacher hasn’t addressed because they have been focusing on other things. It’s easy to get lost in the process of developing a particular skill, so it’s always good to have a fresh pair of ears and eyes! 

Music is very personal; you need to make it your own. If you’re only hearing input from one other voice, that makes it more challenging to do. Opening yourself up to different ideas makes it easier to find what works for you. Options are always a good thing!

It’s also good from a performance aspect, because you’re playing in front of someone formidable and unfamiliar. It really takes you out of your comfort zone, which is vital for growth. 

I have always encouraged my higher level students to take lessons with other teachers as well, and will continue to make this part of my practice. Two of my adult students attended this seminar as spectators, and they both loved it! 

Share the knowledge!! 🤓🎶🧡

I recently joined a new platform called tonebase and am loving it! It was actually founded in 2017, but I heard about it last summer for the first time, when Jarred Dunn created a video for them. I’ve been watching snippets of videos, just biding my time until I could make the leap and purchase a subscription. I am thrilled to have access to all of their videos now! They have lessons on specific pieces, live seminars where you can ask questions, performances, interviews with famous pianists and pedagogues, ear training, improv, and technique videos… basically anything you can think of that would help to become better acquainted with the world of classical piano! 😀👏🎹 They also have a whole platform for classical guitar as well! 😉

The first video I watched was an interview with Seymour Bernstein. I became enamoured with this man years ago, when I saw the documentary about him “Seymour: An Introduction “ by Ethan Hawke. So you can imagine my excitement when Jarred announced that he would be doing a zoom master class and I was invited to attend!! The master class is happening this Sunday, June 13th. I’ve been looking forward to this for over a month now, so you can imagine my delight when he made a surprise appearance at zoom studio class (hosted by Jarred) last weekend!! 🥳 Everyone in the class was thrilled, and nerves shot through the roof! I was trembling as I was playing for him. I haven’t felt nerves like that in years! Hopefully we got most of our jitters out last weekend, so we can relax a bit more this Sunday and really get some work done with Seymour! 😀💖

Here’s a video so you can hear him speak and play, to see why I’m so excited about this! What an incredible human being.

One of the biggest challenges for most kids learning the piano, is all the alone time. Children like interacting with others and crave constant encouragement. Then again, don’t we all? 😏

Here’s a solution: learn a duet! It can be so much more fun to play piano with someone. Sure, the work still needs to be done independently, but it’s a huge motivator to know you will get to play with someone at the end of the independent practice. What better reward than to go play with your friends, right?! At the moment we are pretty limited, but those of you who have more than one child learning the piano (or other instruments)- have them try a duet! In fact, there will be at least one or two featured in this month’s Facebook recital at Glass House of Music. 🎶

Duets are not only fun and motivating, but also hugely beneficial! When you’re playing music with someone else, you have to be even more focused than when it’s just you. You have to know your part so well that you can keep going even if you play some wrong notes, miss some notes entirely, or if you hear any wrong or missed notes from your partner as well! You can’t let it throw you off. You will be hearing someone else playing something completely different, at the same time you are trying to execute your part. This takes immense concentration! You have to remember that if you make a mistake and stop, your partner will be completely lost. How are they supposed to know what you’re going to do next- Go back? To where? Keep going? When? 😅 Of course, mistakes happen- you just need to have a plan so you will both know what to do in the moment (and lots of rehearsal/practice time together)! All of this planning and coordinating really does bring you to a deeper understanding of how music works. Once you’re comfortable with duets, you can always move on to trying a trio! 😀 Now those are a ton of fun!! 🥳

Duets are actually one of my favourite features of the Faber lesson book series that I use for beginners. Almost every piece in the book has a teacher duet part written to go along with it. It’s a great way to ease students into collaborative playing! 🤗➕🤗➕🤗

Due to our current situation, live recitals are not an option. This is the single most exciting thing we are missing out on in regards to piano lessons. BUT, we have the next best thing- video recitals! 😍

Everyone benefits from recitals! 💯

The students (as terrified as they may be in the moment) love it! They get a chance to dress up and show off for everyone. It’s their time to shine! ✨ It helps them to become stronger, more confident and mature individuals. It’s no easy task to play in front of an audience, and the feeling of accomplishment and self respect that is gained from doing this is invaluable. 😌

The parents! It’s so wonderful to see all the proud (and nervous) parents supporting their kids! All the pictures and the videos, and the conversations that often lead to new friendships. Families start looking forward to seeing the same people at the concerts, returning year after year for such an exciting event. It offers a sense of community and support. They are able to share their sense of pride when their child gets up on stage to perform. ❤️

I usually arrange to have our recitals at a retirement or nursing home. The residents just LOVE to hear the students play. Often they start singing along to the songs they know, and they are always incredibly encouraging with the students! 🥰 I know they are all sad to be deprived of this for so long. 

And of course, there’s me. It’s a lot of work to organize something like this, but well worth it! I love to see all the fancy outfits and excited kids. I feel a sense of pride when I see all the hard work the students and I have done together put into action, on display for everyone to enjoy. Aside from all the fun, recitals also teach me a lot about the students. Seeing them outside of our lesson time allows me to learn more about their personalities and how they interact with others. I am able to see how they respond to the pressures of performance, and how this affects their playing. Some students actually play better in front of a crowd! And if they don’t, then I am inspired with new ideas to better help them with their piano and performance skills! 💖

Stay tuned for the upcoming Facebook recital videos! 🎹💃✨🎶 @glasshouseofmusic

Earlier, I talked about how some children can feel overwhelmed with piano. Sometimes, that’s because it’s one more place in their life where they don’t feel like they have any control.

But the piano can be an escape- even for the tiny ones. 

When small children first begin learning piano, we don’t spend the full thirty minutes on one thing – that’s way too long for them.  I break up the lessons into various activities such as different rhythm exercises, improv, ear training, and note drawing, as well as learning and practicing pieces together of course.

They sometimes have the choice of what we do in class. I like to give them options so that they have a sense of control. Some of them don’t want to make the decision, and that’s ok too! With the more timid ones I just guide them through the lesson and tell them what we’re going to do next. They eventually start to open up and might hint at what their favourite activity is. This is the signal for me to see if they might make a decision when presented with options now. 

This helps with their decisions making skills. I might give them two or three choices (not so many that they’re overwhelmed by choices). 

It also teaches kids about following through. Once they make the decision, we have to stick with it.  Sometimes a child will decide really quickly – like one student I have, who is 6 years old. He’s so excitable, which is great! One day I gave him the choice of improv or ear training games. Without thinking, he chose ear training games. (No doubt this had something to do with the word ‘games’ being included in that selection ☺️). Well, about one minute into his choice, he wanted to switch to the other option. This is where I let him know that we have to stick with the choice he made, and finish activity. Then, of course, we usually end up doing the other activity he wanted to try as well! 😀 Sometimes we actually end up getting more done this way, although I keep that little secret to myself 😉

A small learning, but over time, this little boy learned to consider the options and stick with his choices. It takes time, but it’s just one more way that piano lessons go beyond music and provide children with life skills. 💪

Improv isn’t just for comedians – it’s also for piano students! 

For young children first learning the piano, just pressing the keys is a new experience for them. The excited kids just want to bang away. The shy ones might tentatively press a key… very softly. 

Improv is a way to get children used to the piano as an instrument that they can control. 

When I play improv with the kids, I first just let them play whatever and however they want. After they’re a little more comfortable I start to give them commands- Play softly. Play one note loudly. Play bouncy sounds. Play some high notes. Etc. Etc. 

It’s a great creative outlet for children while getting them comfortable at the piano.

With some kids, we can just run with this activity. With other children, they might only play one note every 30 seconds. 

Once they become more comfortable I’ll start to play some bass notes and they have to add in treble notes. This becomes a good indicator of how a child can adjust to what they are hearing. I will change my bass part to set different moods, and see if they can adjust. It’s shocking how quickly some of these kids can process the mood I set and jump right into that emotion! For the ones who can’t react as quickly, I have them pick a mood and tell me a story about what will happen in the music before we start to play. Imagery is very helpful for a lot of students (and performers as well)!
Music performances are not often ‘note perfect’. It’s all about the illusion of being perfect, and the only way to give that illusion is to be able to smoothly move on from any mistakes. This requires being able to make things up on the spot, in order for the music sound seamless. So improv is beneficial at every stage of learning, for different reasons! Plus, most people find it to be a lot of fun 🤩 

Unfortunately, this is one of the activities that has greatly suffered with online lessons. Solo improv still works, but that’s not as much fun as a duet. Internet connection usually won’t allow the duets, because if there is any delay in sound then it gets pretty messy. And let’s face it- there’s almost always a delay in sound! 😅 One day we’ll get back to the in-person scenario!! 🙌