Ever wonder why some pianos say “play me” and others, well, you can’t imagine why anybody would ever want to play them? Even if a piano action is regulated to an absolute perfection there can still be unevenness from one note to another. Regulation refers to the correct mechanical settings for various functions to occur, […]
1) Take your students to nursing homes to entertain the residents. Remember, the staff often has children or grand children who may be looking for a teacher. 2) Buy an ad in a play bill with a local arts organization. 3) Tell your students that you would happy to teach their friends. 4) Teach one […]
I say this as a lover of speed. I have worn out many metronomes in my life, not from throwing them out of frustration, but from use. I work meticulously to achieve my ambitious tempo goals and then exceed them by 10% to ensure ease. Yet all too often I get caught up on faster […]
Did you see that “p”? What does “senza sordino” mean? Did you see that accent? Some scores are full of performance instructions and others have no obvious markings. The details can include the obvious dynamic and expressive markings and also the much more subtle harmonic and melodic “markings”. Work to understand every word and symbol […]
This is another great myth of the piano. While cracks, or more accurately: breaks, are unpleasant cosmetically, they usually are meaningless musically. But before we go any further we must be sure we all know where and what is a soundboard and why it cracks. If you look under your strings in a grand piano […]
Recently I have had the opportunity to help several teachers develop marketing material in an attempt to attract new students. A common error they all made was to start their efforts from the perspective of why they were such good and qualified teachers. They wanted to list all of their professional qualifications and certifications. One […]
Here is a new way to look at understanding human memory: the memory unit. I consider the basic functional memory unit to be the amount of material which can be played or studied six times and then played by memory the seventh. This is based upon the limitations of the short term memory. These limitations […]
The only way to eat an elephant is also the only way you can learn a 30 minute concerto: one bite at a time, any more and you will choke on it. Andrew Remillard President ANRPiano.com
Though there are some artists who regularly bounced around on their benches, I don’t think this is a mannerism suitable for most players. Your playing levers (arms, wrists, hands, and fingers) need a stable fulcrum in order to operate with maximum efficiency. Moving around reduces the stability of the primary fulcrum (the torso) and can […]
This is the second installment of Sarah’s wonderful words of wisdom. The Best Advice I’ve Ever Been Given (Or… What Every Potential Music Major Should Know) By Sarah Flanagan “Majoring in music is a marathon – not a sprint!” This isn’t rocket science, but when Andrew told me this, it geared me up for the […]
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