How can students practice more effectively and enjoyably?

After decades of teaching I have found that students practice too quickly and somewhat stressfully, wanting to ‘conquer’ the piece as quickly as possible. They don’t realize that practicing this way greatly prolongs the learning process, adding to the frustration and bringing with it a host of doubts like “I don’t have the talent or ability” or “I just don’t have the time” or “I don’t think this is for me.”

When students simply slow down and enjoy the sound of the notes as they are played, practicing hands separately when needed, and relax their expectations, they learn pieces much faster. Learning the piano, or anything really, is a process that has its own rules and time line. You can’t bypass any of the stages. The sooner a student accepts this, the faster their development. 

What have you learned lately from one of your students?

One of my adult students brought in some Gershwin preludes that I was not familiar with. They are wonderful little pieces, fairly accessible to an intermediate pianist, although not without challenges. There aren’t a lot of 20th century pieces that appeal to many of my students. They tend to go for the older composers – Bach, Beethoven, Mozart – so having these pieces to offer them has been a find for me and I’m grateful to my student for bringing them to my attention.

Who were your biggest musical influences?

My biggest influences have been the players, in any genre, who were very clean. When you listen to them it feels they are conscious of every note being played, whatever the speed. In the classical piano world Glen Gould comes to mind. He played as if in a state of intoxication, exuding feeling throughout the entire piece. It is infectious listening to him. I have just discovered a new pianist, Vikingur Olafsson, from Iceland. He has a beautiful, clean sound and plays with extraordinary feeling.

In the jazz world, both Bill Evans and Art Tatum played like that, although they were extremely different in terms of style. There is a conviction in their playing that exudes an unmistakable beauty. In the rock world, Elton John and Billy Joel are two pianists who fit the mold, each in their own unique way. Clean playing with no superfluous notes or embellishments. That’s the kind of playing I love.

How has your approach to teaching evolved over time?

I think the biggest change for me, after decades of teaching, is not trying to enforce any particular teaching formula or system, but approaching each student differently – because each student is different. They each have their own proclivities, talents, challenges, tolerance levels, likes and dislikes. I enjoy the differences and enjoy the challenge of finding the best approach to instructing them. Some like improv, some not. Some like perfecting a piece, others not. Finding the right path for each student is a challenge I appreciate.