When I was younger, I was preoccupied with proving myself. Having less than stellar pre-college musical training made me feel vulnerable and ashamed. I felt like a phony when I compared myself to peers who seemed to have grown up listening and making music with family (and who had already studied in Vienna; my … More The beauty of “not knowing”
These days, I have been practicing in earnest on a Steinbuhler DS5.5TM keyboard insert (sometimes referred to as a “7/8” size keyboard) made specifically for my Steinway B piano, in preparation for a concert in February. For those of you less familiar with the smaller-sized keyboard insert, here’s a link with tons of information: (http://www.steinbuhler.com/). Once you … More Small Hands, Big Heart
We, pianists, have a great deal of music competing for our attention. With all that Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, not to mention Chopin and Liszt, why would anyone spend time learning new music? Having been asked this question numerous times, I thought I would share some of the ways that learning new music has enriched … More The New Music Buzz
This weekend I had a healthy dose of nature, kayaking and biking in Northern Wisconsin. I tried to soak up the sounds, colors and scents as I enjoyed spending time with my family. I noticed dozens of shades of greens in the ferns, trees and flowers. My daughter pointed out a small snail making its way … More The Art of Paying Attention
I’ve been working on a project related to self-compassion and music-making. This is a new adventure for me as I am no poster child for self-compassion. For most of my life, I have denied myself the very things that I have given so freely to my students and colleagues: validation, encouragement and compassion. More often, I … More The Self-Compassionate Musician
A few years ago, I published an article in American Music Teacher of the same title. (http://www.mtna.org/media/77013/2014_article_of_the_year.pdf) “Feeling the Sound” has been a personal mantra since my amazing former teacher, Donna Coleman, uttered it in a lesson when I was a first-year piano major. I found the words beautiful and mysterious, even though I had … More Feeling the Sound
feeling the sound 