Pleyel Has Just Shut Down Its Piano Production

The year begins with some sad news out of France: Pleyel has just shut down its production facilities at the end of 2013. NPR's article on the subject looks at the reasons for Pleyel's demise in light of the demographic and geographical shifts in the piano market. Everyone has been talking about consolidation in the piano industry in the coming years, but it's mighty sad to see it happen.

Here's Janina Fialkowska talking about and playing an 1848 Pleyel:



This optimistic AFP report from a few years ago talks about Pleyel's strategic decision to move upmarket that might have led to its eventual demise:

Call for Singers, Pianists, and Chamber Groups: Mountain View International Festival of Song and Chamber Music

This summer in Calgary, Alberta, the Mountain View Festival of International Festival of Song and Chamber Music will be running from August 4-11, including master class, chamber music, and professional development programs. Artists this summer include Christa Pfeiler, Rudolf Jansen, Kathleen van Mourik, Charles Foreman, and Anton Kuerti. If you're interested in applying, the deadline is May 1. Here are some links:

Mountain View website
Student brochure and application form

(Thanks Kathleen!)

Recitals in Rosedale: A New Series in Toronto

One of the genuine gaps in Toronto musical life has been the lack of voice and piano recitals at the professional level (especially after the recent winding down of the Aldeburgh Connection). A chance meeting yesterday in the Royal Conservatory atrium led me to find out about a new series with lofty aspirations indeed: Recitals in Rosedale, the brainchild of Rachel Andrist and John Greer. Their 2013-14 season includes a four-concert lineup kicked off by a June 1 launch concert. Below is the season poster, which features a lineup of some of Canada's finest singers. More information to come.

Heads Up: Daylight Savings Time Starts This Weekend

A big heads-up for all of you with performing engagements this Sunday - Daylight Savings Time starts on March 10 this year for most parts of Canada and the United States. Be sure to put your clock an hour ahead on Saturday evening before you pack it in for the night, lest you find yourself strolling into your Sunday church gig midway through the Agnus Dei.

However, if you live in Saskatchewan, you can completely disregard this post, since you observe Central Standard Time year-round.

Friday Links - 1 March 2013

Here are some links from around the blogosphere that might be of interest to musical folks. I would like to make a regular feature of these weekly links, so if you have any blog posts or other interesting articles to share, email me and I'll see if I can include them in the next instalment.

1. Matthew Guerrieri's remembrance of Van Cliburn.

2. Great article for home studio teachers: Dave Caolo on being productive and organized from home. 

3. Bryan Townsend on musicians and self-criticism.

4. Going to the Met next season? Some ticket prices are going down.

5. Yiyi Ku writes about the role of parents in music lessons.

6. Snowed in on a teaching day? Use Skype to teach lessons instead. 

7. Make your own whiteboard for music teaching. 

8. Want to enjoy music more when listening?. Work at it. 

9. Lynn Harrell writes about a 50-year relationship with his cello, soon coming to an end. 

10. Record keeping on Music Teacher's Helper - here are some ways to do it. 

11. Tips for surviving as a musician in New York City from Mark Morgan. 

12. Hanne Blank on being and unbeing a singer. 

13. Jason Yang and ensemble playing selections from Game of Thrones Season 2:

Collaborative Pianists in the News

Here are some recent mentions of collaborative pianists in the news:

• Ryan McCullough, Matthew Gemmill, and Bridget Hough-Meynenc at the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar.
• Maimy Fong at Blanco Performing Arts.
• Warren Jones and Co. at the Music Academy of the West.
• Thomas Bagwell at the Golandsky Institute.
• Alice Maxfield, pianist for the Oaklands Choir in Laurel, Maryland, deserves special praise for going above and beyond the call of duty. After the North Star Boys' Choir of Maple Grove, Minnesota found itself stranded while on a national tour, Alice quickly found the NSBC lodging, meals, and a performance venue while in town. 
• And finally, Andrew Patner of the Chicago Sun-Times explains the genre of "collaboration" in his review of Jeremy Denk's Collaborative Pianist concert program at Chicago's Keys to the City:
  

  Sunday afternoon held what used to be called “piano accompaniment,” then “partnering” and now seems to have emerged as a profession devoted to “collaboration.” It’s what happens when a pianist plays with a singer, a solo player of another instrument, or even chamber music, particularly when working with a pick-up group such as happens when orchestral musicians or concert soloists decide to make more intimate music together.

  Really? See also John von Rhein's more involved review in the Chicago Tribune.  

Peter Longworth's New Website

If you frequent the Toronto musical scene, chances are that you've come across the fine playing of Peter Longworth, a colleague of mine at the Royal Conservatory whose projects over the next few months include appearances with the Tokai, Silver Birch, and Annex String Quartets, Talisker Chamber Players, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (featuring a rare performance of the John Ireland Piano Concerto). Peter's got a new website (courtesy of the design awesomeness of Elizabeth Bowman) and Facebook Page, so you know where to look up his projects for the coming season.

Peter is joined by cellist Amanda Forsyth in this performance of Malcolm Forsyth's Song of Light:



(Thanks, Elizabeth!)

Remembering Kelly Archer

It's always humbling to read about the lives of collaborative pianists who have passed away, how they moved people, how they impacted communities. A lovely article in the Columbia Daily Tribune covers a celebration of the life and work of Kelly Archer in Columbia, Missouri, both at the University of Missouri at Columbia and Stephens College. Here are some comments about how people remembered her:

"She made choreography a delight for me. She had been a dancer herself and knew exactly what I was doing every moment."

"When I was a terrified 18-year-old with an unexpected solo in a Rep musical, her calm and seemingly unshakeable confidence in me basically enabled that solo to happen."

"There is a chord missing from all the harmonies in her absence."

"She gave piano lessons to Jack LaZebnik and gently advised him not to punch the music into the piano but to pull it out."

Vocal Coach Position at Texas Tech University

A new vocal coach position was just announced at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Here is the complete listing:

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

College of Visual & Performing Arts

School of Music

Staff Vacancy Announcement

VOCAL COACH

POSITION: Vocal Coach. A full-time staff position.

QUALIFICATIONS: MM in collaborative piano required, DMA in collaborative piano preferred, or experience commensurate with the DMA. Intimate knowledge of English (British and American), Italian, French, and German diction. Experience with Spanish, Russian, and Czech preferred. Secure knowledge of standard song repertoire and opera literature. Experience in coaching singers at the college level or higher, in recital preparation, audition preparation (arias), and opera role preparation.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Coach music students in preparation of degree recitals. Coach students in music theatre/opera productions. Assist in the coordination of student accompanists for TTU Music Theatre. Assist in diction and song literature courses per expertise.

APPOINTMENT EFFECTIVE: August 1, 2012.

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY: Founded in 1923, Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, TX. It has the distinction of being the largest comprehensive institution of higher education in West Texas, with an enrollment of over 32,000 students. The School of Music, with a full-time faculty of 52, enrolls more than 440 majors and offers the following degrees: Bachelor of Music (performance, composition, theory, teacher certification), Bachelor of Arts, Master of Music (performance, conducting, composition, string pedagogy, piano pedagogy, theory, musicology), Master of Music Education (including a three-summer completion program), Doctor of Musical Arts (performance, conducting, composition, piano pedagogy), and Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts—Music. The School of Music is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music and is a unit of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, one of the university’s eleven colleges.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applications are to be completed online at http://jobs.texastech.edu. Refer to job posting and requisition number: 85873 (a two-step procedure). 1) Attach the following materials to your online application: a) letter of application, b) curriculum vita. If you are having trouble with the online application, contact TTU at 806-742-3851 ext. 238. 2) Send the following items to the address listed below: a) three current letters of recommendation (or placement file), b) minimum of three additional reference names with telephone and email contact information, c) audio recordings representative of recent collaborative performances (live recording only). Send these materials to: Kris Medrano; School of Music; Texas Tech University; Box 42033; Lubbock, TX 79409-2033. Completed file should be received by June 1, 2012, but screening will continue until the position is filled.

Additional School of Music contact information: kristen.medrano [at] ttu.edu 806-742-2270 ext. 227.

Texas Tech University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity. The university welcomes applications from minorities, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and dual-career couples.

(Thanks, Quinn!)

Children's Arts Activity Tax Credits in Canada: What You Need To Know

If you're a resident of Canada, it's important at this time of year to know that there are several available tax credits available to claim if your children are enrolled in music lessons.

First of all, the Line 370 Children's Arts Amount. From the CRA website:

You can claim to a maximum of $500 per child the fees paid in 2011 relating to the cost of registration or membership of your or your spouse's or common-law partner's child in a prescribed program of artistic, cultural, recreational, or developmental activity.

You can find out more from this video:




If you live in Ontario, music lessons are one of the eligible activities that can also be submitted for a the 2011 Ontario tax credit in addition to the separate federal arts amount. Here's how it works:

If you have a child enrolled in activities, such as painting classes, soccer, hockey or music lessons, you can claim up to $509 in eligible expenses and get up to $50.90 back for each child under 16 for 2011. You can receive up to $101.80 back for a child with a disability who is under 18. These amounts will be adjusted for inflation each subsequent year.

Its only a measly $50.90, but every dollar counts at this miserable time of the year.

Best of luck preparing your taxes as we get into the crunch time before the April 30 deadline. If you know of any provincial arts credits for provinces other than Ontario, please leave a comment w/links.

Our New House

A few months ago, Wendy and I bought a house. Not just any house, but a large one. Of course, our primary consideration in selecting one for our needs was the size, location, and layout of a potential studio space, since my previous home studio, although it suited my needs at the time very well, ended up being little on the small side. The property we finally found was only 1.5km from our townhouse in Oakville (perfect for business, since none of my current students would be inconvenienced), featuring an open-concept living room that would be ideal for enclosure into a sizable studio space.

Here's what my new studio looks like, thanks too the awesomeness of Michael Corridor and Nicolas Groenewegen in the quick but efficient renovation process:

One of the coolest things about my new studio is that the ceilings are 14 feet high! Needless to say, it's a very singer-friendly room. In addition, my 70's-vintage Yamaha U1, feeling the arm weight of the years, needed a refurbishing rather badly. Paul Clement was able to replace the original Yamaha hammers with a new set of German Abel hammers, completely changing the sound. It's now mellower than before (having lost the original Yamaha brightness), but with a much wider dynamic range. In fact, any smaller room than this probably wouldn't do justice to the instrument and the size of tone it can produce. And yes, it's only a U1. Paul also did a lot of work on the action, which resulted in a much more responsive touch. For those of you who are interested in Paul's modifications, take a look at his project summary w/photos.

So, the inordinate amount of time required to put an offer on the house, arrange financing, put our townhouse on the market (thankfully, it sold in two days for just under the asking price), pack all our belongings, supervise the renovations, move in late March, and unpack everything (and did I mention that March is the busiest time of the year?), meant that blogging has taken a back seat to what was hopefully the last move we'll do in a long time ever. I finally have a studio large enough to hold master classes and small house concerts. When the time comes, I'll easily be able to fit a grand of any size into the room.

And as of this afternoon, my taxes were completed. Back to blogging...

Remembering Martin Isepp

Martin Isepp, one of the world's great vocal coaches and mentor to countless singers and pianists, has passed away over the holidays. Although I never worked with Martin, his influence on those I have worked and studied with over the years, both in the art song and opera realms, was palpable. Here is Martin Isepp with tenor Paul Austin Kelly in a 2010  performance of Britten's On This Island:



More remembrances from around the blogosphere:

Two posts from Norman Lebrecht (also read the comments)
Brian Dickie of the Chicago Opera Theater
Musical Toronto
Lewes Classical
Nicholas Phan

If you have any experiences or stories you would like to share, please leave a comment.

Speedlinking - 22 December 2011

As the year winds down to a close, here are some interesting links from the news and blogosphere that are worth a look over the next few days:

• Guttural or alveolar? Norman Lebrecht looks at the proper way to enunciate one's r's in German. 
• It all starts with us - Nicole Murphy writes about developing a studio concert culture.
• I met pianist and conductor Kevin Class some time ago in Holland - hear what he has to say about collaborating with a conductor. 
• Are you from a small town and study or work in the big city? Lachlan Glen shows how to get back to your roots with a musical thank-you concert.
• Collaborative pianist, teacher, and writer Ashley Danyew (see her play here) writes her own version of The Night Before Christmas, choir-style.
• Kennith Freeman shares what he has learned from his first semester as staff accompanist at Union University.
• Erica Sipes gives some advice gleaned from playing for loads upon loads of juries.
• And finally, congratulations go to Tracy Cowden, whose discovery of a little-known book of poetry in the Virginia Tech library led to both the commissioning of a new song cycle by Daron Hagen and a debut in New York City. 

Sign or Resign at Shorter University

If you're a faculty or student at a university, what happens if your personal beliefs conflict with a school's corporate agenda? And what do you do when your employer enforces the terms of their agenda?

Shorter University in Georgia is doing precisely that - all students and staff must now sign a Personal Lifestyle Statement, whose Principles of Personal Conduct might be offensive to some (see #3):

I agree to adhere to and support the following principles (on or off the campus): 

1. I will be loyal to the mission of Shorter University as a Christ-centered institution affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention. 

2. I will not engage in the use, sale, possession, or production of illegal drugs. 

3. I reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality. 

4. I will not use alcoholic beverages in the presence of students, and I will abstain from serving, from using, and from advocating the use of alcoholic beverages in public (e.g. in locations that are open to use by the general public, including as some examples restaurants, concert venues, stadiums, and sports facilities) and in settings in which students are present or are likely to be present. I will not attend any University sponsored event in which I have consumed alcohol within the last six hours. Neither will I promote or encourage the use of alcohol.    

A Times Free Press article looks at the difficult decisions facing many faculty and students at Shorter, including collaborative pianist and vocal coach Ben Harris:

To Harris, DiPillo and others, the gay portion of the statement is the headline maker, but not the crux of a culture change they fear will diminish the school that has produced two Metropolitan Opera winners and an 85 percent student acceptance rate to medical schools. 

“For me, my conduct should show my faith. Now I have to come up with a phony document to insert Baptist doctrine into opera training and singing. We’re here to educate, not to have prayer at the beginning of each class,” Harris said. 

Harris is an instructor of collaborative piano and a vocal coach in Shorter’s School of Fine and Performing Arts. He assumes that because he has spoken out, he won’t get the option of signing the statement of faith when faculty contracts are extended in the spring.  

Harris said if his contract isn’t renewed, he and his wife and two small children will move to Texas to work on his father’s ranch.

The Shorter University situation is also a fascinating example of the conflict between a university's right to manage its affairs and the need of its academic community to assert intellectual independence.

Daria van den Bercken Takes Handel on the Road

Who ever said that the pianos need to be stationary while you play them? Daria van den Bercken's Handel at the Piano project exists as both preparation for her upcoming Handel recording and a unique outreach project to bring the keyboard works of Handel to a larger audience...out of doors.

Here's Daria giving George Frederich Handel's music some fresh air in the Netherlands:




You can also follow Daria's project on Facebook, as well as make a donation.

(Via All Piano)

A Blow to Classical Music Criticism in Canada

Sad news out of Toronto - the Star's John Terauds, the only full-time classical music critic in English Canada, will be moving to the business desk of the Toronto Star. In addition to his fine writing in the paper and online versions of the Star, he also wrote Sound Mind, one of Canada's top classical music blogs. Over the last few years, John has been giving excellent accounts of the people and organizations involved in Toronto's growing classical music scene. I suppose that the Star will be using freelance journalists to cover classical music from now on, but quality can often be lacking from freelancers with little or no experience in the classical scene.

WholeNote's Colin Eatock writes:

If he's right, and “the future is freelance,” then I must be living in the future. And believe me, the future is pretty lean, and there’s no dental plan. His abrupt departure from the music beat at the Star once again raises the question of how classical music criticism can continue to sustain itself.

Fugue Article in the Fall 2011 Progressions Magazine

I'm glad to report that one of the most viewed articles on the Music Teacher's Helper blog at the moment is my post on How To Learn Any Fugue In 5 Easy Steps. British Columbia readers might also want to check out the article reprinted in the upcoming fall issue of the BCRMTA's Progressions Magazine.

Pop-Up Pianos for Sale at Sing for Hope Charity Auction

Calling all fans of custom piano mods: the opera-based social change charity Sing for Hope is auctioning 10 pianos from its stable of 88 Pop-Up pianos installation from the NYC area. About the Pop-Up piano program:

Sing for Hope's Pop-Up Pianos bring live art to The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island with the installation of 88 pianos, representing each of the 88 keys, placed at parks and public spaces throughout the five boroughs. For the two-week duration of the project, the pianos feature formal and impromptu concerts by amateurs and professionals alike, in an open festival of music involving all elements of New York’s culturally diverse population.

Sing for Hope’s Pop-Up Pianos celebrate our vision: that all New Yorkers — from Times Square to Coney Island, Lincoln Center to Arthur Avenue — have access to the arts. Each one of the 88 pianos on New York City streets has been painted by a Sing for Hope Volunteer Artist who shares our mission of bringing the arts to all. These professional visual artists volunteered hundreds of hours in our piano warehouse to bring their Pop-Up Pianos to life!

This project combines the participation of dozens of community organizations, the creativity and passion of hundreds of professional artists and public school students, and the spirit of a one-of-a-kind city – New York – to present Pop-Up Pianos.

All profits raised from the sale of these pianos will go to Sing for Hope's Art U! youth outreach program. Get your cash ready soon, as the auction closes on Thursday, July 14 at 5pm.

The pianos being auctioned are:

• Love is Life by Diane von Furstenberg (pictured above)
• Hello Miss Piano by Isaac Mizrahi
• Chopsticks, anyone? by Kate Spade
• Playing One Continuous Line by William Conroy Lindsay (NB: my personal favorite, as its design may assist in getting the point across when explaining legato)
• Manhattan Rhapsody by Scott Taylor
• Got Away and Just Wanted to Play by Samson Contompasis
• Brooklyn Love by Adam Suerte
• Polychromatic Scales by Chris Soria
• Homage to Fred by Scott Glazer
• Pedal to the Metal by Moira Fain

(Via Camille Zamora)

Krista Erickson's Attack on Margie Gillis and Arts Funding on SUN TV

It might be a good idea to sit down for this one. Krista Erickson's blindside attack on Margie Gillis' funding from the "Canada Arts Council" [sic] may go down as an opening broadside against funding for the arts in Canada from the Fox News-funded extreme right wing media. Kudos go to Margie for the eloquence, dignity, and grace with which she defended herself and the arts community against Krista's ill-informed and vicious personal attacks.





Further reading:

The Margie Gillis Dance Foundation
Charlie Smith's editorial in the Georgia Straight
Krista Erickson complains about being bullied by the arts community
KJ Mullins on the massive complaints to the CRTC following the interview

Notes from the Road

June is usually a busy time for me, and this year is no exception. Here are some of the things I'm up to these days:

• Last Sunday I held my annual studio recital at the Royal Consvatory. You can read about some of the things I and my students learned in my most recent article for Music Teachers' Helper.
• Right now I'm on the road examining for Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory in New Jersey. I started out in Spotswood a few days ago, and now I'm in the middle of a three day stint in Matawan. Tomorrow evening I drive out to Spring Valley, New York for my final day of this route.
• Back in Toronto next week, I teach frantically for a few days, then head off to Vancouver for a week of examining mostly RCM Grade 10 students.
• Starting in late June, I plan on getting to work compiling an ebook for release sometime this summer. Most of the material is already written, but formatting and distribution need some serious thought before the ebook gets released.
• My students have noticed that their lessons notes are looking different these days. I've completely ditched handwritten lesson notebooks (my handwriting is illegible anyway) and now bring a laptop to every lesson in order to type out comments, assignments, and goals on Evernote. I'm going to write about this process in the coming weeks.
• Finally, I just bought an iPad! I'm fascinated about using a tablet device for performing and teaching, and have already downloaded some cool apps that I'll get a chance to try out in the coming weeks. If you have any great music teaching or performing iPad apps to recommend, leave a note in the comments.