At first, I was a bit wary of an AI invasion of my remote, transmitted piano lessons. Would the Deep State snatch every last crumb of data attached to me and my adult brood? Was it the final nail in the coffin of free, unchained, libertarian, creative expression? Would teacher and pupil be subjected to… Continue reading AI-Companion comes to Zoom with a Lesson Summary
A Steinway piano mystery solved
On a recent trip to Fresno, California, poignant memories of my piano-finding adventures bubbled to the surface when I met a Steinway grand sitting elegantly in my dear friend, Emily's living room. The journey was made possible by Amtrak Train 710 that shuttled me from my perch in the East Bay that had become my… Continue reading A Steinway piano mystery solved
Mitsuko Uchida returns to Zellerbach Hall with a feast of Mozart Piano Concerti
It's been two years since I last heard Mitsuko Uchida dish up a serving of mellifluous Mozart that she tenders phrase by phrase, with nuances of pure poetry. https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/mitsuko-uchida-and-mozart/ 3/24/2024 Performance at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, California The pianist's runs, so well-shaped, curvaceous, and keenly melodic, afford a model for students of the piano, teachers,… Continue reading Mitsuko Uchida returns to Zellerbach Hall with a feast of Mozart Piano Concerti
A revisit of a timely topic about the human voice and piano lessons
The Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro has its ups and downs
In 2019, I attended a San Francisco Jewish Community Center event that featured author, Jamie Bernstein showcasing her book, Famous Father Girl. The eldest daughter of conductor/composer icon, Leonard Bernstein, she had released her memoir in step with her father's Centennial Celebration that drew a reinvigorated interest in the conductor/composer's life. The book event: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2019/05/06/famous-father-girl-author-jamie-bernstein-delights-a-crowd-of-lenny-lovers/ With… Continue reading The Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro has its ups and downs
The universe of pedaling and phrasing as explored in W.A. Mozart, Andante movement, Sonata K. 545
Today I was immersed in the cosmos of pedaling and phrasing in the good company of an Online student. It was a natural follow-up to a pedal centered video produced by Tone Base, a cyber generated platform that engages fine pianists to contribute ideas in the technical/musical realm. https://youtu.be/p0YI_qMW9R8?si=u8rqzetmDbpkcF_K What I thought was missing in… Continue reading The universe of pedaling and phrasing as explored in W.A. Mozart, Andante movement, Sonata K. 545
Noteworthy Pianist Discoveries on You Tube!
Taking the lead from Seymour Bernstein, who sent out a mega-mailing to his List-Serve members about pianist, Orli Shaham, I dashed off to an embedded link of superlative Mozart playing. The reading was permeated by an ever present singing tone, nuanced articulations, and a broad breadth of emotional expression. ( As you scroll down to… Continue reading Noteworthy Pianist Discoveries on You Tube!
Practicing J.S. Bach Sarabande, BWV 816: In a Sea of Ornaments, first explore an unadorned melody
As I revisited J.S. Bach's memorable Sarabande movement from his French Suite No. 5, BWV 816, I stared at an Urtext score laden with ornaments of infinite variety --trills, mordents, parentheses showing upper and lower accents, loops on trills in opposite directions, etc. and to complicate matters, I was expected, by tradition, to improvise each… Continue reading Practicing J.S. Bach Sarabande, BWV 816: In a Sea of Ornaments, first explore an unadorned melody
The value of sending supplementary videos to Online students between piano lessons
Since I began teaching piano Online in 2011, well before it gained pandemic driven popularity, I'd always felt the need to fill in what seemed to be distance related gaps in the Internet teaching environment. Compensating for my guilt-ridden, tradition-breaking, cyber teaching excursions on Face Time, I'd made sure to give my students an extra… Continue reading The value of sending supplementary videos to Online students between piano lessons
Technology enhancements for Online Piano Lessons
Back in 2011, when music lessons by webcam were viewed as out of the mainstream, bucking the traditional face-to-face, in-person learning environment, I was nevertheless, lulled into cyberspace by an Australian subscriber to my You Tube channel. One day, he messaged me with a promise to send a Logitech webcam that would widen my teaching… Continue reading Technology enhancements for Online Piano Lessons
Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten) 