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The Piano Student Who Lived a Short Distance from His Body
James Joyce at the piano, looking a little like Mr. Duffy If you’re like most piano teachers, you’ve had students, often teens or adults, who are awkward, stiff, or use …
View ArticleThe Architecture of Piano Technique
What can architecture teach us about piano playing? One of the most fundamental building structures is the arch. The arch is an incredibly stable structure that has allowed buildings …
View ArticleIs Mindfulness Relevant to Piano Playing?
From 2007 to 2014, I taught an undergraduate course on mindfulness at Indiana University Bloomington that was academic yet also highly experiential. (Not surprisingly, a number of talented IU Jacobs …
View ArticleBecoming a Self-Learning Pianist
Unlike K-12 school students, piano students usually spend just one hour per week with their teacher. The time between lessons is spent practicing what has been discussed in the lesson.…
View ArticleThe Checkered History of Piano Technique
Some piano students think of technique as dull and dreary. Maybe that’s because they’ve been assigned monotonous études (studies or exercises) such as the famous ones by Hanon. Fortunately, technique …
View ArticleBreathing, Listening, Moving – Three Essential Elements of Good Technique
Three essential elements of good piano technique that are sometimes neglected by both teachers and students are breathing, listening, and (surprisingly) moving. Breathing Like any athletic exercise, a...
View ArticleThe Digital Dynamic Dilemma (or “Don’t Pump Up the Volume”)
… The post The Digital Dynamic Dilemma (or “Don’t Pump Up the Volume”) first appeared on Portland Piano Lab.
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