My new piano student is quite low-maintenance and I spend virtually no time prepping– which was why I took her in the first place. My friend Kat says I am entrepreneurial, which I think is a good way to describe about my life right now. Each month, I will be sharing different ideas from what I am involved in. It won’t be a complete account of everything I am…read more
Starting with students is different for everyone, and I’m not about to sugarcoat. I’m going to tell you how I jumpstarted my teaching again. A former student’s mother convinced me to teach piano to her daughter again. I don’t let people into my piano studio anymore, so I agreed to walk to their house each week. At home, I flip through my piano teaching binder, from back when businesses couldn’t…read more
Many Classical pianists don’t “learn” pop music, but let’s face it: playing pop music can be motivating and catchy. Let’s add some pop into the mix. I picked out some favourite songs from my playlist for you. Then I paired these with video clips from the summer, that were swimming on my computer. The piano sheet music solos are listed below. P.S. Everyone calls these pop songs, but they’re more…read more
If you’re a performer, concert tours might be special for you. Even if you’re not a performer, you’ll benefit from meeting people who love what you do. My friend the metal guitarist, Andrew Baena, is home from touring across Canada so of course we had to sit down. He first started playing guitar in his bedroom, and made some smart choices that grew his solo act into Galactic Pegasus and their concert tour across the country.…read more
Being wild isn’t the same as being comfortable in your own skin. A pianist can be wild in the practice room but uncomfortable displaying this onstage. We have so many names for this– nerves, performance anxiety, butterflies. I’ve interviewed performance experts around the world, and so many of them suggest that the playing must push aside the mundane thoughts that occupy your mind. In other words,…read more
Before we welcome the fall season, let’s look at how the past few months were enjoyable, interesting, and most of all, worth anticipating. Starting the Design Lab course was one of my major experiments this summer. I like that it was a difficult project, that sometimes I ignored my guts and slapped my forehead afterwards, that I was humbled and delighted to meet so many inspiring people who believed…read more
Do you believe in Steinways– legendary hand-made pianos? Whatever type of instrument you love, there’s a way to make music so that people want to listen. This summer, I am taking intensive ballet classes. During a break, I step into a Tom Lee music store in downtown Vancouver. I ask the saleslady to tell me about the grand pianos–because, why not? She sits me at seven grand pianos where…read more
I’m not an experienced play-goer. But I have a hunch that the Shakespearean society might be reinventing itself, like German opera. In Vancouver, the classic way to see Shakespeare is by Bard on the Beach. Meeting the producer, Christopher Gaze, was the moment it clicked that I was in for Shakespeare. The charming gentleman speaks like an actor onstage and off. I’m not trying to convince you to thumbs-up Shakespeare–…read more
“This girl is unbelievable.” That’s what I first thought when I discovered Ann Makosinski and her work. Plus, she can rock a stage. As an introverted girl (and naturally on the shy side), these are skills I wish I had when starting out, before the dealing with music students’ parents and design pitches. Today, I’m THRILLED to share this chat with Ann Makosinski. She is awesome, as in full of…read more
We’re kind of obsessed with the “best.” We train in the “best” schools. Chefs cook the “best” meals. We debate about the “best” music technique. You might recall a typical music lesson where the teacher describes the “best” way to play a phrase– light here, mezzoforte there. And the feedback is taken badly. Or, in a music studio, if a student is constantly cancelling lessons and asking for…read more