Technology for the Piano Studio

As our world is daily effected by modern technology, our piano studios are also changing. Students of all ages come to us more tech-savvy than ever before. They expect our teaching to include the use of apps and other forms of technology that will be beneficial to their learning. Here's a quick look at some of the websites, applications and equipment I am currently using in my collegiate studio on an almost daily basis.

• ForScore Music Reader. After spending the early years of my career as a collaborative pianist hauling enormous binders filled with photocopies of scores from rehearsal to rehearsal, ForScore changed my life. The iPad app holds lots of music that is clearly displayed on the tablet. With the ability to mark the score easily as well as the imbedded metronome and recording equipment, ForScore is one of the most powerful tools in my arsenal at the moment.
• AirTurn Blue Tooth Page Turner. Paired with my iPad and ForScore, my AirTurn system allows for hands-free page turning. Set up is easy and the dual pedal configuration is highly mobile, reliable, and affordable. Rarely do I play a performance or important rehearsal without using my AirTurn.
• Recording Capabilities. Recording lessons, rehearsals and performances is a valuable tool for every musician and most of our students have the capability to record -- both audio and video recordings -- from one of their devices. Additionally, sites such as YouTube and SoundCloud enable performers to reach a large audience without spending a cent on travel. 
• Metronome. Students have no excuse for not practicing with a metronome! There are many free apps that are quite good. I encourage my students to use the simple metronomes so they aren't distracted by all of the "bells and whistles" that come with many for-purchase apps. Why pay for more when we just need a clear sound that keeps a steady beat?
• Online Music Sources. It is now possible to obtain music very quickly with the advent of digital scores. Additionally, many free scores are available. I find myself accessing IMSLP regularly as I research new music that is now in the public domain and finding scores for students who are struggling financially.  Students enrolled in my class piano course are no longer carrying an enormous textbook; instead, they purchase a semester's license to EnovativePiano.com. Enovative offers everything from repertoire to score reading excerpts, transposition exercises, and harmonization projects in a single location at a reasonable price. Perhaps most importantly, each of Enovative's repertoire selections is accompanied by a video performance that displays solid technique and musicality. (In case you can't tell, I'm a big fan of the online text and would love to chat with you about it further if you are interested.)
• Listening Sources. Whether you prefer YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, or Naxos, there are plenty of places to direct your students to hear performances -- both good and bad -- of repertoire they should know as well as pieces they are studying. When you don't find what you're looking for, the option to upload your own recording is also an option. When you can't listen to a live performance, these websites offer the next best thing.
• Survey Monkey. Yes, I'm using Survey Monkey in my studio instruction. It's an easy way to collect comments on peer performances in a piano lab setting or studio performance lab without forcing introverted students to stress over speaking in front of a group of their peers. In my personal experience, I've found that a few confidential surveys help everyone's confidence to grow and realize that they have insightful comments to make on musical performances that can be helpful to their friends.

Now I'd like to hear from you. How are you using technology in your studio? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments below.

Pianist vs. Accompanist

Recently, I attended a workshop discussing the skills needed to become a better accompanist. At the beginning of the session, the clinician stated that the difference between a pianist and an accompanist was the accompanist's awareness of breathing. I was disgruntled by the statement immediately, but tried to give the speaker the benefit of the doubt. As she continued her presentation, I became more and more convinced that she was a total hack who should never speak publicly about the art of piano collaboration. It also set me on my personal development of workshops on this topic about which I am extremely passionate.

I do not consider myself an accompanist. I am a pianist. End of statement. When one accompanies another person on a journey, the implication is that they are simply along for the ride. They are not significantly contributing in the efforts that will lead to the final destination. The same connotation is often held by those who view the pianist as nothing more than an "accompanist." The pianist is not viewed as a contributing member of the ensemble. While the piano part may be simple at times, there are still significant artistic choices that must be made. In my mind, an "accompanist" is someone who merely plays the notes on the page; a pianist brings artistry to the performance, allowing the notes on the page to take on a life of their own.

The distinction moves beyond the use of terminology though. To say that a pianist lacks awareness of breathing displays a total lack of understanding of the careful study of piano performance. Just as singers and instrumentalists rely on the breath to carefully shape their phrases, the pianist must allow the melody to breathe as it rises and falls. Although our instrument is not powered by the flow of air, playing without allowing the music to breathe in a natural way results in a performance that is stilted and lifeless.

Perhaps a better distinction to notice is the difference between a solo artist and a chamber musician. The solo pianist is concerned solely with the sounds coming from his instrument. The chamber pianist, on the other hand, fully understands the necessity of collaborating with another musician -- whether a vocalist, conductor, or instrumentalist -- to achieve a moving musical experience. (Hence the term frequently used to describe this specialized field of playing -- collaborative piano.) Many pianists find themselves living in both worlds at various times. Personally, I believe that pianists tend to prefer performing as a soloist or a collaborative pianist; there seems to be an affinity for one type of playing over the other.  Neither pianist is superior to the other; the two simply have different approaches to making music and will often find themselves called upon to perform in the other vein of piano performance. The ultimate goal of both pianists, however, is always the same -- to create the most beautiful sounds possible with the skills they have developed over years of study of the piano.

Peer Evaluation in Group Instruction - My Experience

Teaching piano has traditionally involved a single student with a teacher. For teachers venturing into the realm of group instruction, the class can evolve into a series of private lessons taught in spurts as they move about the room. These situations are missing the dynamic opportunities that come with the group setting.

Recently, I have been thinking about ways to actively engage students in learning in the group setting. I decided to experiment with peer evaluations and have been pleased with the results. I immediately realized that students were more aware of their own errors after evaluating others and began to listen to their own performances much more closely.

Students in Class Piano IV are currently preparing one of the following pieces -- L'Arabesque, Op. 100, No. 2 (Johann Friedrich Burgmuller) or Pleasant Morning (Jean Louis Streabbog) -- for performance in their upcoming proficiency exam. Since everyone is now familiar with the pieces, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity for peer evaluation. What I wasn't certain about was the best method to collect student responses. My goal was to gather helpful information for each student performer while assuring the evaluator felt comfortable speaking honestly about the performance.

My solution was to use an online survey created in Survey Monkey. Students listened to each performance and rated the performer in the areas of preparation, note accuracy, rhythmic accuracy, and phrasing. Space for additional comments was also provided for each area of review. Since each station of the piano lab is equipped with a desktop computer, students were easily able to rank their peers immediately after the performance. The online survey assured that each reviewer could offer commentary anonymously and without fear of offending their friend.

The results were insightful and clearly indicated that the students were listening thoughtfully and offered needed feedback. I repeated the process the following week in a master class setting. Students performed before the group once again (because they can never get too many opportunities to play the piece in front of others). This time, their peers were asked to provide oral feedback about each performance; comments were to include praise as well as suggestions of aspects of the performance that needed further attention. Students pointed out errors in pitch and rhythm, of course. I was very pleased to hear them mention phrase shape and articulation as well. After the master class, I asked students to share with me how they felt about offering oral feedback. They admitted that they would have been very hesitant to offer constructive criticism if they had not participated in the online survey first. Since the survey offered various areas to critique, the students realized how carefully they needed to listen to a performance in order to offer helpful commentary.

Now that I have seen the benefits of peer evaluation, I plan to incorporate it into all levels of group instruction that I teach. Its value is immense and the rewards are evident in the evaluator's own performance quickly.

What Am I Working On? (January 2016 edition)

I received many requests after my Christmas Celebration video project to continue sharing video posts throughout the year. I'm not sure how often this will happen, but I thought it would be fun to share what I'm working on at the moment.

Hymn arrangements seem to be what the majority of my friends and followers are interested in. I've been brushing the dust off of this arrangement of "There is a Fountain" arranged by Cindy Berry. (Published by Lillenas in The Master's Touch)

I spend most of my time working on Classical repertoire. I am slowly preparing for a faculty recital that I hope to present in the Fall, 2016 term here at WBU.  One of the pieces that I am bringing back from my past studies is the Sonata in F# minor (Op. 26, No. 2) by Muzio Clementi. Here is a recording of my January 28, 2016 rehearsal of the first movement of the sonata. (And by rehearsal, I mean that there are still flaws present in this recording that I am still addressing!)

 

Thanks for listening! I'll try to post some more videos at the end of February!

Approaching Orchestral Reductions

One of the most challenging tasks the collaborative pianist faces is grappling with orchestral reductions. We do not have the same variety of timbres available that a full orchestra can produce. "Piano Reduction" often means the editor simply transposed all voices into a single key and tossed every note on the staff with no thought for what might be most pianistic. Voicing and registration must conform to the physical limit of hand span.

The challenges of orchestral scores are at the forefront of my thoughts at the moment. I am preparing a recital that will feature Mahler's massive Kindertotenlieder. Much of the work's appeal is found in the rich orchestration the composer provided to support the lush vocal lines. While dealing with this enormously challenging score, I'm finding a few things helpful as I prepare for the performance.

• Use the orchestral setting as a roadmap for your piano reduction. It seems obvious, but as pianists, we can sometimes get so wrapped up in the notes on the page that we forget about the sounds that the composer intended. Regularly returning to the orchestral score and recordings helps us make informed decisions about phrasing, color, and layering.
• Accept the piano's limitations. My instrument cannot warm a single tone by adding vibrato. The core of the sound of a sustained pitch quickly decays compared to one sustained by a wind instrument. Rather than fighting against the piano's limitations, focus on its unique qualities and look for opportunities to exploit them.
• Carefully decide what is most important and what can be simplified (or completely left out)! Orchestral reductions are notoriously difficult to play. Through carefully examining the score and critically listening to recordings, it is the pianist's responsibility to determine what is essential and what can be left out. Resist the pressure to play every note. In this situation, communicating the intent of the orchestral accompaniment is far more important than sacrifing musical line in the name of virtuosity.
• Decode the text! The composer carefully chose the text that he set as well as the performance directives included in the score. It is essential that the pianist translate each word included in the score. A marking of agitato combined with lyrics referencing a storm clearly suggests a violent mood. Return to the text throughout your preparation, constantly looking for new insights that will influence your interpretation.

What do you find to be essential steps in your preparation of orchestral reductions? Is there a certain edition or composer whose reductions cause you significant levels of stress? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments below.

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What Makes a Great Collaborator?

As we begin a new year, I though this might be a great time to consider some of the characteristics that often appear in many of the best collaborators. Obviously there needs to be solid technique and outstanding musicianship in order to make beautiful music. But what is it about those pianists who excel almost exclusively as a chamber musician-- whether in vocal or instrumental ensemble? Here are a few of the characteristics I have observed in the collaborative pianists I most admire and after whom I model my own efforts.

• Passion for chamber ensemble work. Although many pianists can "get through the notes" of the great lieder or piano trios, it is impossible to ignore the emotion and electricity that is generated when a pianist is playing the repertoire he truly loves. It's not enough to just enjoy the literature; passion for chamber music means that you are committed to the collaborative process that leads to a satisfying performance.
• Constant awareness of breath. Breathing is not only associated with vocalists. The successful collaborator is aware of where breaths are needed at all times. The breath may be motivated by the physical necessity of taking in air or it may be demanded by the musical phrase. In both situations, the pianist is aware of the need and shapes his arching musical line to allow the breath to occur without interrupting the moment.
• Flexibility and generosity. Part of being a good musician is developing a unique voice that is reflected in your musical interpretation. At times, the collaborative artist will find that his interpretation is in opposition with another member of the ensemble. After discussing the views, the pianist sometimes finds it necessary to compromise. These compromises can directly effect the way the piece is played, requiring remendous flexibility of mind as well as musicianship. Additionally, the pianist needs to be generous with his time; while personal rehearsal has been done to prepare the part prior to putting things together, additional rehearsal is needed for the sake of the ensemble. It is rarely possible for a chamber piece to fully mature without plenty of rehearsal as an ensemble.
• Humble. Sharing the stage with other performers is not for every pianist. This is not meant to suggest that all soloists are egotistical jerks either. What I am suggesting is that it takes a certain personality to commit themselves to spending much of their time out of the limelight and being absolutely confident that their performance significantly contributes to a successful recital. In many ways, the collaborative pianist can be considered a servant-leader.
• Able to get along with a variety of personalities. Musicians are a very diverse group of people. With this diversity comes lots of personalities and attitudes. Sometimes the pianist feels as though he is a ringmaster as he attempts to calm the diva while taming an uncooperative lion....All while he executes his own trapeze act of somersaulting arpeggios and death-defying scales! Like the trapeze artist, we are also performing without a net.

What other characteristics have you observed in your favorite collaborative pianist? I'd love to hear about them! Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

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Christmas Celebration 2015 - A Review

If you are one of my Facebook friends (and in some cases, just a friend of a friend), you have seen at least some of the videos of piano arrangements of favorite Christmas carols that I recorded this year and referred to as my Christmas Celebration. Now that the project is over, I thought I should share some of details about the process as well as some lessons I learned.

How it all began....

While with my family over Thanksgiving break, several comments were made around the dinner table about how family members were going to miss hearing me play Christmas music during the holidays. I decided it would be fun to record a carol arrangement for each day leading up to Christmas to share with them on Facebook. When I returned home on November 30, I began the recording process.

Making the videos....

This project was originally intended for my family, so production value was not a primary concern. The videos were recorded in my piano studio at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas using the Camera app in my iPad. I literally balanced the iPad on a music stand, punched the record button and sat down to play. After getting an acceptable performance -- a daunting task at times -- I used the video editing capabilities found in the Pictures app in order to clean up the beginnings and endings of videos.

The plan was to daily upload videos to both Facebook and my YouTube channel. All 25 videos currently reside on YouTube for easy retrieval in the future.

What happened next was surprising.....

On December 1, I uploaded the first video to my Facebook account and explained what my plan was for the month in this initial post. I expected this video (an arrangement of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) would have 75 total views or so. As the day progressed, I watched the view count climb. By that evening, the video had been viewed over 1,600 times. Facebook friends were thrilled for me and expressed their excitement for this project. (When I compiled the final tally of total views on December 26, this initial video had over 2,600 views.....the highest viewed posting of the project!)

With so many views, I quickly realized that this project had the potential for reaching a large audience and I wanted to give the best performances I could. In order to use the best instrument available -- the Steinway grand in my office -- all recordings needed to be completed before leaving Plainview for the holidays on December 14.

The final results.....

On December 26, I revisited each video on Facebook and YouTube to determine the total number of views. During the 25 days of my Christmas Celebration, I had 14,956 views! (Incidentally, 1,347 of those views happened on December 24 and 25.)

Because I enjoy looking at statistics, I could not resist determining which videos were most popular. The top 5 videos of this year's project based on number of views were

1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (posted 12/1) - 2,626 views
2. Grown Up Christmas List (posted 12/4 in memory of victims of San Bernadino terrorist attack) - 1,066 views
3. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (posted 12/3) - 1,021 views
4. Away in a Manger (posted 12/5) - 724 views
5. O Holy Night (posted 12/24) - 677 views

What I learned from the project....

• Recording and editing takes a lot of time! Even though I was just using apps on my iPad, the recording process ate up a lot of my spare time. I will definitely allow more time when planning future projects.
• Consistency is vital. While driving home to Arkansas, I experienced some technological difficulties that prohibited me from posting at my normal time. My Facebook account was flooded with questions about when the next post would appear. People had gotten used to a routine and noticed when things did not happen as scheduled. I quickly stopped at a rest area, cleaned up my profile of the questions, and posted a statement that the day's video would be delayed until I arrived at home.
• Sharing videos greatly expands the reach of social media. My profile is public, so anyone can see what I post there. However, as family and friends began to share the videos on their own timelines, my audience grew immensely. I began to receive friend requests from people who had seen the videos on a mutual friend's page and wanted to make sure they didn't miss any of the fun. I had not asked anyone to share the videos...but I'm certainly glad they did! The more people viewing the videos, the more fun the experience became.
• Comments and likes are very encouraging. As I reached the middle of the project, I began to get tired and wondered if people were beginning to get annoyed with the volume of posts I was making. It was great to hear encouraging comments from friends I haven't spoken with in years, letting me know how much they were enjoying the daily videos. I tried to reply to as many of these comments and messages as I could, but I quickly realized it would demand all of my time to do so.

Where do we go from here?

This has been the question I have been asked repeatedly in the days since the Christmas Celebration ended. Are you going to do this again next year? Will you post something throughout the year? Some of these are easier to answer than others. Let's see if I can provide some answers now.

• Will I do another Christmas Celebration? Plans are already underway for the Christmas Celebration 2016. I had a lot of fun recording the music and sharing the holiday spirit with friends near and far. The videos were repeatedly referred to as a Christmas gift and I want to give the gift again next year. My intention at this time is to offer 25 new arrangements (although you may hear some of the same carols) to keep things fresh.
• Will I continue to record throughout the year? This is still up in the air. Offering Christmas videos is possible because it comes during a slower time in my academic life. I'm not ready to hang up my video hat entirely though. I am considering posting videos -- featuring hymn arrangements as well as Classical repertoire -- each month. Bear with me as I figure out how (and if) this is a realistic goal.
• Do I take requests? Sure! I'll gladly take suggestions of carols or hymns you would like to hear recorded. I just don't promise that I'll necessarily do them. It depends if I can find a nice arrangement that speaks to me musically.

Beyond that, I don't know a lot more. I'm considering posting the videos on my blog site instead of to my personal Facebook account. I'm checking into obtaining microphones and cameras to improve the quality of the videos. An audio recording (that often-requested CD) is not entirely off the radar. At this point, I'm just enjoying the process of sharing my music with friends and family near and far. Thanks for being a part of the 2015 edition of the Christmas Celebration. If you have ideas that you think might be helpful for future projects, feel free to share them in the comments section below.

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