Now that we have entered the third decade of the twenty- first century, I find myself looking back at the previous three decades and wondering: Did technology deliver on its implied promises? With advances in music technology, do piano students learn music faster, enjoy their practice more, and perform with greater confidence?  These are impor...

Playing the piano is much like driving a car. When you drive a car, you have a destination in mind, and you focus your attention simultaneously on both the route and the moment-by-moment actions that will bring you to your destination. Along the way, you not only look at the road ahead, but you also acquire an awareness of cars around you, you keep...

What app(s) do you use for recording video on your smartphone or tablet? Stella: On my Android phone and tablet, I usually use the app that comes with the operating system. The various makers of Android devices (Samsung, Motorola, etc.) each provide a video recording app for their devices. Although the app that you get from each manufacturer is dif...

Ev​ery teacher who uses a mobile computing device has a favorite application. But rather than asking teachers about their favorite apps, I prefer to ask deeper questions: Do mobile computing devices have a transformative effect on your studio, your studio management, or the way in which your students learn?  I received fascinating answers...

It's true! Check out the solutions from your colleagues that follow. There is no one approach that is the best one for all teachers. If you read on, I know you'll be impressed with how creative good teachers can be with the business side of their teaching lives! Automating the paperwork and focusing on teaching by Anna Fagan Casey bo...

When it comes time to remake your studio, it is a good idea to plan for your current and future technology gear, which may include any of the following: hi-fi system, recording paraphernalia, computer(s) and peripherals, pianos or keyboards with MIDI features, printer and scanner, networking devices, and maybe even a f...

In 2012, we are so far removed from the so-called silent film era (ca. 1894-1929) that most of us have only a vague concept of what it was really like. Although the films of that period were silent, their presentation was not. In the small venues, films were accompanied by the local pianist (who was often the neighborhood piano teacher) or a small ...

Not long ago, a professor of piano pedagogy at a prestigious collegiate institution asked me to be a guest lecturer for a day. The topic was technology. The class was attended by a fine group of young pianists who were completing work on a graduate degree in piano performance. During the session, I got to know the students a little bit. I was inter...

Virtually every industry has one or more trade associations that represent the industry as a whole. This is true for producers of car parts, toy manufacturers, medical suppliers, funeral homes, and so forth. Typically, these groups have trade shows that are open only to members and provide opportunities for suppliers to show their latest wares and ...

If you are a Star Trek fan or at least have a passing familiarity with the television series, you may be aware that people still play music and attend concerts in the twenty-fourth century. Given the fact that computers do so much for human beings now and will do even more in the future, it is certainly comforting to know that our descendants will ...

The Recreational Music Making movement is all about inclusiveness and creative self-expression. Embedded in the RMM philosophy is this statement: No matter what music background you may or may not have, no matter what physical or mental limitations present themselves, you can participate in the joy of music making and express yourself creatively!&n...

Just when we have reached the point where traditional, personal computers have become ubiquitous in the home, modern society has become inundated with new mobile computing devices. These mobile devices are basically computers disguised as cellphones, listening devices, and e-readers. As Apple's Steve Jobs has informed us, we can now carry the Inter...

How close to your student do you sit during a piano lesson? How close do you sit to your computer screen when using your computer? Imagine that you typically sit about two feet from your computer screen. Further imagine that when you sit at your computer you are talking to someone, face-to-face, on your computer screen, and the other pers...

Do you remember the glorious days of cassette tapes? For a substantial period of time - from the late 1960s to the end of the century - it seemed like everyone had one or more cassette players. Best of all, a teacher or student could purchase an inexpensive cassette player that also had a recording feature. For music teachers, cassettes marked the ...

from the series: Tomorrow Today: Technology George Litterst, Editor A professional website is the essential doormat for the 21st-century piano studio. It is a location where prospective students can learn about you and what you offer, a tool for communicating with your students, and a venue for sharing your students' performances with the...

from the series: Tomorrow Today: Technology George Litterst, Editor Summer time is special. Family schedules lose the routine that is imposed by the school calendar, students float in and out of town, and everyone is in a different frame of mind. The circumstances that surround summer teaching challenge us to keep our students excited abo...

Working with advanced students is challenging for many reasons, not the least of which is the issue of time management. As the students become more advanced, they tend. outwork simultaneously on both longer pieces and a greater number of pieces. For this reason, lessons must take very efficient use of the available time.  The last thing t...

I still remember my first two piano students. The time was the early 1970s. I was a junior at Vassar College, and my piano tcacher thought that it would be a good idea for me to do some teaching. Accordingly, I ended up with a couple of students from the community. One was 7 and the other was 70.  At that time, I had no formal traini...

Back in the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to assist a number of teachers as they made their first computer purchase. In each case, the teacher was taking a big step and spending a lot of money in the process. I can remember nearly every one of those teachers telling me that they wanted to choose their computer wisely, because it was the only o...

Multimedia is nothing more than the combination of two or more modalities of communication. Combine images with text, motion video with music, or ballet with sound effects, and you have created a multimedia piece. Unlike traditional recorded music, the live concert experience has always had a visual component to it. As members of the audience,...