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'Tis the season for recitals. To prepare our studios for the recital, it is common to pick the date and venue, decide on the type of recital (duet, theme, holiday), plan the reception, and pick repertoire for our students. Many of these same things occur when preparing for a recital with our students with special needs; however, there are also othe...

One of my studio recitals just ended. As I write this, I am eating a leftover brownie and may snarf down a couple more. Would wine be better? Probably, but it is only four in the afternoon. The recital went well. For one thing, everyone showed up. This doesn't always happen. For anoth er, no one was wearing a sports uniform. While I am not a stickl...

​​​One of my studio recitals just ended. As I write this, I am  eating a leftover brownie and may snarf down a couple  more. Would wine be better? Probably, but it is only four in the afternoon. The recital went well. For one thing, everyone showed up. This doesn't always happen. For another, no one was wearing a sports uniform. While I a...

She always wore a cherry-red coat... ​She always wore a cherry-red coat. At least that is what I remember she wore, whether that fact is true or not. Her gray hair surrounded her head in a fluff that looked like a halo pushed slightly askew, and she walked quickly, her back bent slightly forward in what looked like anticipation, but was probably os...

My last column, a broadside against the sterility of the classical piano recital, engendered a lot of comment (see Letters to the Editor, Jan/Feb 2013 and page six of this issue). I'm grateful to those who agreed with me, and I thank those who didn't as well. The trouble is it's hard to be subtle in an 1,100-word column. I went for the Big Effect a...

from the series: ​Tomorrow Today: Technology George Litterst, Editor Last January, I spent several days in the middle of the month listening to the screening auditions of the 2nd  Internal Piano-e-Competition. The auditions were held at Sundin Hall at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. They were attended by a distinguished jury and ...

​from the series: Putting It All Together: Repertoire Recital--the very word sends a tremor of anxiety through any piano teacher. Some teachers cleverly disguise this event by giving it another name: Piano Party, Spring Keyboard Festival, or Music for a Sunday Afternoon . Whatever the title, repertoire must be chosen and students must be prepa...

Springtime is recital time!  Even though recitals are being held all through  the year these days, springtime is still a special time for pianists of all ages.  For many students, the recital is the pay-off — the opportunity to show what those long practice sessions have produced.  For others, it is that dreaded time when t...