Dear Friends, For those of you in the Louisville, KY, area, I'll be performing Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel's Das Jahr at the Amy Cralle Theater, Wilson W. Wyatt Center for the Arts, Bellarmine University on Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 pm. It's free and open to the public, and I would love to see you there! Today while I was practicing, I noticed that my jaw was clenched and I was holding tension in my left shoulder. And so I decided to write about something that I work on with my students almost...
8 days ago • 5 min read
Dear Friends, A few months ago I set up a survey to start collecting responses from my viewers and readers. So far I have received more than 2,100 responses to the survey. If you haven’t taken it yet and you’d like to, here’s the link. It has been really interesting to read your stories and learn more about you, and I'm truly grateful for all that you have shared with me. One pattern I've noticed is that hundreds of you articulate a version of the same frustration: feeling discouraged about...
15 days ago • 8 min read
Dear Friends, This past Friday, I returned from four days in central Pennsylvania. While I was there, I played two recitals, taught masterclasses and workshops, and had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people. When you’re a professional musician, performances create natural deadlines. You have a date on the calendar, and that date forces you to get a piece ready and then move on to the next thing. My calendar is full of these dates, and they are what keep me practicing and learning new...
22 days ago • 5 min read
Dear Friends, Quick note: I’ll be traveling to central PA this week, playing a recital at Susquehanna University on Tuesday evening at 7:30, and at Gettysburg College on Thursday evening at 6:30. Both concerts are free. If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you there and meet you afterwards! Speaking of preparing for recitals, I sometimes tell my university students that they will never have more time to practice than they do right now. They might feel very busy, and they are busy, but I try...
29 days ago • 5 min read
Quick note: I'm working on a scales course for pianists who already know or once knew their scales and want to level up. I've been making good progress: the outline is finished, and I'm preparing to film at the end of the month. I've created a waitlist for this course, and more than 450 pianists have joined it so far. If you would like to be among the first to hear when it is ready, you can join the waitlist here. Clicking that link will automatically add you to the list and take you to a...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Quick note: This July, I’ll be teaching at the Chroma Piano Festival in Miskolc, Hungary. This is an opportunity for pianists of all levels to study with me in person in a friendly, supportive environment. The festival will take place in a beautiful historic town, surrounded by gorgeous natural scenery. The fee is all-inclusive (tuition, room, and board are all covered), so once you’re there, you can simply focus on music. If you’re interested or have questions, reply to this email and I’ll...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Quick note: I am hard at work on a new scales course for pianists who already know or once knew their scales and want to level up. The waitlist is now open, and more than 350 pianists have already signed up. If you would like to be among the first to hear when it is ready, you can join the waitlist here. Clicking that link will automatically add you to the list and take you to a page where you can fill out short survey that will help me tailor the course to you and make it the best experience...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Friends, It's 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside today and I'm enjoying a cozy fire indoors. We've just finished the first week of the semester. It's been wonderful to see my students and colleagues again! Today I am thinking about an oft-cited quote: "Comparison is the thief of joy." The origin of this quotation is unclear, although it's frequently attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. In essence, this quote means that constantly measuring yourself against other people drains the happiness out...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Quick note: I am hard at work on a new scales course for pianists who already know or once knew their scales and want to level up. The waitlist is now open, and more than 250 pianists have already added their names. If you would like to be among the first to hear when it is ready, you can click here to join the waitlist. Clicking that link will automatically add you to the list and take you to a page where you can fill out short survey that will help me tailor the course to you and make it...
2 months ago • 5 min read