Dear Friends, As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, I’m developing a listening series called Piano Lit — a self-guided mini-course delivered as a weekly email over six weeks. I’ve been working hard on it this week, and I hope to have it available by mid- to late May. I was happy to see so much early interest already (more than 100 of you clicked the link!), and it’s been fun to imagine people listening and discovering new music as I build the series. It will cost $27 for the full six...
20 days ago • 5 min read
Dear Friends, Before we get started: here at Butler University, we are nearing the end of the academic year. Since I don't see my students over the summer, I like to give them a listening list to work through on their own. The other day I realized this would be great to share with my wider community. So, I’m working on expanding it into a listening series called Piano Lit – a curated list delivered as a weekly email over six weeks. Each week will contain links to performances of 6-7 pieces,...
27 days ago • 6 min read
Dear Friends, Before we get started: I have an upcoming live-streamed faculty performance this week. On Tuesday, April 15 I’ll be performing Clara Schumann's 3 Romances for Violin and Piano, along with a trio by Polina Nazaykinskaya, on my colleague Mélanie Clapiès' faculty recital. [More info and live stream link.] Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about the term "precision" lately. It's a good word for what we strive for when we sit at the piano and practice. We aim for precision in notes...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Dear Friends, Before we get started: for those of you who might be interested, I have a couple of upcoming faculty performances that will be live-streamed. Tuesday, April 8 - I'm playing a trio by guest composer Polina Nazaykinskaya. [More info and live stream link.] Tuesday, April 15 - I'll be performing Clara Schumann's 3 Romances for violin and piano, along with the Nazaykinskaya again, on my colleague Mélanie Clapiès' faculty recital. [More info and live stream link.] This past weekend...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Dear Friends, Before we get started: I am still accepting questions for my upcoming Q&A video to celebrate passing the 25,000 YouTube subscriber milestone. If you have a question you'd like me to answer in that video, you can submit it at this link. Thanks in advance for your questions! 👋 Anyway, last weekend I was at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) conference in Minneapolis, where I had the chance to connect with fellow collegiate faculty and independent music teachers from...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Greetings from Minneapolis, where I’m attending the MTNA National Conference! If you’re here too, please hit reply - I’d love to meet up! Also: two days ago, my YouTube channel ticked past the 25,000 subscriber benchmark. 🤯 In celebration of this milestone, I'm planning a Q&A video where I answer questions from my viewers. You can ask me a question by filling out this form here. So anyway... this week I have been thinking about motivation. Recently, a student...
2 months ago • 6 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Before we get started, I wanted to let you know that I’m attending the MTNA National Conference next weekend in Minneapolis. If you’re going to be there, let me know—it would be fun to connect! Lately, I’ve been thinking about structure—the way it gives shape to things, provides a framework, and helps create stability. This week, I’ve noticed it in four seemingly unrelated contexts: musical form, the academic semester, soil, and practicing. Musical form. One of...
2 months ago • 6 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, I'm sending this on a Monday instead of my usual Sunday - but better late than never! 😅 Before we get started, I want to let you know that Butler University's Piano Camp is happening June 16-20, and this year, Chopin is our featured composer! Camp will take place in Indianapolis at Butler University for pianists ages 12-18. We will offer private lessons, performance opportunities, ensembles, movement and theory classes, and more. If you, your students, or a...
3 months ago • 5 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Greetings from snowy Indianapolis! I’m excited to have flutist Susanna Self in town this week as we rehearse for our upcoming concerts on Tuesday February 18 at Butler University (livestream link) and Sunday February 23 in Door County, Wisconsin (link to tickets). Our program includes a Hasse Sonata, Amanda Harberg’s Fireflies Triptych, and the Prokofiev Flute Sonata - if you're in the area for either event, I'd love to see you! With the semester now in its...
3 months ago • 5 min read