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Dear Friends,
One thing that’s really interesting about being a professional musician is that although you are working with music for much of your professional life, actual practice time at the instrument becomes quite precious. As a gardener, I can relate to the idea that sometimes practicing feels like tending a garden. If you go for a while without watering it, it will start to wither and struggle, whereas if you tend to it daily, it thrives and blooms.
One important project for me this summer is preparing for my concerts this coming year. The main project I’m working on is Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Das Jahr. It’s a 50-minute, 13-movement Romantic-era piece for solo piano. Each movement depicts a month out of the calendar year (the thirteenth movement is a postlude).
It’s a lot of fun to work on pieces that are not well known in the literature; it leaves a lot of room for discovery. As I practice Das Jahr, I find myself encountering spots and sections that are simply delightful – either because they’re fun to play or because they are beautiful to listen to.
The other day, when I was working on “November” I came to one of these passages and ended up playing it over and over for about 20 minutes.
When I caught myself doing this, I had to laugh a little because this is exactly what I caution my students against when they practice: playing the parts you already know well over and over instead of focusing on the parts that need attention. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with playing and enjoying the passages you can already play, but if you have a pile of music to learn and limited practice time, it’s definitely not the most efficient use of practice time.
I like to use passages like that as a reward after a session of more challenging practice, where I work in a concentrated way on difficult technical passages and make some progress on them.
But, actually, that moment where I caught myself "looping" a beautiful passage in "November" reminded me how much the process of creating The Piano Prof has benefited me as a musician and pianist. Simply writing these weekly emails and making tutorial videos has caused me to practice better and to be more aware about my own approach to the piano.
So my question for you this week is: have you ever taught something that made you yourself better at the thing you're teaching? What was it and how did it help you? Write back and let me know!
Happy practicing! 👋
-Kate
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Practice TIP of the week:
Here are the most recent practice tips I have covered:
🎵 June 1: Performance Run-Throughs
🎵 June 8: Breathing to Alleviate Performance Anxiety
🎵 June 16: 3 Performance Mindset Tools
🎵 June 22: Create Your Pre-Performance Ritual
Each month, I focus on a specific theme for practice tips. This month’s theme is Performance Mindset.
Today's Practice Tip: Practice Performing for an Imaginary Audience
One of the simplest ways to build a performance mindset is to bring the “stage” into your practice room. Every few days, pause your usual routine and announce (even if just to yourself), “This is a performance!” Imagine the hush of an audience, the lights dimming, and the subtle anticipation before your first note.
I’ve heard of teachers who encourage their students to set up their stuffed animals on the couch and perform for them. It sounds whimsical, but they say that even bowing to a row of silent teddy bears makes every run-through feel special—suddenly, nerves feel real, and focus shifts from practicing to truly performing.
Think of practicing for an imaginary audience like rehearsing for a play. An actor doesn’t just recite lines in a mirror; they practice projecting to the balcony, embodying their character for invisible rows of people. The music, too, takes on new energy when we imagine it leaving the room, reaching someone — anyone — who is truly listening.
Try it for yourself: play a piece from start to finish without stopping or self-correcting, then “bow.” Notice what changes. You might find that this simple shift brings a spark of excitement, and helps your real performances feel a little less daunting.
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Quote of the Week
“Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.”
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🎥 YouTube Update
My most recent video – Answering Your Top Piano Questions – is the second video in my series of Q&A videos that I made celebrating passing the 25,000 subscriber milestone on the channel. I answer four questions, about balance between the hands, how to feel your way around the keyboard, syncopation, and polyrhythms.
You can watch it here!
My next video will be published on Tuesday, July 1. It's about 10 strategies you can use to improve your practice. I included things that I often encounter when working with my students at all levels.
Want to be notified when a new video comes out? Click here and I will send you a quick email the day I publish a new video.
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💜 Some of My Favorite Things
- 🎹 Performance: Clara Schumann - Piano Concerto. Clara Schumann finished her piano concerto when she was just 15! Listening again, I’m struck by the confidence of her musical voice. Here's a wonderful performance of the piece with pianist Michel Tal playing the solo part.
- 🎧 Podcast Episode: Sticky Notes – The Ravel Sound. This episode of Sticky Notes has two wonderful guests: Norbert Müllemann and Stefan Knüpfer. The first section unpacks the process of editing Ravel's piano works, and how different sources are incorporated into the final, published Urtext edition. The second part is a discussion about approaching Ravel on the piano, including coloristic possibilities that make Ravel’s sound so unique. Listen here!
- 📚Book: Stephen Hough – Rough Ideas: Reflections on Music and More. Reading this book feels like having coffee with a brilliant, witty friend who just happens to be one of today’s finest pianists. This collection of essays moves easily from the practical (practice routines, concert nerves) to the philosophical (art, faith, and beauty in the everyday). The essays are so short it's easy to dip in and flip around the book at random. I always come away with something to ponder. Highly recommended for anyone who loves good writing about many different aspects of playing the piano. Get it here!
You can check out my list of some of my favorite books and materials for students of the piano here.
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🎹 Stay Connected:
- 📆 Book a lesson or a coaching session with me. I have updated my available dates through the end of July! Please note: I am not available for lessons in August, so if you're considering signing up for a time, now's your chance! 🎹
- 🎓 Reply to this email to learn about applying to study with me at Butler University at the undergraduate or master's level. Go Dawgs! 🐾
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🎹 Pianist | Educator | Creator
Dr. Kate Boyd
Professor of Piano, Butler University
YouTube • Instagram • Website
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