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 was the final round of the American Piano Awards' Classical competiton. Formerly known as the Beethoven Competition, and then, the American Pianist's Association, before recently being renamed, the APA is a biennial competition that alternates between classical and jazz piano. Each season consists of a series of performances by five finalists. The season culminates in a weekend of piano concertos performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Over two nights, we heard two performances of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff's Paganini Variations, Chopin's E minor concerto, and Prokofiev's Third concerto. The winner, Michael Davidman, was announced at the conclusion of the final concert. It was a thrilling weekend of piano playing. How fortunate we are that the APA takes place right here in Indianapolis!

Attending a concert like that is almost like going to a conference, because the audience is filled with pianists from the community. I attended with some of my current students, and saw many of my former students, faculty colleagues from other universities, and local piano teachers. I also encountered adult and pre-college piano students as well as non-pianists who just love the piano. The atmosphere was celebratory and festive.

It was a good reminder that while we can listen to recordings all day, there's nothing quite like a live performance to really bring the music to life.

So, my question for you this week is: what's a memorable live performance you have attended that stands out in your mind? Write back and let me know. I love hearing from you!

👋 Have a great week! Happy practicing! 🎹

-Kate

Practice TIP of the week:

Each month, I focus on a specific theme for practice tips.

Last month's theme was Rhythm and Meter. Here are the practice tips I covered in March:
🎵 March 2: Feeling the Pulse​
🎵 March 9: Syncing with the Metronome​
​🎵 March 16: Subdividing the Beat​​
​🎵 March 23: Playing with Rubato​

This month’s theme is Dynamics and Expression.

Today's Practice Tip: Dynamic Contrast

When we play the piano and talk about sound, there are a couple of different components of the sound we describe: “dynamics” and “color.”

Dynamics refer to the volume of the sound. Simply put, if you make the key go down faster, it makes the hammer hit the string harder, which produces a louder sound. When you press the key more slowly, the hammer strikes the string more gently, resulting in a softer sound. Thinking in terms of a "fast key speed" to make a loud sound, or a "slow key speed" to make a soft sound can be very helpful when working on improving dynamic contrast.

Because we use our hands symmetrically at the piano, it can be a challenge to truly internalize how different it feels inside your hands when you are making the keys go down at different rates in each hand, or even using different key speeds to make different lines withing one hand sound louder or softer than one another.

This week, give special focus to the dynamic markings in your score. If you can, make a copy of your music. Then, color-code the dynamic markings. For example, use a blue highlighter to mark all of the forte dynamics, a pink highlighter to mark all the piano dynamics, a yellow highlighter to highlight all of the crescendo markings, and so forth.

Then, spend time really working on each dynamic range. Pay attention to the feeling of making the key go down slowly or quickly, and how that affects the sound.

Most importantly, be sure to listen: not just to the volume, but also to the quality of the sound. A very quiet sound can still have energy and presence, while a very loud sound doesn't need to sound harsh.

As you practice this week, notice how your touch affects the character of the sound you produce. The more you can bring a spirit of curiosity to exploring dynamic contrast, the more potential your playing will have to be expressive and colorful. Let your ears guide you, and be aware of how your hands respond by varying the key speed of each note, to create rich dynamic contrasts.

💜 Some of My Favorite Things

1. Performance 🎶: Michael Davidman was the winner of the American Piano Awards. This was the second time he appeared as a finalist in this competition. Here is his performance of Granados' Goyescas from 2021.
2. Sheet Music 🎹: Dennis Alexander: Nocturnes for Piano, Books 1 and 2. These nocturnes are beautiful and accessible. If you want the satisfaction of playing a Chopin-style nocturne but aren't quite ready for the Chopin nocturnes, these are excellent collections. Book 1 (Early Intermediate to Intermediate). Book 2 (Intermediate to Late Intermediate)​
3. Book 📚: Finding Flow: The Psychology Of Engagement With Everyday Life - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. From the psychologist who coined and popularized the term "flow," this is a practical guide on cultivating "flow" experiences in day-to-day life. Get it in Kindle or paperback.