Dear Friends,

I just got back from the Indiana Music Teachers State Conference in South Bend, Indiana, where I had the honor of performing the world premiere of Iridescent Wings, a two-piano piece by Miho Sasaki that was jointly commissioned by IMTA and MTNA. Iridescent Wings evokes the shifting, shimmering colors of the wings of a bird as it moves in the sunlight.

Performing a world premiere is quite different from playing a familiar piece. The audience has no preconceptions. No ears have ever heard it performed before – it’s a rare moment of encountering something entirely new.

As you know from past editions of this newsletter, I am currently reading and learning about Fanny Mendelssohn. This experience reminded me of Fanny Mendelssohn’s own journey studying and grappling with Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata just a few years after it was composed. She was fascinated by this piece, which was considered to be dense and difficult to understand at the time. What a great reminder that all music was once “new music” – even a piece we now take for granted as a cornerstone of the piano repertoire!

As a performer, the process of learning a brand new composition is also challenging: there is no reference recording to consult, nor are there established performance practices for the piece. There is just the score, and composer herself to act as a guide if I need clarification!

Learning a new piece forces us to step into a space of growth and discovery. The learning process itself helps me grow as a pianist and as a musician, by challenging me to engage the score without expectations.

In life, just like in music, facing the unfamiliar brings both anticipation and uncertainty - there’s a thrill in not knowing exactly what’s ahead, but a part of us always wonders how it will unfold. Whether it’s a new piece of music, a project, or a relationship, we have the opportunity to embrace it with curiosity.

Every new experience is an opportunity for growth, whether we face it on the concert stage or in everyday life. And so my question for you this week is: What new experiences have you encountered recently that changed your perspective, whether in music or life?

👋 Have a great week! Happy practicing! 🎹

-Kate

Today's Practice Tip: Syncing with the Metronome 🕰️

Metronomes get a bad rap from piano students. At best they’re described as boring, at worst as a torture device! For many students, trying to play with a machine that never stops or even tries to follow along can be frustrating. But the real value of a metronome lies in its role in helping you develop an internal sense of pulse.

In music, pulse refers to the steady, underlying beat that drives the tempo and rhythm of a piece. It’s the constant, unchanging force that you feel when tapping your foot or nodding your head along to music.

As you use a metronome, it is important to listen actively to the clicks, focusing on the internal pulse of the music you are playing.

This active listening turns the metronome into a guide rather than a crutch. Always remember: subdividing the beat is essential when working with a metronome!

This week's Exercise:

Many students struggle to consistently play together with the metronome, and inadvertently “drift” apart from the beat.

To help sync your playing with the metronome, start by listening carefully to the beat before playing. Clap or tap along to the clicks, making sure your taps perfectly align with each sound.

Once you feel comfortable, play a simple scale or exercise, while still actively listening to the clicks of the metronome.

If you’re doing it correctly, the sound of the metronome will “disappear” into the sound of the music you’re playing.

If you find yourself rushing or dragging, stop and refocus on matching each note to the beat. Practicing this way trains your ears to hear the metronome clearly and helps bridge the gap between the external pulse of the metronome and your own internal pulse.

Advanced: If you can already play securely together with a metronome, try setting it to click on larger beats, such as half or dotted half notes, to give yourself more rhythmic freedom while still staying connected to the beat.

🎥 YouTube Video:

Speaking of metronomes, here is a video I made about practicing with the metronome: Metronome Practice at the Piano: Don't Make These 5 Mistakes! Mistake #5 is particularly relevant to this week's practice tip. 😏

💜 Some of My Favorite Things

1. 🎹Performance: This past Friday I attended a wonderful piano recital by Mackenzie Melemed, who was this year’s IMTA conference artist. The revelation of the evening was a gorgeous piece by Finnish composer Jaakko Kuusisto, called Jurmo. I found this performance of the piece by Kiara Torres Niva, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I especially love the middle section (at about 5:45), which is very peaceful and depicts lighthouses visible from the coast, blinking at different rates.
2. 📚Book: The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music From the Heart, by Madeleine Bruser. This book contains an overview of Bruser’s holistic mind-body approach to practicing. She has worked with musicians for years, helping people integrate physical movement with a considered mental approach to their instrument. The bulk of the book consists of her ten-step approach to practicing, and the book is packed with helpful suggestions. Click here to see more books I recommend.​
3. ✍️ Blog: If you haven’t already checked out The Bulletproof Musician by performance psychologist Noa Kageyama, I highly recommend it. It’s an excellent blog focused on the mental side of performing and practicing music. Kageyama shares some extremely practical tips on how to tackle performance anxiety and improve focus. I’ve found his advice really helpful in staying calm under pressure, and I recommend his blog to my students. It’s an easy, insightful read for any musician looking to boost their mental game! Speaking of today's practice tip, here's an interesting post about subdividing and metronome practice.​

🎹 Stay Connected:

• 📆 Book a lesson or a coaching session with me. (These have proven to be quite popular; I have updated my available dates through the end of October.)
• 🎓 Contact me to learn about applying to study with me at Butler University at the undergraduate or master's level.
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