Remembering Pepper 🐾
Dear Friends,
I had a completely different topic planned out for this week's newsletter, but this week didn't turn out as I had expected. On Sunday, our dear standard poodle, Pepper, died unexpectedly. She was 12 years old but we thought we had more time with her. So, in honor of her memory, I decided to put this week's topic on hold so I could tell you a little bit about Pepper.
Pepper came into my life during a difficult transition for me, and she was my "shadow" for nine years. She practiced with me, and had a bed under my home piano near my left foot. When I played my solo recital in Carnegie Hall in 2017, I imagined her lying in her spot under the piano, calmly supporting me during the performance.
Pepper was beloved by my students and also had her own bed in my teaching studio. Some days, she would come into the university to "teach" with me, and when each student came in, she'd go over to greet them for a minute or two. Then when they got ready to play, she'd go back to her bed and hang out. And at the end of each lesson, she'd get up to say goodbye to the departing student and hello to the new one.
Sometimes, students would come into their lesson and ask, "Is Pepper here?" before even saying hello to me!
Of course, Pepper didn't ONLY sleep under pianos - she loved doing all the things dogs love: hiking, running, wading, playing, cuddling, counter-surfing, gardening, doing tricks, and more. She had an uncanny ability to read a situation and adjust her energy level to the needs of the person she was with. We loved her, she leaves a dog-sized hole in our hearts, and we will miss her terribly.
What about you? Have you ever had a pet as a practice companion? Feel free to reply to this email and tell me about them!
And, if you are not a pet lover, thank you for indulging me! I'll be back with my originally-planned topic next week!
Have a great week - and Happy Practicing! 🎹
-Kate
Quote of the Week:
"The purpose of music is to sober and quiet the mind, thus making it susceptible to divine influences."
- John Cage
Today’s Practice Tip - Visualize the Music Away from the Piano!
This week's practice tip is to practice away from the piano by visualizing the music in your mind. This is one of my favorite practice techniques to use when I am not able to physically get to a piano, either because I'm traveling or because I'm staying at a place without a piano.
But even if you have regular access to a piano, incorporating visualization into your practice routine will help you learn the music without the technical and physical constraints imposed by sitting at a piano. Engaging the mind and imagination allow you to cultivate a deeper musical connection, and it will strengthen your performance.
This week's exercise:
Here's how you can incorporate visualization into your practice sessions:
- Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can focus without distractions.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
- Think about a specific piece or passage you are currently working on. Visualize the keyboard, the sheet music, and your fingers on the piano keys.
- As you continue, imagine hearing the music in your mind. Picture the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms unfolding with clarity and expression.
- Pay attention to the details. Visualize the dynamics, phrasing, and nuances, as if you were performing the piece in real time.
- Engage your senses. Imagine the tactile sensation of playing the keys, the weight and touch required for each note, and the physicality of your performance.
- Visualize the emotions and "story" behind the music. Picture the mood, the atmosphere, and the narrative that the piece conveys.
- Be your own movie producer. You are watching a film in your head of your own invention! Visualize yourself playing the piece flawlessly, with confidence and artistry.
- Finally, when you return to the piano, let your visualization guide your playing. Apply the insights gained from your mental practice to enhance your performance and deepen your musical interpretation.
I recommend spending about 10-15 minutes per session - this is a great exercise to do in the evening, before bed - because the subconscious mind will keep working on it while you sleep.
🎧 My Favorite Recording This Week: Femmes de légende
This CD, recorded by pianist Élisabeth Pion, consists of a set of pieces for solo piano by French Romantic composer Mélanie Bonis: Femmes de légende. I first learned about this set in March at a presentation by New York-based pianist Joanne Chew-Ann Chang. The set consists of 7 pieces, each one depicting a different woman of legend: Melisande, Desdemona, Ophelia, The Lady of the Lake, Phoebe, Salome, and Omphale.
Bonis was a contemporary of Debussy and the two were classmates at the Paris Conservatoire. Femmes de légende is a gorgeous set of pieces for the piano; if you don't already know them, you're in for a real treat. The recording also includes works by Lili Boulanger, Debussy, Ades, and Dutilleux. The pianist also included a short work of her own.
I came to this recording as I was researching works for my upcoming programs. Pion's playing is sensitive and evocative. You can preview the album here!
My latest YouTube videos:
This week's video: Piano Sight Reading: Your Checklist for Success. I work with my students a lot on sightreading, and over time I developed a checklist of things to scan and notice in the music when sightreading a new piece. I made a video going through that checklist, along with a downloadable PDF of the list itself. If you'd like to have your own copy, you can vie download the PDF by clicking here.
Understanding HAND POSITION: What EVERY PIANIST should know! This is the final video in my series on fingering at the piano, where I talk about hand position and blocking, using examples from several different pieces to illustrate.
Upcoming Dates and Events:
July 2-9: Summer Piano Institute in Xanthi, Greece. 🇬🇷 This coming weekend I'm heading to the Piano Plus Festival's Summer Piano Institute in Xanthi, Greece! Six students will be coming along with me to this festival. There will be roughly 45 students participating and 6 faculty teaching. I taught at the Summer Piano Institute in 2017, when it was located in Corfu, but this will be my first time visiting Xanthi.
July 26-29: National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, Schaumberg, Illinois
August 23: First day of classes at Butler University! The fall semester begins!
How to work with me: Interested in having a lesson or coaching with me? I am unable to take long-term private students, but due to popular request I have set up an online booking system for one-off Zoom lessons and consultations. I have posted my availability through the end of July. You can sign up for a time here.
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Kate Boyd
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