Piano Lessons in Philadelphia, PA

Instruments: Piano

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I guess I was about 12 when I told my mother that I wanted to become a musician. I just found it interesring.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
My father learned to play the accordion and harmonica by ear. My mother took some lessons on banjo. A grandmother, I was told by my mother, used to love listening to opera on the radio. Unfortunately, I never had much of a chance to get to know her. She died when I was ten.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
I am partial to Classical but open to playing and listening to other genres. I think that classical affords the pianist the widest range of styles. Where else can you play music from Bach( 300 or so years ago) to Stockhausen, who recently died.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I took up the trumpet in elementary school in order to get into the band and orchestra. I kept at it through high school. In music school, as part of my conducting training, I had to spend a semester learning woodwinds( flute and clarinet), brass( trombone and French horn), strings( violin and cello), and percussion.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I have no idea. In high school, I finished my complete math courses in three years and had something like a 98 average in chemistry. In college, an English professor likened my writing to Hemingway. As I said before, I have no idea!

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
My degree is in performance. My majors were composition,conducting and piano. Those weere the areas I was interested in studying.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I think I have played all of the pieces that would make up my dream list.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
As I answered above, I use a variety of books. I'll use whatever gets the job done.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
For me a "normal" practice is first a run through of scales and arpeggios, then a few Hanon or Pischna exercises, followed by what pieces I feel like paying that day.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
There are several. First the ability to achieve an even and smooth legato. There is no true legato on the piano. Each note is struck individually unlike other instruments. So the pianist must become a magician in that you create an illusion of smoothness for the listener. Then there is the process of making each finger equal in strength. The fourth,or ring, finger is the weakest and least independent. Therefore, it need the most work to gain the strength of the others.

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