Pianist
Insider Info
The piano is one of the most widely played instruments in the world. Millions
of people can play a tune, but it takes years of practice and dedication to
become a truly gifted pianist.
Some of the most famous classical composers -- Mozart, Bach and Beethoven
-- wrote their music on pianos. But today, the piano is versatile enough to
be found in alternative rock bands, orchestra pits, jazz groups and everywhere
in between.
It takes a few "key" traits to become a pianist. Long, nimble fingers help.
A good ear for music is also a bonus. And of course, practice, practice, practice!
Practice makes perfect, but owning a piano can be an expensive investment.
Upright pianos cost over $5,000. Grand and baby grand pianos can cost more
than $10,000.
Some piano students use digital keyboards instead, which use synthesizers
to make piano sounds. Others rely on pianos found at schools or at a teacher's
house.
Martine Courage practices on an electronic keyboard between lessons at
her jazz piano teacher's house. She started studying piano at age 10
and made it to the classical conservatory level (Grade 9) at 19.
But when she began university, she quit piano when her "social life took
over." It would be 10 years before she went back to her studies. She returned
to learn jazz technique, to accompany her love of jazz singing.
"Music has always been a part of my life," says Courage. She is a communications
strategist. "But now I'm getting to a level on the piano where I can
play in front of an audience, so I can get out and express that side of myself."
The secret to every piano player's success is patience. Sarah Jane
Cion has spent 28 years as a patient player, loving every minute of it. She
began at age four, playing songs she heard on the radio by ear.
Now an award-winning jazz pianist with two albums, Cion makes a fair living
playing gigs in New York City.
"I spent 10 years studying classical piano until I was 14 and discovered
jazz," says Cion.
"I fell in love with it and never looked back. I immediately started listening
to nothing but jazz, especially Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. I love the
rhythm, the swing element, the way you can make it up as you go along. It's
the original feel-good music."
Jean Blanc plays the other side of the pianist's coin. He prefers
the classics to modern styles. He's chairman of a chapter of the Beethoven
Society. That's an international nonprofit group that organizes mentorships
between professional concert musicians and young students.
Blanc and his wife, Rose-Marie, also teach piano and violin to hundreds
of students in public schools and through private lessons. Teaching has always
been his passion, ever since he was taught as a child in Romania.
"I learned music from the gypsies who came through our town," says Blanc.
"Then I went on to study at a conservatory in Romania. Always, my goal was
to become a teacher, to share the joy of music with children."
David Pocock orchestrates piano culture on a big level. He's the artistic
director of the American Pianists Association (APA), which holds national
competitions to find and sponsor young piano talent in both classical and
jazz music.
A classical pianist himself, Pocock has spent years fostering the craft,
as a music professor and founder of Indianapolis's popular 12-year-old
music festival. In his many years on the scene, he's come to know many
gifted pianists. Some have even overcome special needs to play like pros.
"I know of several very wonderful pianists who are paralyzed from the waist
down," he says. "They rig a way to manipulate the right pedal enough to play
quite well."
Pocock also mentions the disabilities many pianists must overcome part
way through their careers. Carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive use syndrome
are injuries which force some to deal with the loss of being able to use a
pianist's crucial right hand.
"Greats like Leon Fleisher and Garry Graffman have dealt with it by learning
to use their left hand instead," says Pocock. "There's now a huge body
of repertoire for left-handed pianists."
Getting Started
Whether they end up in jazz clubs or concert halls, most pianists start
playing while they're young.
Blanc instructs three- and four-year-olds using the "Suzuki system." That's
a teaching method based on the belief that all children, talented or not,
can learn to play music in the same way they learn to talk, through repetition
and immersion.
"We give them CDs to listen to between lessons," says Blanc. "When they
come in, they already know what they're going to play."
Immersion is key for older students too, says Cion, who teaches between
gigs.
"I get them listening to the music right away, as much and as often as
possible," she says.
"It builds excitement and interest in what they're learning. Soon
they're catching on to the different elements that go into the music
-- the melody and solos. Soon they want to come up with their own."
Playing any instrument is all about making a song your own. Blanc teaches
his students to play "by heart" -- interpreting music in one's own personal
and unique way.
"Before they even start learning a new piece, I tell them to write down
how it makes them feel," he says. "It always amazes me, how every child says
something very different, but equally beautiful."
Publications
The Musician's Guide
Internet
:
http://www.musicianmag.com/musicianmag/index.jsp
Links
The Piano Page
Information on buying pianos and a virtual piano museum
Piano Internet Resources List
A huge collection of links, mailing lists and newsgroups about
playing the piano
Piano on the Net
Listen to music samples and get lesson plans
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