The increases in staff training come with no additional staff members or compensation for additional time spent on the job, however.  Some believe the law has gone overboard because educators are tasked with investigating bullying even outside of school, 24 hours a day.  Can anyone really be surprised, though, when cyber-bullying as well as off-campus altercations are on the rise?  Blair Olson from Ewing Township, New Jersey told me the teachers are expected to drop whatever they’re doing to address accusations of bullying and he worries some kids will abuse the policy.

John Jacobson, renowned composer, choreographer and clinician, shared some thoughts with me on the subject.  “We are part of a fame-obsessed society.  Obsession leads to idolization.  Does it matter whether the object of our idolization is a kind, considerate and compassionate person?  No.  It has to do with how much money they make and how many possessions they have.  As adults and teachers we need to be more proactive in providing better idols for kids to worship.”  John goes further, espousing a “zero tolerance for disrespect rule.  Children learn by our example, and no matter where they live, bullying is a factor.”

I look forward to seeing how well New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights is implemented and sustained.  Until then, let’s all strive to improve relations between artsy kids, the jocks, music geeks, nerds and everyone else all the time!

Please share successes of curtailing bullying in your school.

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Jennifer Linn (center) with two representatives from J.W. Pepper at a 2004 Piano Workshop near Atlanta.

My colleague, Cindy Harrington, and I had the privilege of interviewing Jennifer Linn – pianist,  private teacher, clinician and Manager of Educational Piano Music with Hal Leonard Corporation.  Versatile and prolific, she takes great pride and has much finesse in all her musical roles.  She brings the joy of music to all who surround her.  We hope you enjoy getting to know Jennifer as much as we did.

When did you discover the piano?

I did not start formal lessons with my mother until I was eight years old, but heard my older brother playing the piano.  I remember begging to start lessons sooner, but the tradition in our area then was not to begin students until they could read well.

Who were your first musical influences?

My mother, Geraldine Ryan Lange, was my teacher for the first three years, and later I studied with Virginia Sapp in Columbia, Missouri.  My band directors, Donald Rupp and John Patterson, influenced me greatly and built my overall musicianship.  Flute performance was actually the degree I started pursuing at the Conservatory at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (student of Dr. Mary Posses).  Then, I really fell in love with the piano once I started studying with John McIntyre.  He was a true mentor and I learned just about everything I know about the piano from him.  My Les Petites Impressions is dedicated to him, because as a Ravel Medal Winner, McIntyre studied all the works of Ravel with Vlado Perlmuter at the Paris Conservatory.  I learned so much about the style from him!

Your Facebook page shows a picture of you speaking publicly with a photo of a beautiful young woman projected on the screen behind you.  She looks like you.  Of what were you speaking?

The picture was my mother’s high school graduation picture.  I was presenting at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP) last summer (2011) shortly after she passed away.  I was presenting a wonderful book on composition by Carol Klose entitled  The Piano Teacher’s Guide to Creative Composition, and went on to show a handwritten manuscript of Mom’s composition that she wrote when she was only 10.  She was steered away from composition as she went through her own musical studies, but I could see from that manuscript that she had the “creative gene.”  I can only imagine what she would have written had she had a different learning environment.

How would you describe your piano teaching style?

My primary goal is to teach students to love and respect the music. Oddly enough, the piano is secondary in some ways – it is only the vehicle.  Students may need to take their musical knowledge in so many different directions that too narrow a road could keep them from discovering their true talent.  That said, my expectations are to uncover the student’s absolute highest bar and help them soar above it.  No one can rise to low expectations.

What do you love most about teaching?

The journey… all of it!  To take a student from “middle C” to Rachmaninoff is one of the greatest joys to behold!  Realizing that the journey has many twists and turns, hills and valleys, means that a good teacher must be patient and always cheering for them through those rough spots.  If we do our job well, the love of music (like cream) will always rise to the top.

When and how did you get serious about composing?

The spark to compose came from the stillness.  From this silence came inspiration.  After my husband completed his master’s at the University of Wyoming, we moved to Cody, Wyoming.  I had my new baby boy (Andrew, now 24!) and the nearest music store was about 20 miles away.  Needless to say, trips to pick up music were difficult, and I had three little student “cowboys” who needed some music to inspire them. I thought, “I think I can do this…” and I wrote my first collection, Yellowstone Suite – originally published by Boston Music Company, and now by Music Sales.

Have you always had a love of impressionistic music?

Certainly not on the piano, but I always loved playing the French music written for the flute.  It wasn’t until later that I explored the literature of Debussy and Ravel and found it to be completely irresistible.

How is your time spent as Manager of Educational Piano at Hal Leonard Corporation?

I have a variety of responsibilities at Hal Leonard, including editing and proofing new projects, marketing, presenting at conferences, and reviewing submissions.  There are many plates spinning simultaneously, and the challenge to “make it happen”  keeps the job interesting!

What do you enjoy most about your position at Hal Leonard?

I like many aspects of the position, but the ability to help others create products that I know students and teachers will find useful is by far the most rewarding.  There are so many talented and dedicated people that I work with (authors and composers) as well as a top-shelf production staff behind the scenes at Hal Leonard.  Without their expertise, my efforts would not be realized.

Tell us something most folks might not realize about the process of compiling and editing the new classical solo piano series Journey through the Classics.

The editing process involved quite a bit of research, both in editing, searching for manuscripts or first editions, etc.  While this is not an “Urtext” edition, I wanted to see the most original source possible, and that takes time.  Next, I wanted it to be progressive in difficulty. Making decisions on what pieces to choose and then how to compile the pieces in a logical sequence was by far the most difficult.  It would have been much easier to just put them in historical order.  I wanted a collection of pieces that enhanced the sense of progress for the student. How many times have I opened an anthology, and the first few baroque pieces were among the most difficult in the book?  I wanted young students to flow through the pieces with the confidence that when they turn the page, they would be able to accomplish the next step in their journey.

What do you do for fun that is not music related?

I collect hummingbirds and angels, and love hiking.  We are enjoying our community garden, full of herbs, tomatoes and other great vegetables.  My husband Mark is the “amateur chef” of the family, so I love sampling his tremendous creations!

Is there anything else you would like to share?

It is a privilege to have a life that is surrounded by music.  I am humbled by the talent around me, and love seeing new avenues unfold in the area of music publishing.  I want everyone to know just how much I respect the independent piano teacher.  My mother taught piano for more than 34 years, and her mother (my grandmother Ryan) washed dishes for her piano lessons.  The fruits of our labor come back to enrich not just the students we teach, but undoubtedly influence the decision to include music education in the lives of future generations.  That is a powerful job.

For all collections composed or edited by Jennifer Linn, click here.

For all single sheets composed or edited by Jennifer Linn, click here.

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I recently had the honor of interviewing composer and teacher Frank Ticheli. In addition to composing, he joined the faculty of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music in 1991, where he is Professor of Composition. He is well known for his works for concert band, many of which have become standards in the repertoire. However, as you will read, he is an extremely prolific composer of many musical genres. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in composition from the University of Michigan. His works are published by Manhattan Beach, Southern, Hinshaw, and Encore Music, and are recorded on the labels of Albany, Chandos, Clarion, Klavier, Koch International, Mark Custom, Naxos, and Reference Recordings.

When did you begin in music?

By age nine, I had already been exposed to a lot of early jazz music. I grew up near New Orleans, and my father would take me into the jazz clubs, and play lots of records of traditional jazz. When it was time to get an instrument, my father took me to a pawn shop in the heart of the French Quarter. In the shop window was a beautiful used clarinet for $80 that really got my attention, and an old beat-up trumpet that looked horrible, but was selling for $45. My dad said, “Sorry, Son, you’re going to play the trumpet!”

Did you have a specific “a-ha” moment when you knew you wanted to be a musician?

There were many signal moments, starting with my early exposure to New Orleans Jazz. At age 13 my family moved from Louisiana to Richardson, Texas, jolting me from a very modest music program to the powerhouse program at Berkner High School. I had no idea kids my age could even sound that good. Going straight from playing out of method books in Louisiana to playing very high- level music in Texas was a culture shock to me. It lit a fire in my belly that has never been extinguished.

What inspired you to become a composer?

The above-mentioned culture shock had a lot to do with this. I remember fantasizing about creating music that sounded as good as the stuff my high school director, Bobby Floyd, exposed us to. I also began lifting music off of records — mostly Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson recordings — to see what made the music tick. An assistant director, Jerry Brumbaugh, told me that what I was doing was unique, and suggested that I had the ear of a composer. Dictating music came very naturally to me, and I thought any musician could do it. But he pointed out that no, most musicians could not write down whatever they hear, and that it was a kind of talent that composers need to have. It really got me thinking in that direction.

When did you start composing and what instrument or ensemble did you start writing for?

When I began my undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University back in the mid-1970s, I applied for the major in composition; however, because I had not yet composed any real music, I was told it was too late for me! This, of course, made me want to work even harder to prove the professor wrong, and fortunately for me, I was admitted to the program by my junior year. My first official piece, Trio for Brass, is a little suite built from quartal (4th-based) harmony. It was okay for a first piece, but, like all of my undergraduate works, lacked formal tension and any sense of urgency. It took a long time for me to learn how to compose music that deserves to have a life. It takes most composers a long time to learn this.

Do you have a mentor, or someone who has influenced your style of writing the most? If so, who would that be?

I did my graduate studies in composition at the University of Michigan, where I had the privilege of studying with William Bolcom, Leslie Bassett and William Albright. I’ll never forget my first lesson with Bill Bolcom. I showed up with what I thought was a respectable amount of music for a first lesson. Bill proceeded to read it flawlessly at the piano, casually saying, “Ah, yes, it’s a sequence; it goes up. But what else do you have to show?”

Ouch!

In a flash, I learned that if I wanted to call myself a composer, I’d better start composing!

Another signal moment occurred not with a teacher, but with a fellow student, Mark Kilstofte (now a successful composer at Furman University). When we were just 23 or 24 years old, I said to him one day, “I think I’m going to quit composing altogether; I’m not even the best student composer here at Michigan, so how on earth am I going to make it in the real world?” His reply possessed the wisdom of a much older person: “Frank, we don’t compose to be the best. We do it because each of us is different; each of us brings something unique to the world of music. Stop wasting your energy on trying to be the best; instead, spend it on getting to know who you really are!” Thankfully, I listened to him.

What would you say defines your style?

I’m actually uncomfortable talking about my musical style. Music takes us to a place that transcends words. If it didn’t, there would not be much point in writing the music. I will say that, like so many American composers, I’ve been influenced by a whole gumbo of musical cultures: early jazz, Cajun/Creole, folk, popular, European modernism, classical. It’s all there; I just don’t like analyzing it too deeply. I prefer to just do it.

What are you working on now?

I just finished Songs of Love and Life for soprano and small wind ensemble (18 players), based on poems by four contemporary American poets. It’s for my dear friend Allan McMurray, who recorded it with his terrific Colorado University Wind Ensemble and soloist Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson for the Klavier label (I think it’s coming out in the fall.) Eugene Corporon is also releasing a recording sometime in early 2013. If all goes well, my wonderful publisher, Manhattan Beach Music, should be releasing it later this year. I’m very excited about this work.

But now, I’m right in the middle of a big choral symphony, The Shore, to be premiered next season in celebration of the Pacific Chorale conductor John Alexander’s 40th anniversary season. It’s based on four terrific poems by poet/colleague David St. John. The Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony are recording it for the Delos label, and I can’t wait!

It’s ironic that many who will read this blog know me only as a composer of band works. My last three commissions have not been for the traditional band medium. I love the band medium, but I also love wearing different hats.

Do you have one of your own works which you would call your favorite?

Each work is kind of like a child, and it’s always difficult to pick a favorite child. But as a conductor I love how Angels in the Architecture covers this huge expressive range, from very personal private moments to public gargantuan moments. It’s so much fun to conduct when performed well. I enjoy Blue Shades , and American Elegy is very special to me because of its connection to Columbine High School. My choral work, There Will Be Rest, is very special as it is dedicated to the memory of the son of one of my dearest friends. Finally, my new Clarinet Concerto, composed for soloist Håkan Rosengren, is perhaps one of my very best works to date. Each of the three movements pays tribute to a different American icon: Rhapsody for George (Gershwin), Song for Aaron (Copland), and Riffs for Lenny (Bernstein). For whatever reason, the concerto ended up meeting, even exceeding, my expectations. Sometimes we composers get lucky.

Do you have any advice or tips for those interested in composing?

Listening to music by the masters, preferably with the score, is just as important as composing. I encourage my students to find moments from the repertoire that particularly speak to them, then take the time to make a score reduction of those moments. They can then bang the music out on the piano and discover why they love it. A licensed mechanic needs to take a car apart and put it back together again to really know the car. We do not do this enough as musicians. Isolate the music that you love, reduce it, take it apart, and take the time to really find out why you love it.

Listening to rehearsals and live performances of your own music is also important. A 45-minute rehearsal session can teach a young composer more about their music than an entire semester of private lessons because it can produce instant epiphanies. You can sometimes hear in an instant why a whole section doesn’t work, or, on the other hand, why one isolated measure is good enough to inspire the entire next piece!

Would you say your music comes to you more often through slow, careful planning, or by sudden inspiration?

Yes.  (laughs)

Sometimes music arrives in bursts where my pencil can’t keep up with my imagination, and sometimes it seems as though it will never come. Sometimes a short motive or even a single chord can inspire a whole piece. Other times, it may just be a vague feeling, and then I need to find the music to fit that feeling. It’s more an art than a craft, more a mystery than a method, and with every new piece, I feel a bit like a beginner again. I really don’t trust anybody who claims to understand how one composes. Music is mysterious, elusive, hard won. I used to try to ignore the difficulty, but I’ve since come around to celebrating it. It’s these very mysteries and challenges that draw us to music.

Do you have a specific type or style of work you prefer to write for?

I would love to write more chamber music, and also an opera set in old New Orleans.

What is your favorite aspect of composing?

I love doing the work! I go to my backyard studio every day and ask myself, “what if?” Some days are better than others, but I can’t wait to get out there. The fact that I get to create something that hasn’t been heard before is amazing. They pay me for this? I feel very lucky. I also love it when gifted conductors and performers show me another correct point of view about my own music, something I hadn’t thought of. I love those who are not afraid to show the heart and soul of the music, the human vulnerability that lies behind the notated page, the excitement, sadness, joy, fear, darkness, light. It’s the subtlety, the poetry of music that turns me on, not the literal stuff.

Could you tell me something people don’t know about you?

I love languages. I have studied Italian for 12 years. I speak German, badly, but enough to get by. I’m currently studying Mandarin Chinese, and I love the tonal aspect of that language. I also love history, and am an obsessive reader of nonfiction. We live at the foot of a very large mountain, and I love to hike it with my wife and kids.

“Inside the Actors Studio”-Type Questions:

• What is your favorite word? – In Italian: “Andiamo! ” (“Let’s go!”) In English: “Epiphany”
• What is your least favorite word? – “Like” (as overused by so many young folks)
• What sound or noise do you love? – Offstage trumpet
• What sound or noise do you hate? – My current trumpet sound
• What is on your iPod? – Most recently:  David Diamond symphonies and Piazzolla tangos
• What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt? – Cooking
• Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with, living or dead, that you haven’t yet? – More poets
• If you were stranded on a desert island, and could only have the music of one composer, other than yourself, who would that, be? – Beethoven (oh, how cliché of me!)

For more information on Frank Ticheli, please visit:  http://www.manhattanbeachmusiconline.com/frank_ticheli/index.html

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J.W. Pepper is a Co-Producer of Virtual Choir 3 and we are pleased to share with you these video moments:

Click here to see ABC News coverage featuring some of the choir member stories.

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Led by directors Stephen Frederick and Chuck Neidhardt, the adult band participated in a combined concert with the Colonial Middle School Wind Ensemble from Plymouth Meeting, PA, under the direction of Mr. David O’Neill.  Being able to focus the energy and passion for music of both bands was a wonderful underscore to this month-long celebration.

As stated so clearly in the program, “Through the Arts, young people learn life skills that will allow them to become successful, contributing members in our society in a variety of professions.” This statement was borne out by the 52 middle school musicians and the 73 concert band members, representing a wide array of professions, all of whom contributed their passion for music that evening.

The middle school ensemble began the concert with Bellingrath Gardens, A Song for Friends, 21 Guns and The Torch of Liberty. The concert band then took over performing Pathfinder of Panama, Pageant, Trail of Tears, Maple Leaf Forever, Battle of Shiloh and America the Beautiful. We brought the concert to a close with both bands performing The Witch and the Saint, Among the Clouds and The Stars and Stripes Forever.

As a member of the percussion section, it was a joy to work, interact and perform with the middle school students.  As fate would have it, on the night of the concert a few of the middle school percussionists fell ill.  The adults pitched in and helped out where we could, adding a true spirit of cooperation to the event.

If you haven’t done so already this month, take time to find a concert to attend, thank a music teacher or encourage a young musician.  We all know people are better for having music in their lives, and March is a great time to share that message with young people and the adults that teach them.

More about the Montgomery County Concert Band:  http://www.montcoband.org/home.html

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The Georgia team is made up of Amber Loper, Keith Guier, and Doug McComas, led by manager and Pepper Vice President Kenya Morgan.  We have over 30 years of “Pepperness” and over 75 years of musical experience between the four of us!  Two of us are Pepper catalog editors;  Doug works on the church choral catalog and Kenya works on the orchestra catalog.

Every Friday morning, the marketing staff gathers for a breakfast meeting.  This started in the late 1970s when Miss Kelly, a secretary in the original location, would bake biscuits and sausage for the small Pepper Atlanta staff on Friday mornings.  The tradition changed over the years — Hardee’s and Mrs. Winner’s replaced home-baked, and now with a more health-conscious staff, there’s more fresh fruit and turkey bacon than fried pork chops and sausage.  We all take turns bringing breakfast.

For over 15 years, our customers have enjoyed attending Joy of Singing, Joy of Worship and the John Jacobson workshops in the summer. When the sister choral event in Florida folded a few years ago, we began seeing many of those customers make the trip to Atlanta to continue the experience!  They continue to make the trip, and look forward to it annually.  We recently began the tradition of hosting an annual Editors’ Choice Live sacred reading session which features selections from the current year’s Editors’ Choice.  We invite a well-known clinician to read through the music — this event has grown over the last couple of years to be something that folks look forward to attending each year.

Our facility is off the beaten path in an industrial park near Sweetwater Creek State Park.  We’re surrounded by trees and bordered on one side by Sweetwater Creek, and about a mile from the Chattahoochee River.  Deer, wild turkeys, woodpeckers, hawks, turkey vultures, and kestrels are familiar sights just outside our doors… including a deer in the parking lot one night.

We have a quiet environment for directors to research to their heart’s content.  Hungry?  Our complimentary selection of snacks and beverages are available if you’re tucking in for a few hours of planning, or dashing in for a pickup order and just need a quick snack to take the edge off before getting back into traffic.  Feel free to come in and see us!

Visit Pepper Georgia’s website.

Hang out with us on Facebook.

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Dr. Matthew Edwards

Here is the second part of our two-part interview with Dr. Matthew Edwards.  Dr. Edwards is a prolific composer, editor, piano professor, concert pianist and musicologist.  Click here to read Part 1.

We are big fans of the Schirmer Performance Editions. Are there any joys or discoveries in editing them?

I really enjoy the whole process of making these books.  It’s great to be able to study one collection of works so closely;  in a way, it allows me to get a close-up look into the composer’s life, and what brought about the particular pieces I’m working on.  In a certain sense, it’s the kind of research that perhaps we all should do, for every piece we study!

Possibly one of the more rewarding discoveries has come from my work on Classical-era literature;  in these books, it is necessary to discuss style and ornamentation.  My study in this area has really helped me to understand and hopefully clarify for others some of the basic details of Classical ornaments.

The Czerny books have also led me to a fascination with the development of piano technique from the late 1700s to the early 1800s.  As the piano went through significant changes during this time (not only mechanics, but capabilities as well), teachers and composers were scrambling to understand it, and how best to approach it technically.  As a direct result of my work on those editions, I’ve begun to do presentations on this topic, both here and overseas.

Are there any challenges in editing the Schirmer Performance Editions?

The most difficult part for me is possibly reviewing the final proof.  This is where I have to look through every word, line, note, etc., for any kind of mistake or problem.  Not only is it time-consuming, but I sometimes will have doubts about what I’ve written, and wonder if something else would be better.  However, this final proof is not the time for new material, so I have to show a lot of restraint, or else make the smallest change possible.

The recordings are time-consuming, but overall not too bad.  I have a very good producer and engineer, and we’ve done enough projects together that he’s begun to understand how I work.  Because of my busy schedule, I tend to start my recording sessions around 7 pm, and go until 5 or 6 in the morning.  It’s likely that about 70% of what you hear on my CDs was recorded after midnight!  It’s tiring, but there is a sense of focus that seems to come with the late-night sessions.

Do you have projects/plans for future publications that you can share with us?

Well, new projects aren’t completely up to me, but I do submit certain ideas on occasion.  The original discussion about the Czerny books included doing as many as six; I’ve finished two (Op. 599, Practical Method for Beginners, and Op. 849, Thirty Exercises in Techniques), and am working on a third (Op. 299, The School of Velocity, Books 1 and 2).

I would love to do more books, perhaps Scriabin or Bach, or some lesser-known works/composers.  Again, I love doing these books, so there probably isn’t much I would turn down, if Schirmer asked.

Do you have any spare time?!  If so, what do you enjoy doing?

I do have a little free time!  My three kids keep my wife and I busy with ballet and soccer — I even coached my oldest son’s soccer team one season.  Recently, I’ve started running some, and have now done two complete 5K races.  I’m also a big fan of European and British medieval history, and usually have two or three books on those topics going at a time.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

I know it is often said as a cliché, but the best part of my career really is that I don’t feel like I’m working because I love what I do.  This is something I try to pass on to all who are considering a career in music.  Some doubt themselves when they find another who is “better” than them;  others doubt that they can make a living as a musician.  My career has been made not by focusing on a tiny niche within the field of music, but by being willing to participate in a wide variety of things.  I’ve known so many people who aimed for some tiny niche, and upon not succeeding to their expectations, dropped out of music, and took up a “real job.”  For me, I resolved to be in music, whatever form that would take.  And indeed, that has made all the difference.

Thank you so much, Dr. Edwards, for sharing so much in this interview.   You have truly inspired us.

For all music composed or edited by Matthew Edwards, click here.

For Matthew Edwards’ digitally available pieces, click here.

Click here for all Schirmer Performance Editions.

For more information about Dr. Matthew Edwards and his work, go to www.ThomasMatthewEdwards.com and
www.MissouriWestern.edu/piano.

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Dr. Matthew Edwards

Cindy Harrington and I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Matthew Edwards and think you will find his many musical roles intriguing.  From composing and editing to being a concert pianist, a musicologist, and a piano professor at Missouri Western State University, he is the definition of “consummate musician.”  We hope you enjoy getting to know Matthew as much as we did.

You seem to wear a great many hats:  concert pianist, piano professor, composer, arranger, music editor, musicologist, recording artist, clinician, and probably a lot more.  How do you view the work you do and how it all fits together?

In high school, I thought my life would primarily consist of performing concerts.  Yet, a certain dose of reality, combined with my natural need to stay busy, eventually introduced me to several fields within music — and I found that I loved each one of them.  The best part is indeed that they all work together to make me — in my opinion — a better musician.  Teaching Theory 3 and 4 helps me focus on the importance of harmony and progression in my piano lessons, and how that affects interpretative choices.  Being a collaborative pianist has helped me to listen closely to detail, in my own playing and my students’.  Being a composer helps me understand the creative process of other composers;  and being an editor helps me see that not all fingerings are set in stone!  Even teaching Music Appreciation helps remind me that underneath all the technical details and analyses, the music I teach and play is beautiful and wonderful.  I could go on, but ultimately, I feel that my many “hats” allow me to be a complete musician.

Of all your musical roles, which is your favorite?

That is extremely difficult;  very hard to say!  I love the research that goes into an edition;  I love that moment when a student finally understands and implements a concept;  I love it when I perform, and someone says that it really moved them;  I love it when a young student says they really had fun playing one of my pieces.  Sorry, but I don’t think I could nail down a single favorite!

How did your early life and education impact your path?

Simply put, my family’s emphasis on music lessons and classical concerts, and my early successes on the piano were the biggest influences on my future career.  I grew up hearing my two brothers and my sister practice the piano, so music was always present in our house.  It was only natural that I would play around on the piano, and at age nine I began formal lessons.  I had a very driven teacher, and my lessons —even at that age — would go as long as two hours!  Within six months I won my first piano competition, and by age eleven performed a concerto with orchestra.  While I certainly went through a few times that I wanted to quit, it’s pretty unlikely that I could have ever really left it behind.

When did you first begin teaching piano?

I started teaching at 16, taking over a student of my brother’s when he moved away.  Fortunately, he was a diligent student, and today he has his doctorate in music, and teaches at a university!  That’s very satisfying.

As a professor, what is your approach to teaching the art of playing the piano?

Wow… how to condense that into a few sentences?  In the shortest possible terms, I emphasize these items:

• Playing without tension in the hand/wrist/arm/body
• Careful, observant, and efficient practice, focusing on how to play, not simply what to play
• The inseparable connection of technique and musicality
• Long lines and the “big picture”

Do you teach younger students?

I actually do have a few, even though the great majority of my teaching is with very advanced students.  I feel that teaching young students keeps me in touch with the very beginning of the process of music education.  It’s such a critical time for a young pianist, and if they are willing to work carefully, the result can be really wonderful.

Do you have a favorite composer or genre of music?

Another hard question!  The first to come to mind would be J. S. Bach, who is surely the greatest composer to ever live.  The older I get, the more I am amazed at Beethoven’s genius.  I’ve always loved Prokofiev, as well as Scriabin and Messiaen.  Other favorites, slightly off the path, would be Carl Nielsen, Leonard Bernstein, J. N. Hummel, N. Medtner;  and the list continues!

Our interview with Dr. Edwards continues next week with Part 2!  Dr. Edwards will answer questions on his work as an editor of the Schirmer Performance Editions as well as what he does in his precious spare time.

For all music composed or edited by Matthew Edwards, click here.

For Matthew Edwards’ digitally available pieces, click here.

Click here for all Schirmer Performance Editions.

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Music Quotes (Brighthouse Labs)  –  Why not begin each rehearsal with some insight and inspiration?  This app comes with a large number of quotes from musicians and authors from all over the world. 

Attendance (David Reed)  –  While not specifically designed for music educators, this incredibly powerful app allows you to track attendance for each day and each class/group.  It is customizable, so in addition to present, tardy, or absent, you can also keep track of when they forget their music or instrument.  Data can also be exported to a CSV file for use in Excel.

Cleartune (bitcount)  –  How about an endorsement from Roseanne Cash?  ”My most indispensable app is my guitar tuner, Cleartune.  None of the old visual or analog tuners are as precise.  I’ve even taken it on stage with me!”  This powerful chromatic tuner displays a note wheel and a fine-tuning meter, both of which let you find the right pitch and tune for just about any instrument you can think of. 

Music Dictionary (Hurryforward Ltd.)  –  This app has over 4,000 definitions of terms used, from the four primary languages used in classical music notation:  Italian, Latin, German, and English.  Easy-to-use search option, with the ability to e-mail definitions to students, friends and colleagues.

Instruments in Reach Basic (John Ferland)  -  Perfect for young band and orchestra students, this was created by former band director Daniel Ferland.  Offering a fingering chart for every instrument, this app is great for those moments when you need to verify a fingering or position.

Metron (Sintra Works)  -  A favorite amongst studio teachers, Metron goes beyond the usual single and multiple beat ticks of digital metronomes by offering detailed control over rhythm patterns, tempo settings and time signatures (including complex and compound signatures).

Of course there are scores of other applications available and we’d love to hear which ones you’re using to enhance your curriculum.  Let us know!

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