To Our Colleagues and Friends Around the World, We wish each of you the brightest of holidays and a wonderful new year filled with joy, hope, and peace. From Nancy and Randall Faber and the Piano Adventures Team P.S. Stay tuned for an exciting year of celebrations ahead as we…
Inspiration
Many of us have encountered a year of “firsts” in our piano teaching — the sudden switch to online teaching, our first virtual recital, and perhaps a few online festivals and adjudications. One of the last frontiers of “firsts” for some teachers may be starting a young beginner online. In…
Whether you’re a pro, aspiring artist, or novice, making music is an Adventure. Let creativity of the human spirit and learnings from neuroscience work in your favor. If you believe in music and your power to express, watch this delightful session with Randall Faber, PhD, Steinway Artist, 2019 recipient of…
And “piano?” Is this seemingly misfit word pertinent? Indulge me to share a few personal stories of pandemic, politics, and piano—and then consider this trio of dynamics philosophically. Just a short year ago in Ann Arbor, I was dining out with pianist Emanuel Ax and a key Director of…
Dear Friends and Colleagues, Nancy and I wish everyone a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving this unusual year. Our own Thanksgiving will be small; just the two of us and my 93-year-old mother. We look forward to “zooming” on the day with family around the country. We appreciate the sentiment of…
Loss of hearing. Loss of a known world. Frustration. Isolation. Searching. Creativity. Dear musical friends, the words above describe something of the isolation that Beethoven endured. At least we haven’t lost our hearing! Our isolation is richly adorned with technology and media—nothing compared to the trials of Beethoven. With this…
Our current “sheltering at home” evokes the image of Odysseus at sea, battening down the hatches and waiting out the storm. Homer’s Odysseus faced his fear. As an adventurer, he chose to confront the unknown. He was prepared to face novel challenge, take the scars, and gain strength from learnings.…
Many teachers are relying on remote teaching during this time of social distancing. If you explore this, keep communication and relationship on the “front burner.” All else is secondary. This helps make light of potential frustrations, both yours and your student’s. Experiment with alternate formats. Perhaps 3 mini lessons per week?…
To bring our MTNA Showcase right to you, we captured a live stream video on March 25th at the home of Nancy and Randall Faber. Here, Dr. Faber discusses the unique challenges facing piano teachers today, and puts these challenges into a framework of compassion and understanding. Within the context…
Nancy and I join you and many around the world during this unsettling “lockdown” defense against the pandemic. Cancellation of international travel, cancellation of conventions, cancellation of schools—and now our lessons? Please know that the Piano Adventures community is here for your support. We have tools to keep you going,…