1
00:00:00,000 -->
00:00:26,680
Welcome back to another episode of the PianoPod.
2
00:00:26,680 -->
00:00:29,440
I am your host, Yukimi Song.
3
00:00:29,440 -->
00:00:34,440
So today for my audience exclusively, I'm going to take you on a quick trip to New York
4
00:00:34,440 -->
00:00:41,840
City's famous Lincoln Center, and more specifically, the backstage of the David H. Koch Theater,
5
00:00:41,840 -->
00:00:46,100
home to one of the most renowned ballet companies in the world.
6
00:00:46,100 -->
00:00:52,560
So for this episode, I got to interview Dr. Alan Moverman, piano soloist at New York City
7
00:00:52,560 -->
00:00:53,760
Ballet.
8
00:00:53,760 -->
00:00:59,800
For his 20-year career at the company, he has performed concerti and solo repertoire
9
00:00:59,800 -->
00:01:07,080
in prominent concert venues worldwide and worked closely with the most celebrated choreographers,
10
00:01:07,080 -->
00:01:13,320
such as Alexey Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins, who was actually the choreographer of the
11
00:01:13,320 -->
00:01:16,440
original West Side Story, and Justin Peck.
12
00:01:16,440 -->
00:01:17,440
And more.
13
00:01:17,440 -->
00:01:22,160
Before getting started, I want to welcome everyone listening or watching the PianoPod
14
00:01:22,160 -->
00:01:23,160
for the first time.
15
00:01:23,160 -->
00:01:28,360
I'm a classical pianist and educator from New York City, passionate about creating a
16
00:01:28,360 -->
00:01:34,160
thriving and meaningful community of the classical music industry through this podcast.
17
00:01:34,160 -->
00:01:38,920
Please visit yukimisongstudio.com to find out more about my work.
18
00:01:38,920 -->
00:01:43,860
In each episode of the PianoPod, I interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting
19
00:01:43,860 -->
00:01:46,280
new ground in the industry.
20
00:01:46,280 -->
00:01:50,600
Before getting started, I want to thank everyone for tuning in today.
21
00:01:50,600 -->
00:01:55,480
Please rate the show and review it on your favorite podcasting platform because every
22
00:01:55,480 -->
00:01:58,840
rating review will help people find my show.
23
00:01:58,840 -->
00:01:59,840
So here we go.
24
00:01:59,840 -->
00:02:02,040
Are you ready, dear friends?
25
00:02:02,040 -->
00:02:07,520
Please enjoy the show.
26
00:02:07,520 -->
00:02:11,800
You are listening to the PianoPod, where we talk to the brightest minds in the industry
27
00:02:11,800 -->
00:02:17,680
about how they are bringing the piano into the 21st century.
28
00:02:17,680 -->
00:02:24,120
I am honored to welcome Dr. Alan Moverman, a piano soloist at New York City Ballet.
29
00:02:24,120 -->
00:02:28,320
So Alan, welcome to the PianoPod and thanks for being here today.
30
00:02:28,320 -->
00:02:30,520
I appreciate the opportunity.
31
00:02:30,520 -->
00:02:31,520
That's great.
32
00:02:31,520 -->
00:02:37,320
I'm so excited to get to know the world of ballet today by talking to you as I'm not
33
00:02:37,320 -->
00:02:41,120
familiar with what really goes into the production of ballet programs.
34
00:02:41,120 -->
00:02:44,440
And I enjoy listening to ballet music and attending shows.
35
00:02:44,440 -->
00:02:50,400
And to be honest, I did a few years of ballet lessons as a kid for five years or so.
36
00:02:50,400 -->
00:02:54,280
And my experience and knowledge of what it takes to put together a ballet program stops
37
00:02:54,280 -->
00:02:55,280
right there.
38
00:02:55,280 -->
00:03:01,720
So I can't wait for you to take us to the backstage of David H. Koch's theater, which
39
00:03:01,720 -->
00:03:06,240
is home to New York City Ballet and to be exposed to the ballet world and hear what's
40
00:03:06,240 -->
00:03:11,160
like to work with the most celebrated dancers and choreographers and what it takes to be
41
00:03:11,160 -->
00:03:15,780
a solo pianist at one of the most celebrated ballet companies in the world.
42
00:03:15,780 -->
00:03:18,440
So Alan, I want to start with this question.
43
00:03:18,440 -->
00:03:21,680
Oh, by the way, where are you tuning in from today?
44
00:03:21,680 -->
00:03:26,240
Oh, this is the Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
45
00:03:26,240 -->
00:03:28,680
You can see there's a ballet bar behind me.
46
00:03:28,680 -->
00:03:29,680
I know.
47
00:03:29,680 -->
00:03:33,280
And then there's a piano next to me.
48
00:03:33,280 -->
00:03:34,280
Oh, wonderful.
49
00:03:34,280 -->
00:03:37,360
This is a very small rehearsal room.
50
00:03:37,360 -->
00:03:42,240
The ballet company is really lucky because we have rehearsal rooms in the Rose Building,
51
00:03:42,240 -->
00:03:44,160
which is where Julliard is.
52
00:03:44,160 -->
00:03:47,200
Also, huge, huge rehearsal rooms.
53
00:03:47,200 -->
00:03:52,640
When I do gigs with some modern companies on occasion, they'll come into the studios
54
00:03:52,640 -->
00:03:55,000
and they'll just be like, I can't believe this.
55
00:03:55,000 -->
00:04:04,480
You know, it's like the most beautiful studios with also gorgeous light and huge 15 feet
56
00:04:04,480 -->
00:04:06,560
windows throughout the...
57
00:04:06,560 -->
00:04:08,640
It's really gorgeous.
58
00:04:08,640 -->
00:04:14,320
But the dancers really deserve it because it's, as you know, it's an incredibly difficult
59
00:04:14,320 -->
00:04:16,360
career for them.
60
00:04:16,360 -->
00:04:20,200
And you know, they've made it a long way to be here.
61
00:04:20,200 -->
00:04:24,360
You know, we want them to have the best possible conditions to work in.
62
00:04:24,360 -->
00:04:26,360
Well, thank you for showing me the room.
63
00:04:26,360 -->
00:04:27,360
It's gorgeous.
64
00:04:27,360 -->
00:04:29,040
I mean, it's such an exciting...
65
00:04:29,040 -->
00:04:30,680
Exciting happens in that room.
66
00:04:30,680 -->
00:04:32,920
So that's incredible.
67
00:04:32,920 -->
00:04:38,160
What is the job description of ballet pianist of this major ballet company?
68
00:04:38,160 -->
00:04:39,880
What are the responsibilities?
69
00:04:39,880 -->
00:04:47,600
Well, we have a really large repertoire here and a lot of it is quite complex.
70
00:04:47,600 -->
00:04:51,160
We have 30 active Stravinsky ballets in the repertoire.
71
00:04:51,160 -->
00:04:52,920
Oh my goodness.
72
00:04:52,920 -->
00:05:00,520
So obviously, Stravinsky can be complicated and we play them all or virtually all of them
73
00:05:00,520 -->
00:05:03,760
in rehearsals for the dancers on the piano.
74
00:05:03,760 -->
00:05:11,440
So I would say one of the primary job descriptions is to be able to realize piano reductions
75
00:05:11,440 -->
00:05:15,520
and hopefully imitate the orchestra sound.
76
00:05:15,520 -->
00:05:24,260
Also you need to have or develop kind of sophisticated sense of rhythm because the dancers are very
77
00:05:24,260 -->
00:05:31,000
sensitive to the speed of music and there are other parameters in music also.
78
00:05:31,000 -->
00:05:37,520
Well, just talking about the rhythmic parameter, they need a lot of steadiness, a kind of steadiness
79
00:05:37,520 -->
00:05:41,320
that is a kind of default position.
80
00:05:41,320 -->
00:05:46,460
And as we all know as pianists, rhythm is one of the things we study.
81
00:05:46,460 -->
00:05:48,560
Rhythm is a living thing.
82
00:05:48,560 -->
00:05:49,560
It's flexible.
83
00:05:49,560 -->
00:05:51,560
It's rooted in dance.
84
00:05:51,560 -->
00:05:56,000
It's rooted in our bodies.
85
00:05:56,000 -->
00:06:02,040
It's something we always need to work on, but it's something dancers need a sense of
86
00:06:02,040 -->
00:06:04,480
predictability in the rhythm.
87
00:06:04,480 -->
00:06:08,680
How are you going to be able to match the orchestra?
88
00:06:08,680 -->
00:06:14,440
Because after the rehearsal with pianists like yourself, then they're moving into orchestra.
89
00:06:14,440 -->
00:06:17,140
So what's the transition like?
90
00:06:17,140 -->
00:06:24,560
That's one of the pedagogical problems with rehearsal with piano versus orchestra.
91
00:06:24,560 -->
00:06:31,880
And I think it's important for people who do this job to constantly listen as much as
92
00:06:31,880 -->
00:06:39,400
possible to the orchestra version of the piece they're playing because in specific ways,
93
00:06:39,400 -->
00:06:45,440
like what instrument is prominent, but also in subtle ways like the type of rhythm an
94
00:06:45,440 -->
00:06:47,680
orchestra plays.
95
00:06:47,680 -->
00:06:49,680
Like I can give you a good example.
96
00:06:49,680 -->
00:06:53,240
It might be fun to play a little bit.
97
00:06:53,240 -->
00:06:57,400
So this is from one of Tchaikovsky's well-known pieces.
98
00:06:57,400 -->
00:07:01,080
It's called Serenade for Strings.
99
00:07:01,080 -->
00:07:28,880
So that piece I was practicing the other day.
100
00:07:28,880 -->
00:07:34,800
And I realized that the way I play it, it sounds nice.
101
00:07:34,800 -->
00:07:38,480
It's like a Chopin nocturne almost.
102
00:07:38,480 -->
00:07:43,080
But orchestras have a broader kind of sound.
103
00:07:43,080 -->
00:07:51,640
So then I think a little more careful, not really careful, but play on the more subdivided
104
00:07:51,640 -->
00:07:52,640
way.
105
00:07:52,640 -->
00:08:02,760
But orchestras have to line up vertically, so you can't do like as much.
106
00:08:02,760 -->
00:08:08,640
They would do this kind of thing.
107
00:08:08,640 -->
00:08:14,400
So instead of playing with fluidity, you want to be more metronomical.
108
00:08:14,400 -->
00:08:16,040
I don't want to say that term.
109
00:08:16,040 -->
00:08:24,520
It's not physical, but a kind of more classical rhythm in a way.
110
00:08:24,520 -->
00:08:30,440
And also, orchestra music is by definition has a public sound.
111
00:08:30,440 -->
00:08:35,840
So when you're dealing with a public sound, you're going to be dealing with things that
112
00:08:35,840 -->
00:08:40,480
are easier to understand, that everyone can understand in a nice way.
113
00:08:40,480 -->
00:08:58,720
So if you play this, it's very beautiful, but it's intimate.
114
00:08:58,720 -->
00:09:09,560
The public might want...
115
00:09:09,560 -->
00:09:11,880
You hear the difference?
116
00:09:11,880 -->
00:09:18,120
It's very hard when you play ballet, piano, not to get caught up in...
117
00:09:18,120 -->
00:09:22,040
If I played it the first way, they might say, oh, that's beautiful.
118
00:09:22,040 -->
00:09:23,480
That's great.
119
00:09:23,480 -->
00:09:26,960
Or they might say, it feels a little too fast.
120
00:09:26,960 -->
00:09:32,840
So it's important not to get caught up in the fact that I did something wrong.
121
00:09:32,840 -->
00:09:38,320
I just didn't do it in the best possible way for them at the moment.
122
00:09:38,320 -->
00:09:40,520
Because once you get into...
123
00:09:40,520 -->
00:09:44,840
It's very easy to get into self-criticism of your rhythm in ballet.
124
00:09:44,840 -->
00:09:52,920
So it's better to forthrightly play what you feel and then adjust than to always be like,
125
00:09:52,920 -->
00:09:53,920
what do they need?
126
00:09:53,920 -->
00:09:54,920
What do they need?
127
00:09:54,920 -->
00:09:55,920
What do they need?
128
00:09:55,920 -->
00:09:57,920
Another thing I was practicing, there's a beautiful...
129
00:09:57,920 -->
00:10:13,360
And the other morning I was listening to the orchestra version, I was saying, well, maybe
130
00:10:13,360 -->
00:10:26,280
better.
131
00:10:26,280 -->
00:10:27,280
It's different.
132
00:10:27,280 -->
00:10:30,200
Speaking of that, how about playing...
133
00:10:30,200 -->
00:10:31,560
Those are orchestra reductions.
134
00:10:31,560 -->
00:10:36,240
So during rehearsals, you're playing orchestra reductions most of the time, such as...
135
00:10:36,240 -->
00:10:38,400
Most of the time in rehearsals, yeah.
136
00:10:38,400 -->
00:10:40,960
So that must be really challenging.
137
00:10:40,960 -->
00:10:46,480
I've done accompanying for violin concerto and everything.
138
00:10:46,480 -->
00:10:49,480
Playing the entire score.
139
00:10:49,480 -->
00:10:57,160
I left out a lot of notes, but it is a little different than playing accompanying a violinist
140
00:10:57,160 -->
00:11:01,200
or a singer because you tend to pick...
141
00:11:01,200 -->
00:11:04,400
The melody is generally being carried by another instrument.
142
00:11:04,400 -->
00:11:11,000
You have to play the melody and you have to indicate as much of the sense of the orchestration
143
00:11:11,000 -->
00:11:12,920
as possible.
144
00:11:12,920 -->
00:11:19,320
Which is wonderful if you accompany people too, but doesn't always happen and isn't even
145
00:11:19,320 -->
00:11:26,040
always desirable, partly because it almost requires you to play the piece as if you're
146
00:11:26,040 -->
00:11:27,320
a soloist.
147
00:11:27,320 -->
00:11:29,200
Wow, you're right.
148
00:11:29,200 -->
00:11:34,120
But what's the secret to playing them well?
149
00:11:34,120 -->
00:11:38,080
There are a lot of different ones, different elements.
150
00:11:38,080 -->
00:11:46,120
Listen a lot to orchestras, try to think about what the emotional effect is of hearing an
151
00:11:46,120 -->
00:11:49,560
orchestra, which is very different than hearing a solo pianist.
152
00:11:49,560 -->
00:11:52,600
Although there's a lot of overlap, of course.
153
00:11:52,600 -->
00:11:56,800
Also I learned there are very few books on the subject, but there's a very good book
154
00:11:56,800 -->
00:12:02,480
on accompanying by Martin Katz, who was a famous vocal accompanist for Friedrich von
155
00:12:02,480 -->
00:12:07,040
Stad and lots of Marilyn Horn.
156
00:12:07,040 -->
00:12:09,080
He was great, great.
157
00:12:09,080 -->
00:12:13,600
I studied with him a little bit and he wrote a book about accompanying men.
158
00:12:13,600 -->
00:12:21,320
I can't quite remember the name of the book, but he did have a chapter on playing orchestra
159
00:12:21,320 -->
00:12:22,320
reductions.
160
00:12:22,320 -->
00:12:25,520
I've never seen any other book.
161
00:12:25,520 -->
00:12:31,760
I think there's a Robert Spillman book also that has a chapter on playing orchestra reductions.
162
00:12:31,760 -->
00:12:39,080
He taught at Eastman for many years and was also a spectacular vocal accompanist.
163
00:12:39,080 -->
00:12:44,120
I actually studied with him as well, but they both wrote good books.
164
00:12:44,120 -->
00:12:49,840
Probably Bob Spillman's book is out of print, unfortunately, and it was an amazing book.
165
00:12:49,840 -->
00:12:57,960
I'll have to look on one of the websites and pay $300 to buy the out of print book, which
166
00:12:57,960 -->
00:13:03,440
to be honest with you, I almost would because that's how good it was.
167
00:13:03,440 -->
00:13:07,080
Do you come up with your own piano track transcriptions as well?
168
00:13:07,080 -->
00:13:13,680
Well, I can show you what I was just playing off.
169
00:13:13,680 -->
00:13:22,560
For most of music history, there weren't recordings, so almost everything written up to about 1950
170
00:13:22,560 -->
00:13:28,920
has a piano version, which is kind of fun to know if you like orchestra music and you're
171
00:13:28,920 -->
00:13:30,280
a pianist.
172
00:13:30,280 -->
00:13:39,360
You can really find online or IMSLIP, you can find almost any of your favorite Beethoven
173
00:13:39,360 -->
00:13:46,520
symphonies or Brahms symphonies in piano arrangements or at least in four-hand arrangements.
174
00:13:46,520 -->
00:13:49,480
That's where we get our reductions for the most part.
175
00:13:49,480 -->
00:13:53,360
If it's a contemporary piece, someone has to make one.
176
00:13:53,360 -->
00:13:59,480
It could be another pianist or we could hire it out to someone who does that thing.
177
00:13:59,480 -->
00:14:01,600
I've done some myself.
178
00:14:01,600 -->
00:14:06,240
I probably have played close to 100 ballets here.
179
00:14:06,240 -->
00:14:13,640
Most of them are about between 35 and 60 pages long.
180
00:14:13,640 -->
00:14:20,360
I could probably get through pretty well 50 ballets, just sit at the piano and play cover
181
00:14:20,360 -->
00:14:22,040
to cover.
182
00:14:22,040 -->
00:14:27,840
What does your day as a solo pianist for a major ballet company look like?
183
00:14:27,840 -->
00:14:29,600
How does your day start?
184
00:14:29,600 -->
00:14:32,520
Are you with dancers at the piano all day long?
185
00:14:32,520 -->
00:14:39,200
I rehearse between, generally between three hours and five hours a day.
186
00:14:39,200 -->
00:14:41,480
Usually it comes in about four.
187
00:14:41,480 -->
00:14:50,820
I start usually at 11.30 or 12 and there's a schedule that comes out two days in advance.
188
00:14:50,820 -->
00:14:59,280
It says who is rehearsing what, who the pianist is, who the rehearsal director is and also
189
00:14:59,280 -->
00:15:02,560
all the dancers that have to be in the rehearsal.
190
00:15:02,560 -->
00:15:10,400
The schedule, it shows one of six or seven studios, or I think five or six studios that
191
00:15:10,400 -->
00:15:13,400
we can rehearse in.
192
00:15:13,400 -->
00:15:14,400
Different pieces.
193
00:15:14,400 -->
00:15:21,800
Today I have to rehearse a piece called Camer Music by Hindemith, which is a piano concerto.
194
00:15:21,800 -->
00:15:24,000
It's from 12 to 12.30.
195
00:15:24,000 -->
00:15:28,160
Then I have to rehearse this piece, which is Serenade, the piece I was just playing,
196
00:15:28,160 -->
00:15:33,200
Serenade for Strings, from 1 to 2.30.
197
00:15:33,200 -->
00:15:40,400
That rehearsal is actually with the core because in ballet we have different categories of
198
00:15:40,400 -->
00:15:41,400
dancers.
199
00:15:41,400 -->
00:15:47,560
As you see on stage, there's a soloist, principal dancer often.
200
00:15:47,560 -->
00:15:53,120
The core generally is more the background, for want of a better word.
201
00:15:53,120 -->
00:15:56,500
Then you've got the people that are leading the troupe.
202
00:15:56,500 -->
00:15:58,080
Those are more principles.
203
00:15:58,080 -->
00:16:01,120
You, they don't always rehearse together.
204
00:16:01,120 -->
00:16:06,600
At one o'clock for Serenade, it will be a core rehearsal.
205
00:16:06,600 -->
00:16:11,420
Even though it has principal dancers in it, I'll just be rehearsing with the core for
206
00:16:11,420 -->
00:16:13,880
an hour and a half.
207
00:16:13,880 -->
00:16:15,480
They'll be going through it.
208
00:16:15,480 -->
00:16:20,760
It's a lot of responsibility because we're going to Madrid next week.
209
00:16:20,760 -->
00:16:27,640
This piece hasn't been touched by anyone for, I don't know, four months.
210
00:16:27,640 -->
00:16:30,600
There's going to be two of these rehearsals.
211
00:16:30,600 -->
00:16:36,200
Then tomorrow I'm playing what we call a complete, where the entire company will be there.
212
00:16:36,200 -->
00:16:38,520
The conductor will be there.
213
00:16:38,520 -->
00:16:43,640
The directors, Wendy Willen and Jonathan Stafford will be there.
214
00:16:43,640 -->
00:16:48,120
All the dancers in the ballet will play the ballet from beginning to end, which is the
215
00:16:48,120 -->
00:16:51,720
hardest thing we do.
216
00:16:51,720 -->
00:16:56,160
Playing with the conductor also is different than playing by yourself.
217
00:16:56,160 -->
00:17:00,120
It's a bit of an art form unto itself.
218
00:17:00,120 -->
00:17:04,960
What are the advantage, not to mention having a full-time paid job as a pianist, which is
219
00:17:04,960 -->
00:17:06,560
sort of rare, right?
220
00:17:06,560 -->
00:17:11,240
Because pianists don't usually, unless if you're teaching, you don't get to have that
221
00:17:11,240 -->
00:17:12,240
luxury.
222
00:17:12,240 -->
00:17:21,320
Now, what are the advantage of being part of this company and maybe you have more performance
223
00:17:21,320 -->
00:17:22,440
opportunities?
224
00:17:22,440 -->
00:17:26,120
Well, it is a reliable job.
225
00:17:26,120 -->
00:17:28,920
At different kind of levels of the job.
226
00:17:28,920 -->
00:17:35,480
I mean, just as with any part of the music business, there are different places you find
227
00:17:35,480 -->
00:17:37,040
yourself in.
228
00:17:37,040 -->
00:17:42,080
You can be a pianist who plays for ballet class.
229
00:17:42,080 -->
00:17:46,800
Around New York, there are probably 100 ballet classes every day in New York.
230
00:17:46,800 -->
00:17:48,680
I've done that before, yes.
231
00:17:48,680 -->
00:17:50,320
They need pianists.
232
00:17:50,320 -->
00:17:52,600
Oh, so you know about that.
233
00:17:52,600 -->
00:17:53,600
I also play class.
234
00:17:53,600 -->
00:17:55,480
I know how to do that.
235
00:17:55,480 -->
00:17:59,800
Then you can play with a company.
236
00:17:59,800 -->
00:18:05,200
That's maybe you'll be paid more money and you'll have more regular work.
237
00:18:05,200 -->
00:18:11,360
Then you can play, hopefully if you like doing that sort of thing, you can play with a major
238
00:18:11,360 -->
00:18:20,040
company and then you get a more full-time kind of job that resembles a regular job.
239
00:18:20,040 -->
00:18:21,040
Right.
240
00:18:21,040 -->
00:18:25,720
With benefits and insurance and the...
241
00:18:25,720 -->
00:18:28,000
Yeah, sure.
242
00:18:28,000 -->
00:18:33,520
I understand that part of full-time job, but more to do with, more than that, what are
243
00:18:33,520 -->
00:18:38,480
the opportunities as a pianist that comes with this?
244
00:18:38,480 -->
00:18:42,980
Because we have such a large repertoire and because the music we work with is so complicated,
245
00:18:42,980 -->
00:18:47,280
we can do any of the range of music at all.
246
00:18:47,280 -->
00:18:52,920
We have a fourth concerto, fifth concerto, we do the two Shostakovich concertos, all
247
00:18:52,920 -->
00:18:56,740
three Tchaikovsky concertos, Beethoven first.
248
00:18:56,740 -->
00:18:58,260
We do Ligeti etudes.
249
00:18:58,260 -->
00:19:03,480
We do at least three hours of Chopin music that we perform on stage.
250
00:19:03,480 -->
00:19:05,240
We do the Ravel sonatine.
251
00:19:05,240 -->
00:19:06,480
We do miroir.
252
00:19:06,480 -->
00:19:07,480
Wow.
253
00:19:07,480 -->
00:19:13,040
So, you get to really perform, not just the rehearsal.
254
00:19:13,040 -->
00:19:14,880
Oh, no.
255
00:19:14,880 -->
00:19:19,440
We play plenty of stuff on stage with the dancers.
256
00:19:19,440 -->
00:19:20,440
Wow.
257
00:19:20,440 -->
00:19:25,040
And then dancers are being, of course, choreographed with that music.
258
00:19:25,040 -->
00:19:26,720
That is really fascinating.
259
00:19:26,720 -->
00:19:29,400
I never knew that part of your job description.
260
00:19:29,400 -->
00:19:30,400
Oh, yeah.
261
00:19:30,400 -->
00:19:31,400
Yeah.
262
00:19:31,400 -->
00:19:33,240
It's the great part of...
263
00:19:33,240 -->
00:19:37,820
Well, all these other parts are also great parts.
264
00:19:37,820 -->
00:19:45,240
We do get opportunities to play big pieces that all pianists enjoy playing.
265
00:19:45,240 -->
00:19:52,700
And we play with a very fine orchestra and very fine conductors.
266
00:19:52,700 -->
00:19:54,640
It's kind of an unbelievable privilege.
267
00:19:54,640 -->
00:19:56,400
It is.
268
00:19:56,400 -->
00:19:57,400
That is fascinating.
269
00:19:57,400 -->
00:19:58,400
Yeah.
270
00:19:58,400 -->
00:20:05,480
I played...the last really big piece I played was in the spring last year.
271
00:20:05,480 -->
00:20:10,280
I played a piece called Piano Pieces by Jerry Robbins.
272
00:20:10,280 -->
00:20:16,680
And it's a 40-minute piece of solo Tchaikovsky piano music, ranging from children's pieces
273
00:20:16,680 -->
00:20:23,760
that are, of course, always a little more difficult than people think to very hard virtuoso
274
00:20:23,760 -->
00:20:31,640
pieces that are recorded by...well, everything's recorded now, but virtuoso piano pieces.
275
00:20:31,640 -->
00:20:33,040
And that was really great.
276
00:20:33,040 -->
00:20:39,400
And generally, we play on the apron, they call it, which is on the side of the stage.
277
00:20:39,400 -->
00:20:42,480
The pianist comes out and takes a bow for the audience.
278
00:20:42,480 -->
00:20:44,800
That's how the piece always starts.
279
00:20:44,800 -->
00:20:51,120
Then the lights kind of go down, and then they open the curtain, and then you play.
280
00:20:51,120 -->
00:20:55,360
And that piece has, I think, 13 pieces in it.
281
00:20:55,360 -->
00:20:57,400
I try to make a little story.
282
00:20:57,400 -->
00:21:02,640
It helps me, and it makes it more fun.
283
00:21:02,640 -->
00:21:09,120
Every music piece or choreography piece, generally there's some sort of structure, some sort
284
00:21:09,120 -->
00:21:17,040
of subtext or story, and that helps you kind of organize all these pieces and have fun
285
00:21:17,040 -->
00:21:21,900
telling the story that you think should be told with this music.
286
00:21:21,900 -->
00:21:23,920
And it also helps you get the tempos.
287
00:21:23,920 -->
00:21:30,480
That's really, really important, because like I was saying about the serenade, you have
288
00:21:30,480 -->
00:21:33,240
to be able to get kind of specific.
289
00:21:33,240 -->
00:21:36,440
You can't just go, it's not all about you.
290
00:21:36,440 -->
00:21:54,200
I mean, if you're, I don't know, Polini, you can sit and you can play.
291
00:21:54,200 -->
00:21:56,920
You can play whatever you want.
292
00:21:56,920 -->
00:22:04,960
But maybe the choreographer, maybe the story of this dance is a little more neutral.
293
00:22:04,960 -->
00:22:23,720
Even though it's Chopin, you might play...
294
00:22:23,720 -->
00:22:29,780
You might play something a little more broad, so you can make a picture.
295
00:22:29,780 -->
00:22:31,960
So the listener can make a picture.
296
00:22:31,960 -->
00:22:35,920
Instead of being involved with your emotion, maybe you want the listener to be able to
297
00:22:35,920 -->
00:22:38,240
dream.
298
00:22:38,240 -->
00:22:39,880
So that's the kind of thing.
299
00:22:39,880 -->
00:22:48,760
But if you say it is a kind of intimate communication with the dancer, and so that changes the tempo.
300
00:22:48,760 -->
00:22:59,680
You might play...
301
00:22:59,680 -->
00:23:01,480
Which is Poco Robato.
302
00:23:01,480 -->
00:23:05,600
So Poco Robato is something you can remember.
303
00:23:05,600 -->
00:23:17,780
Or you might do the broad moonlit thing, the picture.
304
00:23:17,780 -->
00:23:20,720
Which you might write semplice.
305
00:23:20,720 -->
00:23:23,320
Those are different tempos.
306
00:23:23,320 -->
00:23:29,520
The intimate one is slower and more in eighths.
307
00:23:29,520 -->
00:23:34,200
As I found in the second measure, as I was thinking about it, the moonlit one is more
308
00:23:34,200 -->
00:23:41,440
in two and has a slight larger rhythm that moves.
309
00:23:41,440 -->
00:23:43,680
And every possible variation.
310
00:23:43,680 -->
00:23:46,120
And I mean, these are the things we think about.
311
00:23:46,120 -->
00:23:49,280
We're privileged as pianists to play complete pieces.
312
00:23:49,280 -->
00:23:54,120
We're the only musicians that play so many complete pieces.
313
00:23:54,120 -->
00:23:57,960
Violinists only play half the music.
314
00:23:57,960 -->
00:24:05,000
And so we have a lot of fun, but we have a lot of responsibility to make decisions about
315
00:24:05,000 -->
00:24:06,880
characterization.
316
00:24:06,880 -->
00:24:10,040
And dance forces you to.
317
00:24:10,040 -->
00:24:14,500
It's not just anything you feel.
318
00:24:14,500 -->
00:24:18,000
It is important to realize that all the things you feel have validity.
319
00:24:18,000 -->
00:24:22,680
But you have to eventually decide what is it?
320
00:24:22,680 -->
00:24:27,560
Is it agitated?
321
00:24:27,560 -->
00:24:32,680
Or is it defiant?
322
00:24:32,680 -->
00:24:34,360
You know, what is it?
323
00:24:34,360 -->
00:24:37,600
And it's fine if you're playing by yourself.
324
00:24:37,600 -->
00:24:40,320
It's not even fine, really.
325
00:24:40,320 -->
00:24:44,880
Because you really have to have this, I feel strongly you have to have this language of
326
00:24:44,880 -->
00:24:47,560
emotion in your mind.
327
00:24:47,560 -->
00:24:52,640
This episode is presented in collaboration with our good friends at Forte, a free alternative
328
00:24:52,640 -->
00:24:55,920
to Zoom, purpose-built for music teachers.
329
00:24:55,920 -->
00:25:01,640
Forte offers features optimized for classical music lessons, including audio quality far
330
00:25:01,640 -->
00:25:07,280
sparrier to existing platforms and allowing you to hear every nuance of your student's
331
00:25:07,280 -->
00:25:08,280
instrument.
332
00:25:08,280 -->
00:25:13,160
And your colleagues at the Royal College of Music, Aspen Music Festival, Curtis Institute,
333
00:25:13,160 -->
00:25:17,800
and Berklee College of Music have even used Forte in their own programs.
334
00:25:17,800 -->
00:25:24,280
Forte's mission is to radically expand access to high quality music education worldwide.
335
00:25:24,280 -->
00:25:27,320
Forte always puts teachers and students first.
336
00:25:27,320 -->
00:25:32,000
This means you can use Forte with your own students for free forever.
337
00:25:32,000 -->
00:25:38,040
Sign up for free today at ForteLessons.com or click the link in the description.
338
00:25:38,040 -->
00:25:39,320
I had wonderful teachers.
339
00:25:39,320 -->
00:25:41,600
I had Richard Good for many years.
340
00:25:41,600 -->
00:25:47,840
And also the son of Schnabel I studied with, Karl-Erik Schnabel.
341
00:25:47,840 -->
00:25:54,040
And he taught me, he said, to begin a piece, you should play it in many different characters.
342
00:25:54,040 -->
00:26:01,240
Like every character you can think of so you can get this language that connects the head
343
00:26:01,240 -->
00:26:04,580
and the heart or the body.
344
00:26:04,580 -->
00:26:11,320
And it's very useful in dance because then you can remember a tempo in more than just
345
00:26:11,320 -->
00:26:14,960
an abstract, an intellectual way.
346
00:26:14,960 -->
00:26:20,200
Although you do, dance pianists do get a good sense of metronomic exactness.
347
00:26:20,200 -->
00:26:25,400
Like 63, 63 is different than 66.
348
00:26:25,400 -->
00:26:30,160
I don't want to test myself and embarrass myself.
349
00:26:30,160 -->
00:26:35,800
You know, one thing that helps sometimes is some pieces you just sort of know the tempo.
350
00:26:35,800 -->
00:26:48,960
And so like I know I could be wrong, but this little Scott Joplin waltz.
351
00:26:48,960 -->
00:26:51,960
I believe it's 96.
352
00:26:51,960 -->
00:27:09,720
One, two, three, actually I think that was too fast.
353
00:27:09,720 -->
00:27:10,860
So you remember that.
354
00:27:10,860 -->
00:27:16,440
So maybe I have to play some other piece that I decide is 96.
355
00:27:16,440 -->
00:27:21,440
You know, you remember a piece you know the tempo of, oh, that was 72.
356
00:27:21,440 -->
00:27:25,640
So yeah, develop this metronome in your body.
357
00:27:25,640 -->
00:27:33,000
I'm sure especially with, you know, playing with dancers forces you to be more aware of
358
00:27:33,000 -->
00:27:34,000
those things, right?
359
00:27:34,000 -->
00:27:35,000
Oh yeah.
360
00:27:35,000 -->
00:27:36,000
Yeah.
361
00:27:36,000 -->
00:27:37,000
Yeah.
362
00:27:37,000 -->
00:27:38,000
And it's fun.
363
00:27:38,000 -->
00:27:39,000
You have to look at it as fun.
364
00:27:39,000 -->
00:27:45,120
If you look at it as terrible and you know, how dare you play, you know, my sonata, you
365
00:27:45,120 -->
00:27:47,600
know, at 50 when I wrote 54.
366
00:27:47,600 -->
00:27:53,040
I mean, you're not going to do that.
367
00:27:53,040 -->
00:27:57,720
And then I think it's interesting.
368
00:27:57,720 -->
00:28:02,880
The two approaches to tempo in the studio, you can play the tempo that you think the
369
00:28:02,880 -->
00:28:05,520
orchestra will play all the time.
370
00:28:05,520 -->
00:28:06,800
That's one approach.
371
00:28:06,800 -->
00:28:09,440
That's a good approach for some people.
372
00:28:09,440 -->
00:28:14,240
Also you can look at the dancer and the situation.
373
00:28:14,240 -->
00:28:16,440
Where are they in their preparation?
374
00:28:16,440 -->
00:28:21,740
Are they remembering the piece that they've played a long time ago?
375
00:28:21,740 -->
00:28:23,880
Are they amazing dancers?
376
00:28:23,880 -->
00:28:31,240
And they, if you don't give them something to chew on, meaning a really healthy tempo,
377
00:28:31,240 -->
00:28:32,240
they're going to fall asleep.
378
00:28:32,240 -->
00:28:35,960
They're going to, they're going to not, it's too uninteresting for them.
379
00:28:35,960 -->
00:28:42,760
You know, you have to get into the personalities of working with.
380
00:28:42,760 -->
00:28:45,120
And that doesn't even just involve rhythm.
381
00:28:45,120 -->
00:28:47,720
It can involve sound also.
382
00:28:47,720 -->
00:28:52,520
You know, say I'm working with Tyler Peck, who's a complete virtuoso.
383
00:28:52,520 -->
00:28:55,480
She probably has the greatest ballet technique of our time.
384
00:28:55,480 -->
00:29:01,760
You know, so, and she's played Dancerinade a million times and say we're doing like
385
00:29:01,760 -->
00:29:04,640
a rehearsal right before, she's totally on it.
386
00:29:04,640 -->
00:29:05,640
She knows it.
387
00:29:05,640 -->
00:29:18,760
You know, if I play like, for her, which is Serenade for Strings, that's more of a tempo
388
00:29:18,760 -->
00:29:22,520
you would play when a dancer is trying to remember something.
389
00:29:22,520 -->
00:29:26,360
They're in the room and you don't want to impose too much.
390
00:29:26,360 -->
00:29:35,480
You want to remind them, remember this, you knew this last year.
391
00:29:35,480 -->
00:29:42,440
So they have space.
392
00:29:42,440 -->
00:29:45,160
So you know, you knew this last year.
393
00:29:45,160 -->
00:29:48,920
So just remember, you know, jog your memory a little bit.
394
00:29:48,920 -->
00:29:51,520
And you might have a dancer who's very tall.
395
00:29:51,520 -->
00:30:00,400
So they need the characterization, but they also need maybe a slower tempo.
396
00:30:00,400 -->
00:30:14,240
That's a bigger body.
397
00:30:14,240 -->
00:30:19,400
And so all these things, also these are words like characterizations of a Beethoven sonata.
398
00:30:19,400 -->
00:30:21,760
Is it aggressive?
399
00:30:21,760 -->
00:30:23,720
Is it stately?
400
00:30:23,720 -->
00:30:25,240
Is it what's the difference?
401
00:30:25,240 -->
00:30:29,880
I mean, there was a big long Schnabel article in the beginning of Opus 111.
402
00:30:29,880 -->
00:30:33,400
What's the difference between maestoso and larghetto?
403
00:30:33,400 -->
00:30:37,640
There is a difference.
404
00:30:37,640 -->
00:30:44,920
It doesn't mean you're locked in to this terrible odious pedanticism, but you want to project
405
00:30:44,920 -->
00:30:53,680
some specific, in order for an audience to read your music or for a dancer to read your
406
00:30:53,680 -->
00:30:56,360
tempo, it has to be specific.
407
00:30:56,360 -->
00:30:57,360
Wow.
408
00:30:57,360 -->
00:31:00,000
All these things are very fascinating.
409
00:31:00,000 -->
00:31:06,280
But what attracted you to start this career, and especially as a full-time soloist at a
410
00:31:06,280 -->
00:31:07,560
ballet company?
411
00:31:07,560 -->
00:31:11,840
Did you start as like, like internship or apprenticeship?
412
00:31:11,840 -->
00:31:14,280
No, not really.
413
00:31:14,280 -->
00:31:16,520
They kind of throw it all at you at once.
414
00:31:16,520 -->
00:31:21,120
It's sort of a little sink or swim.
415
00:31:21,120 -->
00:31:22,580
They're kinder now.
416
00:31:22,580 -->
00:31:30,080
But when you come in, when I came in, I think I had to play Suite 3 by Tchaikovsky, which
417
00:31:30,080 -->
00:31:37,160
is a big orchestra piece, complete, on stage with the conductor, the entire company, and
418
00:31:37,160 -->
00:31:38,720
within a couple weeks.
419
00:31:38,720 -->
00:31:44,440
And then I played the second act of Midsummer Night's Dream, which is about 40 minutes long,
420
00:31:44,440 -->
00:31:46,560
on stage with the whole company.
421
00:31:46,560 -->
00:31:47,760
And that's the way it used to be.
422
00:31:47,760 -->
00:31:54,240
It used to be a really, really challenging, to say the least.
423
00:31:54,240 -->
00:31:57,040
You went Juilliard for Masters, right?
424
00:31:57,040 -->
00:32:00,520
And then for Doctorate, you went to Stony Brook, the great schools.
425
00:32:00,520 -->
00:32:04,720
Now, did they prepare you to be the ballet pianist?
426
00:32:04,720 -->
00:32:06,480
No, not really.
427
00:32:06,480 -->
00:32:14,920
I mean, I think one of the main things that helps me is that I started as a jazz pianist.
428
00:32:14,920 -->
00:32:16,480
Oh, really?
429
00:32:16,480 -->
00:32:19,040
Yeah.
430
00:32:19,040 -->
00:32:22,640
And I was very good.
431
00:32:22,640 -->
00:32:26,560
I studied with very famous jazz teachers.
432
00:32:26,560 -->
00:32:34,680
I was New York State in high school, the first, I don't know what they call it, all-state
433
00:32:34,680 -->
00:32:39,160
pianist, jazz pianist, two years in a row, New York State, which is a lot of jazz pianists
434
00:32:39,160 -->
00:32:40,160
are in New York.
435
00:32:40,160 -->
00:32:45,880
You know, my sense of music is very, in a sense, it's kind of conceptual.
436
00:32:45,880 -->
00:32:50,280
Like the piano is just a part of what I do.
437
00:32:50,280 -->
00:32:52,040
It's just the expression of what I do.
438
00:32:52,040 -->
00:32:55,000
But I just play music.
439
00:32:55,000 -->
00:33:02,520
And when I see music, because I was a jazz pianist, I just see harmony.
440
00:33:02,520 -->
00:33:09,080
So when you're playing reductions, there's a kind of quick analysis of what's going on
441
00:33:09,080 -->
00:33:10,080
in the music.
442
00:33:10,080 -->
00:33:15,320
I mean, this is not only true of jazz pianists by any means, but it helped me to be less
443
00:33:15,320 -->
00:33:16,320
orthodox.
444
00:33:16,320 -->
00:33:20,520
Like, you know, I'm not like, what finger am I going to put on the note?
445
00:33:20,520 -->
00:33:31,320
I'm like, OK, you know, this is serenade, so it's slow, it's 6-8, it's A minor, it's
446
00:33:31,320 -->
00:33:32,560
moving to the dominant.
447
00:33:32,560 -->
00:33:39,520
You know, like these little almost like cue cards, you know, what you know in the music.
448
00:33:39,520 -->
00:33:40,880
Now it's changing tempo.
449
00:33:40,880 -->
00:33:43,960
Now this phrase is eight measures, this phrase is six measures.
450
00:33:43,960 -->
00:33:49,520
So I studied composition with Howard Boatwright, who's a wonderful composer and a pupil of
451
00:33:49,520 -->
00:33:50,520
Hindemith.
452
00:33:50,520 -->
00:33:53,200
So I had really good composition training.
453
00:33:53,200 -->
00:33:58,800
And you know, really, I mean, my musical life, I mean, the main thing I do is play the piano,
454
00:33:58,800 -->
00:34:01,800
but I mean, it's like all day.
455
00:34:01,800 -->
00:34:07,480
It's listening, thinking about structures, thinking about reading about music history.
456
00:34:07,480 -->
00:34:08,840
Yeah, wow.
457
00:34:08,840 -->
00:34:14,600
But that's very different from traditional way of learning piano, because you have this
458
00:34:14,600 -->
00:34:19,260
background of jazz and also the training of composition.
459
00:34:19,260 -->
00:34:21,320
So you see music differently.
460
00:34:21,320 -->
00:34:27,560
So I think, yeah, then obviously playing for dancers also give you a different perspectives
461
00:34:27,560 -->
00:34:29,800
about playing piano, right?
462
00:34:29,800 -->
00:34:33,600
Yeah, and also I'm, well, you mean playing itself.
463
00:34:33,600 -->
00:34:40,520
For example, you know, compared to I've done ton of work collaboration with singers and
464
00:34:40,520 -->
00:34:41,520
instrumentalists, right?
465
00:34:41,520 -->
00:34:44,520
So as opposed to that playing for dancers, right?
466
00:34:44,520 -->
00:34:48,760
Well, you have to give them the structure more because they're going to be dancing to
467
00:34:48,760 -->
00:34:52,520
people actually for one thing, they're going to be dancing to people that can't really
468
00:34:52,520 -->
00:34:54,200
see them while they're playing.
469
00:34:54,200 -->
00:34:58,720
So obviously, they're dancing to the music.
470
00:34:58,720 -->
00:35:04,120
So you can't follow them in the same way that you follow a singer.
471
00:35:04,120 -->
00:35:09,480
I want to say that with a caveat, you can follow them also, but as a rule, you have
472
00:35:09,480 -->
00:35:11,960
to keep in mind that they need structure.
473
00:35:11,960 -->
00:35:13,400
You can't see them.
474
00:35:13,400 -->
00:35:20,880
So that is so you can't really like, you know, connect in that way.
475
00:35:20,880 -->
00:35:45,280
So that's why what you do has to be involved with them, but defined.
476
00:35:45,280 -->
00:35:49,240
Kind of very definite, you know, like this is what it is.
477
00:35:49,240 -->
00:35:51,640
So they know where the music is.
478
00:35:51,640 -->
00:35:54,000
They need to know where the music is.
479
00:35:54,000 -->
00:35:58,880
That's in a way, your primary responsibility is a structural responsibility.
480
00:35:58,880 -->
00:36:03,160
Now when you're playing for singers, you know, I studied with Gil Kalish also, who was a
481
00:36:03,160 -->
00:36:05,760
great vocal accompanist.
482
00:36:05,760 -->
00:36:09,440
And he always said the pianist provides the structure in that too.
483
00:36:09,440 -->
00:36:13,680
So I, my career is not a vocal accompanist.
484
00:36:13,680 -->
00:36:15,880
Maybe you do more than I do.
485
00:36:15,880 -->
00:36:22,160
I used to do a lot when I was in school, but when I was accompanying voice, a lot of it
486
00:36:22,160 -->
00:36:27,680
was in the studio and a lot of it was about a kind of following or connecting, which is
487
00:36:27,680 -->
00:36:29,800
what made it so enjoyable.
488
00:36:29,800 -->
00:36:36,240
But I have to say that, you know, Gil, who was a great vocal accompanist, always talked
489
00:36:36,240 -->
00:36:38,560
about providing the structure.
490
00:36:38,560 -->
00:36:39,560
Right.
491
00:36:39,560 -->
00:36:40,560
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
492
00:36:40,560 -->
00:36:42,160
But I think it's more so for dancers.
493
00:36:42,160 -->
00:36:46,120
I guess they have to really keep the beat, right?
494
00:36:46,120 -->
00:36:48,880
They keep a beat and they need to know where they are in the piece.
495
00:36:48,880 -->
00:36:49,880
In the piece, yes.
496
00:36:49,880 -->
00:36:55,440
And it's impossible to sort of feeling each other, although you may, but because they're
497
00:36:55,440 -->
00:36:58,160
on a different, you know, you can't see them.
498
00:36:58,160 -->
00:37:00,000
It has to happen after.
499
00:37:00,000 -->
00:37:06,120
I mean, it's when you play a solo piano piece, like the Robbins piece, I talked about the
500
00:37:06,120 -->
00:37:11,800
Tchaikovsky or Dances at a Gathering is an hour long Chopin piece by Robbins with hard
501
00:37:11,800 -->
00:37:16,240
pieces like the B minor scherzo and all sorts of crazy stuff.
502
00:37:16,240 -->
00:37:20,160
You know, when you play those things, you can connect more.
503
00:37:20,160 -->
00:37:25,120
But still, there's something that's agreed upon prior, really.
504
00:37:25,120 -->
00:37:26,520
Right, right, right.
505
00:37:26,520 -->
00:37:32,320
That's why there's you spend so much time on rehearsals and you spend time in rehearsals,
506
00:37:32,320 -->
00:37:36,160
like the things I was showing before different ways.
507
00:37:36,160 -->
00:37:43,280
And then once that way is established, you can connect, you know, that's the wonderful
508
00:37:43,280 -->
00:37:44,280
thing.
509
00:37:44,280 -->
00:37:49,040
But until that is established, and I suppose there are some dancers that are just, you
510
00:37:49,040 -->
00:37:53,440
know, spontaneous and maybe you just throw the book out the window and just connect.
511
00:37:53,440 -->
00:37:55,760
And you know, that's great if you can see them.
512
00:37:55,760 -->
00:37:58,880
If you can see them.
513
00:37:58,880 -->
00:38:04,240
Hey TPP friends and listeners, the Piano Pod is in its third season.
514
00:38:04,240 -->
00:38:09,440
Thanks to all of you for watching or listening to every episode since its launch in 2020.
515
00:38:09,440 -->
00:38:14,480
I started this show with a simple question I had in mind for quite some time, which is
516
00:38:14,480 -->
00:38:19,000
how can we as classical pianist and music educators present the beautiful classical
517
00:38:19,000 -->
00:38:24,320
music tradition to the 21st century audience in a fun and contemporary and stylish and
518
00:38:24,320 -->
00:38:25,320
engaging way?
519
00:38:25,320 -->
00:38:31,080
It's been an incredible journey for the last three years, and I love what I do through
520
00:38:31,080 -->
00:38:36,880
this podcast, providing a platform for pianists and educators to reflect and discuss freely
521
00:38:36,880 -->
00:38:42,080
how we can keep the classical music industry thriving and relevant in this rapidly changing
522
00:38:42,080 -->
00:38:43,080
world.
523
00:38:43,080 -->
00:38:47,780
Now more than ever, I need your support so that I can continue my work by bringing you
524
00:38:47,780 -->
00:38:52,160
highly valuable content bi-weekly by interviewing groundbreakers in the industry.
525
00:38:52,160 -->
00:38:57,280
You can make a one time donation or monthly pledge by clicking the PayPal link in the
526
00:38:57,280 -->
00:39:02,440
show notes or going to the Piano Pod's website at thepianopod.com.
527
00:39:02,440 -->
00:39:07,480
As a thank you, you will receive the Piano Pod's fun logo sticker in the mail.
528
00:39:07,480 -->
00:39:12,440
So please support my show today and don't forget to subscribe and continue listening
529
00:39:12,440 -->
00:39:15,480
and tell your friends and colleagues about the Piano Pod.
530
00:39:15,480 -->
00:39:18,000
Let's continue with the episode.
531
00:39:18,000 -->
00:39:27,760
I just love dance because dance is another way that music can reach people because some
532
00:39:27,760 -->
00:39:29,680
people are more visual.
533
00:39:29,680 -->
00:39:32,240
Like they say, there are seven types of learning, right?
534
00:39:32,240 -->
00:39:37,800
Some people are more, they learn with their eyes and it's friendlier for them to hear
535
00:39:37,800 -->
00:39:41,600
a piece of music with choreography.
536
00:39:41,600 -->
00:39:43,880
It helps their imagination.
537
00:39:43,880 -->
00:39:50,520
They connect with the, seeing someone move makes you feel your own body.
538
00:39:50,520 -->
00:39:55,520
Seeing a stage set evokes, stimulates your imagination.
539
00:39:55,520 -->
00:40:02,960
You were talking about reaching people before we started the conversation and one of the
540
00:40:02,960 -->
00:40:08,620
things that I feel really strongly about, you know, you're asking what is the relevance
541
00:40:08,620 -->
00:40:12,360
of music and society and stuff.
542
00:40:12,360 -->
00:40:18,200
Music and all art, it's a much more, in a way it's a more specific language than the
543
00:40:18,200 -->
00:40:24,760
words we use because it combines ideas and emotions in a way that's much more sophisticated
544
00:40:24,760 -->
00:40:29,160
than we're able to, I mean maybe if you're Shakespeare or something, you know, you can
545
00:40:29,160 -->
00:40:31,680
communicate those ideas and words.
546
00:40:31,680 -->
00:40:37,200
But people in the world have problems, people have problems, but they go to see a dance
547
00:40:37,200 -->
00:40:47,400
performance and it puts them back in themselves in a way that's tremendously healthy, even
548
00:40:47,400 -->
00:40:48,560
practical.
549
00:40:48,560 -->
00:40:54,840
We really need that in the world and art, people say, oh you shouldn't be an artist
550
00:40:54,840 -->
00:41:00,680
because you know, how are you going to make money and stuff, but it would be a terrible
551
00:41:00,680 -->
00:41:05,240
world if, just terrible if no one tried to do it.
552
00:41:05,240 -->
00:41:07,600
It is very, very hard, but it would be terrible.
553
00:41:07,600 -->
00:41:13,800
We would have more wars and we would have, you know, we would have more, probably more
554
00:41:13,800 -->
00:41:18,960
diseases, maybe even, you know, because the scientists wouldn't be as good because they
555
00:41:18,960 -->
00:41:21,000
would be unhappy people.
556
00:41:21,000 -->
00:41:22,000
Absolutely.
557
00:41:22,000 -->
00:41:28,640
Art is just wonderful, it's like the best medicine.
558
00:41:28,640 -->
00:41:35,200
So that concludes the first half of this fun episode of the Piano Pod with Dr. Alan Moverman,
559
00:41:35,200 -->
00:41:37,840
piano soloist at New York City Ballet.
560
00:41:37,840 -->
00:41:44,440
Tune in next Tuesday, April 4th at 8pm Eastern to hear the rest of Alan's stories from the
561
00:41:44,440 -->
00:41:49,600
backstage of the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, which is home to one of the
562
00:41:49,600 -->
00:41:52,520
most celebrated ballet companies in the world.
563
00:41:52,520 -->
00:41:58,560
If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review it wherever you get your podcasts.
564
00:41:58,560 -->
00:42:02,480
You can also watch this episode on the Piano Pod's YouTube channel.
565
00:42:02,480 -->
00:42:08,000
And don't forget to follow my show on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
566
00:42:08,000 -->
00:42:10,160
The links are listed in the show notes.
567
00:42:10,160 -->
00:42:33,000
Till next time.
