Part 1 of Season 4 Episode 9: Dr. Michael Coonrod -- Classical Pianist, Recording Artist, Educator, and Arranger specializing in music for the Left Hand Alone

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000
["Pomp and Circumstance"]
2
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,000
["Pomp and Circumstance"]
3
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,000
["Pomp and Circumstance"]
4
00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,000
["Pomp and Circumstance"]
5
00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000
["Pomp and Circumstance"]
6
00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,000
["Pomp and Circumstance"]
7
00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,000
Happy New Year, 2024, and welcome back
8
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,000
to another episode of the PianoPod, here, tradition
9
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:03,920
meets innovation.
10
00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,280
We bridge the timeless beauty of the piano
11
00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,560
with the dynamic pulse of today's world.
12
00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,640
I am your host, Yukime Song.
13
00:02:10,640 --> 00:02:13,440
I hope you all had wonderful holidays surrounded
14
00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:15,560
by your loved ones.
15
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,840
After a brief break, I'm so happy to be back podcasting
16
00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,680
in the new year and interviewing incredible talents
17
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,720
of the classical music industry.
18
00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:28,400
As an inaugural episode of 2024, I am excited to tell you
19
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,600
that I invited Dr. Michael Kunrod, performing
20
00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,280
classical pianist, recording artist, educator,
21
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,560
and arranger of music for the left hand
22
00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,240
alone, who has recently retired from the Interlochen Center
23
00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,760
for the Arts after a remarkable 46-year tenure as a piano
24
00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:46,120
faculty member.
25
00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,000
Usually, I would continue the episode
26
00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,280
by reading the guest's bio right now,
27
00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,320
but today, I wanted to do something different.
28
00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,880
Before our usual introduction and welcome,
29
00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,480
I decided to invite and chat with a special guest, who
30
00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,880
is a dear friend and colleague of mine, whom
31
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,280
I've known for many years through working
32
00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,080
for this nonprofit organization in New York City
33
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,120
as a board member and through many fun projects
34
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,000
I get to collaborate with.
35
00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,920
He has also become a contributor and faithful listener
36
00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:18,360
of the PianoPod in recent months.
37
00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,040
So please allow me to introduce my friend, classical pianist,
38
00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,400
educator, web designer, and my personal tech advisor, Mr.
39
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:27,520
Bo-Ki Wang.
40
00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:29,520
Yay, thank you.
41
00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:30,680
Great to be here.
42
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,720
So today's guest, Dr. Kunrod, you
43
00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,600
introduced me to this amazing pianist and teacher.
44
00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:41,720
I know that you met him through the Interlochen Arts Academy.
45
00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,960
So tell us, what was it like learning from him?
46
00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,240
So let's start with how you met.
47
00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,960
When I was 15 years old, I moved from Taiwan
48
00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:52,800
to Michigan.
49
00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,640
And I remember our first day there, all the pianists,
50
00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,720
all the new students, it's like a jury, right?
51
00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,000
You play for all the piano faculties,
52
00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,760
unless you indicate who you want to study with.
53
00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:06,480
By the time I didn't know anybody.
54
00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:08,720
So I followed the normal position.
55
00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:13,200
We play, I think, a piece or two and some skills, basic stuff.
56
00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:18,680
And then I was told I was going to study with Dr. Kunrod.
57
00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:19,920
So that's how we met.
58
00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,640
So what was the reason you chose the Interlochen Arts Academy?
59
00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,320
I understand it's one of the prestigious music
60
00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:28,120
schools in the United States.
61
00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,880
So at the time, we were looking at high schools
62
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,000
specifically for performing arts.
63
00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,640
And there were three of them.
64
00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,880
There are three different schools, one in California,
65
00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,240
one in Michigan, one in Boston.
66
00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,400
Matter of fact, I was actually going to Paris, originally,
67
00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:47,760
not in the United States.
68
00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,880
So at the time, I was learning French back home.
69
00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,920
And my mom felt maybe we need to have a backup plane.
70
00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,400
So she flew here, visit schools.
71
00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,120
And then she thought Interlochen was the right choice.
72
00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:00,120
Wow.
73
00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,040
But it's surprising to me, because after so many years,
74
00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,120
I didn't know that you were planning to go to Paris
75
00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:07,280
and study French.
76
00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:08,360
Oh my goodness.
77
00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,640
I had everything ready.
78
00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,160
At the time, I have all the visa ready.
79
00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:14,280
Everything was set.
80
00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:17,120
But because I just turned 15 at the time,
81
00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,280
and the life in Paris is really different.
82
00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:21,480
You have to be on your own.
83
00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,720
So at the time, my family thought,
84
00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,600
maybe that's not a good idea.
85
00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,880
So that's why we were looking at this backup plane.
86
00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,720
I can't imagine you speaking in French.
87
00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:33,120
It took me a year.
88
00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:34,560
It's difficult.
89
00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:35,640
I bet.
90
00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,280
But coming as a high school student from Taiwan,
91
00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:43,040
and I'm sure you've encountered so many cultural language
92
00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:44,800
differences, obviously.
93
00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:48,320
Later on, you came to New York and studied at Manhattan School
94
00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:48,960
of Music.
95
00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,440
You went through college and master's degree.
96
00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:55,000
But before then, starting from the Interlochen,
97
00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,160
what was it like?
98
00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,600
I met Kunrod after I learned, OK,
99
00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,200
I'm going to study with him.
100
00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,200
I remember first week, or even the second week of school,
101
00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,160
after my lesson, he said, if I ever feel lonely,
102
00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,360
if I want to feel like being at a home setting,
103
00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,520
he want me to call him, because he said,
104
00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:13,840
they have extra bedrooms.
105
00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:15,520
I'm more than welcome to stay with them.
106
00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,200
And that was only the second week I just met him.
107
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:18,920
He doesn't know me.
108
00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:19,640
I don't know him.
109
00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:24,400
And that made me feel like, wow, you would do that for me.
110
00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,440
We left our family to come here to study,
111
00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:31,880
and he want to make us feel welcomed, or even feel
112
00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,840
natural to homesick.
113
00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:34,440
Right.
114
00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,360
And also safe.
115
00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,080
I myself was an international student.
116
00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:43,120
And then more than anything, because you
117
00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,240
feel so insecure because you had to learn the language,
118
00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,600
that's one thing that really takes a lot of toll on you,
119
00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:51,800
not knowing the language.
120
00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,080
I don't know how much you were speaking English at that time.
121
00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:56,280
I was going to mention that.
122
00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:59,960
So I had very poor English back then.
123
00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:02,160
I had no idea what was going on.
124
00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:06,080
I remember my first set of class was September 11.
125
00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:07,640
September 11 happened.
126
00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:09,320
I was walking to lunch.
127
00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,760
And going through lunch, we go through a hotel lobby.
128
00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,920
We have a hotel in our campus just for guests to stay in.
129
00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,320
And that's where the cafeteria was, behind a hotel.
130
00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,160
And I was walking through the lobby,
131
00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,600
and then TV was showing what happened during 9-11.
132
00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:26,480
And my English was so bad at the time,
133
00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:27,520
I thought it was a movie.
134
00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,640
I didn't know what was happening at the time.
135
00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:32,800
So of course, the school canceled the day.
136
00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,560
I can't remember detail, but it was a chaos, as you can imagine.
137
00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,600
So it was your first, really, first day of the school
138
00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:43,000
as a boarding.
139
00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:44,120
As an international.
140
00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:44,640
Right.
141
00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:49,240
So once you have someone talk to you this way, saying, hey,
142
00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,360
if you want, call me.
143
00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:52,280
We'll pick you up.
144
00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,000
You can stay with us over the weekend.
145
00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,040
That's really something.
146
00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:00,040
So tell me what it was like to be part of Dr. Kunra's piano
147
00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,000
studio at Interlochen.
148
00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:03,640
You want to be better.
149
00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:05,440
That's why we practice every day.
150
00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:06,800
And it can be stressful.
151
00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:11,400
Maybe we will have competitions coming up, or any reasons.
152
00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:15,440
Because Interlochen, just like conservatory,
153
00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,120
they were very, very strict or competitive.
154
00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,440
But with Kunra, we are always, yes, of course, we work hard.
155
00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:28,360
But he wanted to make sure that we have a balance.
156
00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,000
Where Interlochen is, we're basically
157
00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,120
in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature.
158
00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:34,640
Right.
159
00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:35,160
Oh, nice.
160
00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:36,280
So he will take us out.
161
00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:38,720
I remember there were times we would run around the building.
162
00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,360
I mean, we were 15, 16 years old.
163
00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,360
He will take us around around the building.
164
00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,480
And you can see everybody was working so hard in the studio class.
165
00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:49,840
And we're the only one running around.
166
00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:51,120
Just two laps.
167
00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:52,240
Really, just two laps.
168
00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:54,120
We run around the building two laps.
169
00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:55,960
We'll come back in the building.
170
00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,240
He will have everybody lay under the piano
171
00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:00,800
when other people are playing.
172
00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,920
Or sometimes he will make tea for us in the studio class.
173
00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:09,760
Our studio class, he wanted to make sure that we are all relaxed,
174
00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,040
not too stressed, and it's all about the balance.
175
00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,160
We can just be in the practice room for a long time.
176
00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,040
But during the studio class, it was really important.
177
00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:23,040
We did a lot of things that normal studio classes people,
178
00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:24,800
we teacher wouldn't do.
179
00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,240
And we'll goof around.
180
00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,320
We were kids at the time.
181
00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,560
And that was great.
182
00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:34,160
He takes time to talk to you.
183
00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:35,520
He cares about you.
184
00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,880
Being an artist or being a pianist, it's not, yes.
185
00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:39,720
You practice hard.
186
00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:41,160
You do all the right things.
187
00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:43,680
But you've got to love what you do.
188
00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:47,520
And I think at the time, Dr. Kumrat, he always
189
00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,320
tells us, we know he's really, really busy.
190
00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:52,960
He still performed.
191
00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,480
He made a lot of recordings.
192
00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,080
And how do you find the time?
193
00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,760
And because he just loves what he does.
194
00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,960
And it doesn't seem like a work to him.
195
00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:09,760
And so music, again, it can be very competitive.
196
00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:14,800
Or it can be something that it's about you, what you love.
197
00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:19,560
Not trying to, I want to be better than you.
198
00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:23,200
I think that's one of the things I learned.
199
00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:27,520
Do you have any fun stories, besides all the things
200
00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:31,240
you mentioned, with Dr. Kumrat, learning from him?
201
00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,720
Or maybe spending some time with him, like memorable moments?
202
00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:36,400
All the serious things aside, right?
203
00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,760
Because I think that everybody there will practice.
204
00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:40,960
We will do academics.
205
00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:42,160
We do all that.
206
00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,640
But the things I remember the most,
207
00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,640
it's those things that other people don't do.
208
00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:50,160
Again, it was doing studio classes,
209
00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,040
because there was a group of us.
210
00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,520
He took us on the little hike behind the school.
211
00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:57,400
We found those roots.
212
00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,160
And we came back in the studio.
213
00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,040
He made us tea or something, just from the roots,
214
00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:03,920
doing our studio classes.
215
00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,680
And I think at the time he was doing the finalist week,
216
00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:09,680
I don't remember exactly the timing at the time.
217
00:11:09,680 --> 00:11:12,680
But I know the whole thing that he did that for us,
218
00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:16,480
because he wanted us to do something else, not just
219
00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:17,280
practicing.
220
00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:22,120
I don't know if we're allowed to use fire at the time
221
00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:23,200
at the piano building.
222
00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,040
But we made tea in the studio class.
223
00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,360
Those moments stay with you, because those
224
00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,360
are abnormal moments.
225
00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:31,600
And you appreciate that.
226
00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:32,800
Don't take it too seriously.
227
00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,360
I guess that's why it is.
228
00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:39,600
How did Mr. Coonrod influence you and change your life?
229
00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:41,160
He recently retired.
230
00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:45,440
And his retired concert was livestreamed on the website.
231
00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:46,720
I was able to watch it.
232
00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,840
And he played his transcription of the Danny Boy
233
00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:51,280
for Life Hang Only.
234
00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:53,840
And at the time, I was like, oh, man, this is so beautiful.
235
00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,400
I know he just recorded a CD.
236
00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,400
And because I'm not there, at the end of the concert,
237
00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,280
he goes, when you leave, pick up a copy of the CD.
238
00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:04,840
He wanted to give it away.
239
00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,080
And all of the time, I was like, man, I really want it,
240
00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,600
because such a good recording.
241
00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:10,720
So I wrote to Coonrod.
242
00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:12,440
I said, I watched this.
243
00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,360
I would love to have a copy of your transcription,
244
00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,600
because it's such a beautiful transcription.
245
00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:18,840
So he sent it to me.
246
00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:20,760
That's right before I went to Vermont.
247
00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,480
So Vermont, we spent a week there.
248
00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,240
Basically, it's a piano retreat, but whatever.
249
00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,000
So I learned it.
250
00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,680
That was last summer, right?
251
00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:31,200
That was last summer.
252
00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:38,720
So we have a half-year reunion concert coming up in January.
253
00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:40,080
And I'm planning to play that.
254
00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:41,600
What reunion?
255
00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:45,920
So Vermont, this program.
256
00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:46,840
Retreat.
257
00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:47,400
Retreat.
258
00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:53,400
We always do a half-year reunion concert in January.
259
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:58,120
And I'm planning to play Coonrod's arrangement of Danny Boy
260
00:12:58,120 --> 00:12:59,040
for the concert.
261
00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,360
And he's really excited about it.
262
00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,200
And as he was telling me that, it's
263
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,160
really nice to hear someone else playing his arrangement.
264
00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,280
And I'm very honored that I can do it.
265
00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,080
Poki, thank you for being here today
266
00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,360
as the guest of the introductory segment of this episode
267
00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,080
and telling us the memories and personal stories
268
00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:18,440
you shared with your mentor, which
269
00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:22,480
adds so much anticipation and excitement to the interview
270
00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:23,720
with Dr. Coonrod.
271
00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:25,080
Looking forward to it.
272
00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,800
So before finally inviting Dr. Coonrod,
273
00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,400
let me briefly cite his bio.
274
00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,840
Dr. Michael Coonrod's illustrious career
275
00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,080
as a classical pianist, recording artist, and educator
276
00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:40,600
spans continents, captivating audiences worldwide.
277
00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,280
His musical footprint resonates globally
278
00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,160
from enthralling performances with orchestras
279
00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,000
playing Beethoven's Concerto No.
280
00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,760
4 to sharing the stage with the Kindow Conservatory of Music
281
00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,080
in China.
282
00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,360
He has graced esteemed gatherings
283
00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,360
like the American Liss Society, the International Violin
284
00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:01,000
Congress, and more.
285
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:05,120
Among his several recordings is the album highlighting Michigan
286
00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,360
composer Albert Fillmore's work, which
287
00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,800
was a passion project supporting aspiring composers
288
00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:13,440
through his scholarships.
289
00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,680
Dr. Coonrod boasts over 50 years of enriching students'
290
00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:20,040
lives through teaching piano.
291
00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:23,080
At the Interlochen Arts Academy, one of the nation's
292
00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,480
prestigious music institutions, he passionately
293
00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,320
nurtured countless talents for 46 years
294
00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,840
until his retirement in 2022.
295
00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:36,280
Beyond music, Dr. Coonrod finds joy
296
00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:40,680
in crafting a model railroad, performing chamber music,
297
00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:44,160
and lending his talents to accompany a church choir.
298
00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:48,600
His life orchestrates passion, expertise, and a symphony
299
00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:50,840
of diverse interests.
300
00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,240
So before getting started with this special episode,
301
00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,520
I want to welcome all our first timers to the PianoPod.
302
00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,600
I'm a classical pianist and educator from New York City.
303
00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,120
Whether diving deep into a piano career,
304
00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,520
working professionally in the classical music scene,
305
00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,840
or simply having a passion for piano tunes,
306
00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:09,920
this podcast is your backstage pass
307
00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:11,720
to the fascinating piano world.
308
00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:13,920
I also want to welcome back and thank you
309
00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,560
to your amazing TPP fans and faithful listeners
310
00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:17,880
who are tuning in today.
311
00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,920
Please rate and review the show on your favorite podcast
312
00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:22,720
platform because every rating review
313
00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:24,920
will help people find the show.
314
00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,400
So dear TPP fans and listeners, I
315
00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,040
can't wait to interview Dr. Michael Coonrod
316
00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,840
to hear about this remarkable career as a concert pianist,
317
00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,160
recording artist, and educator.
318
00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,400
So stick with me till the end of our conversation
319
00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:43,200
as it will lead to a more reflective discussion on how
320
00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,800
we train classical musicians, should keep classical music
321
00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:51,160
relevant, and thriving in today's rapidly changing world.
322
00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:52,760
So here we go, dear friends.
323
00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:54,120
Please enjoy the show.
324
00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:58,880
["Piano Pod"]
325
00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:00,560
You are listening to the PianoPod,
326
00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,360
where we talk to the brightest minds in the industry
327
00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:09,080
about how they are bringing the piano into the 21st century.
328
00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:11,680
We are here with Dr. Michael Coonrod,
329
00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,440
performing classical pianist, recording artist, educator,
330
00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,200
arranger of music for the left hand alone.
331
00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,680
So welcome, Dr. Coonrod, to the PianoPod.
332
00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:22,520
Thank you for being here today.
333
00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:23,840
I'm honored that you would ask me.
334
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:24,360
Thank you.
335
00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:25,560
I'm looking forward to it.
336
00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:26,280
Same here.
337
00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,080
Now, Pocky Huang, fellow pianist and educator
338
00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,960
and my colleague at Non-Profit Organization,
339
00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,440
the Piano Teachers Congress of New York, connected me to you.
340
00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:38,440
I understand you were Pocky's teacher
341
00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,840
while he was studying at the Interlochen Arts Academy,
342
00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,080
and you are a mentor to him.
343
00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:46,800
And he says you changed his life and made him
344
00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,000
who he is today as an artist and educator.
345
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,200
So nice to hear, because so often students might not
346
00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,880
contact you for years, sometimes decades, sometimes maybe
347
00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:58,160
weeks.
348
00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,400
But to know that I was an influence on his life
349
00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:05,520
after so many years, well, maybe what, 12, 15 years
350
00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,600
when I was teaching him for three years,
351
00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:09,400
it was really gratifying to know.
352
00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,440
It's just, for me, it's the best job I could ever have.
353
00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,080
Oh, that's wonderful.
354
00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:18,320
I know you've taught at the very prestigious Interlochen
355
00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:23,560
Center for the Arts, which is located in Michigan for 46
356
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,080
years, I believe.
357
00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:25,960
46 years.
358
00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:27,800
I've taught at the Arts Academy, yes.
359
00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:28,480
Oh my goodness.
360
00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:31,600
And they recently retired from being a full-time faculty
361
00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:32,280
member there.
362
00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:34,880
And of course, Interlochen is one
363
00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,560
of the prestigious music schools in the nation.
364
00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,000
And internationally renowned as well,
365
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,680
where young students' creativity has
366
00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,400
flourished since its founding in 1928, I believe.
367
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,680
And then the school boasts a distinguished alumni
368
00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,960
network of musicians, as well as dancers and actors.
369
00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,160
In the last three and a half years of podcasting,
370
00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,960
I have interviewed several Interlochen graduate,
371
00:17:57,960 --> 00:17:59,280
actually, for the piano pot.
372
00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:03,240
So I want to know what drew you to the institution,
373
00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,400
and what makes it stand out in the realm of arts education?
374
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,800
Can you share how you first became involved
375
00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,000
with the Interlochen Center for the Arts?
376
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,320
Well, I did grow up in Missoula, Montana.
377
00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,800
I had been playing piano since age four.
378
00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,600
And this was the early teen years, which
379
00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,120
is the time most people have this burning craving
380
00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:27,120
to play music.
381
00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:28,520
That's just fascinating to me.
382
00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,600
What causes that at those early teen years?
383
00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,480
My father, who was dean of liberal arts and sciences
384
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:36,840
at the University of Montana, had
385
00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,160
a dear friend who was dean at Illinois State University.
386
00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,040
And this dean recommended Interlochen,
387
00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:45,240
that I would study with George Luxemburg.
388
00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,680
This was 1967, a few years ago.
389
00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:53,720
So I saw a picture of Interlochen National Music Camp
390
00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:54,560
at that time.
391
00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:56,600
It was called, now it's Interlochen Arts Camp,
392
00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,720
because it has all the arts media, not just music.
393
00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,000
And so it was recommended I go there.
394
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,360
So I spent 1967 summer studying with him.
395
00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:09,720
I remember I took theory, composition.
396
00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,560
I was in the festival choir, which
397
00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,040
any adults or students could sing in.
398
00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:16,680
We did the Verdi Requiem.
399
00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:17,200
Wow.
400
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:17,920
It was wonderful.
401
00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:19,960
And I practiced six or seven hours.
402
00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:21,080
And that's what I went to do.
403
00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:22,960
And I went and heard concerts.
404
00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,440
And the unique thing is that it's a camp,
405
00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:26,760
and it's right there.
406
00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,400
You just have to walk as far as half a football field
407
00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:31,240
to go to concerts.
408
00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:32,680
And they're all outdoors.
409
00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:34,560
And it's also a social experience.
410
00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:39,440
And also, they ask you to have sports activities.
411
00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,440
At that time, they called it Forced Fun,
412
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,360
which was a very good name, because it's something
413
00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:45,480
I really enjoyed doing.
414
00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:46,800
I took tennis lessons.
415
00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,920
And I never knew that that would be my only job in life.
416
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,840
If I had known that, I would have thought more of it
417
00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,080
other than just smelling a little iron in the water.
418
00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,920
I would have thought, oh, if I had a premonition,
419
00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:01,880
this was going to be my job teaching.
420
00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:03,240
Of course, at that time, I didn't
421
00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:04,600
think I was going to be a teacher.
422
00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,360
I was just trying to play the piano as best as I could.
423
00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:09,760
Well, I was a grad student at Peabody Conservatory
424
00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:10,800
in Baltimore.
425
00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,560
And the director of placement, Sydney Forrest,
426
00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:15,720
famous clarinetist who was teaching there,
427
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:17,880
contacted me and four other students
428
00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:19,840
knowing that we were looking for jobs.
429
00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,520
And I guess I was unknowingly smart,
430
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:28,080
because this was in August, and Academy began in September.
431
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,000
So I said everything, not just a cover letter.
432
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,840
Cover letter, transcripts, recordings, grades, courses,
433
00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:36,320
everything.
434
00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,680
And that turned out to be good, because the administration
435
00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:43,040
had their hands full on vacation.
436
00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,240
And so they had me come in and play a concert
437
00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,120
in three weekdays notice.
438
00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:51,200
I played Elliott Carter Piano Sonata, a couple etudes,
439
00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:52,480
and some Schubert.
440
00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:54,240
And it's good that I did some etudes,
441
00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,280
like Muszkowski and Chopin, because interlocking really
442
00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,200
promotes the study of technique.
443
00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:04,360
So that's how I became a faculty member, a piano faculty member.
444
00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:07,280
Years after that, one of the piano faculty members
445
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,760
said, because I asked them, how did you hire me?
446
00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:10,600
Why did you hire me?
447
00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:11,920
Because I never taught anybody.
448
00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:13,800
It was between camp and Academy.
449
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:17,280
They said, well, you smiled and you forgot your suitcase.
450
00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:18,760
So you must be a good musician.
451
00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,720
Introduce us to the Interlochen Center for the Arts.
452
00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:26,760
Brief overview, maybe programs.
453
00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,680
And I know Interlochen summer camp is very famous too.
454
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,640
And some of my students are trying to go there.
455
00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,480
And so also maybe the key milestones,
456
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:40,200
if you know, to shape its legacy and so forth.
457
00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,360
Interlochen is quite a substantial part
458
00:21:43,360 --> 00:21:45,720
of the music culture in the world.
459
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,040
Started in 1928, as you mentioned.
460
00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,320
I did some research on some statistics,
461
00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,520
because they're a little different every year.
462
00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,280
Turns out that there's six orchestras.
463
00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,000
There's two bands and three choirs.
464
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:03,360
There's 3,230 campers representing 40 countries.
465
00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:06,280
And 60% are international students.
466
00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:10,560
At the Academy, there's 567 students as of this year,
467
00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,680
representing 45 states, 27 countries,
468
00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:16,720
and 85 international students.
469
00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:17,880
Oh my goodness.
470
00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:20,800
I mean, it's incredible what they have.
471
00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:25,800
But it's divided up into junior students, age 8 to 11.
472
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,600
And they're separated between male, female,
473
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:29,880
in different parts of campus.
474
00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:31,840
Interlochen means between the lakes.
475
00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:35,000
So the one side is for one gender,
476
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,960
and the other side for another gender.
477
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,800
It's called Pine Side.
478
00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:43,280
And then age 11 to 14, intermediate level.
479
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,160
And there's different programs for each of them.
480
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:46,560
Finally, there's high school.
481
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,880
When I first started teaching there,
482
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,320
we taught every level, including college.
483
00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,680
It was the summer camp for the University of Michigan.
484
00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,480
So it's quite a substantial place.
485
00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:01,040
There's four different branches to Interlochen.
486
00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:05,920
Number one is Interlochen Arts Camp during the summer,
487
00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,360
which includes an intensive six weeks.
488
00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:10,680
And that's a separate group of students
489
00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:12,920
who are generally more advanced and over there
490
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,120
to have master classes all day and go
491
00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:16,440
to concerts in the evening.
492
00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,120
Not so many kind of social camp experiences.
493
00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:20,840
You can't help it.
494
00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,400
There's socializing too.
495
00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,720
It's been very successful, maybe 20 years old now.
496
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,840
It's been a piano intensive session for maybe 12 years.
497
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:32,640
And so that's the camp.
498
00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:36,160
The Academy is like an arts academy,
499
00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,480
which is high school 9 through 12.
500
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:40,760
We see students for a longer period of time
501
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:42,320
so we can see more development.
502
00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,960
The camp, you give them four to eight lessons.
503
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,680
But during the year, it's just nine months of lessons.
504
00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,960
And you get to know them because it's much smaller.
505
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,800
I mean, 3,200 is different than 500.
506
00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,240
And then we also have Mallory Towsley Center
507
00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:00,640
for Arts Leadership.
508
00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,600
That invites adults to come in for the weekend or four
509
00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,880
or five days to talk about arts activities, different arts
510
00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,080
areas, maybe talking about crafts.
511
00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:12,440
And they could be anything.
512
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:13,920
They have their own building and they
513
00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,760
have their own director that's separate from the school,
514
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,480
from the high school.
515
00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:23,320
Let's see, we also have Interlochen Public Media.
516
00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:27,640
And that provides classical music and a news station
517
00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:31,120
throughout the general northern Michigan area.
518
00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:32,760
And let's get them all.
519
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,160
Yes, one, two, three, four.
520
00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,600
That is all under the umbrella of Interlochen Center
521
00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:39,200
for the Arts.
522
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:43,720
It's a big institution and one of the most influential art
523
00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,560
schools in nation.
524
00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,360
Now, you mentioned that there are
525
00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:50,120
substantial numbers of international students.
526
00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:53,360
So does the school offer a boarding school?
527
00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:55,600
It's 90% boarding school.
528
00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:57,880
So they can get out of bed and walk across the street
529
00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,160
and have their lesson or their classes.
530
00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:01,800
We have 1,200 acres.
531
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,840
But during the winter, it's only on one side
532
00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,440
and it's just very close.
533
00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,600
During the summer, students have to walk from the other lake
534
00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,920
over to have breakfast, to have the meals on the main campus.
535
00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,560
I mean, life is harsh, right?
536
00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:18,960
They don't have to drive two hours for a lesson.
537
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:19,440
I see.
538
00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:20,560
Now I understand that.
539
00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:21,080
Wow.
540
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:21,760
That's such a good point.
541
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:22,800
There are day students.
542
00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:24,600
People can come here from China.
543
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,320
Sometimes parents come over here and live.
544
00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,240
And they can have their children be day students.
545
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:32,040
So it's a little bit less expensive.
546
00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,560
There's an extraordinary amount of scholarship available.
547
00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,400
So the tuition is quite high, like all boarding schools.
548
00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:42,080
But there's an endowment for a lot of scholarship.
549
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:43,160
I don't remember the number.
550
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:47,600
There's 5 million or 10, 15 million.
551
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,560
They don't give somebody free passes to come here.
552
00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:52,600
It's good to be able to have something
553
00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:53,920
that parents can offer.
554
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,080
So people don't need to be dissuaded
555
00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,240
by steep tuition prices.
556
00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,960
I think the goal for the future is to have free tuition.
557
00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:03,560
That would be amazing.
558
00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:07,360
Just attract the true, genuine talents.
559
00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:09,360
Sometimes in the past, we've missed
560
00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:13,040
having Eastern European students who are really exceptional.
561
00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:14,600
But they can't afford anything.
562
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:16,200
Well, we were bringing them, but then
563
00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,320
still couldn't afford that.
564
00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,120
So we're hoping to reinstate that.
565
00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:23,160
Oh, that sounds really a dream come true
566
00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,160
for all the young artists.
567
00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,480
We have an incredible president we love, Trey Devey.
568
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:30,720
And he gets to know everybody.
569
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:31,800
He knows people's names.
570
00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,400
And he's out there promoting Interlochen and raising money.
571
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,880
And he's a fantastic president for us.
572
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,920
So what sets apart from other institutions?
573
00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:42,360
What sets Interlochen?
574
00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:45,040
Maybe you already mentioned all the unique way
575
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:49,440
to provide musical experience to young students.
576
00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:50,640
But what else?
577
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,000
Well, there are many really fine art schools out there.
578
00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:57,560
I just mentioned the things that we offer quite extensive.
579
00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:02,040
And we've had a history of decades of successful students.
580
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:04,000
I mean, I asked the school, can you
581
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,000
give me some of the famous people who have come through
582
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,000
here, either in the camp or the academy?
583
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,680
And it's just incredible.
584
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:13,560
I mean, two or three pages.
585
00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:15,800
Anthony McGill, he's the principal clarinetist
586
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,840
in the New York Philharmonic.
587
00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:19,800
Aaron Dworkin, founder of Sphinx.
588
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,640
David Schifrin, the clarinetist, famous clarinetist.
589
00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:26,480
Elaine Duas, who's principal oboe in the Metropolitan Opera.
590
00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,880
Lauren Maisel, former New York Philharmonic conductor.
591
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:33,080
He was here as a 10-year-old.
592
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:34,080
Oh, my goodness.
593
00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,960
And we have 50 presidential scholars.
594
00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,640
Evidently, there's 13% of the orchestra musicians
595
00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:42,480
are graduates of Interlochen.
596
00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:46,360
There are 32 Tony Awards, 26 Emmy Awards, three Oscars,
597
00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:48,680
and four Pulitzer Prizes.
598
00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:49,680
Wow.
599
00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,560
But you know what really impresses me
600
00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:56,040
is not so much the famous people who have been so successful,
601
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,080
but what about the people who have moderate talent, who
602
00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:01,880
weren't that advanced here, but then later on,
603
00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,160
after college and grad school, if they go that route,
604
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:06,880
they're very successful.
605
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:08,160
Like Jewel.
606
00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:09,200
Say Nora Jones.
607
00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:10,480
I mean, they've been here.
608
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,440
But they've been a great name for themselves.
609
00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,520
And I've had students who are very talented, but not
610
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:16,320
really advanced.
611
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,560
And you really work with them.
612
00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,400
It's a little harder to develop them, their technique,
613
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,000
things they really need, some rudimentary skills.
614
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:25,080
It's extremely talented.
615
00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,600
Students are fairly easy to teach,
616
00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,280
unless they have a chip on their shoulders
617
00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:31,080
and they don't accept what you have to say.
618
00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:32,920
But that doesn't happen very often.
619
00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:36,120
But what's rewarding for me is to see a moderately
620
00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:38,000
talented student work really hard
621
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:39,840
and have a mission to succeed.
622
00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,960
And to see them excel and be happy and satisfied
623
00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,200
and they've fulfilled their dreams, whatever it may be,
624
00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:47,400
is very gratifying.
625
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,880
Can you share some of the most favorite or memorable or
626
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,280
rewarding moments as an educator there
627
00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:57,520
you've experienced while teaching?
628
00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:58,760
I'd be happy to.
629
00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:00,720
I've been thinking about this.
630
00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:05,800
First, I think, is letters and messages from former students
631
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:07,200
throughout several years after they
632
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:10,120
graduate, sometimes decades after they graduate.
633
00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:12,480
And you develop this really close relationship
634
00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,920
and you realize what you have done for them.
635
00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:19,160
That's very, very important for me, rewarding experiences.
636
00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,400
Also, there was a year in which we
637
00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,960
had enough really advanced students to play all the 32
638
00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:26,480
Beethoven sonatas.
639
00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:30,440
And the last three were played by Richard Good, who came.
640
00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,480
Ironically, he happened to be on the schedule,
641
00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:35,600
unbeknownst to us.
642
00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,800
Let's see, my colleague did the hammered clavier.
643
00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:39,240
I did Opus 101.
644
00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,520
And the students filled in the rest.
645
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,560
Not that the others are easier.
646
00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,400
And we didn't do them on one concert or seven concerts.
647
00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,440
When a student was ready to perform one of the sonatas,
648
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:51,960
they're on a student recital.
649
00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,280
And then I had a big old chart and I just marked it down.
650
00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:58,760
So by the end of the year, we got all these 32 sonatas.
651
00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:00,960
Not only that, but we had some bagatelles.
652
00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,400
We had Rage Over the Lost Penny, the difficult walk through.
653
00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:05,600
Yes, yes.
654
00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,240
And that's quite a milestone to be able to achieve that.
655
00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,520
We could probably do that in other years.
656
00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:13,520
But we only did it the one year.
657
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:17,720
What meant a lot to me was my retirement honoring.
658
00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:23,680
I spent 46 years and they had me play
659
00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,960
a piece for the assembly, which is very tearful.
660
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:28,600
It was Danny Boy, actually, a piece
661
00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:32,800
that I arranged for the left hand alone after my injury.
662
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:36,800
Also, I had a piano festival that I organized for 12 years,
663
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,120
in which I brought teachers from all of Michigan and Ohio
664
00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:42,200
and Illinois to listen to guest artists.
665
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,320
And we had basically two or three artists.
666
00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:46,360
One was for advanced students, the other
667
00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:50,240
was for beginners or elementary, like Amanda Vick Lethgo,
668
00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,000
very famous composer of method books.
669
00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:56,800
She came, had people talk about accompanying for dance.
670
00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:58,440
I mean, it was a very successful festival.
671
00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:02,200
But after 12 years, the school, well,
672
00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:03,560
actually, I built a lot of money for it.
673
00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:04,920
But we couldn't quite pay for everything.
674
00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,120
So I think the school couldn't do the rest for that.
675
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,080
But that was very successful.
676
00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:12,040
One thing I was really happy about
677
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:15,840
is that one of my dear students built thousands and thousands
678
00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:17,880
of dollars for a guest artist budget.
679
00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,280
This happened upon my retirement as an honor.
680
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,200
This person chose to be anonymous.
681
00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:24,760
I can't say the name.
682
00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:26,600
I guess I'd say her name.
683
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,320
That was really wonderful.
684
00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,600
And I told my colleagues, it's nice to know
685
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:34,160
that my retirement helped the school.
686
00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,440
And I don't think because they're glad to get rhythm-y,
687
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,760
because this wouldn't have happened had I not retired.
688
00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,040
So I was really grateful for that.
689
00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:47,080
And this person was here in the early years, graduated in 1977.
690
00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:49,960
And so you never know what impact you make on people,
691
00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,240
because I had never heard from her for decades.
692
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,800
And all of a sudden, we're close, and we talk, and we visit.
693
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:59,240
It's a wonderful, honorable thing that she had done that.
694
00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:03,120
Remember when she graduated, she was here only one year.
695
00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:07,000
She's from an Asian country, and she had a rough life,
696
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:11,640
because Shanghai Czech wouldn't let intelligentsia do anything.
697
00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:14,320
They were actually interned and killed.
698
00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,800
And her father actually made it through.
699
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,240
And then when she heard that I played
700
00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:23,000
Danny Boy as an encore for that left-hand concerto,
701
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,400
she was in tears because her father, age 80,
702
00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:30,400
after surviving that ordeal, sang Danny Boy.
703
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,280
Because every time somebody would leave the internment
704
00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:38,160
and never be seen again, the survivor would sing songs.
705
00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,200
And one was Danny Boy, very much what she had gone through.
706
00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:47,920
And the last thing I want to say is very important to me,
707
00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:51,760
is that my dear student, Carrie Huber, replaced me.
708
00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,920
And I was not on the team to hire her.
709
00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:58,160
But everybody agreed that she's one of the best people
710
00:32:58,160 --> 00:32:59,360
to invite.
711
00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:01,000
And so she is here.
712
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:04,080
She has been vocal about carrying on my lineage.
713
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:07,280
And wonderful person, first-rate pianist,
714
00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:08,600
and wonderful teacher.
715
00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:10,560
She's going to have a long lineage here.
716
00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:15,200
So I was honored by having a former student fill my position.
717
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,440
So she was your student before.
718
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,400
Yeah, from 2005 and 6.
719
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:21,760
She plays all music really beautifully well.
720
00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:25,600
Her passion right now is to promote women composers,
721
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:27,400
particularly in the 21st century,
722
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:29,880
but also 20th and 19th centuries.
723
00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,240
One of these days, I would like to reach out to her.
724
00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,560
Maybe I can interview her on my show.
725
00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:36,400
I hope you do.
726
00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:37,640
Yes.
727
00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,000
You have 40-plus years of teaching piano.
728
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,640
So we need to pick your brain when it comes to teaching.
729
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:47,480
So we would like to know your philosophy
730
00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:49,160
and methods of teaching.
731
00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,480
What teaching techniques do you find most effective in helping
732
00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:54,120
students develop technical skills?
733
00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,120
So you mentioned about techniques.
734
00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:57,000
OK, yeah.
735
00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:58,680
I'm thinking, I counted up.
736
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,720
I have been teaching for 54 years, 46 here.
737
00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:04,960
And so I taught beginners.
738
00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:06,800
I taught elementary.
739
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,640
I taught class piano.
740
00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,440
The last 20 years, I was teaching majors
741
00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:14,440
and advanced students.
742
00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:16,760
And so my philosophy is everybody
743
00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:18,400
deserves good teaching, whether it's
744
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,280
a beginner or extremely advanced.
745
00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,160
It's not like I teach the talent so much.
746
00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,560
I teach the person and the talent together.
747
00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:31,680
I always say the person is just as important as the talent.
748
00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:35,480
I'll teach anybody who wants to work hard as a mission.
749
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,680
And a person needs to realize that failures
750
00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:42,200
can be very helpful unless you quit.
751
00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:44,080
You have to put yourself up and keep going,
752
00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:45,720
and you'll be successful.
753
00:34:45,720 --> 00:34:49,000
Discouragement is always followed by some kind
754
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:50,200
of encouragement.
755
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:51,800
That happens in my life.
756
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:56,280
If something bothers me or discouraging,
757
00:34:56,280 --> 00:35:00,520
I just know that the next day or so something really helpful
758
00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:02,360
is going to happen to me.
759
00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:05,160
I don't know what it is, but it's really uncanny
760
00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:06,520
how that happens.
761
00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:08,160
You can call answers to prayer.
762
00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:10,200
You could have it yin and yang.
763
00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,760
Whatever you want, it happens.
764
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:16,760
So you asked me about philosophy, Spass, about teaching.
765
00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,000
The most important thing is have a good attitude
766
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,160
and positive attitude to help students not
767
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,480
be so self-critical, because they come to Interlochen
768
00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:27,600
and they see more advanced students
769
00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:29,200
and they think they're no good.
770
00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:31,120
Or they go to competition and they don't win.
771
00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:32,280
They think they're no good.
772
00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:35,800
It needs to be, I have to channel their focus
773
00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:39,080
into something positive that they have something to say.
774
00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:42,560
And I was encouraged trying to play special moments.
775
00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:44,600
My teachers always said, if you can
776
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:47,800
have a few special moments, I mean really transcending
777
00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:50,560
moments in a performance, you should feel lucky.
778
00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,560
It's almost too much to ask every single turn of the phrase
779
00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,000
to just put chills up your spine.
780
00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:57,360
It would be nice.
781
00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,400
Well, it's a little bit like if you try to play something
782
00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,320
really special every single time,
783
00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:06,680
it's maybe like nothing special.
784
00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:08,160
If everything tries to be special.
785
00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,360
I mean, you try to play beautifully, of course.
786
00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:13,760
But there's certain places that are really special,
787
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:17,000
harmonically or motivically or architecturally.
788
00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,000
And if you try to do those big high points everywhere,
789
00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,880
then nothing is important.
790
00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:23,520
Rachmaninoff was quoted as saying,
791
00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:24,600
where's the high point?
792
00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:25,440
Where's the point?
793
00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:26,960
What are you going towards?
794
00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:28,480
So if everything is a high point,
795
00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:30,760
then nothing's a high point.
796
00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:35,080
Regarding the teaching of, I believe strongly
797
00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:38,080
in technique, study of technique.
798
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:42,040
Not so separate from music, but exercises.
799
00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,240
I call it applied technique.
800
00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:46,880
Actually, that's my teacher's term, applied technique.
801
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,200
So if you're going to do an exercise,
802
00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,560
there must be a purpose for it.
803
00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,920
For example, if you're doing some rotation exercises,
804
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:56,280
then you're going to do this.
805
00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:57,280
It's going to be.
806
00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:05,600
You study this in order to get the technique involved.
807
00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:09,600
Hannon, I think, is the best book ever for studying technique.
808
00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:12,360
It's not the only one, but I like it very much
809
00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:17,240
because it fuses the fingers with the wrists.
810
00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:23,480
So I'm not a believer in playing Hannon like usually you hear.
811
00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:24,400
Kind of mechanical.
812
00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:27,800
And it might help to strengthen individual fingers,
813
00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:29,520
but it's not musical.
814
00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:32,200
In music, we find things in groups.
815
00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:34,960
We're in groups of three, six, fours, or eight.
816
00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:40,480
And I have students practicing scales in fours,
817
00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:45,840
and also, so there's this kind of pulsation.
818
00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:50,800
I think people practice scales like machine.
819
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,920
And to me, that's not the end result.
820
00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:58,800
So I like to infuse musical insights into the exercises.
821
00:37:58,800 --> 00:37:59,440
Let's see.
822
00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:07,840
Can you see that?
823
00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,480
If you just do the.
824
00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:12,200
It's just tight sounding.
825
00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:13,320
It's not good.
826
00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:17,720
I took students to Ann Arbor to hear Murray Pariah do a recital.
827
00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:21,520
And afterwards, we went backstage to say we loved his playing.
828
00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:24,600
And you know what we saw on the piano was the Hannon book.
829
00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:25,880
No way.
830
00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:31,600
And I thought, if he still does that, why shouldn't we?
831
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:32,280
Really?
832
00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:34,000
Good old Hannon.
833
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:35,240
That's surprising to hear.
834
00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:36,000
Sorry, yes.
835
00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:37,680
And I do it hands alone.
836
00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,520
Because if you're going to be doing this, and up and over,
837
00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:43,320
up and over, dilly, dilly, dilly, dilly, dilly, dilly, dilly.
838
00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,400
So it's groups of eight going down.
839
00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:51,680
It's down, up, down, up, oval motions, oval, not up and down.
840
00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:55,320
It's wonderful to do it hands alone because, well, number one,
841
00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:57,920
you can focus on one hand instead of both.
842
00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,160
You're going to be a little sloppy to do things both hands together.
843
00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:06,080
So I really believe in Hannon as it applies to musical ideas.
844
00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:06,960
Stroke.
845
00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:10,400
You know, I really believe in this stroking, the downward motion.
846
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:15,560
Because the different attacks make different sounds.
847
00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:17,600
For example, the Schubert impromptu.
848
00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:45,600
Right?
849
00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:48,080
You know, every finger has to have some kind of pressure,
850
00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:49,160
different pressure.
851
00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:51,840
Because voicing is everything, practically, in piano.
852
00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:53,360
And so let's see this.
853
00:39:53,360 --> 00:40:00,760
The Brahms ballade.
854
00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:02,560
I was really impressed with Michelangelo,
855
00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:04,280
one of my favorite pianists.
856
00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:05,440
He kind of goes.
857
00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:13,960
He kind of drops the whole arm on.
858
00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:16,440
I know a lot of people might not want to do that because you
859
00:40:16,440 --> 00:40:17,680
can do it by staying on the key.
860
00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:28,920
If you phrase it, it doesn't come out.
861
00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:29,720
Did you hear that?
862
00:40:29,720 --> 00:40:30,240
Mm-hmm.
863
00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:30,720
Mm-hmm.
864
00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:31,760
It comes out beautifully.
865
00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:32,320
Right.
866
00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:34,120
With a good tone.
867
00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,160
A student might practice just going.
868
00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:39,840
And of course, this is balanced by the other part
869
00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:40,840
of the hand going.
870
00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,840
It makes it more like a singer with an accompaniment.
871
00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:52,440
I mean, there's so many different ways.
872
00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:53,760
We don't have time for me to tell you
873
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:55,680
everything I do with technique.
874
00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:00,240
I also require them to know their cadences.
875
00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:03,640
I mean, sometimes people come from a very different background.
876
00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:12,800
I mean, sometimes people come from abroad and they play
877
00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:17,160
that cadence, which is 2, 6, 5 tonics of chord.
878
00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:19,800
I want them to know that because it's in music everywhere.
879
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:21,520
And usually, it doesn't mean anything.
880
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,120
They just do it because they do it.
881
00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,720
I have them do that in all the keys.
882
00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:31,360
They need to know in all the keys.
883
00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:35,200
And also in minor.
884
00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:36,080
Four kind of cadences.
885
00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,440
I asked for the subdominant cadence.
886
00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:41,560
I mean, it's always tonic 6-4 dominant and tonic.
887
00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:46,840
But whether you play this or you play Neapolitan.
888
00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:47,320
Mm-hmm.
889
00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,200
Or 6-6.
890
00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:51,920
I want them to know all those cadences
891
00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:54,080
in major and minor keys.
892
00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:55,880
And then, of course, point them out in the music
893
00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:56,760
where they're there.
894
00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,080
Because even though we hear Neapolitan all the time,
895
00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:03,120
even in Bach, it just still sends me.
896
00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:05,400
I just think it's so wonderful.
897
00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:08,320
So substitution chord for this, of course.
898
00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:14,200
There are some things that are extremely musical on their own.
899
00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:16,520
And these colorful chords are one thing.
900
00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:19,800
Also, the leading tone is musically leads up.
901
00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,040
The fourth degree of scale musically goes down.
902
00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:23,480
You can't just stop there.
903
00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:25,600
I mean, students need to know that.
904
00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:27,960
Of course, the Mozart story gets up in the morning
905
00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:35,200
because this Leopold says, Mozart runs down the steps.
906
00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:37,520
He has to finish it.
907
00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:41,000
It has that compelling tension.
908
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:43,920
How do you balance the emphasis on technical proficiency
909
00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:47,680
with the development of musical expression and interpretation?
910
00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,480
So meaning, is playing fast everything?
911
00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:53,040
Well, I think probably every teacher
912
00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:54,920
advocates practicing slowly.
913
00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:56,240
And I practiced slowly.
914
00:42:56,240 --> 00:43:00,560
But I didn't practice slowly.
915
00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:01,800
I mean, really slowly.
916
00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:05,280
So you can focus on memories.
917
00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:08,200
If you do it from memory, do it from memory, slow practice.
918
00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:10,640
It helps musically where you're going.
919
00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,560
It helps technically, too, to know what the hand is doing.
920
00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:15,840
You can't do that so much for playing a string instrument.
921
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:18,120
You're dictated by the speed of the bow.
922
00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:19,960
But piano, we can do that.
923
00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:23,800
Particularly because you play a note and it starts to decay.
924
00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:29,720
But I always think of thinking it's between the notes.
925
00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:34,160
The music is in between the notes instead of.
926
00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:34,880
Absolutely.
927
00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:38,120
So I have a technique, which I like.
928
00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:41,040
It's to get subdivisions in your fingers.
929
00:43:41,040 --> 00:43:43,720
For example, the C minor Prelude Chopin.
930
00:43:43,720 --> 00:44:02,680
So I did that.
931
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:05,400
And you've got to think of that when you play without repeating
932
00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:05,920
those.
933
00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:13,000
You go down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down.
934
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:16,360
So you can feel the tension between the notes.
935
00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:19,560
I told you on the phone about the Schmerg animal.
936
00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:20,120
Yes.
937
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:22,320
It's my invention.
938
00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:24,720
I always remember that because it's
939
00:44:24,720 --> 00:44:27,400
the first letter of different aspects of music,
940
00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:28,560
different parameters.
941
00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:31,440
And I think it's helpful to separate them.
942
00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:34,000
So it stands for Schmerg.
943
00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:35,400
Sound.
944
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:38,160
Practice the quality of sound.
945
00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:42,520
So many high school students, not just boys, girls,
946
00:44:42,520 --> 00:44:43,120
can bang.
947
00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:43,600
They come in.
948
00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:46,600
They're so excited about playing the background.
949
00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:48,160
It's so ugly.
950
00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:51,960
Even with Bartok and Prokofiev, good to have a rich sound.
951
00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:56,480
My colleague from the embassy in Budapest
952
00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:59,240
said, we play with rich sound Bartok.
953
00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:01,480
We don't bang it so much.
954
00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:03,280
I suppose sometimes in Beethoven,
955
00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:06,240
he wants something to be really forceful.
956
00:45:06,240 --> 00:45:07,840
But generally speaking, we've got
957
00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:10,120
to try to get the banging out of the students.
958
00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:12,440
It takes a little while.
959
00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:14,560
My colleague and I achieve that.
960
00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:16,000
OK, and then Schmerg.
961
00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:17,000
H.
962
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:18,800
What do you think that stands for?
963
00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:19,920
Harmony.
964
00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:21,520
Yeah, I think it's important for students
965
00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:23,000
to understand the harmony.
966
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:24,960
From the composer's point of view,
967
00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:28,840
as a composer, I like to think, I mean, for traditional music,
968
00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:31,320
thinks of this harmonic progression going
969
00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:32,280
to wherever you're going.
970
00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:34,280
There's a modulation that goes to here.
971
00:45:34,280 --> 00:45:38,680
And then you put the clothes, the flesh and blood on it.
972
00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:41,720
And usually, students do the other way around.
973
00:45:41,720 --> 00:45:43,840
Learn things note by note, and it
974
00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:47,640
doesn't make sense of the overall feel,
975
00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:49,320
overall direction.
976
00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:51,240
R stands for rhythm.
977
00:45:51,240 --> 00:45:55,680
To make sure you get the actual rhythm, use the metronome.
978
00:45:55,680 --> 00:45:58,840
I think I have decent rhythm, but I can't trust myself.
979
00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:01,320
I have to check it out with metronome, which
980
00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:04,080
includes subdivision of the beats, too.
981
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:06,800
If it's a quarter note, you do an eighth notes, sometimes
982
00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:09,800
sixteenth notes, because my rhythm isn't
983
00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:10,920
perfect by any means.
984
00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:14,560
And if I record myself, I'll say, Michael,
985
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,440
you're not playing in time.
986
00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:19,760
Not that you're staced in time.
987
00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,600
Good composers want you to have rubato and bend things,
988
00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:25,480
but you always have to come back to that tempo.
989
00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:28,160
It's a very good idea to check yourselves,
990
00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:30,560
check your tempo in the beginning of the piece,
991
00:46:30,560 --> 00:46:33,680
the development, the coda, difficult passes
992
00:46:33,680 --> 00:46:35,720
to see if it's the same as the beginning,
993
00:46:35,720 --> 00:46:38,240
because often it's erratic.
994
00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:40,760
And then M stands for melody, of course.
995
00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:42,560
Play the melody by itself.
996
00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:45,640
It's amazing how few students can play the melody by itself,
997
00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:49,120
because they're so used to doing everything with it.
998
00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:50,960
And then G stands for growth.
999
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:53,520
It's another name for architecture
1000
00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:56,200
or musical structure, not just sonata form,
1001
00:46:56,200 --> 00:46:58,080
but the length of the phrases.
1002
00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:03,040
Tubert often will have phrases of five, four, five.
1003
00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:06,400
Brahms, in the variations on an original theme,
1004
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:09,040
is five plus five is 10.
1005
00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:11,080
The whole period is 10 measures long.
1006
00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:13,320
So that's the schmurg?
1007
00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:15,040
Schmurg, is that how you call it?
1008
00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:17,400
Yeah, I just schmurg, schmurg.
1009
00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:21,800
So S-H-M-R-G, that's the order?
1010
00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:23,160
Right, yes, right.
1011
00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:24,480
Sound is the most important.
1012
00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:26,680
If you have an ugly sound, who wants to listen to anything
1013
00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:27,240
else?
1014
00:47:27,240 --> 00:47:28,240
Absolutely.
1015
00:47:28,240 --> 00:47:29,760
Another question would be, how do you
1016
00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:32,600
approach performance anxiety and help students develop
1017
00:47:32,600 --> 00:47:34,160
confidence on stage?
1018
00:47:34,160 --> 00:47:38,040
That's part of like, it's a big portion of being a musician,
1019
00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:39,320
right, dealing with that.
1020
00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:43,320
Yeah, I think it's very important to perform a lot.
1021
00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:45,200
Because you perform once in front of class,
1022
00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:46,720
and it's a disaster.
1023
00:47:46,720 --> 00:47:47,960
It's not the end of the world.
1024
00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:49,960
Just come back, pick yourself up,
1025
00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:51,840
and keep doing it until you're successful.
1026
00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:54,000
It's just a matter of perseverance.
1027
00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:57,720
Or a colleague of mine said, stick to itiveness.
1028
00:47:57,720 --> 00:47:58,360
Keep at it.
1029
00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:01,960
You can't expect to play soup soup well just right away.
1030
00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:05,320
It's a process, just like life is a process.
1031
00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:06,600
Record yourself.
1032
00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:09,640
When I was making one of these five recordings,
1033
00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:12,960
I recorded the music at least 12 times.
1034
00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:15,520
Because I didn't want to waste a recording engineer's time
1035
00:48:15,520 --> 00:48:18,640
by me saying, oh, I didn't play fast enough or slow enough.
1036
00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:21,680
So I resolved those issues through recordings.
1037
00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:24,640
And then when I go into the recording session,
1038
00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:27,880
I go through it a few times, and I take the best.
1039
00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:30,320
Sometimes once is enough.
1040
00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:31,480
Play for your colleagues.
1041
00:48:31,480 --> 00:48:32,480
Play for students.
1042
00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:33,440
Play for the dog.
1043
00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:34,360
Play for the cat.
1044
00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:35,560
Play for your parents.
1045
00:48:35,560 --> 00:48:38,560
Anything that might make you a little uneasy or nervous.
1046
00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:40,080
So you kind of get used to it.
1047
00:48:40,080 --> 00:48:43,960
Good musicians almost always get nervous to some degree.
1048
00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:46,760
Horowitz was a basket case.
1049
00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:48,880
They had to push him out on stage.
1050
00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:51,360
Of course, he didn't look nervous.
1051
00:48:51,360 --> 00:48:52,440
Know your music.
1052
00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:54,640
I mean, really well, know your music.
1053
00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:56,560
I think that's probably the best.
1054
00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:58,840
Avoid too much anxiety.
1055
00:48:58,840 --> 00:49:00,560
To know your music well enough, let's
1056
00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:02,000
see if I can do something for you.
1057
00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:06,200
Um, do you know what that piece is?
1058
00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:07,840
Ha ha ha.
1059
00:49:07,840 --> 00:49:10,280
["The Last Supper"]
1060
00:49:13,080 --> 00:49:14,280
His cell was 109.
1061
00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:17,120
109, mm-hmm.
1062
00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:18,720
Or the last note.
1063
00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:24,520
I'm pushing.
1064
00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:26,800
Some people call it ghosting.
1065
00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:30,040
I feel the notes.
1066
00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:33,040
I feel it, but I don't play it in order,
1067
00:49:33,040 --> 00:49:35,520
in the pads of the fingers.
1068
00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:38,680
And another way of doing it is you don't even feel the pads.
1069
00:49:38,680 --> 00:49:40,680
You just sense which finger you're going to play,
1070
00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:43,400
but don't really put any pressure at all.
1071
00:49:43,400 --> 00:49:45,040
And it does three things.
1072
00:49:45,040 --> 00:49:47,520
Number one, it secures your memory.
1073
00:49:47,520 --> 00:49:49,640
Number two, it develops sensitivity.
1074
00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:51,120
Because it's much easier to go.
1075
00:49:51,120 --> 00:49:54,400
["The Last Supper"]
1076
00:49:54,400 --> 00:49:56,120
You know, it's really hard to play.
1077
00:49:56,120 --> 00:50:00,120
["The Last Supper"]
1078
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:09,000
And it develops your sense of where you're going.
1079
00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:10,320
And also, did I say memory?
1080
00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:13,480
Yeah, the memory, where you're going, and the tone.
1081
00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:14,720
So I'm listening for.
1082
00:50:14,720 --> 00:50:17,520
["The Last Supper"]
1083
00:50:17,520 --> 00:50:20,200
I'm hearing every one of those notes, G sharp, B, E,
1084
00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:23,400
changing to A major.
1085
00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:24,480
But the E stays the same.
1086
00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:27,480
["The Last Supper"]
1087
00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:34,880
Can you hear that?
1088
00:50:34,880 --> 00:50:35,720
Mm-hmm.
1089
00:50:35,720 --> 00:50:39,280
Okay, and I'm also changing the pedal very slowly.
1090
00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:41,560
So it's an overlapping pedal.
1091
00:50:41,560 --> 00:50:43,440
And there's so many ways of listening.
1092
00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:45,000
Extremely slowly.
1093
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:46,120
Even.
1094
00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:49,120
["The Last Supper"]
1095
00:50:49,120 --> 00:50:51,320
It's really slowly with a good tone.
1096
00:50:51,320 --> 00:50:54,680
That's a piece of Brahms sonata to bang.
1097
00:50:54,680 --> 00:50:58,480
Yes, it's really fun to do that first movement, yes.
1098
00:50:58,480 --> 00:51:03,480
But yes, now I am more convinced to tell my students
1099
00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:06,520
to practice slow, because you said so, too.
1100
00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:08,640
You know, because my students don't believe me.
1101
00:51:08,640 --> 00:51:12,720
They think that the practicing fast will get them somewhere.
1102
00:51:12,720 --> 00:51:15,160
But I tell them to do the opposite.
1103
00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:16,760
But it's not like that.
1104
00:51:16,760 --> 00:51:20,600
I tell them to do the opposite, but it's very hard to convince.
1105
00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:21,880
And then, you know, I'm guilty.
1106
00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:24,120
I was like that when I was a teenager, too.
1107
00:51:24,120 --> 00:51:24,960
So.
1108
00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:27,480
Yeah, probably me, too.
1109
00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:28,720
My favorite piece is a child.
1110
00:51:28,720 --> 00:51:31,720
["The Last Supper"]
1111
00:51:31,720 --> 00:51:32,920
I love it.
1112
00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:34,400
Well, that kid is going to go.
1113
00:51:34,400 --> 00:51:36,680
["The Last Supper"]
1114
00:51:36,680 --> 00:51:37,720
Nobody.
1115
00:51:37,720 --> 00:51:38,720
They're kids.
1116
00:51:38,720 --> 00:51:39,560
They're going fast.
1117
00:51:39,560 --> 00:51:40,480
Mm-hmm, yeah.
1118
00:51:40,480 --> 00:51:43,240
But, you know, it's worth trying to convince them.
1119
00:51:43,240 --> 00:51:45,200
In order to keep a kid's attention,
1120
00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:47,560
like when I taught in a camp in Kentucky,
1121
00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:50,960
Maple Mount Music Festival, I had this room
1122
00:51:50,960 --> 00:51:52,640
that had a nine-foot Steinway.
1123
00:51:52,640 --> 00:51:55,480
It wasn't that great, but it was the Steinway Grand.
1124
00:51:55,480 --> 00:51:57,040
And it was in the Madonna Room.
1125
00:51:57,040 --> 00:52:00,600
It was on a Catholic, Ursuline order area.
1126
00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:03,200
And so pictures of Madonna everywhere.
1127
00:52:03,200 --> 00:52:06,320
And so I said, everybody get underneath the piano.
1128
00:52:06,320 --> 00:52:08,840
Have you ever listened to music underneath the piano?
1129
00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:11,720
It's like being in a speaker in the box.
1130
00:52:11,720 --> 00:52:14,480
It just develops your sound.
1131
00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:16,720
It's an incredible experience.
1132
00:52:16,720 --> 00:52:18,600
My daughter did that when she was a kid,
1133
00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:19,720
and I would be practicing.
1134
00:52:19,720 --> 00:52:20,440
Really?
1135
00:52:20,440 --> 00:52:21,440
Oh.
1136
00:52:21,440 --> 00:52:23,360
Softly, otherwise you break their ears.
1137
00:52:23,360 --> 00:52:25,160
Mm, I need to do that with my students.
1138
00:52:25,160 --> 00:52:26,560
That's a good idea.
1139
00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:28,520
Hey there, TPP family.
1140
00:52:28,520 --> 00:52:31,720
The piano part is now into our fourth season,
1141
00:52:31,720 --> 00:52:33,960
and it's all thanks to you.
1142
00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:37,760
Since 2020, you've been with my journey with the TPP,
1143
00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:40,040
exploring this burning question.
1144
00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:42,400
How do we make classical music resonate
1145
00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:46,160
with today's audience in fresh and captivating ways?
1146
00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:48,080
Four years in, and the journey has
1147
00:52:48,080 --> 00:52:50,080
been nothing short of magical.
1148
00:52:50,080 --> 00:52:52,320
The PianoPod isn't just a podcast.
1149
00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:56,120
It's a movement, a space where pianists, composers,
1150
00:52:56,120 --> 00:52:58,720
and educators brainstorm, debate,
1151
00:52:58,720 --> 00:53:03,120
and reimagine classical music's place in our fast-paced world.
1152
00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:07,120
We're together on a mission to ensure classical music doesn't
1153
00:53:07,120 --> 00:53:10,120
just survive, but thrives in our modern age.
1154
00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:11,440
But here's the thing.
1155
00:53:11,440 --> 00:53:15,400
To keep bringing you these insightful biweekly episodes,
1156
00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:16,560
I need your help.
1157
00:53:16,560 --> 00:53:20,120
Every bit of support goes into the podcast essentials,
1158
00:53:20,120 --> 00:53:23,360
from hosting to high-quality recording tech,
1159
00:53:23,360 --> 00:53:26,320
and the countless hours behind the scenes.
1160
00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:28,480
So do you want to be part of this journey?
1161
00:53:28,480 --> 00:53:30,760
Click the PayPal link in the show notes,
1162
00:53:30,760 --> 00:53:33,640
or head to thepianopod.com to donate.
1163
00:53:33,640 --> 00:53:37,480
And as a token of appreciation, I will personally
1164
00:53:37,480 --> 00:53:41,680
mail you the PianoPod's snazzy logo sticker.
1165
00:53:41,680 --> 00:53:45,040
So hit the Subscribe button, spread the word,
1166
00:53:45,040 --> 00:53:47,280
and let's continue our mission and journey
1167
00:53:47,280 --> 00:53:49,320
as classical musicians.
1168
00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:51,960
Now let's continue with the show.
1169
00:53:51,960 --> 00:53:55,240
You have such love and passion for teaching.
1170
00:53:55,240 --> 00:53:58,400
I can really sense that passion through this screen.
1171
00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:01,640
When did you know that teaching would be your life's work?
1172
00:54:01,640 --> 00:54:03,600
Like, that's difficult to say.
1173
00:54:03,600 --> 00:54:06,680
I was teaching in college for money.
1174
00:54:06,680 --> 00:54:08,840
I mean, it's a good source of income.
1175
00:54:08,840 --> 00:54:11,560
And then I went to Baltimore.
1176
00:54:11,560 --> 00:54:13,360
No, I'm sorry, University of Montana.
1177
00:54:13,360 --> 00:54:15,240
And I taught there for four years.
1178
00:54:15,240 --> 00:54:17,640
And at Peabody, I was hired to teach in the preparatory
1179
00:54:17,640 --> 00:54:18,560
department.
1180
00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:20,440
And I suppose that's when I really
1181
00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:23,800
enjoyed getting to know the students and helping them.
1182
00:54:23,800 --> 00:54:26,560
I remember this one older woman had a lesson.
1183
00:54:26,560 --> 00:54:27,560
And she showed up.
1184
00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:30,960
But there was a huge rain downpour.
1185
00:54:30,960 --> 00:54:32,440
Baltimore was kind of on a hill.
1186
00:54:32,440 --> 00:54:34,640
And there was water 10 inches deep.
1187
00:54:34,640 --> 00:54:37,880
And I was going to the lesson, and I slipped.
1188
00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:39,880
And I lost music and went down the drain.
1189
00:54:39,880 --> 00:54:40,440
No, I got there.
1190
00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:41,440
I caught it beforehand.
1191
00:54:41,440 --> 00:54:45,280
But I showed up for a lesson like a drowned rat.
1192
00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:47,600
And she was so nice.
1193
00:54:47,600 --> 00:54:48,920
She said, well, that's OK.
1194
00:54:48,920 --> 00:54:50,880
We'll do it another time.
1195
00:54:50,880 --> 00:54:52,640
I loved her for that.
1196
00:54:52,640 --> 00:54:54,120
By the time I got to Interlochen,
1197
00:54:54,120 --> 00:54:56,360
I was really dedicated to helping students.
1198
00:54:56,360 --> 00:54:58,440
As I said, I found out that you have
1199
00:54:58,440 --> 00:55:00,680
to get to know the students to help them musically.
1200
00:55:00,680 --> 00:55:02,480
If there's something bothering them,
1201
00:55:02,480 --> 00:55:03,960
they're really upset, they're crying,
1202
00:55:03,960 --> 00:55:05,720
they just can't start saying, do your hand.
1203
00:55:05,720 --> 00:55:08,920
And you have to talk to them and be willing to do that.
1204
00:55:08,920 --> 00:55:10,440
I was lucky to teach in high school,
1205
00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:11,760
because it's not like college.
1206
00:55:11,760 --> 00:55:13,320
Teacher comes in, you teach a lesson,
1207
00:55:13,320 --> 00:55:15,000
you don't see them till the next week.
1208
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:17,240
That doesn't happen all the time, but frequently it
1209
00:55:17,240 --> 00:55:18,280
does at the college.
1210
00:55:18,280 --> 00:55:20,360
In high school, we were mentors.
1211
00:55:20,360 --> 00:55:22,000
We're surrogate parents.
1212
00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:23,680
The piano building is one building area.
1213
00:55:23,680 --> 00:55:25,160
And the students practice there.
1214
00:55:25,160 --> 00:55:26,520
We're walking down the hallway.
1215
00:55:26,520 --> 00:55:28,480
We hear somebody play a wrong rhythm or note.
1216
00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:31,320
We just pop in and fix it immediately.
1217
00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:34,080
I took them swimming for a couple of years
1218
00:55:34,080 --> 00:55:35,680
on Wednesday evenings.
1219
00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:38,600
Take them skiing, haul them over for dinner.
1220
00:55:38,600 --> 00:55:41,720
A couple of times a semester, we'd have Christmas parties.
1221
00:55:41,720 --> 00:55:43,960
We'd have graduation parties.
1222
00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:46,560
As a matter of fact, that's how I lost my finger,
1223
00:55:46,560 --> 00:55:48,480
was I took them on a hike.
1224
00:55:48,480 --> 00:55:50,840
And I went over a barbed wire fence
1225
00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:55,360
and didn't realize it was a lot further on the other side down.
1226
00:55:55,360 --> 00:55:57,280
So they helped me back to the house.
1227
00:55:57,280 --> 00:56:01,920
I mangled and the nerves were severed.
1228
00:56:01,920 --> 00:56:04,960
And so a very memorable outing.
1229
00:56:04,960 --> 00:56:07,840
Well, I know we're going to discuss much deeper
1230
00:56:07,840 --> 00:56:10,000
into that topic later.
1231
00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:13,720
I know it happened a couple of years ago, right?
1232
00:56:13,720 --> 00:56:14,960
2015.
1233
00:56:14,960 --> 00:56:16,760
2015, OK, yes.
1234
00:56:16,760 --> 00:56:21,160
So obviously, that is a life changing moment for you.
1235
00:56:21,160 --> 00:56:24,840
But we'll discuss that a little bit later.
1236
00:56:24,840 --> 00:56:38,360
What are the most important lessons you've taught your students?
1237
00:56:38,360 --> 00:56:41,840
Well, my watchword for everybody, for faculty, colleagues,
1238
00:56:41,840 --> 00:56:44,480
students, is balance.
1239
00:56:44,480 --> 00:56:47,360
It's important to have a balance in your life.
1240
00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:52,000
It's so easy to be narcissistic and just be totally involved
1241
00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:54,000
with what you're doing, practice six hours a day
1242
00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:56,000
and thinking about the next practice.
1243
00:56:56,000 --> 00:56:57,840
Even if a teacher, if you're teaching
1244
00:56:57,840 --> 00:57:00,360
and you're just thinking about when your next practice
1245
00:57:00,360 --> 00:57:02,960
session is going to be, your focus isn't on the student.
1246
00:57:02,960 --> 00:57:05,040
And that's no good.
1247
00:57:05,040 --> 00:57:08,720
I teach my students to be supportive of one another
1248
00:57:08,720 --> 00:57:10,960
instead of just always me, me, me.
1249
00:57:10,960 --> 00:57:13,880
And it's just natural for you to be concerned
1250
00:57:13,880 --> 00:57:17,080
around your own development and career.
1251
00:57:17,080 --> 00:57:19,620
But along the way, it's important to be aware of other people.
1252
00:57:19,620 --> 00:57:20,680
Support one another.
1253
00:57:20,680 --> 00:57:24,280
I have a chart and I require the students
1254
00:57:24,280 --> 00:57:28,440
to attend 15 recitals per semester.
1255
00:57:28,440 --> 00:57:31,680
That's not a lot, but it's to prove a point
1256
00:57:31,680 --> 00:57:34,120
that it's important to support one another.
1257
00:57:34,120 --> 00:57:35,560
Because normally they wouldn't do it
1258
00:57:35,560 --> 00:57:38,080
except for their few friends.
1259
00:57:38,080 --> 00:57:40,480
I said, go to concerts you don't even know them.
1260
00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:44,080
Go to a saxophone recital.
1261
00:57:44,080 --> 00:57:47,000
Anything to get 15 concerts so you listen to music.
1262
00:57:47,000 --> 00:57:48,640
And so it's an honor system.
1263
00:57:48,640 --> 00:57:51,680
When they go to a concert, they check it off on the board.
1264
00:57:51,680 --> 00:57:54,800
So I think it's important to support one another.
1265
00:57:54,800 --> 00:57:55,520
Let's see.
1266
00:57:55,520 --> 00:57:58,520
Oh, one thing I've taught is I got this
1267
00:57:58,520 --> 00:58:01,880
from a very dear friend and colleague who
1268
00:58:01,880 --> 00:58:05,040
is 80 years old from China, Benjamin Yu.
1269
00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:10,000
And he said, if the students can get 85% or 90% of it right,
1270
00:58:10,000 --> 00:58:11,920
they should feel satisfied.
1271
00:58:11,920 --> 00:58:14,260
When you set yourself up for perfection,
1272
00:58:14,260 --> 00:58:16,680
it's like for failure because you just
1273
00:58:16,680 --> 00:58:18,920
can't play perfectly, especially if you're
1274
00:58:18,920 --> 00:58:21,280
trying to be creative and take chances.
1275
00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:23,520
Perfection is not the end result.
1276
00:58:23,520 --> 00:58:28,200
So if you can get excellence, 85% or 90%, you're doing well.
1277
00:58:28,200 --> 00:58:29,040
Special moments.
1278
00:58:29,040 --> 00:58:33,520
I try to say if this particular turn to phrase or this harmony
1279
00:58:33,520 --> 00:58:36,000
really sends you in some way, you
1280
00:58:36,000 --> 00:58:37,800
can impart that to your audience.
1281
00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:39,920
It's great.
1282
00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:42,860
The bottom line is I think performance is human.
1283
00:58:42,860 --> 00:58:46,800
The goal is to have human interaction.
1284
00:58:46,800 --> 00:58:50,760
Reach somebody and they come backstage and they're in tears.
1285
00:58:50,760 --> 00:58:54,520
I feel they really loved what I was doing.
1286
00:58:54,520 --> 00:58:58,880
And pouring out my heart for some of them, they felt it.
1287
00:58:58,880 --> 00:59:04,240
Well, your students are so fortunate to have you
1288
00:59:04,240 --> 00:59:05,920
as a mentor and teacher.
1289
00:59:05,920 --> 00:59:08,420
And Poki is one of them.
1290
00:59:08,420 --> 00:59:11,200
And he always tells me about the experience
1291
00:59:11,200 --> 00:59:13,000
that he had with you.
1292
00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:20,360
And that's a wrap for the first part of this engaging episode
1293
00:59:20,360 --> 00:59:23,800
on the PianoPod with classical pianist, recording artist,
1294
00:59:23,800 --> 00:59:26,600
and educator Dr. Michael Coonrod.
1295
00:59:26,600 --> 00:59:28,960
If you have been enjoying our episodes,
1296
00:59:28,960 --> 00:59:31,880
please rate and review us on your favorite podcast
1297
00:59:31,880 --> 00:59:32,800
platform.
1298
00:59:32,800 --> 00:59:36,280
You can also watch this episode on the PianoPod's YouTube
1299
00:59:36,280 --> 00:59:37,120
channel.
1300
00:59:37,120 --> 00:59:40,920
Please find us on social media to get the latest piano news
1301
00:59:40,920 --> 00:59:44,400
via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
1302
00:59:44,400 --> 00:59:46,560
All the links are in the description.
1303
00:59:46,560 --> 00:59:49,720
Tune in next Tuesday, January 16th,
1304
00:59:49,720 --> 00:59:52,120
at 8 PM for the rest of the interview
1305
00:59:52,120 --> 00:59:53,680
with Dr. Michael Coonrod.
1306
00:59:53,680 --> 01:00:11,040
Thank you.