What is your favorite piece?

         My favorite piece is always the one I’m working on!  Honestly, I don’t play music I don’t like, and each piece I prepare for performance is something that I’m “in love” with.  Having said that, there are certain composers whose pieces I especially enjoy.  But the list is so long that I couldn’t begin to start.

Who is your favorite composer?

         My answer for this one would have to be the same as above.  There are some composers I don’t like, but I either don’t play them, or I return to them from time to time to see if my opinion has changed, and occasionally, it does.  I do keep a special place in my heart for Chopin.

Are you a Chopin specialist?

         No, not in the sense that I play Chopin all the time.  But I do have a deep connection to his music (as do so many pianists).  And it is true that I studied at the Warsaw Conservatory (the same school Chopin attended.)  While I was there I worked with Jan Ekier, who is the editor of a new edition of the complete works of Chopin.

He has many, many things to say about how to perform Chopin.  Much of my stylistic approach to Chopin was refined in Warsaw, and I believe I have something valuable to contribute to the preservation and furthering of a living, authentic Chopin style.

How much do you practice?

         Depending on my schedule, I practice 2-3 hours each day, with one day a week off.  Practice for performance is like athletic training – it must be done consistently, consciously, and well in order for the performance to succeed.  You play like you practice, I always say.  By the way, I’m not a believer in long practice sessions.  Three hours is about the maximum I think anyone should practice a day.  Stories about someone practicing 8-10 hours a day can only mean that the person is practicing mechanically, like a machine.   Practice is mental as well as physical.  As I get older, I realize more and more that it is more mental than physical.  And there is only so much concentrated mental work that we can do at any one time.  So I stick to a three hour maximum.  If I have time left for music, I take a swim or a walk instead!  Much better for your musical imagination!

Do you get nervous before you perform?

Well, less and less.  It isn’t nervousness so much anymore as it is excitement, and a sense of responsibility for communicating the music I am about to play.  But believe me, I did get a lot more nervous when I was younger.  The secret to not being nervous?

1.     Wear it out – i.e. perform so much you get used to it

2.     Doing tai chi – I studied this Chinese martial art form for 4 years, and it made a tremendous impact on my nervousness.  I became much calmer before a Performance.

3.     Meditation – Working on conscious relaxation and focus through meditation has also been a tremendous help in giving up nerves. 

How do you make it look so easy?

I practice with the goal of ease always in my mind.  In other words, I don’t let myself play with difficulty.  If something feels difficult, I work with my mind/body until it feels easy. 

Do you get bored teaching beginners?

No, I have been teaching beginners here at the college for 20 years.  There is something fascinating and very satisfying about sharing the gift of music with people who are just starting out.  Also, I am very interested in the workings of the human mind in relation to learning music.  When I encounter new students, each is a subtle variation on the theme of “how does a person new to music learn?”  In fact, the process of learning music, and the steps to mastery are the same for a brand new person learning music, as they are to me, who has been around a long time.

How do you memorize all those notes?

Memorization is a mental skill, which like other skills can be developed.  The most important tool to memorizing is practicing well.  Pieces that are well learned are easier to memorize.  Pieces that are played with full attention are easier to memorize.  In a sense, each time we practice we are memorizing, even if we are looking at the printed music as we play.  Memory is simply the process of removing the printed cue from in front of us as we play.  The very best way to memorize is to play the piece you are memorizing with the printed notes away from your instrument, somewhere else in the room.  Walking away from the piano and over to the music is the best way to focus your mind not on the printed symbols for the music but on the sound – the music – itself.