Do I Hear a Rhapsody? Yes, with Help
A music lover with hearing loss describes her experiences, both good and bad, with using assistive listening devices at the theater, and calls for theater managers to focus on quality. »
A music lover with hearing loss describes her experiences, both good and bad, with using assistive listening devices at the theater, and calls for theater managers to focus on quality. »
These excerpts from Marcia Butler's memoir The Skin Above My Knee show that even for a professional musician, preparing a new piece can be frightening and all-encompassing. »
In this poem bursting with nature imagery, Sandra Beasley channels the perspective of an old piano that is woken back to life by a master like Erik Satie. »
The author of The Positive Pianist explores the idea of flow, or how finding a state of peak joy and concentration helps us get more out of piano practice. »
Train yourself to sight-read fluently, without looking down at your hands or the keyboard, using these examples from piano repertoire at different levels. »
In this poem for her mother, Diane Wakoski expresses gratitude for her childhood piano lessons that provided a respite from the ugliness of life. »
Starting up piano lessons again in retirement, this student dives right back into a Beethoven sonata and learns the benefits of studying music as an adult. »
In this piece of short creative nonfiction, the author’s out-of-tune piano brings up everything from the elephants’ ivory to her current family dynamics. »
Although she didn’t have typical classical piano lessons, Gail Fischler learned chords. She went on to arrange music, including a book of Christmas carols. »
A former amateur musician with total hearing loss decided to get a cochlear implant; efforts to hear music again are intertwined with her auditory memory. »
Twenty-something Priscilla Rodgers felt like a failure until she decided to reclaim her passion by enrolling in piano lessons, while pursuing a new career. »
An adult pianist who suffered from stage fright since childhood, Sara Solovitch, author of Playing Scared, decides to take her performance anxiety head on. »
A film director and amateur pianist describes the making of American Grand, a documentary depicting the drama of taking apart and rebuilding a grand piano. »
In this literary short story by Christi Craig, a piano tuner reluctantly turns up at the house of a flighty woman who has no appreciation for her Wurlitzer. »
As the Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss announces its first conference, the founder recounts growing up as a hearing-impaired music student. »
Contributing Artist Annika Connor uncovers the process of how her painting Augustus was created, from outline to filling in negative space to adding color. »
Playing the Sarabande from Debussy's Pour le piano is like losing yourself in an Impressionist painting. Shirley Gruenhut performs the piece in this video. »
This amateur pianist received a valuable life lesson from her concert pianist grandfather, but his words didn't sink in until many years after his death. »
Mary Jo Balistreri, who has a hearing loss, writes of the piano as an honest friend and lifelong teacher in this uplifting poem dedicated to Nancy Williams. »