“It’s tendonitis,” the doctor said, cradling my left arm. “Playing a lot of tennis?”
Robin Sloane Seibert, Contributing Writer
Where’s the Finish Line?
Jeremy Denk says he never plays a piece of music the same way twice. Reading that, as a longtime fan of the celebrated pianist, reminded me of an issue I’ve been thinking about for a while: At what point will I have finished learning a composition? Does the finish line come when I have played the music at a consistent tempo?
How to Memorize Piano Music, With Help from Music Theory
This past summer, armed with 12 years of weekly lessons and two years of music theory, I achieved a goal I never thought possible—memorizing a piece of music.
Robin Sloane Seibert Plays Beethoven Bagatelle No. 2
Last year, a friend’s exuberant performance of seven Beethoven Bagatelles prompted me to learn one myself.
How Music Theory Helps Decode the Bass Clef
Since beginning adult piano lessons a decade ago, I have tried to ignore my left hand. Fixated on the treble clef and my right hand, I viewed the bass clef as a nuisance, a mere accompaniment to the more seductive melody.
The Language of Music
Almost everyone has struggled with at least one subject in high school. Mine was language.
Rushing Haydn in Adult Piano Lessons
I have never been one to do anything slowly. I entered high school at age 12, college at 16, and was a vice president in a male-dominated industry at 30. That is, until I studied Haydn.