Straight Talk on Learning and Freelancing

I'm a huge fan of Penelope Trunk's blog. She pulls no punches, speaks her mind, and isn't afraid to make enemies. Two of her recent articles are worth reading if you're a professional freelance musician or music teacher:

1. How School Affects Future Earnings looks at some current thought regarding what's important in a child's education. Trunk's emphasis is on striving, confidence, goal-setting, doing the work, and unconventional solutions for each child. I also like the importance she puts on finding a mentor.

Let's face it - individualized instruction is not part of a successful business plan in the education sector. Class instruction is what pays the bills, and most schools simply can't afford to give students private instruction, even in cases where special education needs require it. Which is where private music teachers come in. It is impossible to develop any decent level of proficiency in a musical instrument without hours upon hours of individual lessons. Therefore, private music lessons might be the only one-on-one time that a child ever gets with a teacher (Elissa Milne has also stated this several times in her blog). This puts music teachers in a unique position to have a tremendous influence on a child's development, not just in terms of their progress in learning an instrument, but in their overall attitude towards self-confidence, work, achievement, and finding their true calling. Penelope says it very well:

I coach so many people who want advice about their career, but so often, these people really just need to learn how to figure out what they want: experiment, find what might be fun. Try it for a bit. People need coaching on how to take risks and not worry if they fail. People need coaching on how to find a mentor who is invested in their particular path. I see that all these things are related to earning power, and all these things are what kids learn when they direct their own curriculum.

2. Every freelance collaborative pianist should read Finance Tips for the Self-Employed. Being a freelancer in an urban music scene can be rough. You might rarely have access to your own dedicated studio space. You might go your entire career dragging a backpack around a school of music. You'll often make insane amounts of money from February through April, but have trouble making ends meet in September. Penelope's article won't change any of that, but will help you deal with the difficult stuff. Two of Penelope's points in particular are applicable to many people's freelance work:

4. Have one great client.
5. Self-employment stability requires doing stuff you hate.

Speedlinking - 21 April 2011

Here are some links on various music-related topics that might make for some relaxing reading as we head into the Easter weekend, right in the middle of what is often the busiest time of the year for many of us...

• It's April. You're booked solid. You can't take on anything more. Geraldine Boyer-Cusac writes about how to say no as an accompanist.
• Need some inspiration with the practicing? Erica Ann Sipes looks at how to apply game mechanics to your practice session. 
• Want to make a living in the pit? Take a look at Peter Hilliard's how to be a good musical theatre pianist and MusicianWages.com's Resources for Broadway Musicians.
• For those interested in taking the plunge into music education, Meri Dolevski-Lewis has some questions to ask yourself BEFORE starting to teach music lessons. Then again, Eileen Huang merely says good luck.
• Not all teaching gigs are what they seem. Billie Whittaker finds a listing for two jobs rolled into one.
• Not all awesome pianists are pros. AmateurPianists.org looks at the piano world from the perspective of those who play for pleasure, unfettered by the need to make a living at it.
• For those of us working in the classical music profession, doom and gloom are the order of the day, as these articles show.
• Finally, Christopher Taylor talks about the only 2-keyboard Steinway ever built:
  
  

Speedlinking - 1 February 2011

Image by Carlos Andres Rivera

Here are links to some awesome articles from around the collaborative piano blogosphere:

• If you're a music director, great rehearsals don't just happen, they are planned. Geraldine Boyer-Cussac discusses 5 steps to plan music rehearsals, which is required reading for anyone wishing to make the rehearsal process flow more efficiently. 
• Playing a recital with someone out of town? Kennith Freeman looks at Long Distance Recitals and how to plan them when eventual rehearsal time will be at a premium.
• Laura Lowe has authored a very useful primer on how to be a choral accompanist. Part I looks at learning the voice parts, Part II discusses the process of preparing the accompaniment, and Part III tackles the art of playing a choral rehearsal. 
• Do you really need someone else to tell you if you're playing too loud or not? Gretchen Saathoff's list of tools on how to balance the piano with other performers should help you discover that sweet spot for volume all by yourself, thank you very much. 
• So just what type of collaborative pianist are you? Billie Whittaker has created a hilarious infographic on the many roles of collaborative pianists.

Aestival Blogosphere Reads

My latest post for Music Teacher's Helper: 13 Aestival Music Education Reads from the Blogosphere, featuring links to articles by John Mannos, Jason Heath, Gretchen Saathoff, Joseph Pisano, Jonathan West, Patty Mitchell, Billy Whittaker, Dan Starr, Susan Eichhorn Young, Gerrit Theule, and Natalie Wickham. The classical music/music ed blog scene is such an awesome place these days.

Speedlinking - 20 May 2009

Here is the latest batch of interesting links I've found and mentioned on Twitter:

• Exhausted at this time of year? Minervity suggests 10 Ways to Stay Creative While Exhausted.
• If you're in New York City this summer, you might want to check out the Metropolitan Opera's Summer Recital Series at various outdoor locations throughout the five boroughs.
• The recession is hitting some U.S. communities harder than others. Take a look at the AP Economic Stress Index to see how your area is faring.
• Best of luck to NY-based singer and teacher Susan Eichhorn-Young on the launch of her new blog Once More With Feeling.
• Local American Idol-like competitions with a classical twist might just be one of the ways to build new audiences interested in what we do. Greg Sandow looks at the possibilities in Classical idol -- scalable.
• Yay! The arts are once again front and center in the U.S., thanks to spokespeople such as Michelle Obama.
• Who's your muse? Do you even have one? Lee Siegel in WSJ looks at the declining roles of muses in the arts.
• We're #10! Invesp Consulting's blogrank service now lists the Collaborative Piano Blog in tenth spot on its list of the top 25 classical music blogs.

Speedlinking - 2 May 2009

Here is the latest batch of links I've mentioned on Twitter in the last few days:

• Head on over to the May installment of the Music Education Blog Carnival, hosted by Natalie Wickham at Music Matters Blog.
• Two great articles by Greg Sandow and his unrelenting search for the way forward in classical music: Reaching a young audience -- from a student and Beyond Media.
• Tapestry New Opera's newest project is Get Stuffed, an opera for young audiences about healthy eating choices. Check out the Get Stuffed website for pics from the world premiere.
• Another great shot of the Lee Plaza piano, arguably the most famous piano in Detroit.
• Thinking of resettling in the next while? You might want to check out this unsettling map of vanishing employment in the United States.
• Jeremy Fisher shares a very useful Front Foot, Back Foot exercise to discover forward and backward flow in music.
• Norman Lebrecht considers what's in store for IMG Artists now that its owner has pleaded guilty to securities fraud.
• Check out this retaining wall made out of stripped-down pianos.
• Oh, the wonders of Auto-Tune. Its capabilities can not only fix the intonation of singers but turn speech into song, as this Gregory Brothers video of Martin Luther King shows:
  
  

Speedlinking - 13 April 2009

Here are some articles of interest I've mentioned on Twitter in the last few days:

• Michael Hitzik writes in the LA Times about Glenn Gould's foresight about the role of technology in music.
• If the performing scene is slow in the real world, there's always Second Life.
• Wondering how a Steinway is made? Check out the online factory tour on their website.
• Bean-Counter Concerto, from Wiley Miller's Non Sequitur cartoon.
• Caroline Davies' Comeback for pianist who beat Tourette's in the Observer looks at Nick van Bloss's journey with the condition in his return to the concert hall.
• The stampede of people in the arts onto Twitter has continued unabated this month. If you're new to the platform , have a look at Brenda Young's Beginner's Guide to Twitter.
• Zinc Research and Nick Coulter have some interesting commentary on Billy Bob Thornton's now-legendary botched interview with Jian Ghomeshi on Q (watch the original interview here).
  
  

Speedlinking - 30 November 2008

Here are some useful articles and links from the last few weeks:

• If you blog about music education and you haven't yet joined Joseph Pisano's 100 Music Education Bloggers project, you haven't got much time left as there are only 5 spots remaining.
  
• If you're a music teacher looking to fill your studio, take a look at Paul Wolf's 5 Reasons Why You're in the Marketing - Not Music - Business.
• Anthony Tommasini has written an excellent primer on the Bel Canto style.
• There is lots of information on how to remain healthy during the cold and flu season, but only Lily Puns writes about how to get your musical competitors sick.
• Jon Dittert offers some advice on creating a practice handout for your students.
• Trying to find the perfect time to release your music on the internet? Andrew Dubber looks at some solutions in When should I put my music online?
• Facing the late-year creative blahs? Dumb Little Man has 10 Great Ways to Jumpstart Your Creativity.
• And finally, here are some wonderful words on creativity, motivation, failure, risks, and money from legendary dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp:
  
  

Speedlinking - 16 October 2008

Here are some recent links from around the web:

• More classical music blogs that have recently come to my attention: Blogging the Opera, Capitol Opera's in-house production blog, Chamber Music Today, following numerous companies and stories across the chamber music world, and Chicken Scratch, the only opera blog currently known to be written by a chicken.
• You're in Washington during the roaring 20's.  You need to hire the top accompanist in town.  Who do you call?  Why, Cecelia O'Dea, of course.
• Drew McManus has just published in the 2008 Orchestra Website Review, with info on which orchestra sites are the most navigable and audience-friendly, as well as the ones that aren't making the grade.
• Tapestry's Inside the New Works Studio has just published photos from its successful run of Opera Briefs 8.
• Its recording season.  Which format do you choose for your publicity materials--CD or MP3? New Music Strategies helps you choose.
• Jake Heggie, composer and pianist.  See Mark Swed's LA Times review of his recent performance with Frederica Von Stage at Santa Monica College.

End of Summer Link Extravaganza Part 3

Here is the third and final installment of recent articles and stuff from around the web that I've found both interesting and relevant:

• Need to wear jewellery that establishes that you are of the piano tribe? Jay Jackson Designs has an extensive line of earrings, pins, and other items made from recycled piano keys. (Via Keetsa and Piano Teacher's Retreat)
• Rehearsal pianists--are you in a situation where you are getting bullied? Slow Leadership has an article about Whose Job Is It To Stop Bullies at Work. What I've also noticed recently is that several pianists are taking matters into their own hands and outing abusive colleagues and conductors on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Pianists Facebook group. The playing field is about to become a little bit more level out there....
• Want some quick practice advice? This photo may help you...
  
• Want to put your gigs online? Andrew Dubber of New Music Strategies tells you how.
• Tired of doing someone else's projects? Steven Snell of Freelance Switch writes about 7 Reasons Why You Should Pursue Your Own Projects.
• Finally, Jennifer Cluff points us towards a monumental series of YouTube videos that feature Daniel Barenboim's Beethoven master classes in Chicago. Here's the first one in the series:
  
  
  

End of Summer Link Extravaganza Part 2

Here is the second installment of some links I've bookmarked over the last while...

• Shopping for school supplies for the coming academic year? Instructify has a list of The New Essentials: Top 10 School Supplies for Today's Students. One of the featured sites on the Instructify list is Diigo, a social bookmarking site. Educators have already been busy creating groups dedicated to the future of education such as MusEd Resources for music educators and Classroom 2.0, started by technology-in-education pioneer Steve Hargadon. ReadWriteweb also has a back-to-school list of 10 Great Web Apps for College Students, including one of my current favorite programs, Evernote.
  
• Beth Levin in the online music review site La Folia writes some Advice to a Pianist Performing Brahms' B Major Trio, Op. 8:
  

  A word. Pay attention. The violinist in a piano trio is a show-off, or I’m not from Philadelphia. Don’t fret over his welfare and well-being. He will fend for himself, but more to the point, he will let you know when you’ve stepped over the line — any line — rhythmic, melodic, interpretive, emotional. He’ll also let you know when your hem is undone, but that’s another story.

• Faced any tough rehearsals lately? Bet what you've gone through is nothing compared to what the performers for the Olympic opening ceremonies were subjected to in their rehearsal process:
  

  While in Beijing, the constant exposure to the dizzyingly hot summer resulted in heatstroke for some students, particularly during one rain-drenched rehearsal that stretched on for two days and two nights.
  
  The students were kept on their feet for most of the 51-hour rehearsal with little food and rest and no shelter from the night's downpour, as the show's directors attempted to coordinate the 2,008-member performance with multimedia effects, students and their head coach told the AP.

• While we're on the subject of the Olympics, it is worth knowing that the Sydney Symphony Orchestra faked their performance in the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Olympics.
• Summer is almost over. It's time to advertise for the coming academic year and grow your studio. How do you do it? Sarah Luebke on the Music Teacher's Helper blog has compiled a comprehensive list of what to consider when advertising your studio.
• Those working as either teachers or collaborative pianists who are unsure of their mission may want to read Skellie's Freelance Switch compilation of 30+ Ways to Create an Incredible Client Experience.
• On Tuesday morning, Canada's CBC Radio 2 will be eliminating most of their classical programming. In this YouTube clip, Wayne Strongman of Tapestry New Opera Works talks at a May 24 rally in Toronto about the importance of classical music's current diversity and how important the demand for classical music is in many marginalized communities.
  
  
  

End of Summer Link Extravaganza Part 1

I've amassed quite a lot of bookmarks over the last while, musical or otherwise. Here is the first installment in a series with links to some sites that I've found interesting.

• Marina Pinto's submission to the Stand on Guard for CBC mailing list was featured on the group's blog: Classical Music Elitist? My Foot! Marina makes an excellent point that quality single-game tickets to the Toronto Raptors cost about the same price as a full subscription to the Toronto Symphony.
• Here are two interesting classical music portals to check out: Classical Music Homepage and Classical Music Toolbar.
• Wondering about the value of blogging and whether or not you should start one ? Education 2.0 site Instructify has several articles on the subject, including A Few Good Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging and 5 (More) Good Reasons to Start Blogging. Here is one reason:
  

  The web is a big, big place, and just because you teach in Greasy Corner, AR doesn’t mean you can’t be a rockstar on the web. With social networking sites in your niche, it is easy to become a teaching authority by accessing information from all over the world and helping to aggregate it.



• If you're ever been interested in learning those dastardly Hanon exercises, Piano Guy recently wrote a fascinating article on how they can be used.
• Two great links via Natalie Wickham's essential Music Matters Blog: Carnegie Hall Listening Adventures and an introduction to the instruments of the orchestra.
• Intimacy, commitment, spontaneity. Listen for those qualities in this rare piano-vocal arrangement of Sarah McLachlan's Hold On. This arrangement (released on the Freedom Sessions EP) is radically different than what was eventually released on her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album, but I think is a much more moving version, and may have been recorded in one take:
  
  

Speedlinking - 27 May 2008

This is one of the busiest weeks of the year for me, with precious little blog time until later in the week. In the meantime, here are some recent articles from around the blogosphere on practicing, networking, and using technology:

• If you're looking at using social media to expand your professional horizons but aren't sure of the rules of the game, take a look at ReadWriteWeb's Social Media U: Take a Class in Social Media. If you want to make Facebook your entry point into social networking, another ReadWriteWeb article on How to Make Facebook Useful Again points the way to using the service as an efficient, professional-looking tool. If you're look at using social media as a teaching tool, Steve Hargadon recently wrote about using Ning, Netvibes, and Pageflakes to aggregate quality content in your field (I recently created a Netvibes page to aggregate content for a workshop I gave at Eastman).
  
• Need to get more organized? Take a look at Web Worker Daily's Perfect Productivity System to see what works for you.
• Ah, practicing. It's getting down to the wire for many musicians taking RCM/NMCP exams this May and June. If you still need some inspiration, check out Rhona-Mae Arca's links to piano exam tips. Emily at The Stark Raving Cello Blog wrote about 4 Cello Articles of Faith that apply to much more than cello playing.
• But what if you're just starting out on the journey? Natalie Wickham polled her students to see what practice advice they could come up with for new students and got some extremely insightful ideas.
• Ah, the musical life. Marsha Lederman in the Globe and Mail looks at Robert Silverman's career and the road not taken.
• Looking for an alternative concert venue? Try Second Life, where Jeremy Denk played earlier today. Mike Janssen of Scanning the Dial looks at what radio might gain from this adventure. (Update: Marty Ronish writes about the experience of seeing a concert in Second Life.)
  

Speedlinking - 16 May 2008

Here are some interesting finds from around the blogosphere:

• Play a lot of gigs around town and you'll notice many of them falling into categories found in Skellie's 20 Types of Freelance Work Identified and Explained.
• If you're feeling the effects of the current economic downturn, you're not alone. Sarah Luebke on the Music Teacher's Helper Blog looks at Economic Woes Posing Challenges to Private Music Teachers.
• Ever notice that Waltz of the Flowers gives one a hankering for a Riesling? A recent BBC article looks at current research that correlates musical selection with wine taste (via Boing Boing).
• Ann-Carolyn Bird shares her list of current and projected operatic roles. All voices are works in progress--Ann-Carolyn's list shows both intelligence and foresight in her choice of roles that she can readily sing in her busy career, but with plenty of room for future vocal growth.
• Need to double your musical output as a performer? Ben Clapton has a great list of 7 Tips on Becoming a Prolific Musician.
• Finally, Kate Boyd examines the words most dreaded by those who frequent the piano in recital season: "Assisted by..."
  

Speedlinking - 28 April 2008

Having completed my taxes for 2007 (with refund owing--yay), it's back to the blog with the latest batch of fascinating linkage:

• Check out Opera Chic for a picture of America's most famous non-conductor.
• Molly Sheridan examines one of the dinosaurs of classical music: the tuxedo.
• Hugh Sung has just launched The Prosperous Musician, a blog that will be looking at how to excel financially in a field not generally known for widespread monetary success.
• Those not yet convinced of the switch from traditional to social media might want to check out some fascinating stats on blogging and social networking at ReadWriteWeb.
  
• And finally, some beautiful words of inspiration from Grace Nikae at this busy time of year:
  

  An artistic life celebrates and values the courage needed to ask the question that allows us to continue searching and growing - not for “any prince’s gallery”, but because the question itself reveals the infinite dimensions of our relationship to the world around us.

Speedlinking - 21 April 2008

Here are a few links that I've found interesting in the last while:

• Kate writes about 7 Reasons for Pianists To Play Music Together.
• Those who are required to travel for engagements might want to check out the Gig After Gas Online Calculator to see how much of your pay you're actually keeping after factoring in your gas costs.
  
• The Kurosawa Piano Music Foundation looks like a very worthwhile organization whose mission is to support the art of the piano duo (via WTB).
• Interested in reading novels about pianists? From the bench has a list of several that you may want to check out.
• An article in today's Toronto Star by James Rolfe (president of the Canadian League of Composers) is perhaps the most eloquent and blunt recounting of the tragedy that has befallen Canada's cultural life with the CBC's near-abandonment of classical music.
• And finally, (via Dark Roasted Blend), a vintage television clip of an argument between Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray set to Beethoven's 5th Symphony: