Enjoy these great articles: On Practicing / Performing: Coping with Performance Anxiety: Brief blog article which includes helpful tips, as well as reflections from performers who face the inevitable nerves.
limitations in movement and thinking, is studied by many actors and performers. Piano Practice Methods Home Page: Great nuggets of advice on developing a refined technique, not just applicable to the piano. Artist/Educator Archive Interview - Dr. Paul Pollei: Fascinating article with an established classical music professional, offering surprising insights on performance and study. About Amateur Musicians: For Music’s Sake: Excellent New York Times article about amateur chamber musicians, and the pursuit of like-minded collaboration. Condoleeza Rice on Piano: The current Secretary of State is a serious classical amateur. Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey: Perri Knize, classical piano amateur and reporter, has completed this heartfelt memoir of her search for the perfect instrument. Doctors Chasing Dreams: About the new International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation. The competition website can be accessed here. Albert Einstein Symphony Orchestra: This New York-based orchestra is composed entirely of amateurs, mostly from the medical field. Piano World: Anything and everything pianos on this site, great information on everything from performance technique to how a piano is made. Check out the Pianist Corner.
The Death of Classical music- A multi-part series exploring some interesting insights from Keith Otis Edwards, free-lance writer and amateur composer. Throughout, Edwards combines biting humor with piercing insight: Part I- Mimes with Batons: Explores the boredom and sterility inherent in so many classical music performances. Interestingly enough, we weren’t always so quiet and well-mannered… Part II- The Poodle Factor: Another great article, proposing the theory that “The prim and respectable people have hijacked classical music” Part VI- The Age of Wallflowers: Classical music, at one point, was dance music-just like disco, swing, or techno is today. Why do current performances totally squelch this enjoyment factor? Part VII- The Sound of Cobwebs: Edwards closes his series with this brief observation, on the lack of improvisation in current classical music performances. Seeking to Revive Classical Music: Pianist Michael Boriskin shares his unique insight on how to salvage classical music. Not only a great musician, but quite the visionary. Related article included here. The Future of Classical Music: a very interesting book excerpt by Greg Sandow, which directly addresses the industry's overemphasis on formality and perfection. Tea Leaves: Classical music is dead (or at least terminal): Blog article that explains a variety of reasons why classical music is (almost) at the point of no return. Classical View: Racism Is Only Part of the Story: A well-balanced discussion of a darker aspect of classical music: the lack of prominent performers of color, especially instrumental. Deathwatch - Is Classical Music Really Dying? Links to a variety of articles, many quite good.
Classical Music Fans May Have More Brains: ‘Nuff said…..we’ve known this all along! |
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| Some Interesting Links |
