On Finding the "Perfect" Teacher

I'm currently preparing for two piano teaching diplomas, so I've been thinking a lot about what makes a good piano teacher.  I've had excellent teachers throughout my musical training.  The vast majority of teachers that I've had are not only fantastic musicians but are wonderful human beings as well - full of compassion and deep commitment to their students.

I've seen a trend lately of "teacher shopping."  People don't commit to a set of lessons.  They want to see how one lesson goes with a particular teacher.  In some cases, one lesson is all you need to see how the relationship and learning will develop.  In other cases, it will take several lessons for the teacher to develop a sense of how the student should progress and what aspects of their playing need to be worked on the most.   In this situation, one lesson will not be sufficient.

This brings me to my next topic: loyalty to a certain teacher.  How do you know when you've found the right teacher?  Well, sometimes you won't know immediately.  In our society, we often move on to the "next greatest thing" so quickly without letting things mature, grow, and flourish.  I'm here to say that the relationship between piano teacher and student is so precious that it can not be replaced as quickly as we change phone devices and hair colours. 

The bond that is created between teacher and music student can be incredibly strong.  The student reveals so much of their inner soul and character through the study of music. The trust that is developed can be very deep indeed.

So, what does all of this mean about knowing when you've found the right teacher?  It means that you'll hear your playing getting better because you trust that the teacher is knowledgeable enough to help you and you don't need to go to someone else.  You'll know you have the right teacher when you can tell that they bend over backwards to make you feel comfortable - but at the same time, challenge you.  

My advice is this: once you find that person - stick with them and don't leave.  Stay with them and attend lessons weekly at a committed time.  Show your loyalty to them as a sign of respect.  Does that mean you shouldn't attend masterclasses? Of course not!  You definitely should.  These are fantastic learning opportunities.  Nearer to a performance or exam it might be wise to play through your repertoire for a second teacher just for the experience.  Please note, this experience should NOT be to change everything you've worked hard to accomplish with your main teacher.

While there are often very legitimate reasons to leave a teacher's studio, more often than not, we should simply be loyal and steadfast.  Music teachers are highly-trained and highly-committed individuals who help bring beauty into the world by sharing their knowledge of our beloved art. So, next time you want to "test drive" a new music teacher, think twice.  The teacher-student relationship is not one that can be discarded as easily as a piece of technology.

To Tanya ...and to better days

My heart sunk as I learned the news on Wednesday, that Tanya Prochazka, cellist and conductor, had passed away. She had taught for many years at the University of Alberta's Department of Music.  It had been over a decade since I had seen her and been under her baton as an extremely amateur violinist.  During that decade, she had battled courageously against cancer.

My thoughts immediately rushed to my friends who are cellists or who were section leaders in orchestra. They knew her best.  One of my friends had studied the cello with Tanya since childhood.  I feel the acuteness of their loss.  I only studied with her for a year so I can not begin to imagine what their hearts are feeling at the moment.

What I learned from watching Tanya conduct concerts for over five years and by playing in orchestra under her for one year changed me as a musician and a person.  Tanya's energy was contagious and revitalizing. Orchestra rehearsals were from seven to nine in the evening. We would arrive absolutely exhausted from the day of studies and classes. However, as soon as we started tuning up, the energy changed.  Making music under Tanya was magical.  She demanded passion and commitment and she let us know when we weren't giving enough to the score.  The finished product of her concerts were always impeccable and brought audiences to their feet.  She inspired countless young musicians to discover orchestral and chamber music at an in depth level.  Most importantly, Tanya gave students a chance to reach their potential as human beings and musicians. (The two are certainly inseparable.)

Old Arts Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB - August 2013

Old Arts Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB - August 2013.

Convocation Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB - August 2013.

Convocation Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB - August 2013

In this period of mourning, I grieve for the loss of a great musician and teacher. However, I also grieve for those times of inspiration.  My heart longs to return to the halls of the Fine Arts Building in Edmonton and chat with my friends before and after rehearsal. I long to attend my friends' undergraduate recitals in warm halls filled with familiar faces.   Believe it or not, I wish for cold winters and walking through campus in the snow to get to concerts.

University of Alberta - Fine Arts Building, August 2013.

Tanya Prochazka's passing has made it all too real for me that the stage of life I spent with friends at the music department at the University of Alberta is truly gone.  That wonderful group of people will never be in the same place at the same time again.  However, we can all continue to honour the memory of Tanya and the time we spent with her. We can refuse to play a note unless it is with absolute conviction and we can refuse to settle for anything less than any musical score demands of us.  Tanya taught us to celebrate music and to respect our colleagues.


Let us go forth and pass on her legacy to our students and to all those with whom we have the honour of working.

Rest in peace, Tanya.

Attacca Quartet : Haydn's "Seven Last Words of Christ"

Today is the 283rd anniversary of Franz Joseph Haydn's birth.  One of his most magnificent works is the Seven Last Words of Christ.  It was commissioned for a Good Friday service in a Spanish Oratory in 1783 but was not published until 1787.  Originally conceived as an orchestral piece, the composer later adapted this work for string quartet.

Most recently, an absolutely fabulous recording of this work has been released by the incredible Attacca Quartet.  This New York based quartet met at the Juilliard School and have not looked back since. They recently completed a cycle of all 68 of Haydn's quartets in performance in New York. It is with much anticipation then that we awaited their release of this mammoth work by Haydn on the Azica label.  

It is with great joy that we report how fantastic this recording truly is.  Throughout the performance, one observe so many admirable qualities of this quartet.  One of the strongest features of the disc is the sense of dialogue that one hears between the members of the quartet. The sense of ensemble that the Attacca Quartet attains is of the highest level and at times we feel as if the players are one being playing just one instrument. The attention to detail by the musicians is evident in the sound quality and balance achieved.  Throughout the performance, we are invited into their world and the world of the story being presented - the passion of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

From the very first notes of the introduction, the quartet conveys a sense of drama and lures us into the story that they are about to weave.  The listener understands that something important is about to occur and that if they embark on this journey with the performer that they will be transformed.  In this movement, the tone is completely refined - a feature which characterizes the entire recording.

The second introduction (L'introduzzione - transcribed by the quartet's cellist Andrew Yee)  is particularly striking.  The quartet never loses our interest by always presenting a wide variety of colours and sounds.  The rests hold us captivated - waiting for the next part of the Passion story to be told.  The second introduction demonstrates a trait that is clear throughout the recording: this quartet has a thorough comprehension of emotion or affect associated with each movement.  In addition, the second introduction (track 6 on this recording) demonstrates the absolute technical mastery of the Attacca Quartet - both as individual players and as an ensemble. 

This is a recording that belongs in every music lover's collection because of the conviction with which the Attacca Quartet plays. Moreover, they never stray from the classical style and their choices with regard to expression and tempo are well-informed.  The emotional range captured by the group ranges from sorrowful to peaceful and finally to absolutely earth-shattering in the final movement "Il terremoto." 

Finally, what makes this recording an absolute must have is that the quartet absolutely adores this music. They desire to truly serve the score and their performance reflects this commitment.  The emotional sensitivity and attention to phrasing in this rendition are superb. Please visit iTunes to purchase this wonderful performance: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/haydn-7-last-words-christ/id969268372.

Please find out more about the Attacca Quartet here: http://attaccaquartet.com/