September 2022 Newsletter

Hello, Everyone!

Welcome to another year of music making!  I am an incredibly blessed and grateful pianist this year, because I have all of you on my roster of students and families. Thank you for your support of your pianist and our studio community. 

Our theme for the month of September is: Instilling Ownership through Practice.  How we practice is how we perform.  More importantly, how we practice is how we move from learning to mastering.  We will devote significant lesson time to thinking about ourselves as musicians, thinking about the music, and thinking about the piano. (In that order!).  We will also place an emphasis on how we move from “head” knowledge of the music to “owning” the music throughout the body.  Singing, moving, conducting, deliberate practice, fast-in-slow-motion practice, phrasing, architecture of a piece, managing expectations - these will all contribute to our practice process.

Throughout the year it will be crucial for all of us to remember the significance of mental and emotional real estate.  Piano playing uses nearly every area of the brain.  It is important to find an appropriate time of day for practice, because practice is a matter of mind spent, not time spent! Practice needs to take place in a quiet environment that is free from other noise and distractions.  A small break and/or healthy snack can work wonders before a lesson or practice session. Receiving tough news, having an emergency, thinking about a deadline or an exam, having a bad day at school, etc… These all take up mental and emotional space and will affect our practice and pace of learning.  Managing our expectations and working our practice plans will lead to tremendous growth for all of us.  Please remember that I am ALWAYS here for our pianists and parents between lessons.  I welcome your questions, comments, updates, sharing of success (not just musical!) - It is a joy to hear from you between lessons! 

One final note - I have decided to postpone my recital that was scheduled for Sep 24th this year.  I will likely move it to the spring. My repertoire was in a good place, but not an artistic place. I am learning a great deal from my mentors as I prepare for a recital that reaches professional levels of artistry beyond postgraduate level. I look forward to sharing the program with you this piano year. 

Best Wishes and Happy Practicing,

Joe Harkins