ADVANCED PIANO TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM

After initial study with me either privately or in the Transformative Piano Master Class Series, you can apply to participate in the Advanced Piano Teacher Training program. This program alternates master class sessions with teacher training sessions, in which you and one other participant actually teach each other what you learned in your master class session the previous week and receive detailed feedback from me on your teaching.

Program Structure

The program is divided into three six-week modules:

Module 1: Mozart Sonatas
With relatively few notes, Mozart’s piano music can be deeply expressive. Playing it requires a high level of technical precision in order to bring out the full impact of all the nuances. This module will focus on learning and teaching specific uses of the hand and arm to maximize ease and expressiveness.

Module 2: Chopin études and/or préludes
Building on the knowledge from Module 1, we will delve more deeply into the complexities of piano technique involved in playing the rich, romantic music of Chopin. Material will include additional hand and arm movements for accomplishing the technical and emotional virtuosity these pieces demand.

Module 3: Ravel
This module focuses on increasing your awareness of sound and color, and on how to connect with and create the magic in impressionist music. In focusing directly on sound itself, you will also expand your ability to play and teach other styles of music with greater sensitivity, inspiration, and imagination.

In each of these three intensive modules, you and the other participating teacher will work closely with me, going into depth and detail with the entire Art of Practicing approach. Over the course of the training, you will . . .

• Discover how simple but powerful repositioning of the body can release tension and open up your students’ innate musicality
• Receive informative handouts on piano technique, including 10 specific arm movements that you can refer to every day in your practicing and teaching, to help you and your students experience more physical freedom
• Learn a short mental exercise to calm the nervous system, allowing you to teach with more clarity and to help your students play more freely
• Get to the root of many technical and musical problems so you can think outside of the box and guide your students more confidently toward realizing their true potential
• Review each week’s recording so you can refine your understanding of the details of technique, musicianship, and the teacher-student relationship during the week

Program Schedule

In each module, we’ll meet weekly for two hours, at a weekday time that suits all of our schedules. We’ll have a one-week break between modules.

Through this process, practitioners can become adept at the Art of Practicing methodology, and may be invited to join the faculty of the Art of Practicing Institute.

The Advanced Piano Teacher Training program is sponsored by the Art Practicing Institute, which provides generous scholarships for participants.