If you’re ready to take your playing to a whole new level by learning an incredible set of new skills in a fabulously supportive group environment, you have till 11:59 PM Eastern tonight to submit your application form for the 2022 Transformative Piano Master Class...

For years, I had a recurring nightmare that I had to sightread a concerto with an orchestra, and that as I stumbled through it in total panic the zipper in the back of my dress started to split open. It was the classic performance anxiety dream of a musician. But in...

Imagine you had a magic wand that would instantly create the one change you want most in your playing — what single change would you wish for? A more reliable technique? More freedom to let go and express yourself? Less anxiety about performing? Whatever it is, it's...

There's so much stress in our lives lately! And as musicians, practicing our instrument can be part of that stress. We struggle to master a hard passage. We worry about being ready for the next concert or audition. We fall into feeling inadequate to meet the complex...

When I wrote my book, The Art of Practicing, I was careful to barely mention mindfulness or meditation, even though they were the basis of every chapter. It was the 1990s, and I didn’t want my readers to think I was some kind of hippie or weirdo and to not take the...

“How did the rose ever open its heart and show the world all of its beauty? It felt the encouragement of light against its being. Otherwise, we all remain too frightened.” – Hafiz The thing is, without the scariness and vulnerability, nothing powerful can happen....

Many musicians don’t trust themselves to perform the way they want to – with physical and emotional freedom, and with deep confidence. But it turns out that there are specific ways to build belief and trust in yourself at the piano – and in front of an audience. It's...

Every pianist who comes to me for help with their playing is struggling in one way or another with not believing in themselves enough. Isn’t that what we’re all up against, as we navigate the ups and downs of our lives? Maybe you’ve had a teacher who discouraged you,...

I once zoomed in on Peter Serkin’s hands with binoculars from the balcony of Carnegie Hall. He was playing an extremely virtuosic contemporary piece that had his hands running all over the keyboard. As usual in watching any great instrumentalist, I sat there stunned -...