"Mirror, Mirror on the Piano--The Benefits of Practicing in Symmetrical Inversion" Presented by Jim Litzelman  

October 23, 2020, Lori Piitz:  "Retraining" When pianists find themselves with an injury it is important that they seek advice and care from a medical professional.  When they are finally able to return to the piano they may need to rethink the way they have been playing in order not to re-injury themselves.  I would like to share what I have learned about retraining from my work with Dr. Barbara Lister-Sink (Freeing the Caged Bird), and from my own experience working with injured pianists. Lori Piitz is Professor of Piano at JMU where, in addition to working with talented piano students, she also teaches graduate courses in pedagogy and “Preparing for the Job Market.” A versatile artist, her career includes such diverse opportunities as playing chamber music at Lincoln Center in New York City and performing in a German opera house dressed as a baby chick! While living in Germany she held the position of orchestra pianist with the Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra and frequently performed recitals with members of that orchestra.  Piano four-hand recitals have taken her to Canada, Europe and the United States, including the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. One of her particular interests is piano technique, and she holds a certification in Injury-Preventive Piano Technique.  Before coming to JMU she taught at the University of Ottawa, Eastern Mennonite University, the Augsburg/Nürnberg Hochschule für Musik and at the Abraxas Musical Akademie in Munich.

November 20, 2020: Bonnie Kellert "Challenges in Young Pianists (including pedal!)" Challenges For Young Pianists includes developing and achieving technical ability as well as understanding and acquiring musicianship.  Each student requires special attention to individual needs and challenges.   Encourage cultivation of students’ strengths by promoting proper practice habits, laying a strong foundation in all aspects of music and keeping special needs in mind when selecting repertoire.  Demonstrate for your students and share listening time with them; Focus on musicianship, including interpretation, phrasing, listening skills, pedaling, tone control, stylistic differences;  Guide students to build a solid technical foundation geared toward proper posture, strong fingers, appropriate hand and finger position (including a reliable bridge), flexible wrists and relaxed arms.  Help students develop a wide dynamic palette, facility, ease of playing and so forth.  Demonstrate basic technique such as sound production, articulation, evenly played scales & accuracy.  Examine, distinguish and determine each technical challenge before approaching and discovering solutions. Set effective goals and clear solutions to motivate students.   Demonstrate HOW and WHAT to practice.  Select appropriate repertoire for each student so that established objectives can be accomplished without frustration or tears.   Encourage analysis and memorizing, performing for others, sight reading and duet playing.   Introduce pedaling to expand expression and color.  The pedal is the “soul of the piano.”  Have students write essays about the composer, the type of piece they’re learning, comparing “periods” of composition, styles, etc. so they continue to develop their listening skills.  Above all, students should have fun exploring repertoire, composers and music history,  and teachers should have fun sharing all aspects of music with their students! Bonnie Kellert is in constant demand as a performer, […]

This event has been postponed. Please join us for the next TAT in April.

April 21, 2021: Nancy Breth, "New World Symphony: harmony, discord, conflict, resolution and joy in the life of a transfer student and his teacher" A walk through the all-important first year as The New Teacher: making the interview count, setting up for success, creating a safe environment, forging partnerships, getting down to business, managing surprises, building trust, celebrating success. Nancy O'Neill Beth teaches piano and chamber music in Arlington VA and Washington DC. Soon after joining NVMTA in 1982, Nancy and fellow newcomer Jacqua Yeomans joined the board as co-chairs of the Fall Festival. This was the first of numerous board positions she would hold over the years, and also the first of many treasured friendships with NVMTA members. She is also a longtime board member of WMTA.  Nancy collaborates with teachers at home and throughout the country. She’s headlined a number of state MTA conferences, and 2020 marks her fifth appearance as a presenter at MTNA’s national conference. While Nancy is proud that some of her students have been successful in competitions, even up to the national level, her primary goal is to help all music-loving students build the skills they need to become lifelong pianists.  Nancy’s latest project is Effective Practicing, a collection of short You Tube videos for pianists. Her book, Practicing the Piano, two Guides on Effective Practicing and a chamber music volume, are published by Hal Leonard.

June 23, 2021: Audrey Andrist "Practicing Patience and Memorizing Methodically" Dr. Andrist will speak on a wide range of topics related to teaching and performing, drawn from her many decades working with students of all ages, and her experience as an active performer.  She will discuss practice tips/strategies/goals in detail, ideas about memorization, and empowering students to achieve peak performance while dealing with performance anxiety.  Questions are welcome following the talk. --------- Hailed as a “stunning pianist with incredible dexterity”, Canadian pianist Audrey Andrist has thrilled audiences around the globe, from North America to Japan, China and Germany with her “passionate abandon” and “great intelligence.” Ms. Andrist grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, and while in high school traveled three hours one-way for piano lessons with William Moore, himself a former student of famed musicians Cécile Genhart and Rosina Lhévinne. She completed Masters and Doctoral degrees at the Juilliard School with Herbert Stessin, and garnered first prizes at the Mozart International, San Antonio International, Eckhardt-Gramatté, and Juilliard Concerto Competitions. She has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Place des Arts in Montreal, Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, and Alice Tully Hall in New York.  She is a member of the Stern/Andrist Duo with her husband, James Stern, and Strata, a trio with Stern and clarinetist Nathan Williams. Ms. Andrist can be heard on over a dozen recordings on the Albany and New Focus labels, among others. She lives in the Washington, DC area, where she teaches at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, the Washington Conservatory, and privately, and where she was a visiting artist at the University of Maryland-College Park 2020.  Her CD of solo works by Robert Schumann […]

June 23, 2021: Audrey Andrist, "Practicing Patience and Memorizing Methodically" Canadian pianist Audrey Andrist has spent decades learning, memorizing and performing extremely complex modern repertoire (as well as standard repertoire, of course!), and teaching this repertoire to her many students.  Dr. Andrist will offer tips and strategies for cultivating and encouraging patience in students' practice routines, and for building confident, lasting memorization of all types and levels of repertoire. Hailed as a “stunning pianist with incredible dexterity”, Canadian pianist Audrey Andrist has thrilled audiences around the globe, from North America to Japan, China and Germany with her “passionate abandon” and “great intelligence.” Ms. Andrist grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, and while in high school traveled three hours one-way for piano lessons with William Moore, himself a former student of famed musicians Cécile Genhart and Rosina Lhévinne. She completed Masters and Doctoral degrees at the Juilliard School with Herbert Stessin, and garnered first prizes at the Mozart International, San Antonio International, Eckhardt-Gramatté, and Juilliard Concerto Competitions. She has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Place des Arts in Montreal, Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, and Alice Tully Hall in New York.  She is a member of the Stern/Andrist Duo with her husband, James Stern, and Strata, a trio with Stern and clarinetist Nathan Williams. Ms. Andrist can be heard on over a dozen recordings on the Albany and New Focus labels, among others. She lives in the Washington, DC area, where she teaches at the Washington Conservatory and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and where she was a visiting faculty member at the University of Maryland-College Park this past spring.  Her CD of solo works by Robert Schumann is available […]

NVMTA presents... A presentation by Nancy Breth, "Life After Lessons."

NVMTA presents.... Irina Gorin, "Initial stage of piano lessons. Developing technical skills and natural abilities." Irina Gorin will share the overview of the evolution of main principles of Piano Technique, making them accessible for teaching young students, discuss the differences between the learning styles of children and adults and how she implemented all these principles into her curriculum for young beginners "Tales of Musical Journey".   Irina Gorin, born in Kiev, Ukraine, studied at Kiev Music College and Kharkov Conservatory. She holds Masters Degrees in Piano Performance, Piano Pedagogy, Chamber Ensemble, and Accompaniment. Over the last 30 years, Mrs. Gorin has established a reputation as one of the most prominent pedagogues for children in the United States and beyond.  Gorin Piano Studio graduates continue their musical education in Universities and Conservatories throughout the United States, pursuing diplomas in Performance, Pedagogy, and Music Education.  She also contributes to the enrichment of piano teachers by regularly conducting workshops and master classes around USA and abroad. Mrs. Gorin is often sought after as a judge for local and national piano competitions. "Tales of a Musical Journey" is the culmination of her vast education and teaching experience.  The series uniquely blends Russian and American teaching methods to prepare beginning piano students for a classical repertoire.  Translated into seven languages with more coming, thousands of copies of this publication have been sold in more than 50 countries. In order to showcase the talent of young pianists, she founded and served as President of the Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition, which has welcomed competitors from all over the world since 2014.    

NVMTA presents.... Bonnie Kellert, "Leon Fleischer, Learning from the Master" I was very fortunate to have 6 years of piano lessons at Peabody Conservatory with the renowned artist Leon Fleisher. I’d like to describe examples of what it was like to be his student; to illustrate some of the central concepts of his thinking; and to explain ideas that I’ve incorporated into my teaching and that you might want to apply to your teaching as well. Early recordings by Fleisher allow us to hear his long line, sense of breathing, rhythmic drive, excitement and grittiness, plus extremely clear finger work and most evident, his bravura sound. I will share portions of a recorded masterclass he gave at AU where I played the Brahms F minor Sonata. I will also play brief excerpts of Artur Schnabel, Fleisher’s teacher and mentor, which offer opportunities to hear the influence of a great teacher and scholar on the young Fleisher. I hope these examples, plus my own demonstrations at the piano, help you to understand his method of interpreting the score. The meaning of the music was his ultimate goal, and to share these insights with his students. To read more about Bonnie Kellert, please visit www.BonnieKellert.com.

NVMTA presents.... A masterclass with Dr. Gabriel Dobner, "But...Do I really know how to teach a Sonata??!! At Jordan Kitts in Fairfax How much pedal is too much pedal in the Classical period?  Can my student pedal over the slurs? How do we accomplish evenness in the runs?? How do we accomplish beautiful linear lines while observing all the articulation?? So many questions!    Internationally acclaimed Gabriel Dobner will coach three students from three of our wonderful  NVMTA teachers and will answer all the questions we have regarding style, technique and expression.    This Masterclass will be in person at Jordan Kitts (8500 Lee Hwy, Fairfax, VA 22031) on March 18th at 10:00 a.m., and it will be also hosted through Zoom for the members who can't attend.   Program Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major Op. 110, Mvt. 3, Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro ma non troppo by L.v. Beethoven Zack Lam (student of Marjorie Lee)   Sonata No. 12 in F Major  K.332, Mvt.1, Allegro by W.A.Mozart                            Alex Xu (student of Andrew Horowitz)   Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata," Mvt.1, Allegro Assai by L.v. Beethoven Felix Xu (student of Margarita Gramaticova) Gabriel Dobner joined the faculty at James Madison University as Professor of Piano and Collaborative Piano in the fall of 2001.  Previous teaching engagements include Indiana University and the Nürnberg/Augsburg Hochschule für Musik in Germany. In 2017, Mr. Dobner joined faculty of AIMS in Graz (American Institute of Musik) which takes place each summer in Austria.  Mr. Dobner holds a BM degree from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he studied with […]