Juilliard alum, pianist, and founder of the Piano Ninja Tricksters Club, helping serious adult musicians develop intelligent practice strategies and perform with confidence under pressure.
🎹 When words fall short
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Nothing about the last week has felt normal. I don’t know how to write a newsletter right now and make it feel meaningful. When words fail me, I turn to music. Not for answers, but for a place to hold my heavy heart. I’m sharing a short excerpt of Chopin’s Funeral March here: I also shared it on Instagram here Play On, |
Lisa Spector, Piano Ninja
Juilliard alum, pianist, and founder of the Piano Ninja Tricksters Club, helping serious adult musicians develop intelligent practice strategies and perform with confidence under pressure.
It’s 1972, and I’m walking into Hogwarts. Okay, not Hogwarts exactly. But something like it... Crouse College, a building that belongs in another century. I’m 10 and enchanted by the bell tower ringing throughout the Syracuse University campus. It’s my first real concert. I’m here to see David Mulfinger perform all 24 Chopin Études. From the very first C Major bass octave of Op. 10 No. 1, I was mesmerized. While my hands could barely reach an octave, I knew in every ounce of my body that I...
As Chopin’s birthday approaches, I’ll admit it... I’m in a full-blown love affair. 💕 This week I’m recording the Polonaise-Fantaisie.After decades with this music, here’s what I’ve learned…You can’t decorate it.You can’t “add” to it. The moment you force it, the music resists. So how much rubato is too much? I recorded a short video exploring exactly that. 👀 Watch ⬇️How Much Rubato Is Too Much? If you want your Chopin to sound passionate but not messy, join me this Thursday.FROM TECHNICAL TO...
If you heard my Rachmaninoff on Valentine's Day, you know that I love schmalz in my music. 🥰 But I cringe when it’s added at the wrong time, especially in Chopin. 🙃 You're probably not lacking in expression. You may just be adding it in the wrong place. 🎼 A tiny practice experiment for you:Before you add rubato this week... Play the phrase completely without flexibility. Build the harmonic tension. Identify the exact point where the phrase can support rubato. Only then allow the rubato to...