The Piano Staff

Connecting music professionals to utilize and share success

Facilitating a synergy of musical success in each student by sharing ideas, successes and failures with other music professionals.

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Members

  • Gregory J Bulger
  • Angela Bowles
  • Min Feng
  • angie russell
  • Nahanni Born
  • Rami Bar-Niv
  • p.sathiskanth
  • Adrienne Fero McKinney
  • Wendy Morris
  • Matthew Davis
  • Naomi Hoyt
  • scott mayer
 

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Music is the universal language of mankind.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Outre-Mer

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Featured Member - Robert Graham


I grew up in British Columbia Canada before following my Aussie born parents back to Western Australia when I was 12. I studied piano all through highschool and did a Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Western Australia, graduating in 1991. After University I taught highschool music for four years before deciding that wasn't for me.

I then decided to pursue a career as a fulltime musician. This involved working as a freelance accompanist, studio teacher, and working as a keyboard player and singer in various types of bands - rock, jazz, salsa, andean etc.

I moved back to Canada in 2001 and began playing in many different bands in the Kingston area and also picked up a lot of work as a pianist/vocalist in the Eastern Ontaro region. I toured the UK with Canadain folk/roos supergroup "Tanglefoot" and will be joining them there again this summer. I am 65% through recording my first solo album which will hopefully be ready in June (available soon at robertgraham.org)

In 2003 I got a job at St Lawrence College in Brockville in the new Music Theatre Diploma Program. This program is fast getting a reputation as one of the best training schools in Canada. My role there is a sort of house pianist, playing for the rehearsals, masterclasses, and performances ( we do two or three musicals per year). I also work with the final year students as a vocal/repertoire coach and teach a final year class called "Pop Musicianship for singers" which is a kind of half theory half practical course which is designed to get the students up to speed on some of the theoretical areas which they might not have got to, what with all the acting singing, and dancing they are doing! Things like transposition, singing harmony, how to interpret their music etc. All set in a pop context.

I think my two biggest passions in life are songwriting and accompanying. Writing a song which I actually like is a thrilling experience, very stimulating. As an accompanist, when I know I am doing my part to showcase someone to the best of their ability (regardless of their ability) it makes me feel good. When you are really "right there" for a singer or instrumentalist it is a wonderful feeling of balance and order, like everthing is right with the world.

I am, like most performers, searching for the ultimate feeling you can get from performance, namely trancendence. A feeling that you are living that moment, free from the everyday concerns that one may have during the course of a normal day. That sort of performance moment doesn't happen every time, but when it does it is akin to flying, Because i play a wide variety of music i love the fact I kind search for, and sometimes find, those moments in any type of music, even my own.

In terms of education, i have always preferred the
" behind the scenes" type of role. Working together with the student as an accompanist or vocal coach, to prepare the students for their career is a role I relish. Watching them progress, and solving problems together is something I really enjoy. Luckily I work with talented and motivated students everyday.

Blog Posts

Angela Bowles

The Russian Technical Regimen for the Piano

Have any of you teachers heard of Alexander Peskanov's "The Russian Technical Regimen for the Piano"? His series of books are absolutely invaluable to me as a piano teacher. I was recently introduced to them by a fellow teacher in my area, and I am working on a way to introduce these techniques into my lessons. Have any of you had any experience using this method? If so, how has it worked for you, and do you have any tips for me? Thanks! Looking forward to hearing about your successes.

Posted by Angela Bowles on November 21, 2009 at 8:13pm

Wendy Morris

Teaching Young Children

As a music teacher, I have discovered that teaching young children takes a lot of creativity and patience.
One of the things that I have discovered is that their attention span is very short. To make the lessons most effective, you have to have variety in your teaching style.
Learning should be fun but also informative. One of the ways that I have discovered that is very effective with young children, is playing musical games. They enjoy this very much. The other thing that I have noticed is tha… Continue

Posted by Wendy Morris on October 25, 2009 at 10:53pm — 1 Comment

Angela Bowles

Talented Students

How do you deal with a child that has talent to play by ear, and therefore does not pay attention to a new piece of music, but rather tries to figure it out according to how he has heard it in times past. I have a very talented young man… about eleven years old, and he can play just about any tune that he has heard before without any music in front of him. It takes him awhile to figure it out, but he gets it eventually. When he reads music from his lesson books, he does fine; but, when I give hi… Continue

Posted by Angela Bowles on May 19, 2009 at 2:59pm — 2 Comments

Angela Bowles

Creative Composers Spring Recital

Well, I was so stressed out about holding my first recital… and it went so smoothly, I can’t wait to have the next one! I had thirteen students play, the youngest being four and the oldest twenty. So, there was quite a range of age and talent, too. There were fifty one visitors… way more than I had expected! My Mom came all the way from Illinois to help me and I am so glad she was there! So many little things that I hadn’t even thought about came up, and she just jumped right in and took care of… Continue

Posted by Angela Bowles on May 8, 2009 at 12:06pm

Angela Bowles

Recital Drama

Well, my recital is just two days away, and as I have had the final lessons with the students, I have had a few surprises. Some of the students are super confident, some are not, and others, well…I don’t even know what to call it. I thought a little four year old girl getting ready for her first recital would be hesitant, scared, and maybe not even willing to participate. But oh was I surprised when a week before her recital she demanded that she be able to play five songs at the recital instead… Continue

Posted by Angela Bowles on April 29, 2009 at 2:05pm

 
 

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Angela Bowles added a blog post
Have any of you teachers heard of Alexander Peskanov's "The Russian Technical Regimen for the Piano"? His series of books are absolutely invaluable to me as a piano teacher. I was recently introduced to them by a fellow teacher in my area, and I a...
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Wendy Morris added a blog post
As a music teacher, I have discovered that teaching young children takes a lot of creativity and patience. One of the things that I have discovered is that their attention span is very short. To make the lessons most effective, you have to have va...
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Min Feng and Wendy Morris joined The Piano Staff
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Angela Bowles

Great Pianist Trivia 1 Reply

Started by Angela Bowles in Uncategorized. Last reply by Nahanni Born Apr 3.

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