Featured Piano Tips

1. How do you juggle a non-musical career with being a pianist?

Some amateur pianists practice for as little as 30 minutes a day; others for as much as 4 hours per day. Some professional pianists practice for 2 hours per day, others for 6 or more hours per day. There is a great deal of variation, so each person has to figure out what works for him or her. I practice for 1-2 hours per day on average. It can be challenging to allot the time, but I prefer playing the piano to, say, watching TV.

2. How do you become a concert pianist?

You learn to become a concert pianist by giving concerts. This may sound trite, but it is a great key. You won't really learn how to give concerts until you put yourself out there and do it. It requires courage and the willingness to make mistakes in public and learn from them. In the words of Amy Fay, a student of Franz Liszt, "Concert-playing has got to be learned little by little, and perhaps, with many half-failures." Giving a "concert" can be as simple as inviting over a group of friends and playing the piano for them.