My Books About Me – Biographies

How do people usually get to study with famous people (musicians)?

Like you hear of people studying with big stars all the time. I can’t name specific musical ‘celebrities’ who have students, but I see these things all the time on people’s biographies.

My husband was assigned to a famous artist as his piano teacher when he was in college in the Sixties. They guy was never there, and when he *was* at a lesson – his brain was not. Mu husband LEFT him (gasp!) to study with a fine teacher who was supportive. Soon after, several other fine piano students left that teacher – and then that teacher left that conservatory.

Fast forward thirty years. Our son, also a pianist, is attending a fine music school. He is also assigned to a very well-known pianist – who is a TOTAL egomaniac, has poor ergonomics himself and cannot understand why ANYONE would care – “I’ve been playing for forty years, and *I* never got hurt!”, and basically terrorizes his few students – and complains that students are just not *tough enough* anymore. We make ONE CALL to head of department – son is changed to ANOTHER famous teacher, who is a JEWEL among people and musicians both. Our son graduates with wonderful progress, and a world – class education.

I accompanied some other flutists as a way to *snoop* on their lessons with a famous flutist and teacher – and decided that I would NOT want to study with him! Some people just cannot break things down to teach others, and they get cranky about it. You should not leave each lesson crying – or come to each lesson shaking!

Some famous people are pains in the butt, and some are saints. Yes, the usual pathway is to gain acceptance to a fine school where you can study with someone exceptional. I usually tell MY students to try to get into a great music school in a big city, where they have a much better chance of studying with someone who is the principal in the orchestra there, or a name in the opera company, or some other well-connected artist. And if you are NOT assigned to that top teacher, you spend the next year or two wangling your way INTO their studio! The one great exception I can think of is right across the river from me (“I can see Russia from my house . . “) NO – not the Moscow Conservatory – but Bard College. They used to have a dinky music department – but now have an INCREDIBLE conservatory, with Big Names actually in residence teaching there. Incredible summer festival with American Symphony – one of the very few instances I can think of that during the school year, you can be in the country, and study with such fabulous people ( thank God the train form NYC stops just down the road!)

Many times, the BEST teachers are the ones who are NOT famous – they have devoted their lives to TEACHING, and are fabulous at it. My husband currently is with someone (since 1990) who is a world-class pedagogue, and famous pianist come to HER when they need another set of ears, or help with over-use injuries, etc. She is like Yoda of the piano, and previously was the head of the department at a top NYC conservatory. End of hints.

I am on a Yahoo group for flutists, as well as a couple of others. You would be AMAZED – famous flutists will often write in and say “I will be in (insert name of city) from this date to that date – and am available for lessons. Call me (or my management).” Really! Or they advertise for summer classes, masterclasses, etc. If you cannot qualify to PLAY, you can always qualify to audit. Just do not EVER put “I am a student of So and So” in your resume, if you audited, and did not play! I know people who tried to pull that stunt – seriously outed on that one!

So – get to a point where you have the courage to try this. Dear Abby used to say this about church – it is not a museum for saints, it is a hospital for sinners. A great teacher is there to TEACH you – not judge you or laugh at you. Check them out by auditing a master class, and then apply to PLAY in one – or to take a lesson or two. GO FOR IT!!!!

Steve Harper on Dick Leopold’s students

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