Hello Old Friend...
…it’s really good to see you once again...
I choose these words to introduce myself to you as the new Editor-in-Chief of Keyboard Companion, which enters its 18th year of publication with this issue. Many of you are indeed old friends, but many (perhaps most) of you I’ve never met. That’s OK by me – I still say that as a piano teacher, musician, student, parent, or interested reader of this magazine that you qualify as an old friend.
That, in fact, is the essence of what this magazine is and what it should be - a companion to help bring us together. The visionary founder of this publication, Richard Chronister, was wise in recognizing that our profession can be a lonely and isolated one. We sit in our studios and see student after student, but in our busy schedules we may go for weeks on end and have relatively little contact with our professional colleagues. Contrast this to most professions where people are surrounded by colleagues and peers throughout the workday and have constant opportunities to ask questions and brainstorm with each other.
Recognizing this problem, Richard launched this magazine in 1990 and titled it Keyboard Companion so that it could serve as a friend, colleague, and resource for all. In the first and second issues of the magazine, he wrote:
“The aim of the editors of Keyboard Companion is to help teachers, parents, and students communicate with each other about the things that can make piano study one of the most pleasurable activities available today.”
“We want Keyboard Companion to provide you with exactly what it says – companions in this wonderfully complex profession we have chosen. We want to give you lots of answers to the day-to-day questions we all encounter each year we teach.”
Before Richard’s untimely passing in 1999, he did a masterful job of realizing his vision and creating a treasured companion and friend for our profession. His successor, Elvina Pearce, has done an equally admirable job of continuing this magazine’s tradition of excellence, leaving me some very big shoes to fill! I am honored and humbled to be associated with this fine publication and, more importantly, all of the readers who make it the forum that it is. I pledge to continue to work towards providing all of you with the companionship that you have come to know and expect from our magazine.
A partnership between writer and reader
Richard Chronister also recognized that true companionship involves communication between both parties. You, the reader, are as important to this magazine as any writer, and we want to hear your feedback. Part of the genius of the original design of Keyboard Companion was its charge to include a wide variety of viewpoints and ideas on teaching issues. In the second issue, Richard wrote that the magazine should be a “…forum for all ideas, not just those we agree with. From this kind of give and take comes fresh insights for all those whose minds are open, ready to consider new ideas – or even reconsider ideas long ago rejected.”
With this in mind, we continue to strive to provide ideas and answers from a diverse mix of writers representing all areas of our field. As always, we will aim to infuse every article with practical advice and time-tested solutions to important questions and situations that we face in our profession.
It is equally important that we continue to hear from you, the reader. Your input and feedback is as important as anything we write in this magazine, and we would love to hear what you think of our articles. We hope that the topics in our magazine prompt discussion with your fellow teachers, and we encourage you to share ideas and suggestions with your colleagues. Please drop us a line with your comments and thoughts at editor@keyboardcompanion.com. I’d love to “meet” you, and all of us on the staff are interested in what you have to say. As an old friend, your thoughts are welcome anytime!
From “Hello Old Friend”, words and music by Eric Clapton. From the album No Reason To Cry, Released August 1976, Polydor Records.
