The following is from The Editor's Page, by Richard Chronister: |
The cover art for this issue is taken from a painting by Mary Abrams |
Carol Montparker is a pianist and Mary Abrams is a painter. They have been close friends for many years and on several occasions they have worked simultaneously in the same space-Carol practicing for a concert while Mary sketched or painted. The picture on our cover (a detail from a larger work that includes the whole room; see left bottom) resulted from one of these collaborations, and in her book, A Pianist's Landscape (excerpted beginning in the Music Reading Department in the print magazine), Carol describes the atmosphere of this kind of collaboration: 'Mary and I have shared our artistic responses for many years. As she painted and I played, an aura of creative energy floated over us, intensifying and in a strange way supporting the impulse to work.'
Photo of Carol Montparker by Susan Geist Readers have inquired about the availablity of Mary Abram's painting of Carol Montparker that appeared on the cover of this issue. Prints of that painting are available,
as well as other prints with musical themes. |
 A first for KEYBOARD COMPANION - re-visiting a
question from a previous issue! Authors Annette Conklin and Stephanie Myers
explore the problem of how to teach eighth notes effectively. You can also
read other authors' replies to this same question from the 1990 issue of
KBC. Annette was also one of the writers in that issue, so be sure to compare
her two musings on this very important question. And be sure to watch Stephanie's
video clip of her helping Claire to experience eighth notes. Click on the picture to visit
the articles and video. |
The Magic Triangle: |
Do Australian and New Zealand teachers say hemisemidemiquaver? |
Barbara Kreader |
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The Other Teacher: |
How do your students practice to prepare for a public performance? |
Elvina Pearce |
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Independence Day: |
What will you find in Carol Montparker's |
Carol Montparker |
Let's Get Physical: |
What was the secret of Jane Allen's success? |
Scott McBride Smith |
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Partners in Time: |
Have you met the virtual piano? |
Madeleine Crouch |
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The Heart of the Matter: |
Annette Conklin | |
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From the Inside Out: |
What motivates teens to continue playing the piano? |
Jenni Reed |
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It's Never Too Late: |
What technology do you use with your adult and teenage students? |
Polly Shaw Feitzinger |
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Putting It All Together: |
How do you check that a recital piece is well memorized? |
Robert Vandall |
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Tomorrow Today: |
How do you know your students are learning under those headphones? |
Diane Volkman |
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"When musicians use the word collaboration,
they usually mean two or more performers interpreting the same piece of
music. That doesn't mean, of course, that artists can't collaborate in other
ways, and, in a real sense, that is the word that describes the cover art
for this issue.
Although Carol is the subject of the painting,
it is not photographic art, but it does capture the essence of a pianist
working in an inviting interior. Carol says, 'Capturing the essence of her surroundings, the color, the rhythm,
and the atmosphere, is the hallmark of Mary Abram's work. The spectator
is welcomed into her positive and comforting vision of home. The Impressionistic
dancing brushwork, and sunny palette bring to mind the work of Bonnard and
Matisse, but Mary's work is distinctively her own. Her work is representational,
but not literal, as she never elaborates on details, choosing rather to
suggest the overall pattern, composition, and attitude.'
Ms. Abrams has been
painting since she was 11. She attended Brooklyn Museum Art School, the
Art Students' League, and Hofstra University, and her long list of shows
include many of the finest galleries and museums in the New York and Long
Island area. The New York Times wrote that her work 'conveys a feeling of
the new and an unabashedly fresh point of view . . . Her vision is characterized
by a down-home exuberance, a carefree cheeriness and a sense of vitality
. . . Mrs. Abrams is an extraordinary colorist, displaying an uncanny talent
for making a host of different shades work deliciously together . . . She
is attentive to balance, proportion and scale. We can sense freedom and
joy in these works that are as well organized as geometric abstact canvases.'
"