A Piano Teacher's Legacy

Book excerpt: Richard Chronister was one of the pedagogy greats of his time. During the last forty years of the 20th century, he was a driving force for better piano teaching and better training of piano teachers. His influence reached from large universities to small independent studios, and his name was linked with both the most basic principles and the most recent research. His accomplishments were legendary. He started the first university degree program in piano pedagogy, served on six different faculties, and developed a new piano method. He was co-founder of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and the founder and editor of Keyboard Companion magazine. All his professional life he asked searching questions, such as: How can I build on children's innate love of music? How can I teach so that my students keep learning, practicing and making music? How can I teach my students to become independent learners? What can I apply to my teaching from discoveries of the past and of my own time? How can I become an acute observer of what my students are doing? And of what teachers whom I observe are doing? And of what I am doing as a teacher? This compendium contains Chronister's best answers to these questions and many more. They come from his articles, addresses and lectures. Whether speaking or writing, his style is always lucid, informal and engaging. He never pretends to have the final answer, and invited his audience to consider his advice and reach their own conclusions. This book deserves a place in the library of every serious piano teacher!