What Time Is It?

It’s true that “slow and steady wins the race,” except that there is no race. When we worry so much about where we THINK we should be, we often prevent ourselves from actually getting there. (And by the way, there’s no finish line.) There are many ways of saying this: “The path is the goal,” … Read More

Why do even some of the world’s greatest pianists tend to rush the tempo when they get excited? Why do some very expressive musicians play with an unsteady beat? Of course in many types of music, especially classical, it’s quite acceptable and effective to push here, and pull there. Even while playing dance music, the … Read More

When pianists learn to improvise, there comes a moment when it begins to ‘click.’ They get it. They take whatever musical vocabulary they know and use it spontaneously to express themselves at the keyboard. Whether they’re 5 or 85, this is a major moment, and can be very joyful. Although I’ve seen this many times … Read More

I was recently asked to speak at a luncheon honoring a colleague who’s a middle school band director. I came up with The Ron Drotos Method Book For Being a Successful Middle School Band Director. Here it is, along with the hypothetical teacher’s handwritten ‘notes’, written in the margins: Lesson #1: Come to work each … Read More

Even a consummate Broadway musician like my good friend Steven Silverstein sometimes feels like he needs to expand his listening repertoire, to keep fresh and inspired. In fact, Steven recently told me that he’s collecting playlists and recommendations from his many friends and colleagues. With this in mind, and in the interest of sharing some … Read More

For musicians, the most obvious answer to the question “How do I improve my playing?” is very simple: “Practice!”.  In reality, though, I’ve found that improvement is not always a linear process, and can be approached in various ways depending upon where in the developmental process the individual musician finds him/herself.  For example, an enthusiastic … Read More

The great jazz pianist Dave Brubeck passed away on Dec. 5, 2012 at the age of 91. Over the years I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Brubeck on several occasions and can attest to his warmth, graciousness, and enthusiasm. My experiences with him range from performing his own music for him while I was … Read More

I’m just about finished with my 2-week stint at The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, teaching classes and playing the piano. This was my 14th year at the festival and I had a great time as always. Here are my top 10 reasons to visit Fairbanks during summer: The weather. ( OK, a little rainy this … Read More

The issue of the appropriate time to clap during classical music concerts has reared its ugly head again. I don’t mean that the issue itself is unsightly, but that many people would just like the discussion to go away, forever. Case in point: the chief executive of the Brooklyn Philharmonic recently proclaimed that “audience members … Read More