More Than Just a Piano Lesson
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More Than Just a Piano Lesson
This article was written by my piano teacher and long-time family friend, Sam Lupica.
In the end, the splendor of the Universe working in the background shone through, and we found the perfect piano.
I have known Debra for almost 30 years. I taught both of her daughters to play the piano in the 90s, and now they have grown into beautiful young women. The years went by so quickly and for all those intervening years, I heard nothing from Debra. Until last year, that is.
Shortly after I retired, I got a call from Debra. She told me that she wanted to learn to
play the piano, but there were two complications. The first of these was that she did not have a piano. She and her husband had given away the piano on which the girls learned all those years ago, and now they did not have one for her to learn on. Well, I thought, that is not a big problem because so many people want to get rid of a piano. We would simply put it out there that we wanted to give a piano a home, and sooner or later, one would show up. Sure enough, that is what happened. Eventually…
It was not as easy as I thought it would be. We had a couple of false starts with possibilities that did not pan out. A couple of times, we weren’t quick enough on the draw, and a good deal got snatched up before we could get it. We found one piano that would have been free, but it was far too large for the space in Debra’s living room where they had their little spinet when I taught the kids to play. In the end, the splendor of the Universe working in the background shone through, and we found the perfect one.
An opportunity to learn new things in new ways, and to rethink things we already knew, and the processes we used to learn them. It would become, for me, a gateway to a whole new way of thinking and teaching.
I had a friend who lived a few blocks from me near Forest Hill Park. He and I had worked together in state government, and he had retired some time before I did. I would occasionally run into him on my walks in the neighborhood while he was working in his yard. One afternoon this past summer, I was passing his house and he was out there watering. He told me that he and his wife were selling their house to move into a retirement community. We talked a few minutes more and he invited me in to see his wife.
As we were sitting in their living room catching up, I noticed a good-looking upright piano in the corner. Now, I had no idea that my friend played the piano so I was surprised to see
it there. Naturally, the wheels started to turn and I began to wonder whether they might be
wanting to unload it. I wanted so badly to ask, but I thought it would be insensitive to say “Hey, do you want to get rid of that thing since you are moving into a retirement place?” So I said nothing, and could only hope with all my heart that that piano would find its way into Debra’s living room. It was meant to be. After a very nice chat, I got up to leave, subtly taking one last longing glance into the corner. Praise be, just as I was going out the door, my friend said to me “Hey Sam, you don’t happen to know anyone who wants a piano, do ya?” My heart stopped mid-beat. I blurted out, probably much louder than necessary (he had gotten hearing aids), “Oh gosh, YES.” And that took care of the first of Debra’s complications.
The second complication Debra talked about when she called was truly jarring. She told
me that she had lost her sight over the course of the years. At first, I couldn’t even respond, so significant was my surprise. But after a few seconds, things started to click, and I realized that this wasn’t an impediment – it was an opportunity. For both of us. An opportunity to learn new things in new ways, and to rethink things we already knew, and the processes we used to learn them. It would become, for me, a gateway to a whole new way of thinking and teaching.
However, I was very aware of her exceptional creative abilities and her desire to give of herself. I concluded that a more productive approach to working with her was to focus on theory, with the goals being improvisation and composition. I believed this would lead to greater enjoyment and satisfaction for her as a learner, and for me as a teacher.
When we first talked about goals and objectives, Debra told me that she wanted to learn how to play songs and accompany vocalists as they sang other people’s songs. She specifically told me that she wanted to play Jingle Bells by Christmas. However, I was very aware of her exceptional creative abilities and her desire to give of herself. I concluded that a more productive approach to working with her was to focus on theory, with the goals being improvisation and composition. I believed this would lead to greater enjoyment and satisfaction for her as a learner, and for me as a teacher. And, by the way, Debra was playing Jingle Bells in time for Christmas.
Teaching piano is something I do because I enjoy it. Over the years, it was a source of great joy for me, especially when I would run into former students. There was nothing more gratifying for me than to be hugged by some young adult I did not recognize, and asked if I remember him or her. Invariably I would have to say “no” because I had no idea who these nice young people were. Then, they would say “I’m so and so, you taught me piano when I was eight years old.” I had that experience several years ago with Debra’s daughter, Phoenecia. When she told me who she was, I said something like “No, you’re not. Phoenecia Hill is seven years old and has pigtails!” I knew that my time with Debra would bring great joy as well but in different ways.
I had taught children and adults, but never anyone without sight, and I wondered if I would actually be able to succeed. I started researching techniques for teaching piano to people with visual impairments and found that there were relevant resources. It never occurred to me that there was music in Braille notation, and I was intrigued to discover that. But, Debra did not know Braille and she confirmed her thinking that, at her stage in life, she was not really interested in learning it. With this in mind, I concluded that the best approach was more intuitive than empirical and that I would rely on strongly heuristic instructional methods to teach theory. Some of the literature confirmed that this was, at least, a plausible place to start.
This exercise also provided a springboard for a fascinating discussion. Because Debra had sight for most of her life, she had seen a piano before and already had a basic mental image of the keyboard.
The first thing we had to do was to give Debra a conceptual image of the keyboard, with an understanding of the repeating pattern of black and white keys. We began our first lesson with my telling her to place her little finger of her left hand on the last key on the left end of the keyboard and to place the little finger of her right hand (the little fingers of both hands are the “fifth fingers”) on the last key at the right end of the keyboard. She then slowly moved both hands toward the center of the keyboard at roughly equal speeds. Her thumbs then met at “middle C”, the pitch that corresponds to the key at the center of the keyboard. This then became the primary reference point for discussion of the repeating pattern of eight white keys and five black keys that make up an “octave” from C to C that runs up and down the keyboard but with incomplete octaves at both ends. This provided a basic framework for understanding the structure of the keyboard, and for creating a corresponding mental image.
This exercise also provided a springboard for a fascinating discussion. Because Debra had sight for most of her life, she had seen a piano before and already had a basic mental image of the keyboard. When I referred to “white” and “black keys”, she understood what I was saying, although she may never have previously noticed the the precise pattern. We both
questioned how the discussion would need to change to be relevant for someone who had never seen it before and, perhaps, had no frame of reference to grasp the distinction between “white” and “black” keys. We concluded that a viable alternative would be to substitute “flat” for white keys and “raised” for black keys, making the distinction tactile rather than color-based. As a teacher, this meant that I would have to completely change my understanding and perception of the “appearance” of the keyboard for someone who had never seen.
Having established middle C as the primary reference point for navigating the keyboard, it seemed logical to move right into a discussion of “key” and tonicity, focusing on the key of C major. This was also the easiest key to work with because it has no sharps or flats. It is all “white” keys. With that understanding we learned the C major scale, spanning the octave beginning on middle C. I explained to Debra the fingering for a basic scale pattern, starting with the thumb (“first finger”) on C and progressing upward using the fingering 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5, and ending on the C one octave above. Of course, crossing the thumb under the third finger at the F is a little tricky at first, but Debra picked it up very quickly. Before we knew it, she was able to play the scale ascending and descending with both hands (the left hand would use the fingering 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 ascending).
Debra is incredibly creative, and from the beginning of our time together, she made it clear to me that her ultimate goal was to create music.
Playing the scale and getting an understanding of the proper fingering was also the beginning of our discussion of technique. Scale work demonstrated the importance of proper positioning of the wrist and curvature of the fingers. It was also a good way to get used to passing the thumb under the third finger for ascending passages, and to moving the third finger over for descending passages. Dexterity in these maneuvers is essential to expanding the range of playing beyond a single octave. Debra was quick to become proficient here as well.
Debra is incredibly creative, and from the beginning of our time together, she made it clear to me that her ultimate goal was to create music. That information is the cornerstone of my strategy for teaching. With the basics of finger motion and a scale to work with, we set our sites on improvisation as a way of fulfilling her strong desire to compose music. We started
discussions about intervals and exercises in identifying them by ear. Most importantly, we
talked about creating music as a means of articulating feelings and conveying images. Occasionally, I sit at the piano and improvise so Debra would get a sense of these things, and also develop images of how hand techniques and certain styles of playing can be linked to particular thoughts, ideas, and emotions, as well as to sensory “impressions”.
Hand motions and techniques are the foundation of my method for composing. I do not think in terms of specific notes, and very little of what I created is written down. Instead, I form an image of a place or time or conjure an emotional state from some experience, and then try to communicate that to a potential listener through a specific style of playing in a selected key. The result is highly improvisational, but woven around a discrete theme or themes. Because this process is not dependent on reducing works to writing and then reproducing them, I thought something similar to it would work for Debra. However, I want to make sure that her exceptional talents and perceptive abilities are developed as the basis for her own unique style of composing, rather than masked by an imitation of mine.
Because of the importance of key and tonality in my creative process, Debra and I will continue to work on scales in all the major and minor keys as part of her grounding in theory aimed at composition.
Deciding on the right key in which to compose a piece is so critical. The key of the piece gives it a characteristic timbre or “feeling” that is derived from tonal characteristics. For
instance, one of my favorite keys for a bright, jazz sense is D flat major. For a more somber
jazzy feel, one of my favorites is F Sharp Minor. Key is an essential vehicle to form an overall “sense” of a piece that can be shared with a listener. This sense or feel gives an emotional overlay to technical execution and, without it, technical execution is dry and uninspiring. Because of the importance of key and tonality in my creative process, Debra and I will continue to work on scales in all the major and minor keys as part of her grounding in theory aimed at composition.
All this discussion about theory and composition should not suggest that we are not learning pieces by other composers. We are working on two pieces from a more standard repertory for beginners: Muzio Clementi’s Sonatina in C major and Bach’s Minuet in G from the Anna Magdalena Bach Songbook. I chose both of these pieces for their clarity of structure and style to introduce Debra to the details of music notation, such as pitch and note duration. Of course, she can’t read the music, so I tell her what the notes are and how long they are to be held. Often, I will play a passage for her, not just to “illustrate” an appropriate way to play it, but as a form of ear training to develop those skills as well. It is a challenging process, but extremely profitable for both of us. For Debra, it builds technique through repertory and gives her a familiarity with music styles and history. For me, it significantly improves my teaching by giving me a richer understanding of these beautiful works that come from a change in perspective and context. More importantly, it gives me a deeper understanding of what determination, dedication and real enthusiasm for learning and teaching look like.
Every lesson is a learning experience for both of us. As we identify new challenges, we come up with strategies to address them. For instance, while the first exercise drawing the hands
toward the center of the keyboard from its ends was successful in finding “middle C” and the middle of the keyboard, it did not address a continuing issue with navigating the keyboard quickly at the outset of a piece. To do this, I asked Debra to spread the fingers of both hands and, with her wrists in the plane of the keyboard, to gently push them inward sliding them over the “flat” white keys until she ran into raised keys. Then she would have black keys between the fingers of both her hands and could “feel” the pattern of white and black keys. This proved to be a highly effective way of orienting within a span of about two octaves. It also serves to reinforce the mental image she has of the entire keyboard with its repeating pattern of white and black keys.
I always look forward to Debra’s lessons and try to plan them to make sure we are BOTH getting as much from each one of them as we possibly can. My plan is to keep the focus on theory and composition to achieve her goal of creating music.
I always look forward to Debra’s lessons and try to plan them to make sure we are BOTH getting as much from each one of them as we possibly can. My plan is to keep the focus on theory and composition to achieve her goal of creating music. We will continue to learn scales and chord progressions because they, and the related concept of “key,” are fundamental in constructing and developing musical themes. We will also work on learning new pieces, or parts of them, as a way of building technique and as a way of seeing how theory becomes practice. That is also something both of us seem to enjoy immensely.
Enjoyment is key in all this process. I have told Debra that the most important thing is
that she enjoys what we are doing and that she tells me when I am falling short of that mark. For me, composing and performing my works is a source of great joy and personal satisfaction. It provides a strong sense of giving something of myself to others, and I believe that this is important to Debra as well. She is kind and thoughtful and gives so joyfully. Hopefully, together, we will find ways to share the gifts we are bringing to each other with many more people we know, and with even more we have yet to meet.
Salvatore Lupica – Teaching Statement
My teaching techniques are strongly heuristic. Their objective is to give the student a deep understanding of key principles of theory, composition, and technique, and a familiarity with repertory. With this understanding, the student can continue to learn and explore on his or her own, in areas that may be of particular interest to him or her. I view my role as one of facilitator in a process of discovery, understanding, and creation.
Salvatore (“Sam”) Lupica is a composer and pianist living in Richmond, Virginia. He has performed in a number of venues in the Richmond, Washington, and Cleveland areas. Sam’s performances are of entirely original works that are highly provisional. These works are in a variety of styles including Spanish and Latin American, jazz, neoclassical, and impressionistic. The performances involve audience participation where audience members are invited to share their thoughts and questions. His narrative includes discussions of the origins of each piece together with some music history and theory.
Sam studied piano with private teachers in Cleveland, where he grew up. He has a bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University and a law degree from the University of Richmond. He has worked in private practice and in state government and served on professional boards, including the Institutional Review Board at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has authored professional articles and lectured in a number of different contexts. Sam has taught piano and tutored students in math and science.
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