Where do artists learn best? In the midst of a bucolic landscape -- with no urban distractions? Or, is "natural" beauty distracting? Is there an ideal environment for making art? Perhaps, different arts come from different places? Pianist Russell Sherman writes: "The large cities of the world provide a treasure trove of culture and its artifacts, of concerts, theaters, museums, and libraries nurturing the forces of creation and … [Read more...]
Great teachers produce…
Great teachers produce great students. Don't they? Young musicians seek out teachers -- celebrated ones whose former students have succeeded in winning competitions, playing concerts, getting management, making recordings. Of course elite teachers pick their students, and the picking is important. The ability to recognize exceptional potential is rather rare. A teacher's celebrity (as a performer or as a teacher) can itself be a tool. And … [Read more...]