Online journal

There is a journal for piano teachers called Keyboard Companion and some of its articles are freely available online. I discovered it last month and the articles are very interesting. The current editorial is about motivation and piano practice. The editor, Pete Jutras, says "ultimately, I loved the sound of some pieces so much that I would work for hours, weeks, and even months to teach my fingers how to recreate these sounds." He talks about giving students exercises that will let them experience the sound of a piece even when it is too difficult to learn all at once. This article resonated with me because I think it sums up the reason I play too quickly when I've just started a piece; many things just don't sound right at a slower tempo (except Bach, which always sounds good)! Also, it explains why I hated practicing scales; I am not one of those people who enjoys the sound of a scale, although I didn't mind the contrary motion scale exercise.