Interview with John Adams: Teaching Young Pianists to Learn and Grow.

Mr. Adams has been teaching me the piano for 7 years. He is a faculty member at the New England Conservatory Prep Program and Phillips Academy Andover. In our conversation, we discussed his teaching philosophy, strategies, and more.

Q: What is your musical background/experience? 

A: I started piano lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Before that, I had also studied music theory, so I learned to read music before playing piano. I studied with a couple of young teachers for a couple of years and then I ended up with the teacher I studied with for the rest of my growing up years. Then I went to Oberlin College and then I did my Masters at the New England Conservatory.

Q: Why did you decide to become a piano teacher? What keeps you passionate about teaching?

A: Well, I always loved music and teaching, so it was a good combination. What keeps me passionate is the music which is always wonderful and it's always wonderful to watch kids start to grow and develop their skills. What have been some highlights of your musical journey

I did a wonderful chamber music program in high school at Kinhaven in Vermont which was like paradise for me. At Oberlin, I did a lot of great chamber music and got to play a concerto with the orchestra in my final year. After I did my master's I got to go to Tanglewood as a fellowship student.

Q: Do you have any specific connections to specific piano pieces?

A: I have several connections depending on when I played it and who I played it with. I could come up with a connection for almost any piece. For example, after I finished my graduate work I did a series of Beethoven violin sonatas with several local young violinists. 

How do you think playing the piano differs from other instruments in terms of the physical and mental requirements?

Well, the fact that you have more than one line of notes is a tremendous difference. Compared to most other instruments the piano deals with multiple voices and multiple notes of each hand. We don't have the challenge of trying to play in tune, but we have to deal with many more notes, so the challenges for memory are much greater.

Q: What is your teaching philosophy?

A: I think the most important thing is getting the student to develop independence in being able to study, read, and understand the music. So, there's a lot of coaching that goes on, but the goal is for the student to feel empowered. Rather than picking something so hard that the student gives up you want to come up with a careful progression so the student gradually feels more empowered to take on challenges.

Q: What teaching strategies do you use? How are they influenced by cognitive science?

A: Certainly, there are a lot of learning strategies with memorizing or how to practice, sometimes it’s more of an art than a science. There is definitely a lot of cognitive science involved. For reading music, you're learning how to absorb several voices at once as well as looking ahead in time, and learning how to do that with your eyes on the music rather than on the keys. You’re getting a certain kinesthetic awareness of the keyboard. Memorizing involves a lot of strategizing, how to memorize a peace so it’s not just your ear or your fingers, but also involves some theoretical underpinning.

Q: How have you seen learning piano change students? How have they developed over time?

A: I think what’s always impressive is watching kids develop very expressive interpretations of music. As they go through their teenage years that can become very dramatic which is quite a change from their younger years. I’ve seen that progression in almost everyone that I've worked with. 

Q: Have you observed differences in students who start playing piano at a young age versus later in life?

A: In general, people who start younger have observed a lot more so their approach feels more natural. When you're young you have a lot of receptivity. It’s harder when you start later in life. The integration of the physical, ear, and memory takes a lot more work.

Q: Are you able to learn about your students through how they play?

A: I would say that beyond the interpretation of a piece the way students approach the music often tells you a lot about who they are as people. How patient they are, how impulsive they are, how dramatic they are. All those things reflect their personality.

Q: How has being a piano teacher impacted you as a person?

A: I think you get good at listening and have a certain patience that a lot of people don't have. Also a curiosity about other people. That is all part of being a good teacher

Q: Do you feel different emotions when teaching a piece versus playing it yourself?

A: Music inspires a lot of emotions, certain harmony certain melodies. They have very specific connotations. Part of what we do as teachers is to try to get students to feel that. To recognize those special chords and textures. When you’re performing it’s something that you’re feeling and when you’re teaching you’re trying to get the student to recognize those same emotions.

Q: What’s your experience with nerves? How do you help students navigate that themselves?

A: I think the nerves situation is something probably everybody feels no matter how many times they have done it no matter how old they are. You sort of recognize the physical sensations, sweaty palms, or certain symptoms you have. I think you get more experienced with being used to those symptoms and that's part of what as a teacher you're trying to give your students as many performance opportunities as you can so they can see what that's like. 

Q: How has playing piano influenced you as a person?

A: I think there is a spiritual element to music that is maybe not as present in many people's work lives. I think that's something that musicians are privileged to have in their lives daily. 

Q: Has playing piano helped you deal with stress in your life?

A: There’s probably some carryover in terms of for example when you're preparing for a recital you work for a whole year and there is a developmental process over that year. I think you do learn something about how to plan and prepare that carries over to other things as well. 

Q: How is music part of your life outside of being a teacher (like performance for example?)

A: Well, I have a church job, so I spend a lot of time at that. When I have the opportunity to perform that's always part of it. I listen to music a lot, so those are all things that are part of my life.