Full Description
The strict traditions of piano teaching have remained entrenched for generations. The dominant influence of Muzio Clementi (1752-1832), the first composer-pedagogue of the instrument, brought about an explosion of autocratic instruction and bizarre teaching systems, exemplified in the mind-numbing drills of Hanon's "The Virtuoso Pianist." These practices--considered absurd or abusive by many--persist today at all levels of piano education. This book critically examines two centuries of teaching methods and encourages instructors to do away with traditions that disconnect mental and creative skills.
Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. The Genesis of Cognitive Impairment
2. Mousseau vs. Clementi
3. The Legacy of Clementi
4. Descending from "Parnassus"
5. Musical Asceticism
6. The Legacy and Religion
7. The Legacy of Emulation
8. The Legacy of Abuse
9. The Legacy of the Gradus Complex
10. The Legacy of the Brainless Little Animal
11. Music and the Mind
12. The Mind in Piano Playing
13. Disparities and Paradoxes
14. Twentieth Century: Assimilation and Rejection
15. End of the Millennium
16. Contemporary American Music Education
17. The Legacy on the Best and the Brightest
18. Rituals and Myths
19. Conclusion
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
