Collaborative piano is the new politically correct word for piano accompanying. The word "piano accompanist" seemed to imply a secondary role of music making and the instrumentalist or vocalist was the primary focus. Collaborative piano suggests that both pianist and instrumentalist/vocalist are equal partners.
"Accompanist" does imply second class citizen. Want to hear "Erlkonig" or the "Kreutzer Sonata" with ony the voice or violin, or just the piano? Probably not, unless you're really strange! If you have ever worked as a "collaborative pianist", you realize that many of the monophonic "musicians" you "accompany" regard you as a sort of field hand, there to do their bidding. Fortunately my work as an industrial pianist was short lived, and most of my experiences with other instruments have indeed been collaborations, not "master-slave" relationships. It does not happen without the piano part; ergo the piano part is just as important, and the pianist should be referred to as the "pianist", not "accompanist". "Collaborative Pianist" makes me want to barf too! All this PC newspeak makes me sick, we are living out Orwell's worst nightmare. But it's better than "accompanist", which for me is sort of an "n" word. Call me "pianist", thank you very much.
Topic: What is Collaborative Piano?