hey, i recognize that teacher! was recommended by a cousin of my husbands, so i took a few lessons with him, too, when i used to live in pasadena, california. he was an excellent teacher. right to the point. and, always had a load of students seemingly. was surprised he took me after having two children - and takinga break. i learned some mozart with him - and it was refreshing to get back into piano. ireally had no idea how famous he was - except that my husband's cousin is a concert pianist - so i knew he must be good since she had him as a teacher from childhood (susan svercek).
then, we moved to lancaster - (may as well have been on the moon!) where surprisingly i found an organ teacher (ruth jones). i don't know who she was related to - by training - but she was fun to study with. i didn't have an organ at the time - so i couldn't practice as much as i would have liked. she lived way out in the country and just finding her house was funny. who would think an organist way out there.
ok. starting with the first teacher i had, dean epperson, i would say that i learned a more 'modern' approach (bach and then 20th century). his teachers were at peabody and bach was his specialty. he was especially nice and bought me a recording of glen gould's wtc. also, whenever i needed to prepare for recital or bachelor's recital, he let me practice on his piano (away from noise at home). if it wasn't for him - i wouldn't have gotten anywhere. then, jean-paul billaud - a french professor, who studied with cortot and others (listed way back on the other thread). he was a professional teacher, too, and knew soooo much about music history and piano technique. anyway, liszt and lechtitsky enter the pic somehow. i don't really care anymore about the students involved (it's like knowing your geneology, but not knowing the actual people). all i care about is that i can trace the lineage to beethoven.
i was an average student - so i don't really know why my luck has been to get such exception teachers other than persistence, determination, and prayer to keep them for a while. i learned a lot about discipline, interpretation, fingering through prof. billaud. he was instrumental in my deciding to major in music (really enjoyed it) and making music professionally. it has brought me a lot of joy in choral accompanying (which i've done more of than piano performance, so far) and accompanying my husband A LOT (almost every week for 15 years) who is a baritone. also, i used to play for a lot of weddings, funerals, assisted living places, and was active in teaching for a while until my third child. seems that everytime i have a child - it's about 3 years of delaying my own musical dreams - but i don't mind. music is something i love no matter what the situation - and it has often helped me keep my sanity just to play for myself (or go and practice for a few hours). also, i think finally my last child might be a pianist, too (the other ones don't like piano).
dr. carl cranmer has been the latest teacher (at west chester university). he studied with some famous julliard prof's of whom i don't know much about. seems that it most interests me what their approach is. his is refinement as well. minimalist moving - major pallette of sound. i can't play like him, yet, but when i practice - i imagine things a lot easier than before. he gave me some hope with chopin etudes (if i practiced). and, he is innately musical. i don't really know the lineage though - but who cares if someone plays really well - they stand on their own. prof. cranmer is in a class by himself, because he thinks for himself and teaches according to what makes sense to him (which may be a combination of many different teachers ideas plus his own).
Topic: Who is your Teacher?