A Fly on the Wall at an Adult Piano Lesson
Guidance from Piano Teacher Cosmo Buono
What was particularly interesting to me was Cosmo’s discussion about musical interpretation with his adult piano student. Finding my own way of interpreting a piece is a challenge for me now. As a kid taking lessons, I would follow my teacher’s (brilliant) suggestions for using dynamics, touch, and timing to “shape” a piece. And nowadays, I fall into the trap of imitating the performances I’ve listened to online. I love how Cosmo encourages his adult student in this video clip to find his own meaning in the piece and a natural, personal way of expressing it.
It was also the perfect time for me to hear Cosmo’s philosophy about gratitude. As it happened, I had just been thinking a lot about my childhood piano teacher, who was not only an excellent instructor, but a wonderful person to have in my life for 12 years. She somehow managed to be playful and strict at the same time; and calling our twice-yearly recitals “piano parties” was pure genius. Most of my current progress in piano practice feels like it’s being passed down from her. With this nudge from Cosmo, it’s definitely time to contact her and tell her how much I appreciate everything she did for me.