In a recent class with three intermediate students (8th-11th grade), we compared the music of Franz Schubert and Max Richter. Schubert was a prolific Austrian composer, writing at the end of the Classical period and the beginning of the Romantic period. During his brief life, he wrote over 1,500 works. He was known for his storytelling abilities: long, singing lines, dramatic mood swings, an improvisatory style that seems to wander at times, and emotional intensity.

Max Richter is a contemporary German-born pianist and composer known for blending classical techniques with electronic, ambient, and minimalist styles. He names J.S. Bach as a key influence, and has championed the works of minimalists such as Arvo Pärt and John Cage. He drew inspiration from Schubert’s Winterreise when creating his 2010 album Infra.

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of this studio class, sharing the repertoire I introduced to my students, the discussion questions that guided our conversation, and a composition activity that students didn’t want to end.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Ep. 083 - Bernstein & Bill Evans: Inside My Recent Intermediate Studio Class

Ep. 077 - A New Approach to Teaching Group Classes

Schubert Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959: II. Andantino (Mitsuko Uchida)

Richter “Andante” from In a Landscape (Max Richter)

Schubert Impromptu No. 3 and Richter Infra 3 (Coversart)

Songs Without Words(Felix Mendelssohn)

Schubert Moments Musicaux No. 6 in A-flat Major (Alfred Brendel)

Vladimir’s Blues (Max Richter)

Max Richter Piano Works(Max Richter)

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Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways we can work together:

1️⃣ Need fresh teaching ideas? In this quick 25-min. call, you’ll get focused answers, creative ideas, and personalized advice for one teaching or business topic of your choice. Bring your questions for an ask-me-anything style session, and let’s brainstorm strategies together.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching, running your studio, or managing your music career? In this 60-min call, you’ll get personalized advice, creative ideas, and step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics of your choice. This session gives you the space to talk through your goals, ask questions, and get expert guidance.

3️⃣ Develop the skills and strategies you need to plan the year, refine your teaching methods, and manage your time more effectively with a suite of online courses for music educators.

What does it look like to be a musician who is also an inventor—someone whose curiosity about how things work shapes the way he approaches his instrument? Pianist Josef Hofmann spent his entire career exploring that, and his story is worth knowing.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Hofmann's birth. He was a Polish-American pianist, born in 1876, and considered by many—including Sergei Rachmaninoff—to be the greatest pianist of the 20th century. And yet, despite his many musical achievements, including a fifty-year performing career, 100 compositions, commercial recordings, a signature tone, and enviable technical precision, he doesn't have the same name recognition as his contemporaries.

What do we know about him? What set him apart? And what can we learn from him as musicians and teachers today, over a century later?

In this episode, I’m sharing some of my research into Hofmann’s life, career, and contributions to our field.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Piano Playing, with Piano Questions Answered (Josef Hofmann)

Originals (Adam Grant)

Learn Faster, Perform Better (Molly Gebrian)

Ep. 089 - The Science of Practicing: What I’m Learning From Molly Gebrian’s Book

Josef Hofmann (Mahler Foundation)

Josef Hofmann, the Pianist Inventor (Piano Street)

Josef Hofmann (Steinway & Sons)

Twice The Genius: The Music & Inventions of Józef Hofmann (Culture.pl)

Hofmann plays Berceuse (Chopin), 1938

Hofmann plays Waldstein Sonata (Beethoven), 1938

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways we can work together:

1️⃣ Need fresh teaching ideas? In this quick 25-min. call, you’ll get focused answers, creative ideas, and personalized advice for one teaching or business topic of your choice. Bring your questions for an ask-me-anything style session, and let’s brainstorm strategies together.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching, running your studio, or managing your music career? In this 60-min call, you’ll get personalized advice, creative ideas, and step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics of your choice. This session gives you the space to talk through your goals, ask questions, and get expert guidance.

3️⃣ Develop the skills and strategies you need to plan the year, refine your teaching methods, and manage your time more effectively with a suite of online courses for music educators.

March in my studio means one thing: informance season. We spend 10 to 12 weeks getting ready—learning and analyzing music, practicing demonstrations, preparing to talk to the audience. And this year, I knew from the start that the theme was going to require a little more planning than usual.

If you’re new around here, I define a musical informance as an informal, informational performance that integrates education and experience. It’s an opportunity for students to share what and how they’re learning and invite parents and audience members into the music-making process.

I started hosting informances in my studio in 2024, so this is our third year. Today, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at our theme for this year, repertoire selections, and how we’re preparing for informances in the studio.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Ep. 068 - How to Plan a Musical Informance

Ep. 069 - A Musical Informance to Celebrate the Solar Eclipse

Ep. 071 - 3 Things I Learned from Hosting a Musical Informance

Ep. 081 - Celebrating Women in Music: An Inside Look at Our Studio Informances

Piano Adventures, Level 3A (Faber)

Sakura - Secondo Part (arr. Faber)

Essential Piano Technique, Level 2 (Penelope Roskell)

Duet Music by Ann Buys

Musical Informance Planning Guide

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways we can work together:

1️⃣ Need fresh teaching ideas? Schedule a quick 25-min. call and we’ll brainstorm on a topic of your choice. Build an idea bank that you can pull from in the months to come.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching or managing your music career? Book a 60-min call and get personalized advice, creative ideas & step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics.

3️⃣ Develop the skills and strategies you need to plan the year, refine your teaching methods, and manage your time more effectively with a suite of online courses and professional development trainings