Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales
In his foreword to Wing-Tsit Chan’s A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, published in 1963 by Princeton University Press (and still one of the outstanding collections of Chinese philosophical writing in English translation) Charles A. Moore writes:
“One of the hopeful signs in these otherwise hectic times in which we are living is the long-overdue realisation of the need for mutual understanding between the peoples of the East and those of the West. Genuine understanding of people who are separated from us by great distances or who are different from us in language, in way of life, in social custom, is difficult to achieve, even for those who are sincerely dedicated to this task.”
In the six decades since Moore wrote these inspiring words, I wonder how far we have come. Here in the 2020’s, have our continents, countries and communities become more tolerant, more open to the ideas and culture of others? It seems to me that, perhaps, we still have quite a distance to cover.
Ever since my very first post to launch the Pianodao site back in 2015, I have continued in my efforts to apply the wisdom of Eastern philosophy to piano playing and education. As a music reviewer, pianist and teacher, I have also increasingly discovered the wonderful benefits of developing a more inclusive, extended core performance and pedagogy repertoire.
Together at the piano
Just as the wisdom of the East has much to contribute towards our approach to life, so too the music of composers whose lives and work lie away from the Western tradition enrich us beyond measure.
Take, for example, the work of Naoko Ikeda, a contemporary Japanese composer whose educational piano music I have had the honour of surveying and compiling into a new publication in 2023. The Naoko Ikeda Graded Collection is now available from Hal Leonard.
If you don’t own a copy yet, you are missing a treat. Ikeda’s music is superb, wonderfully evocative, brilliantly crafted, and her desire to honour the artistic culture of her homeland only adds to its appeal.
You can find out more, and even listen to some of my own recordings of this music, by clicking on this link.
Sadly though, some continue to resist the promotion of music by composers from other backgrounds. With scant evidence, they politicise the supposed motives of those who are working to expand the literature and thereby offer a richer balance of repertoire. They reject as “woke” the growing inclusion and interest in music by composers from other parts of the world, and sometimes even that written by female composers.
How very odd and perplexing. An educated exploration of the music of others can only deepen our appreciation and connection with them for the better, and lead to a more satisfying and intelligent understanding of our world, our astonishing diversity and shared humanity.
Music, albeit in many forms and styles, continues to offer a more universal vocabulary, one which can unite those separated by language, by customs, heritage, geography, and time.
Charles A. Moore suggests that a genuine understanding,
“…of people who are separated from us by great distances or who are different from us in language, in way of life, in social custom, is difficult to achieve, even for those who are sincerely dedicated to this task.”
I believe that music can definitely pave the way.
Pianodao offers over 700 articles and reviews that are FREE to access.
If you appreciate this content, please support and follow the site here:
