<p>So for those of you who have serious pianists in the family </p>
<p>My younger d. has been attending the Mannes International Keyboard Explorations and Festival in NYC for two weeks this summer - <a href="http://www.ikif.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.ikif.org/</a> , for which she received a partial scholarship. (For what it is, it is extraordinarily inexpensive, and you get 2 1/2 college credits.) Admission is by minimum 30-minute audition tape or CD. </p>
<p>It is not meant for youth per se. The average age is around 26 (or so I thought I read or heard somewhere); my d. (who is turning 15 while there) is the youngest or second youngest. She knows one boy who is 15 from Uzbhekistan (who speaks no English; all his lessons are conducted in Russian, with a translator present when needed), and a Chinese girl, 14 or 15, who also knows no English. The majority are post-graduates (some of whom hoping for careers to take off), or adults who take off a week or two to whip their pianistic skills back into shape. But they are very open to taking qualified high school students. My d. was rather shocked to get in (but I wasnt).</p>
<p>There are about 100 students, more than half of whom are from abroad. Her chaperone (neither my wife nor I could go, but my d. has a 51-year-old friend who was delighted to accompany her) said it is like being in the middle of a musical United Nations. The teachers come from all over the world as well.</p>
<p>There are actually two one-week programs, though many students (like my d.) come for both weeks. Many folks stay in the dorms at Columbia, where special housing arrangements have been made. We were lucky enough to find someone with a free loft south of Greenwich Village.</p>
<p>The days are intense! There are master classes in 3-hour blocks at 9, 12, and 3. Each student is guaranteed 6 masterclasses, but my d. has managed to sign up for one every day, and with the teacher of her choice (more on that later.) Each lesson is one hour, but students can also sit in on each others classes (thats how most of the teaching occurs). Some of the premier masterclasses and students do their lessons in the main hall, with lots of folks attending. If there is no student following, some of the classes get extended my d. had one that she was very much looking forward to go for more than an hour-and-a-half.</p>
<p>At 6 p.m. every day, students can sign up to perform, and outsiders are welcome. Then at 8 p.m. every day, there is a professional concert by one of the teachers, including one by Earl Wild and another by Marc-Andre Hamelin (on the outside, tickets to one of their concerts could otherwise go for up to $100 a seat.) Two nights there are lectures (the critic David Dubal is doing one of them Im sure my d. will absent herself!)</p>
<p>There is also a contest, with $10,000 in prizes to be split up. My d. is entering, but with no illusions about winning (she figures why not? And maybe shell get points for her age.)</p>
<p>After being assigned their first masterclass, students get to choose their teachers. Some of the students have followed their teachers from abroad. Others listen in on others to make their choices. As fortune would have it, while she does the whole repertoire, my d. is most interested in Spanish (and Cuban) music Albeniz, Granados, Lecuona, etc. This music is not on the top of the classical hit parade, and so the teachers of it are not those in greatest demand. And one of Spains greatest pianists is there, and the program adroitly placed her with him. After visiting with him twice (she called me and gushed so fast and enthusiastically after each lesson, I could only understand about half of what she said), she has moved on to a well-known Puerto Rican pianist who also knows her music. Well see what happens next week. </p>
<p>There are 50-60 pianos at the school, and a hundred students. And some of them seem to practice 9 hours a day for my d., two hours is a lot (her repertoire would seem to call for 3 or 4, but thats just the way it is, and she plays jazz as well, so .) But demand for practice rooms seems to outstrip supply. Nonetheless, she has managed to get in what she needs to.</p>
<p>In the meantime, she shops (hey this is New York City, and shed never been to Century 21.) We found a local gym for her where she can train with students at the same level as she is. And her chaperone takes her around to jazz clubs on evenings when she isnt at a concert.</p>
<p>She is doing her student concert on July 29th folks can attend if theyd like. (PM me for details.)</p>
<p>Ill try to add details next week if there is anything significant to add.</p>