A little peace and quiet

On Mothers' Day, it's good to think about peace and quiet.

Tomoko remembers her teacher playing the guitar. "It fit with the music so well. It was quiet. Close to nature." She goes on to say, "Music can be a simple accent, like a flower." She asserts, "If everyone would listen to music, the world we be more peaceful."

Playwright Congreve would certainly agree: " Music has charms to soothe a savage breast."

Music also has its silent spaces, which can last just an instant, or become the entire piece, as is famously known in No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33". Some silences enable singers to catch their breaths. Other silences signal a transition between movements, a time for one to synthesize the prior movement, and have time to refocus on a new section.

Silence also connects music and nature. "Silence is the best gold," asserts Tomoko. "This is music." Tomoko remarks, "One day if you're very depressed, you don't want to hear music. You have to be quiet." That can be a good time to be quiet in nature. In the seemingly quiet of the out-of-doors, you can feel the rhythm of life. It beats in the silence of your heart. And as you become calmer, you can start to hear nature's sounds, which can be music to your ears and psyche. "A bird singing, a tree waving; nature shows that silence is variable music."

Nevertheless, Tomoko says, "You can't go without sound for too long."

Tomoko considers Chopin to be very quiet sometimes. "He hardly touched the keyboard, but he was a good pianist." To hear a quiet interlude played by Tomoko, try her interpretation of Chopin's Nocturne in B flat minor, Opus 9, No. 1 on her Chopin Volume 2 album (http://www.tomokohagiwara.com/recordings.html).

The uniqueness of the piano teacher

The importance of the piano teacher cannot be over-emphasized. “Every teacher has varied experience, and everyone a different idea about how to instruct,” says Tomoko. “The key is to find the right match.” She goes on to say. “If you are college age, casually go and listen to peers’ and teachers’ interpretations of music. Think to yourself: ‘I can fit with this teacher’ or not.” As a parent, you can attend piano recitals, and see how the students behave and perform, as well as how the teacher relates to the students. How stressful are the students and teacher? Is the atmosphere full of hopeful or dreaded anticipation? Do the students seem self-confident? Can you feel an element of trust and support? As an adult, you can use your common sense and your instinctive feel of music.

As a teacher, Tomoko studies each child to see how he relates to music. “If I give you seven crayons, can you create twelve colors? Music is created with seven notes. How does the child connect with this color, this note? How does he create or make something with the music. You can judge the child’s musical IQ.” Nevertheless, Tomoko cautions, “Never say you have no talent, but students are in the experience, and don’t know where they are musically. You need a lot of respect for children.” Tomoko builds on the child’s curiosity. She will preview a piece of music with the child, and ask, “What do you think comes next? Which part do you like? Isn’t that rhythm interesting?”

Tomoko recounts the approach used in Russia with piano protégés. “The piano teacher goes to the public school, and says, ‘Let’s everyone play.’ The teacher spots the most talented child, and tells the parents. The government then pays for the lessons. That’s how the Bolshoi ballet can be so good.”

Teachers have to take developmental issues into consideration as they teach, Tomoko points out. “I remember when I was a young piano student. My teacher said, ‘You are too young for Chopin; you have no experience.” Students bring their lives to the keyboard, and they cannot hide from their interpretation. The good piano teacher fits the music to the child’s age and ability.” Tomoko muses, “Mozart is easy for a child, but hard for an adult. His ideas are very simple, but wonderful. He is best when played cleanly. If you put too much sugar or dress up his music too much, it can be overdone. Mozart is more childlike.”

Tomoko reminds parents to be patient with their children’s playing development. “At the beginning, the child needs to learn the basics, like arithmetic tables. They need to learn the feel of the keyboard and the piano itself: the physical instrument. Students need to know how to play before they can interpret. Even flats and sharps are a developmental process, for instance, and need to come after playing in the key of C.” Tomoko continues: “Parents may ask: ‘Can my child play in four years?’ Tomoko remembers a high school senior student who was very busy. “I encouraged her to memorize 20% of the piece over the next two months. She can do more later, and should not feel disappointed if she cannot do everything at once. Parents understand that need to adjust the playing, but persevere. Parents can destroy a child if they expect too much too soon.” Tomoko reminds parents that playing the piano is a life-long experience.

Tomoko also mentions Bach is a good composer for younger students because of his structure and use of chords. For a more sophisticated listening experience of Bach, try Tomoko’s interpretation of Bach’s Capriccio in B flat major, BWV 993 on her album Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann at https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tomokohagiwara2

Family life and music

Tomoko and I talked about family life and music, and it was obvious how music can make a difference -- and the important role that parents play in the music experience.

"If someone plays music in the home, their family is peaceful. It's a much different tone than sports on TV." Classical music is especially valuable; "like Shakespeare, it never goes away."

Tomoko shared her memories of music in her childhood home. "My mother loved singing, and would sing to herself as she did housekeeping. She was very industrious, and respected her very much. I would stop and listen to her singing Jesus Loves Me. My mother was a typical Protestant, and loved church music. Instead of "Our Father," my religious memories are musical."

Tomoko also talked about her sibling's experience. "My brother wanted to learn how to play the piano, so I wanted to learn too." As the older brother, he had to chaperone Tomoko to her piano class. Both of them naturally gravitated to music; "we swallowed and ate it up." In the 1950s, her brother became a composer and music teacher. Tomoko started as an accompanist, and then a performer in her own right -- as well as a piano teacher.

Even if family members are not performers or professional musicians, they can appreciate music. Tomoko laughs: "In 1972 I married a Hungarian refugee who didn’t know the difference between Chopin and Beethoven." Nevertheless, they share a love of music -- "You can start music at any age" -- and it is ingrained in their family. Tomoko added, "Sometimes I start playing the piano at 9am, and go on until 6pm at night. My family sometimes has to sing a song to me to entice me to eat lunch."

"You listen to the music that other people like." It's obvious that Tokomo's love and respect for her mother and brother positively impacted her love of music. And her own love of music has enriched her own family.

Parents' daily lives make a profound difference in their children's growing up and future direction. From her experience as a piano teacher, Tomoko knows that a parent's experience can impact whether a child will take piano lessons. Does the parent value music? Does the parent value a child's interest in music? Playing the piano is a long-term investment. We can never know for sure what will "stick," but music can certainly become part of the parents' contribution to their children's lives.

As a parent, your actions speak volumes. And your musical investment of time can bring untold value to your children. So whether you sing as you fix dinner, listen to music while driving your children to school, or share Christmas carols, you can share your love of music with your children. You and your children can grow together through music.

What's a good musician to start with? Mozart. "It's pure music because of the experience behind the writing," says Tomoko. You and your family can enjoy his deceptively simple Twelve Variations on an Original Theme, K. 500, available at https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tomokohagiwara7

Introductions

"There are two kinds of musicians: those who exploit their instrument, and those who don't." Glenn Gould

Tomoko Hagiwara is in the second group of musicians. When you listen to her perform, you do not think: "How masterfully she controls the piano." Instead, Tomoko respects and frees the music through her respectful and sensitive performance.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Tomoko since the 1980s when I worked as a librarian at San Domenico School, a Catholic PK-12 school in the San Anselmo hills of Northern California. I remember in meeting her that one of her first questions was: "Who is your favorite composer?" I answered quickly, "Bartok" because of his unique take on traditional folk songs, which I loved to sing. My response sealed our friendship.

Since then I have written some of Tomoko's program notes, and she asked if we could blog about music and its impact on life. Thus the inspiration for the name of this blog: Signature for life. The term "signature" refers not only to a composition's key and timing, but also indicate the name of a person as written by their own hand. Music is Tomoko's signature, a key part of her identify. She has loved music all her life, and contends that everyone should have music in their lives.

This blog, then, serves that purpose: to share Tomoko's life of music -- and encourage others to experience music, especially classical music, as a way to enrich and fulfill their own lives. As Tomoko says, "Everyone can listen, and everyone can sing."

Tune in.

And as a taste, listen to one of Tomoko's favorites: Chopin's Etude Opus 25, number 1 in A flat major. You'll hear the liquid melody first, and then appreciate its rich and full peacefulness even after the last note is played. You can download it at http://www.tomokohagiwara.com/recordings.html, https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tomokohagiwara, as well as Amazon and iTunes.(http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tomoko-hagiwara-chopin-i/id405297234)