Music to Mothers’ Ears

 

Tomoko celebrated Mothers’ Day celebrated recently, and music composers have celebrated mothers throughout the year for centuries. Here is a sampling of pieces that are These pieces are mother-approved.

Robert Schumann’s cycle of eight songs, “Frauen-Liebe und Leben” (“A Woman’s Life and Love”), follows a woman’s life of falling in love, marrying, and, becoming a mother. It has a very happy tone, but Schumann’s wife did not like the distraction of motherhood from her own musical career.

Richard Strauss’s piece “Muttertändelei” (“Mother-chatter”) recounts a mother’s praise of her child. It was written two years after Strauss’s wife gave birth to their son Franz.

Among Dvorak’s collection of gypsy songs is “Songs My Mother Taught Me.” One of his most famous melodies, this piece tells of a mother teaching her children the songs she herself learned from her mother.

Dvorak’s daughter was composer Josef Suk’s mother – and the inspiration for Suk’s piece pieces “About Mother, which were written for his children.

Ravel was another composer who wrote for children. Ma Mere l’Oye (or Mother Goose) His piano duet suite is a piano duet composed for his friend’s children.

Speaking of Mother Goose, Christina Rossetti penned nursery rhymes that were put to music in 1918 by John Ireland to become Mother and Child.  

The 1910 piano piece “Empress of Night” was a husband and wife effort; Amy Beach composed the music and her husband wrote the text. The piece was dedicated to Amy’s mother.

Mothering Music

 

Tomoko knows that it often takes a family to raise a young pianist. Not only does the family have to sometimes sacrifice to pay for lessons, but they need to provide the home conditions to facilitate daily practice – and reinforce its importance, not only to develop technical skills but also to develop self-discipline and perseverance.

Not surprisingly, Tomoko started teaching her own daughter Beata how to play the piano. Even though Beata does not perform professionally, she has dueted with her mother at occasional recitals. And music is an essential part of Beata’s life as she HAS performed professionally as an ice dancer, where the choice and leverage of music is key.

Tomoko knows her students well, and works hard to match the music with the specific needs and interests of each student. She observes and interacts with parents in order to provide appropriate support for the family so that the piano student will succeed. She What advice does Tomoko give to mothers of blossoming pianists?

• You may think your child is gifted, but you are probably not the best judge. It is more useful to support the child’s hard work and self-discipline.
• Encourage your children to share what they learned in their lessons.  
• Don’t judge by grades; they can be misleading.
• Don’t get too stressed or competitive; skill takes effort but it should also be satisfying and rewarding.
• Technical skills provide a strong foundation, and muscle development and muscle memory can start early. But technical is not enough; the player needs to bring personal interpretation and emotion, and that takes maturity so be patient.
• Let the teachers choose the music; they have a larger repertoire and they know what is appropriate for the child’s ability.

And piano students should thank their mothers for encouraging and supporting their interest in the piano. Not just on Mother’s Day but every day.