Mark Valenti




Master Class / Workshop

I am having great success in Master Classes and Workshops by emphasizing and reinforcing basic principles that everyone can learn from as opposed to the tradition of just giving a private lesson in front of a class on individuals' pieces. I like to engage everyone present - students, teachers and audience members, in a discussion about what goes into the experience of performing as well as listening to music. My approach also has the added benefit of alleviating the pressure on the student performers. MASTER CLASS/WORKSHOP TOPICS Listening How to listen to communicate How to listen for your interpretation How to listen to the music to find answers How to play more by ear Memorizing How to secure memory How to memorize by ear How to memorize by structure Rhythm The importance of basic rhythmical feel How to use rhythm as a mode of expression How to make rhythmical inflections and articulations Practice Methods How to mix up your practice methods with a varied diet What different practice methods emphasize and neglect Why we practice different tempos Pedaling How to use both pedals effectively The subtleties of every degree of employment How to use sympathetic vibrations to enrich tone Piano Action Understanding how the mechanism works How to use physical actions to match the mechanical action Understanding Tonality How to listen to tonal consonances and dissonances The tonal implications on phrasing