I can now tell you without hesitation that piano students the world around are bright, funny, eager to learn and full of the same excuses! It was a magical time for me, and I thank you all for the encouragement you gave me. I taught students ages seven – 25. Some were more-or-less beginners with very little music reading and some played huge, advanced 25-minute long pieces! Everyone sight-read, tapped rhythms, played duets with one another, improvised. Everyone polished a piece to perform. It was just like at 663 Whiting St. in Hanover, Mass., except there were not enough rooms for private lessons – everyone learned in group classes for two weeks! There were 29 students in all and I co-taught with two other pianists – Dr. Seba Ali from Beirut and Dr. Scott Donald from Austin, Texas. The students started to call me “Dr. Alison” and I had to correct them, saying that would have been the most easily-earned Doctorate ever! Thanks to all of you, my students at home, I had lots of tricks up my sleeve! I introduced them to “Mr. Rich Tone,” who needed a bit of translation for the younger ones and I taught them the perfect bow -“Did I tie my shoes? Yes, I tied my shoes.” The photos below show all my students, my two colleagues, my amazing pianist-translators, Yorgo and Elie, and some lovely scenery. I hope to go back again and again!!
