About Paula

Playing the piano has been my passion since I was very young.  It has been my primary way of expressing my inner self, the depth of emotion that I feel, the pain, the joy, my connection with my self, others, and the cosmos.

A real piano, capable of a wide range of tonal beauty, responsive to my every touch in projecting nuance and subtle gradations to convey the essence of the music,  is such a joy to play.
There is no replacement for it.

And, I love learning new things. I love being open to new possibilities.

Discovering toy pianos has opened up a whole new vista for me. They only ask that I play and accept their gentle out-of-tune character. They are, after all, just toys. And I gleefully accept them because they connect me with my playful inner child, and yet they also transcend it.

Toy pianos have taught me that there are possibilities where some may only see or hear limitations. How else could I play classical music on them? They were only designed and built for young children to fool around with or play simple nursery tunes.

Toy pianos do not supplant my love for the piano. They are a welcome balance and a reminder of the joy of playing, in all its meanings.

In using them for teaching adult beginners in the playshops,  I wish to allow them the opportunity to connect with their playful inner child with simplicity and delight, and to open to other possibilities in their own lives.

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To learn more about my philosophies about learning, click here and here.

To hear some of my performances, click here.

To be on my mailing list for upcoming performances, click here.

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M.M. from New England Conservatory of Music
Piano Teacher: Patricia Zander

Teacher whose class Interpretive Analysis changed my whole understanding of interpreting music: Victor Rosenbaum

B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh
Piano Teacher: Natalie Phillips

Piano faculty at Hochstein Music School since 1986
Numerous solo and collaborative performances
Private piano teaching since 1980

My Musical Lineage:

I was taught by Natalie Phillips who was taught by Eunice Norton who was taught by Artur Schnabel who was taught by Theodor Leschetizky who was taught by Carl Czerny who was taught by……… Ludwig Van Beethoven…….!