Clavier Companion - March/April 2013 - 61

improvising on the melody while keeping
the hymn’s preexisting chord structure.
Curry does a great job of this, and, at
about twelve bars each, the melodic
improvisations don’t overwhelm the listener. He also utililizes swing, percussive
chords, syncopation, and jazz styles such as
samba, bossa nova, and blues. Generous
use of ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth
chords can sound harsh and unmusical
with the piano part alone, but the jazz trio
smoothes the sound and gives the music
an authentic jazz feel. The selections are
“At the Cross,” “Christ the Lord has Risen
Today,” “The Day of Resurrrection,” “God
So Loved the World,” “The Holy City,” “I
Know That My Redeemer Lives,” “The
Old Rugged Cross,” and “ Were You
There.” (Alfred, $14.99)
Stories of Faith & Inspiration: 25
Lessons I Learned from My Piano Students by Bernadine Johnson.
This book looks like a typical new book
of sacred music, so when I opened it and
found only text, I was surprised to say the
least. Instead of musical scores, there are
Unlike many other Performance
Editions that offer pedagogical suggestions, Day’s mazurka is more academically
driven, focusing on the “what” and the
“why” rather than the “how.” Throughout
his notes, Day operates more as a musicologist presenting his research to a room full
of pianists than as a piano teacher guiding
a young student. The preface gives a brief
history of the piece, followed by a lengthy
and detailed chronological account of the
numerous editions and reconstructions to
surface since 1951. In the editorial notes
that follow, Day refers to other editions,
academic writings, and numerous recordings as he makes the case for his editorial

MARCH/APRIL 2013

short stories about
Johnson’s piano students and accounts of
what she took away
from various experiences in her life as a
teacher.
The stories are so
touching and real that most of them
brought tears to my eyes, as I recognized
myself in snippets throughout the book.
I’ve been teaching in my area for twentyfive years now, and have often reflected on
the ways musical study has changed my
students’ lives for the better. I’ve also
reflected on the difficult students and parents and considered how, in the future, I
might better manage unpleasant situations. Johnson not only shares these
deeply personal stories but goes a step further by demonstrating how important life
lessons can be gleaned from them. She
emphasizes what a privilege it is to teach
these students—sometimes for extended
lengths of their childhoods—and examines the ways we affect their lives and how
they affect ours. She usually weaves in sto-

ries of her faith and her methods of applying truths she has learned from her life
lessons. Each story is only a few pages
long and can be easily read in one sitting.
Johnson’s loving attitude toward her
students is truly inspiring. I would highly
recommend this book to all music and
academic teachers. For younger teachers,
there are lessons to be learned about treating students more wisely, and—for seasoned teachers—this book could almost
have a healing effect. Yes, it is a “religious”
book with recommended scripture verses
accompanying the stories, but those who
do not want to read the verses will still be
moved by the poignancy of the author’s
thoughts. I know that I will be buying this
book for all the teachers on my staff and
at my children’s school! The only criticism
I have is the way the book is packaged. It
may increase sales to publish it in a smaller size (the size of a thick paperback) with
a more attractive, up-to-date cover.
(Alfred, $9.99)

and interpretive decisions.
Since Chopin’s sketch is sparse, all the
dynamics, tempo indications, phrase markings,
and pedaling are Day’s, with pianist Michael
Mizrahi providing fingering and a CD recording of the work. Phrase markings are for the
most part stylistic, albeit right-hand oriented,
but the dynamics provided could be more creative. Surprising is the lack of pedal markings
(in all but one bar) which should be accounted
for in a “performance edition” and, if the
enclosed recording is supposed to reflect the
edition, it is not entirely accurate. In his performance, Mizrahi communicates the chromatic passages clearly, and convincingly articulates the other editorial marks provided. The

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Clavier Companion - March/April 2013

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