Posted by Tom Mason on March 04, 2002 at 11:02:28:
In Reply to: Is Eastman still a Pinnacle? posted by Jarrod on March 03, 2002 at 10:26:33:
I didn't go to Eastman, but the pianist I use to accompany my recitals did. I would not use anyone else in the area, because she has the skills to read whatever is placed in fromt of her the 1st time, no matter the material. Even as she sits there and twists her face in different directions and mutters, Gosh I've never seen anything this difficult, you can be assured that what she plays will be exactly what the composer wrote. She solos and accompanies with equal clarity, and has the agressiveness and flexibilty to cater to the needs of a soloist.
Manyt people would attribute this ability to personal skills and talent, but I also figure that the correct teaching and practice skills were taught at Eastman. Other graduates of that program that I have had the pleasure to work with are of the same caliber.
There are other schools that teach and produce very high caliber players, but very few have the reputation earned by Eastman.
Tom Mason