Teaching Artistry

Great artists do not teach their artistry: how can they? 

But a great teacher can teach the artistry of each student by recognizing its intention and reinforcing its effectiveness, in other words, by selfless listening, or what I call empathetic listening.

My colleagues wonder why I don't teach advanced professional pianists.  The answer is really simple: For the most part they are entirely unprepared to be taken seriously on their own merits.  They want to be encouraged to imitate what the teacher does because all their training has been to that end. 

I much prefer dealing with children and with amateurs who have no technique behind which to hide.