Dr. Eliran Avni and Fr. Sean Duggan
High school pianists are invited to join All Things Piano, a fun, casual Zoom conversation with faculty from Fredonia’s School of Music, to be presented on Saturday, March 13, at noon.
Healthy approaches to deal with performance anxiety will be among several topics Professor Fr. Sean Duggan and Assistant Professor Eliran Avni will explore at the meet-up session.
Performance anxiety is an issue many performers deal with at one time or another. This virtual conversation will address some issues specific to performing during a pandemic, and also broader issues of stage fright. Suggestions and tools for how to deal with the stress of performing will be offered.
Other piano-related topics, as always, can be addressed, and students are encouraged to ask questions.
"We wanted to create a space for high school pianists to get together as the usual meeting places, like studio recitals and summer camps, are on hold. The meet-up format allows us to hang out and talk shop,” Dr. Avni explained. “It was really great to see these young people engaged in really interesting discussions about composers, how to solve difficult technical passages and create successful audition videos.”
Students from all over the United States, as well as Canada and Spain, were drawn to a meet-up held in January. Meet-ups take place every few months.
“It's nice to see people coming back for more. I'm looking forward to delving into the issue of performance anxiety with these guys in this next meet-up,” Avni said. These young musicians make him hopeful and excited about the future. “They are curious, smart and fun to hang out with.”
The goal of meet-ups is to create a community for young pianists to get together, talk, and share thoughts and ideas about piano. “Playing piano can be uniquely isolating at times...now, more than ever, we need to actively work to build these connections," Avni said.
The piano meet-up is free, but pre-registration is required online to receive the Zoom link.
