One of the teachers, Mrs.Mitsuyo ESAKI (Kanagawa), winner of honorable PTNA Teachers' Prize 30 times since 1980,  has a firm belief that children grow through the interactive communication with others, and thus she frequently gives them opportunities to play ensemble performances, both duo and chamber music. Nurture students who can express themselves effectively as well as harmonize with others with a good balance, is her ultimate goal.

Mrs.Keiko SASAKI (Chiba) always seeks for beautiful sounds produced by relaxed body and fingers. In her lessons, she usually plays a part of the music with ideal sounds and natural phrases beside her students. Her husband and lesson partner, Mr.Kunio SASAKI is a composer and teacher of solfege, and together they give comprehensive music lessons to over 100 students.

Prof.Yuko NINOMIYA (Tokyo), is the teacher of several young pianists like Shohei Sekimto, 4th prize at the Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw, 2005. The article features the relationship with a 14-year-old pianist Aimi Kobayashi, whose youtube video has over 400 million hits, and has just made her debut from EMI Classics this spring. Mrs.Ninomiya has been teaching Aimi from 6 years ago, and in the article lots of ideas are suggested how to take care of young talents in the long run.

PTNA has also launches an online platform, "42 Q&A" to exchange ideas and experiences between teachers. Here are some of the examples; 

-What kind of technique should be taught for the beginners? What should not be ignored?

-How to make students to practice at home independently?

-What kind of educational effect is expected if teachers can bring out stendents' own idea?

-Parents are better accompanied until when?

-Students are very busy nowadays. How to make rapid sight reading?

-How to continue group lessons of solfege / ensemble?

-How to prepare effectively for piano competitions?

-Is upright piano sufficient for learning various touches? 

-What is the difference between middle teenage students, who improves or not?

This booklet can buy online (1,365yen). 

PTNA Piano Competition is regarded as "a learning opportunity to learn how to learn" and PTNA gives variety of learning materials for piano teachers and students.  

34th edition of the competition will be held from May - August 2010, and the guideline and required repertoires will be announced on March 1st.

On the same day, a demonstration performance & explanatory session of required repertoires will be held in Tokyo. All the tickets are sold out already and nearly 400 piano teachers are estimated to come across Japan. Regional sessions will also be scheduled from the beginning of March, and teachers elsewhere will be able to make profound study of each pieces before the competition begins. 

There are also educational materials for piano teachers and students to support their learning process. One of them is analyse booklets of required repertoires;

-Vol.1 (Solo A1 grade / D grade / F grade) 

-Vol.2 (Solo B grade / Duo intermediate grade / Duo advanced grade)

-Vol.3 （Solo C grade / E grade / Duo elementary grade B）

Teachers and students will be able to refer to the analytical commentaries of composers or scholars for each pieces (commentaries by Tetsuya AKIYAMA, Yasuhide ITOH, Katsuhiro OGURI, Ichiro KANEKO, Mitsuzo KUSAKABE, Yoshihiko SHIMIZU, Takashi MATSUOKA, Masakazu YAMAMOTO). Those commentaries are highlighted by red colors, and the booklet price is lower than those of last year. These analyse scores will go on sale from March 1st at Musse on-demand publishing service.  

The first collaborative work is Grande Polonaise brillante précédée d'un andante spianato Op.22, whose popularity is ranked high at an opinion pole on the magazine.

Transcriptions are made into two versions; jazz arrangement and simple arrangement, played by a pianist, Ayumi IGA.

This year, variety of special articles about Chopin will be featured online. -> "special project for Chopin"

Competition for children--- it always becomes the center of question. Then, why not competition and concert?

In PTNA Piano Competition 2010, the system of grade A2 (for pre-school children) will be revised. At the final round, after 1st and 2nd stages, finalists will play pieces as in a concert. There will be neither evaluation nor elimination, just have pleasure of public performance. They are free to choose pieces at the final stage, where previously required to select from mandatory repertoires. This renewal is expected to bring children wider freedom and pleasure of music within the framework of competition.

Then, what is the good aspect of taking part in the competition in early childhood? Here are some testimonies; 

Ms.Marie Yamashita,  a clerk of Yokohama National University, appreciates her competition experiences in her childhood. "I really enjoyed playing at the PTNA Piano competition for the first time when I was little, though I didn't remember those days clearly. I was satisfied with not only my own achievement, but also listening to performances of my peers also inspired me a lot to have higher musical ambitions. With supports of my parents and teacher, I was encouraged to continue learning piano and took part in the competition from grade A2 to F (under 18), and now enjoying Grandmuse division (amateur). 

Teachers also testifies good effects of the competition on one's childhood. Ms.Hideyo Miyajima proves it by comparing two different students who participated in the competition and who did not. Even though they practiced the same pieces, it was clear that the former became more productive and goal-oriented, and her motivation became more concentrated on the music itself rather than rewards. What impressed the teacher further was the respect of parents toward their children.

Ms.Yoriko Miyazaki regards learning piano as a lifetime engagement, and thus thinks the first contact of competition should be a discovery of him/herself, as well as the exercise of impatience and endeavor. According to her, the competition result is not a big deal, but the fact that they made efforts is the real importance and will affect to their lifelong personal development, especially after they graduate from university and go into the real world.

The first contact is always important which possibly decides how to make approach to certain things. In this context, the new grade A2 becomes more important which could offer children greater oppotunity of music appreciation. 

Demonstration performances will be presented by young pianists; Tomoki Sakata (mazurka), Takafumi Mizuno, Kaharu Sato, Momoko Mizutani (polonaise), Kosuke Okina, Kyoshiro Hirama, Mayu Koshio (waltz). Those are past winners of PTNA Piano competition.

And Rieko Nezu, finalist of 2005 Chopin International Competition, will appear as a special guest and play mazurka op.68-3, op.30-4, and op.56-3.

Special program will be featured at the end of the concert, demonstrating a dance performance by Mayumi Yoshimoto(dance), accompanied by Masako Ezaki (piano). They will perform three pieces from the ballet Les Sylphides; Mazurka op.33-2, Polonaise op.40-1 and Waltz op.64-2. 

(photo: Prof.Hitoshi Kobayashi as lecturer)

I wish you a

I hope the year 2010 will bring lots of chances for piano teachers.

I am interested in "child care allowance", one of the policies of Japanese Government which will be launched from 2010. Certain amount of allowance will be provided for those under 15 and it could favourably affect each family budget. The world of piano education is always independent without any subsidies, but I hope this allowance increases the opportunity for children to start piano as lifelong learning. 

And we are all aware that this year is the 200th anniversary of Chopin. People in Japan and around the world will pay special attention to this composer.

I have been writing a weekly column for several years. Among the 51 topics that I wrote last year, 16 referred to new projects which I've never imagined at the beginning of last year. 

Then, what comes next?
There will be a number of new waves coming ahead; PTNA public recording concert, serial seminars for comprehensive music study, STEP audition by popular music, etc. Those projects are based on ideas from piano teachers.

It is important to make lon-ranged plans or prospects, but improvements and evolution would also be possible from the awareness of daily small things, which piled up gradually to be a big momentum.

I am always willing to share visions and ideas with people in this world of piano and music education. I truly hope this year will see development and prosperity.

Aimi will play Mozart piano sonata kv.576, Beethoven piano sonata No.8 op.13, Chopin Ballade No.1 op.23, etc.

Teenage Pianist Concert Series offers young talented pianists an opportunity of piano recital in professional manner.
past performers: Kyoko TABE, Midori NOHARA, Mika SATO, Yuma OSAKI, Rieko NEZU, Yurino IZUMI, Shohei SEKIMOTO, HIbiki TAMURA, Rina SUDO, Yuhi OZAKI