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I am a professional musician, a concert pianist, teacher, composer and author of teaching materials. In the Fall of 1972 I enrolled at the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies and remained there for four years. While my original intention was to become an analyst, it became clear to me that analytic training was far more meaningful to me in the context of my professional music activities, particularly teaching. In this article I shall attempt to describe ways in which modern analysis has influenced my teaching.
I find that many people, whether children or adults, experience some anxious feelings at the initial interview and are particularly uneasy about being asked to play the piano. In fact, the traditional initial interview for music lessons is usually, at least in part, an evaluation of the prospective student by the teacher; if the teacher is seeking only markedly talented or experienced students some candidates are bound to be rejected.
In order to deal with this anxiety, I generally suggest to the students that our first interview is for the purpose of exploring whether we can work out a suitable arrangement and, above all, whether I am the most suitable teacher for their needs. I also generally