Edward Rosser

Per usual, I spend some time during the week scouting around the internet for interesting articles and websites about the piano.  Today I mention www.edwardrosser.com  Edward Rosser is an extremely gifted and talented pianist.  He would not remember this, but we both attended Albion College beginning in 1973 and 1974.  I left Albion after my freshman year, to attend Michigan State University, and circle back to my posse of high school friends who were there, but I believe Mr. Rosser graduated from Albion.

During that first college year he and I took piano from the same professor, and I believe he had the lesson directly after mine.  I stayed after some time, and even though he was in a closed piano studio, I often heard him play and he played with great musicality and technical ability. I also admit that the piano professor I had that year, traumatized me enough, that I didn't take lessons for many years, and actually abandoned any hope of pursuing any thing with the piano as an amateur or professional.

When I think back about that now, and where I am currently with the piano, I believe, that if you do not jell up with a teacher, you must analyze what you want from a piano teacher, and go out and find it.  You can not let  any person stop your relationship with the piano and music, if you love it.  But back to Edward Rosser.

If you have the opportunity to go to his website, you can see how his career as a pianist has evolved. In his website introductory page he spend some time explaining how his technique has evolved and the time he spent re working his piano technique.  Though many amateur pianists know their technique is not the best, most of us playing for pure enjoyment do not spend any time looking at their actual technique and making changes.

Currently on his website, there is a "clip" of Mr. Rosser playing Chopin's Nocturne in C# minor.  Though I have studied this nocturne, and brought it to a what I thought was a respectable level, after listening to Mr. Rosser's version, I have a way to go.

I add that I love this nocturne, and I believe it was one of the theme pieces in the film, the Pianist.  Do take some time to listen to this clip by Mr. Rosser as it is quite amazing.

In reading his website, and about his life as a full time musician, he is focused on teaching, performing and recording.  However, the most amazing thing is that Mr. Rosser takes his piano to the street, and refers to it as "the great auditorium under the sky."  The piano is such an amazing instrument, and I continually believe that it must be brought to the people.  He mentions on his website and I quote "a musician is truly free to play for the sheer joy of playing, where spontaneity and communication are more valued than perfection; here a musician can try new repertoire, experiment, refine his playing by performing certain pieces hundreds of times...."

I have not purchased any of his cds, but after reviewing his website, I plan to do so.    I hope when I get the opportunity to go to Boston for a law conference, I will have the opportunity to hear him making music on the street.  Amazing!