Fistful of Notes by Gail Fischler

My name is Gail Fischler and I have taught music, piano, and pedagogy for over 40 years. I'm an experienced classroom, private, and college level teacher. I'm the founder of Piano Addict, the international blog for piano students, teachers, and avocational players to connect, discover and enjoy all that is piano. I've has contributed to The Piano Bench Magazine, The American Music Teacher, and Grand Piano Passion, and has been featured on the Podcast, The Modern Musician. I am the author of Christmas Carols: From Around the World (EVC Publishing) and co-author of Latin America (Piano Accents). I founded The Musical Adjectives Project, an interactive Wiki to aid pianists and musicians in understanding and describing the emotions and character within themselves and their music. To further help young musicians discover and communicate musical meaning, I created the popular board game Musical Words.

I am a facilitator at heart but I also believe in teaching fundamentals. I structure my classes to present the concepts behind skills and facts. I want my piano students to be able to decode a piece of music, & interpret it after they leave me. I want their music to enrich their lives and their life experience to enrich their music. I want the teachers I work with to teach purposefully and to recognize the all important early steps to advanced playing. I want them to be able to look at materials and be able to figure out why they are organized in a certain way and what would need to be supplemented. I want them to understand that every person does not learn or think in the same way and have a toolbox of strategies to help each student. That's why I design my games and activities to be flexible. I want them to fit all students and teaching situations. My activities are adaptable and work individually, in small groups, and in classrooms.

I was awarded the Janice McCurnin - Beatrice Searles ASMTA Honored Teacher Award. I hold Permanent Professional Certification in piano from Music Teachers National Association. I've contributed to The Piano Bench Magazine, The American Music Teacher, Curious Piano Teachers, and Grand Piano Passion, and been featured on the Podcast, The Modern Musician.

I hold a BA in Music and Secondary Education from San Jose State University, as well as, an MM in Piano Performance and PhD in Music Education and Piano Pedagogy from the University of Arizona. My teachers and coaches have included Rex Woods, Carol Stivers, Ozan Marsh, Theodora McMillan, Menahem Pressler, Marilyn Thompson, Colin Hampton, Johana Harris, and Patrick Meierotto.

I currently teach Piano at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, AZ and maintain an independent studio in Tucson. When not teaching, composing, or blogging, I garden, cook, bike, and hang out with family and friends.