Young pianists who decide to become professional musicians have many challenges to face. Carefully balancing aspiration with reality and freeiration with organization, experienced teacher Stewart Gordon creates a blueprint for transforming dreams into achievement. He guides young pianists through the details of how to prepare musically, navigate their college years, and forge a career that will provide a livelihood.

• Table of Contents


• Chapter 1 The Bug Bites


• Chapter 2 Bringing Your Family On Board


• Chapter 3 Shopping For The Right Teacher


• Chapter 4 Balancing Everything


• Chapter 5 Building Technique


• Chapter 6 Exploring Skills


• Chapter 7 Developing Performance Chops


• Chapter 8 Using Your Mind


• Chapter 9 Creating Fantasy


• Chapter 10 Securing Memorization


• Chapter 11 Handling Rejection...And Success


• Chapter 12 Choosing Your College


• Chapter 13 Finding Your Way During The College Years


• Chapter 14 Planning Repertoire


• Chapter 15 Selecting Repertoire


• Chapter 16 Broadening Horizons


• Chapter 17 The Road Ahead

Stewart Gordon is a well-known pianist, teacher, writer, editor, and entrepreneur. His career spans several decades, first as a performer and now as a teacher and mentor to a new generation of pianists. He has created major music competitions, edited the Beethoven piano sonatas, composed for musical theater, and written books on keyboard literature, performance, and teaching.