Looking Back Over Thirty Years....

By Sue G. Russell

They say time goes by in the blink of an eye and Polly Feitzinger and Karen Boyd

would likely agree. At the onset of that proverbial blink, these two women found themselves living in early 90s Asheville. Each had come for the same reasons people still come today: a desire to escape metropolitan living with harsh winters, to live in the natural beauty of the mountains, and to live in a growing arts community. Thus, these two former Pennsylvanians, Oberlin-educated piano teachers and aficionados, arrived in Asheville in 1991.

Then still somewhat of a sleepy mountain town, there was no such organization like today’s Asheville Area Piano Forum (AAPF). There was a western chapter of the NC Music Teachers Association (NCMTA) sponsoring annual occasional workshops. As Polly and Karen recall, it was likely there the two met and began a relationship that would grow over the years. And for context, remember: a scant 30 years ago, neither the home laptop with internet accessibility nor the ubiquitous cell phone widely existed. An occasional workshop and another critically important link, coalesced to form the pre-internet network that would evolve into AAPF.

That other important link was Leslie Cohen, a clerk at Dunham’s Music Store, located on Tunnel Road in East Asheville. Dunham’s Music rented instruments, sold pianos, and sold sheet music. Ms. Cohen ran the sheet music department and kept a list of all local piano teachers, acting as a conduit for information about and between teachers. Leslie connected Polly and Karen and, then, soon with other teachers and a fledgling network started to evolve.

As piano lovers and teachers, both Polly and Karen felt the need for a more regional organization but that organization had a predecessor. Polly’s dining room table became the site of literal round table discussions. This musical coffee klatch morphed over time to become the immediate forerunner of AAPF, the Piano Teachers’ Forum (PTF). Notes from that first meeting in October 1992 declare the originating meeting a success.

In its early days, the forum had no officers, no dues nor formal structure. There was, however, a desire on the part of Polly, Karen and other founders to reach out to any and all piano teachers in the area, regardless of credentials. When people moved here and would ask who are the piano teachers, the network began to grow and soon it outgrew Polly’s table.

The following ten years were important, formative for the fledgling organization. Round table discussions became a place to discuss student/teacher problems, effective teaching repertoire and to schedule recitals. Student recitals, an essential step in learning the performance art of piano, followed. The group became slightly more formal, electing both a president and other officers. By 2002, the group was ready to apply for 501(c)(3) status and they did so. This year marks the 20th anniversary of receiving the designation, which paved the way for more extensive fund-raising.

As the mission of the organization broadened, the word “teachers” was dropped from the name, lest it be perceived as limiting membership to teachers only. Music lovers of all stripes (jazz, rock, classical, etc.) and proficiency joined as the organization grew to its stature today. The forum became and continues to be a mecca for music lovers throughout the region, membership extended to anyone who loves piano and lives within 75 miles of Asheville.

AAPF’s website, www.ashevillepiano.org, enables connection among music professionals, students and teachers, and piano lovers. Financial assistance comes in several forms to pre-college piano students studying with AAPF affiliated teachers. Awards are based on financial need and include both new and continuing student lesson awards. Funding can also be found for summer music programs including summer music camps. And, help can be extended in securing the use of beginning digital instruments. The website has full details.

Much of this activity is funded by the two annual benefit concerts (spring and fall) that began in 2002. And, while the concerts feature mostly classical music, over the years, other genres and composers such as Fats Waller, Chick Corea, and Thelonius Monk have been featured. During the pandemic, the concerts were debated – should they continue or not? Continue was the resounding answer and to the credit of the local music-loving community, the internet-streamed concerts were a success, with ticket sales equaling those of live concerts. Spring 2022 was the first live concert in two years but the “watch at your convenience” via streaming was retained as an option. And internet-based streaming supported something many would never have forecast: piano lessons and competitions, not deterred by the pandemic but continuing on, simply recast in a different format.

And, what have these past thirty years of music involvement and instruction wrought? The founders are reluctant to name a specific number touched by AAPF but it is likely in the thousands. So many children and adults have benefited from the lessons and workshops and from participating in performance groups and recitals. AAPF has also forged community connections: partnering with the AVL Symphony for master classes and piano concerts, supporting fledgling student chamber music, and partnering with the AVL Humane Society in “Practice for Pets”. Each February, students log their hours of practice seeking sponsors who pledge dollars for hours – all proceeds going to the Humane Society.

Many AAPF students will simply always have the skill of playing a musical instrument, being “living room” pianists. But a number of students have become music professionals, plying their skills along the gamut of musical form, from jazz to opera to classical. And many now teach the skill they were once taught.