Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Writing an article about adult beginners

I'm taking a course on feature article writing. In this course, we are to write an article suitable for publication and attempt to get it published.

The subject of my article is adult beginning piano students -- including the reasons adults decide to take up piano, the challenges they face, the resources available to help them, etc.

If anyone would be willing to be interviewed for my story, please PM me and we can set up a time to talk on the phone. Don't worry. I don't bite!

cindy,
i've taught magazine writing at the graduate school level for a long time. i'd love to see your article after you've finished it. this is a subject that fascinates me as well.

Thanks, Pique.

How about you write the article and let me sign my name to it?

No?

Oh, OK.

Cindy, I'd be glad to be interviewed for your article. Let me know if you need contact info.

I was a journalism major and short story writer myself.. actually have toyed with the idea of a novel based on adult beginners...

Maybe a murder mystery? I know I regularly brutally slay Mozart, Bach and DeBussey.

I'd love to help out, but I'm not a beginner...

Hello Cindy,

I just started my piano last yr during summer time.Wonder if i can help.Let me know how to assist?

Thanks, everyone! Jac and Michael, I'll write to you off-list.

Nina. Nina, Nina, Nina . . .

:offers Nina comforting mug of hot cocoa:

Awwww, I don't want you feeling left out! Are you taking lessons at the moment? Maybe you can be the shining example of all that can be achieved through persistance, hard work, determination and an abiding belief in the American spirit?

:dabs tears:

Cindy: If you need any additional interviewees, I would be happy to contribute.
I hope you will allow us to e-mail the finished article to our families and friends. Maybe your good words will help them better understand the reasons why we labor to play the piano.
Good Luck,
Jon

You can contact me, but only if I can read the final article. PM if you want. I started at 37, about 6 months ago, and couldn't read music.

Cindy,

If for whatever reasons you need it translated into Spanish, you can count me in! :p

Neus

Hey Cindy,

I've been learning piano for seven years now but I still consider myself a beginner...especially everytime I start to study a new piece

If you think I qualify please let me know.

Good luck and I'd can't wait to see your article.

I'm sure you will inspire many more to take the plunge of learning the piano no matter what their age.

Hi Cindy,

I'd be happy to be an interviewee.

I'm 38, started learning about a year and a half ago on my own and then signed up for lessons about 4 months ago.

Rodney

Cindy,

You can count me in as well if you need more subjects!

I'm 44, started 3 years of lessons when I was 16, then no lessons until last December! Had a 25 year period during most of which I had no piano/keyboard.

Hi Cindy,

I'm an adult beginner, 57 years old, been playing for 1 yr. 9 months. If you need someone to interview I would be happy to offer my time.

Good luck with your project.

I am 44 and have been playing for the last 3-4 years, but more mostly in the last year.

Well I have strong musical background in pop and singing and because my daughters go to piano lesson, that gives me tremendous chance to learn much more.

I will be happy to give you input..

--James

It's OK, I can handle the rejection. Really. Don't worry that I'll be left off the list and ignored. Really, it's OK. Really. :sniff whine:

But it is true that I am taking lessons again, FWIW. Perhaps I can fit into the remedial, still can't get it right column??

Oh, you guys are so wonderful!

At this point, I've interviewed a number of you, and you've been really fabulous. I feel lucky to have had these conversations -- you guys seem so much more *real* to me now! I've been amazed at the different ways you all came to your decision to take up the piano. It's not a "one-size-fits-all" calling.

I'm trying to write something with what I have so far. That way if I find something isn't working I can go back and do more interviews. So would it be all right if I put you guys in a holding pattern for now until I figure out how to frame the story?

And Pique?

Feature writing is really, really hard. I'm a lawyer, OK? I've been trained for years to just stick to the facts and to persuade rather than entertain. It's not easy breaking through all that training.

Cindy -- hoping she'll be able to focus better after the election

Hey Cindy, how's the article coming along? Is there anything we can do to help?
Jon

Well, it's going.

I have learned that this process is kind of weird. You have to "sell" your story to a magazine or newspaper before it is written. Then they retain you to write it. You are supposed to approach one publication at a time if you care at all about your reputation in the industry because committing the same story to multiple magazines is a no-no.

About two weeks ago, I approached a particular magazine. I am still waiting to hear something. The workshop leader said there wasn't a snowball's chance that this publication would be interested -- something I would have appreciated knowing before I approached them!

So now I have to follow up, which I hope to do this week. I figured that maybe, just maybe, they'll take it, as it might take a while to get on the desk of the right person for an approval, whereas rejections take no time at all. So maybe the delay is a good sign. Or maybe it just means it's Thanksgiving and people were to busy to reject me all proper like.

On the bright side, the workshop leader thinks newspapers would likely be interested, but I'll do better sending them a finished manuscript. Which will take some additional editing because the current version is too long.

So I'll keep ya posted!

Cindy -- finding that law practice seems to have drained her of any ability to be succinct

Good luck Cindy. I have a good feeling about your chances. This is the season of charity and all.
Jon