Thoughts on Excellence and Leveling Up
Over the last several weeks, I have had the opportunity to attend two piano-specific conferences that have impacted me in unexpected ways. The first was the Steinway Conference: Keys to Finding Funds, held in the Sofitel Hotel in New York City. This was a brief two-day conference centered around ideas for fundraising for schools and universities interested in obtaining Steinways or becoming all-Steinway schools. My university, William Carey University, was the first all-Steinway school in the state of Mississippi and, as the newest full-time faculty member in the piano area, I was privileged to attend this conference on behalf of Carey.
My graduate assistant and I arrived on a Sunday evening and, after getting checked into our hotel, met a dear friend and her husband for dinner. The next day started with breakfast with our Steinway representative and a colleague from a nearby university, then we headed to a day full of meetings. Every detail was covered – from the location of the conference meetings to the layout of the room to the specialized Steinway binders which held ultra-organized notes from every speaker, nothing was left out. We were treated to a relaxing lunch, followed by more meetings, then a beautiful dinner. Our first day ended with a walk to Steinway Hall, a quick tour of the Hall, and a concert by a local Steinway artist. The Hall was lovely! It houses a Mussorgsky Steinway with panels painted from his Pictures at an Exhibition. The seats in the recital hall are covered in the same velvety fabric that lines the hammers of Steinway pianos.
Tuesday was another busy day – breakfast with other conference guests, getting checked out of our hotel, then loading buses for a trip to the Steinway Factory in Queens. This was also Steinway’s 171st birthday – and what a way to celebrate such a great man! Throughout the factory tour, I was impressed over and over by the attention to detail given at each stage of production. Every piano produced by Steinway must pass a quality check at each level. If it does not pass, it does not continue to the next level of production. Before it is sent to the buyer, it must pass a final quality check. The slightest sign that some detail has been missed means it is not sent, and production begins again.
As I briefly observed the production stages and listened to our tour guides cite details that are looked for in each one, my mind was racing – ‘This is incredible! SO many details! This is why Steinways are equated with excellence!’ and then, I thought – ‘Why do we not hold ourselves to an equal standard? No, why do I not hold myself to an equal standard?’ It was during this tour that I decided it was time to level up in all areas of my life, but I’ll come back to this later.
This past week, I had the privilege to attend my first MTNA Conference. For those who are not familiar with MTNA, it is the Music Teachers National Association. Their national conference is held every spring in varying locations. This year’s location was Atlanta, which was quite literally on my way home from visiting my daughter and her family during spring break. The timing was perfect!
The conference began on Sunday evening; but I also attended Pedagogy Saturday, so I arrived to Atlanta on Friday evening. When I got checked into the conference hotel – the Hilton Atlanta – I immediately began looking at details. The hotel was expansive! I was a little turned around trying to find the elevator, then an employee saw me and asked if he could help. Here’s where it gets really interesting – Instead of simply pointing me in the right direction, he asked if he could carry my suitcase, then escorted me to the elevator, asked me which floor, pushed the button, then started a conversation with me as we rode up to my floor. As I was getting off the elevator he introduced himself – “I am ....., the head of engineering here at Hilton Atlanta. I hope you enjoy your stay. Please let me know if anything is not to your liking.”
Y’all. I am not joking. The HEAD OF ENGINEERING at Hilton Atlanta! He did not have to go so far out of his way to help me, but he did. He did not have to offer to carry my luggage, but he did. Lesson received. (Back to this a little later.)
Throughout the conference, I made a list of observations – sessions that impacted me, details that stood out, takeaways for my studio and even for my own life. Again, details were everything. It really is the details that can make or break. There were elegant water stations throughout the hotel. There were student workers and hotel staff stationed strategically throughout the conference to point attendees in the right direction.
More than anything else in this conference, I was reminded again and again what a beautiful group of people music teachers are. I met many names in piano pedagogy that I have been following online for years – some for more than a decade. All were truly lovely in person! I met people I had only recently heard of but with whom I have much in common. I met new composers, budding composers, composers I have followed for years. I met two precious online friends that have already become my conference besties.
One thing I really appreciate about the MTNA Conference was the abundance of sessions. There were more sessions than anyone could possibly attend, which meant there was something for everyone. And if there wasn’t a session I wanted to attend during an hour, I would either grab a cup of coffee or go back to my room to rest. Or I would visit the exhibition hall and buy music.
So now let’s tie this all back together – my 3 key takeaways from Steinway and MTNA:
1. Attention to detail is of utmost importance.
Remember all the details I mentioned in the production of Steinways? They are what makes a Steinway a Steinway.
2. Excellence is a way of life, not just a single aspect of life.
Steinways are associated with excellence. Living a Steinway-esque life is my goal. I want everything I do to be done with excellence. Aiming for excellence in one area of your life will carry over into other areas, and before long, you will be leveling up your entire life.
One of the most impactful sessions I attended at MTNA was on Pedagogy Saturday. The speaker shared her story of how she created her own life path and her dream career as both a piano teacher and performing artist. Everything about her story pointed towards excellence; but what she said that really stood out to me was this – she practiced the speaking parts of her programs as much as she practiced playing. This attention to detail and overall excellence was reflected throughout her presentation.
3. If there is a need, and you can fill it, you should – regardless of whether it is technically part of your job.
The Head of Engineering at Hilton taught me this. Helping me find the elevator and making sure I got to the right floor was almost certainly not in his job description, but he saw a client who needed help, and he filled that need. No job is beneath you. Don’t ever think you have reached the point of not helping others.
I am certain that the impact of these conferences will continue in my own life for some time. I am on a journey of leveling up and aiming for excellence in every way possible. Follow along to keep up with my journey, and be sure to check out my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thepolishedpianist/) to see pictures from my recent conference adventures!
