Hsing-ay Hsu

PIANO RUBATO: IN TOUCH WITH TIME™ HYBRID ONLINE & IN-PERSON PIANO INTENSIVE
FEB 21 - MAR 21, 2026. ZOOM & IN PERSON (NYC & CO *Note: The original March 28th has been rescheduled.

This piano intensive is a systematic study of timing in performance

through the stylistic periods of classical concert music.

Learn to justify your artistic decisions,

and find tools to refine this expressive technique that is often over simplified as "play with feeling".

4 Registration Options:
a) Participant in Live Course - Small intimate class size with live interaction and playing. Register Now
b) Drop-In Participant on single classes
c) Auditor - Come to as many real-time class sessions (including masterclass) as you want, with no homework. Upgrade this fee to "Independent Study" any time.
d) Independent Study - get the weekly homework assignments and feedback, recordings of class demo clips, with 1 private Zoom or in-person lesson starting June 2026.

Key points:

How to change local timing while maintaining the integrity of the larger framework.
How to shape distinct musical elements including melody, harmony, dynamics, and pedaling.
How to integrate spontaneous mindful listening and consistent artistic vision.

How to anchor to a musical pulse, just like our physical biological pulse.
How to think of timeposts to empower direction.
How to use flexible timing as emotional expression.

Our human relationship with the concept of time is fascinating. The richness of our human history with time perception, time management, and expressive timing provides an infinite number of psychological, physical, emotional, and even spiritual lenses. Join me in this unique offering to help you level up your playing, enjoyment, and understanding.

Altering time can emotionally connect audiences to the composer's intensions, and the right amount of nuance can create magical moments. Explore variations in three types of rubato timing, across all the musical elements, including melodic contour, harmony, and phrasing.

Effective timing demands an expanded sense of listening—tracking long arcs of direction rather than single moments of impulse, integrating multiple layers of pulses in both larger groupings and subdivisions instead of just a single uniform pulse.

Demos

Video - Liszt Demo
Video - Sibelius Opening
Video Welcome

Article: What Music Teaches Us About Managing Time

Details

Format: Weekly Homework and Worksheet + Lecture + Masterclass + Discussion

Level: Advanced for Adult Classical Pianists, Professional Track Students, and Piano Teachers.

Goal: Develop the tools to bring greater depth, mindful flow, and artistry to your playing. Learn how to shape musical expression through the tools of rubato and pedaling. This intensive will help you

refine your sense of timing,
decide on the scope of rubato,
balance freedom with structural emphasis,
use pedaling expressively to create dramatic color and legato lines.

Rep: We will deep dive into Spruce by Sibelius (see example above), one segment at a time, to master the timing skills and concepts. You are welcome to work on your own 3 min excerpt of another piece.

Dates: FEB 21 - MAR 21, 2026.
5 live modules with additional unlimited email support throughout the course.

Week 1-4: SATURDAYS 8-9:15amMT/10-11:15am ET ZOOM ONLINE
FEB 21
FEB28
MAR 7
March 14
Coaching Options:
Arvada CO - THU MAR 12
or NYC - SAT MAR 21, 10am - 12pm ET
or Online THU MAR 19 1-3pm ET window, or another time that works for you

Nutmeg Studio Home Page

In This Course, You Will Get

6-8 hrs of live instruction
8-18 hrs of Weekly home assignments over the 5 weeks for your own score analysis of musical elements.
This is flexible and can be part of your regular practice time to enhance a piece you are already working on. The more you practice, the more you play in the "Performer's Masterclass" portion.
Unlimited Feedback of individualized homework. Share your short videos from your phone to my email. Analyze your score and get corrections by email.
Teacher's Analysis for each piece to compare your analysis with.
Listening Round One - Discover how rubato concepts change over the stylistic periods and how the musical elements overlap; using my Conscious Listening method.
Listening Round Two - Revisit the excerpt to integrate, naturalize, and find your flow.
Listening Round Three "Performer's Masterclass" - Maximize the expression and control of each element in each excerpt.
An encouraging small cohort to present your expressive performance to, as often as you want, with your own compelling interpretation that is also sensitive to the composer's vision.
Certificate of Completion with successful homework completion and masterclass participation of all 5 modules, upon request.
Week 4 Options: perform your excerpt live in the Denver area, NYC, or online.

Optional Add-on: 1 Hour Single Coaching or discount 6-hour packages.

What This Course Will Teach You

MUSICAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Learn how to shape musical expression through rubato and pedaling
Refine your sense of timing
Decide on the scope of rubato
Balance freedom with structural emphasis
Pedal to create color and legato lines
Develop the tools to bring greater depth, flow, and artistry to your playing

Master your skills of rubato with a whole-brain, whole-body approach
Improve motor skills and advanced technique

KNOWLEDGE OF STYLISTIC DIFFERENCES

Be informed about the composer's intentions

CRITICAL THINKING AND ENGAGEMENT

Learn how to ask questions, dig deeper, and get more detailed
Practice interactive communal learning to give and receive multiple feedback

LIFELONG LEARNING AND PERSONAL GROWTH

Expand your mindfulness within a community
Find the motivation to practice with purpose
Build confidence by practicing performance anxiety skills
Challenge yourself to try new ideas

Impact of Piano Intensives

100% of participants were "able to integrate what I learned from this intensive into my everyday practice."
100% of participants "improved musical skills, critical thinking skills, and lifelong learning skills."
"I want to reiterate how much I appreciated your guidance throughout this workshop. It was just right for me in so many ways - being introduced to new music and concepts, revisiting ideas that have long been forgotten, and pushing myself to explore musicality in addition to technical challenges." - Samantha C.
"I so appreciate all the thought and work you put into putting this class together and helping us learn and grow with it. The repertoire you chose was great." - Judy A.

Why Hsing-ay?

30+ yrs Experienced as specialized private teacher of adult students
Speciality of teaching adults who had piano lessons earlier in life and want to develop technique and musicianship now.
Proven results for students of different learning types
30 yrs Experience as award-winning performer
15+ yrs Experience as university faculty member
Successful experience with, and deep understanding of, recovery from serious injury
Wide breath of teaching modalities including neuromuscular training
Up to date scholarship with the latest in piano pedagogy and educational psychology
Published writer with regular articles on listening skills and innovative pedagogy
I am a lifelong learner myself. I understand the courage it takes!

Weekly Zoom Class Format

score study and Conscious Listening skills
different interpretation options
performance mini-masterclass
feedback on analysis homework and video evaluation
Optional: sign on 5 minutes in advance for setup and soundcheck of your Zoom audio settings to be on Original Sound and High Fidelity. (No requirement for external mic, but you are welcome to use one.)

Weekly Schedule with Rep

Pre-Approve Rep In Advance:
1) Sibelius - "Spruce" from 5 Pieces for Piano Op.75, No.5 (3min) - we will all be working on this in separate segments as indicated below. We will compare and contrast each pianist's artistic vision. Listen Here but don't copy the interpretation.
2) Optional: A 3min work or excerpt that each of you are already working on, which may be studied collectively. Chopin, Haydn, Schumann would be interesting choices.
3) Depending on time, we may add other excerpts for group study.

Dates: FEB 21 - MAR 21, 2026. 5 modules.
Week 1-4: ONLINE ZOOM SAT 8amMT/10am ET
FEB 21 - Sibelius Measure 1 Introduction, Measures 2-15 Theme 1
FEB 28 - Measures 16 – 32 Theme 2, Measure 32-39 Transition
MAR 7 - Measure 40 Cadenza, Measure 41 - 50, Measure 51 to end
MAR 14 - Summary

Coaching: IN-PERSON MASTERCLASS Arvada CO MAR 12 or NYC MAR 21
If you can't make either, we can do an Online coaching in the window of 1-3pm ET (let me know if you have a conflict). Play the Sibelius or a work of your choice.

*For Zoom, please sit at your piano and pre-check your Zoom video/audio setup.
*For homework videos, you may want to record some videos from a laptop on the floor to show pedaling.

*Homework assignments and scores will be emailed a week in advance.

ONGOING UNLIMITED FEEDBACK:

Record your own performance for Video Evaluation (use YouTube, Google Drive, or DropBox)
Email your score study analysis as often as you want for feedback.
Practice listening skills at The Conscious Listening™ Café, March 27 1pm ET Zoom.

Questions? Get Answers!

thenutmegstudio@gmail.com

Cost

Participant: $627

6.25 or more hours of class time including live masterclass performance opportunity
Weekly prep homework with unlimited email feedback
Referral Discount - bring a first time participant and you both get $30 refund on first day of class.
Piano Teacher Scholarships / Financial Sliding Scale Available. Please share how you would share this impact with others and how you can calculate what you are able to pay. Form

Drop-in Participant: $127/wk

Must reserve 7 days in advance to get the homework directions and tips.
2-3 hours analysis homework and self-video (any way you want to submit it), with customized feedback.
Group discussion. Masterclass time to perform, with customized feedback.

Auditor Pass: $97 Come to as many class sessions (including masterclass) as you want, with no homework. Apply this fee at any time towards an "Independent Study" format.

Independent Study: $207 Get the weekly homework assignments and feedback, recordings of class demos, with 1 private Zoom or an in-person lesson starting June 2026.

*Referral Discount $30 each for you and guest, per pair.
*Scholarships for Piano Teachers.

www.youtube.com/shorts/Gv3CjvkFMzg

Participant:

1)Fill out the form - Register Now.
*Last year's participants who are taking the full course can opt to bypass this form.

2)For new Participant (not Auditor), email a one-minute video or link of your playing to thenutmegstudio@gmail.com. Short Zoom or phone interview may be requested to make sure it's a good match for you.

3)Make Payment. Rolling admissions until full.

Auditor:

1)Fill out the form - Register Now, or email me which week(s).
2)Make Payment.
3)You'll get confirmation now and the Zoom link later.

Payment Options:

1)ZELLE IS PREFERRED. Pay to "Nutmeg Press" as First Name. Email is "thenutmegstudio@gmail.com".
Or send me your name and email so I can send you an invoice. Non-refundable.
2)Paypal - paypal.me/hsu2507 + 3% paypal fee.
3)Check. Mailing address is in your registration form. Plan on 5 days for mail.

Piano Intensive Results

"I so appreciate all the thought and work you put into putting this class together and helping us learn and grow with it, and the repertoire you selected was perfect for the tasks you set for us. "
"I am learning to think about the big picture while playing the piano, and learning to pause."
"I am thinking about enhancing and collaborating with the score."
"I am learning about intentional practicing and listening to myself"
"I am now using my body weight and hand movements."
"Amazing"
"The teaching was comfortable and encouraging while also being direct."
"Appreciated the piano a lot more."