MOL: Tell us about your musical background.

JH: Music lessons began when I was seven, not on the piano, but on my family's newly acquired electric Hammond B-3 organ. Although my parents were not musicians, in many ways, they were very supportive of my interest in music. My first teacher, Mrs. Flynn, was a local organist in North Bay, Ontario. She also taught my father, who learned well enough to play at a local church; and my brother, who lost interest after a short time. Once I learned to read music I was content to learn hymns, popular melodies and movie themes. Throughout my childhood I played purely for enjoyment, feeling no pressure to become a serious musician. At the age of fourteen, I started playing the piano with the purpose of strengthening my fingers so that I could improve playing the organ.

MOL: Who are your teachers? And when you recall some of your teachers, what are the first and best qualities you remember? How did your teacher influence you as a musician?

JH: During my teens I studied with David Palmer, a wonderful organist and pianist who exposed me to all kinds of choral, orchestral, vocal, and keyboard literature. He emphasized musical character and spirit during my lessons... technique being a secondary concern. Under his guidance I progressed and naturally, inspired by his joyful enthusiasm for life and music. I went on to study with his mentor, organist Robert Glasgow, at the University of Michigan. A musical architect with great insight, Dr. Glasgow was never impressed by mere technical virtuosity: he reserved his praise for students who had devoted themselves to the expression and meaning of the music... not false sentimentality, gimmickry or academic parroting, he taught me to trust my intuition on matters of interpretation.

In the years to follow I became increasingly enchanted by the sound and repertoire of the piano. I studied briefly with two pianists of the Russian school of thought, Nina Lelchuk and Sergei Babayan. With Ms. Lelchuk, a beautiful melodic tone was an obsession that I, happily, have inherited. Working with Mr. Babayan, I became increasingly aware of the importance of focusing. He maintained that there should never be an arbitrary moment in music: every note must speak with purpose. Over the years I also played for pianist Dickran Atamian, whose crystalline clarity and iron-willed conviction influenced me greatly. With him, musical ambivalence was prohibited: “Say what you mean, and mean what you say,” was his credo. His encouragement led me to begin pursuing the piano much more intensively.

MOL: Do you teach? If so, where?

JH: I teach privately in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

MOL: What do you mostly emphasize to your students and why?

JH: My desire is for each of my students to play with freedom and ease. I help them find enjoyable and unaffected ways to produce sound. Often I compare music to a verbal language: notes, like words, must be clearly articulated; and phrases, like sentences, must have direction and intention. I train students to attune their ears to the underlying harmony, for then the appropriate moods and colors can emerge naturally. I explain that the score is an unfolding illustration, its primary shape delineated by the contrapuntal tension between the two outer voices. Because pupils come with varying strengths and weaknesses, I determine the most appropriate techniques for practicing on an individual basis. Hopefully, students receive a balance of encouragement and criticism from me.

MOL: Do you practice what you preach to your students?

JH: Many times I catch myself doing the very thing I had just told my students not to do. Such hypocrisy!

MOL: Do you have a practicing method you follow everyday?

JH: Each day, I pray to discover new insights about my playing. Although it is tempting to do so, I do not trust in any particular method for a sense of security. That said, I try to observe the instinctive motions of my body while striving for musical effect, then, I try to consciously integrate these movements into my approach. The more deeply I listen, the more my approach changes. Generally speaking, I first imagine the sound, then find the way of achieving it.

MOL: How do you prepare yourself on the day of performance?

JH: Mostly I try to conserve energy to release at the performance. I sleep in, practice a bit, take a nap, grab a snack, then perform.

MOL: How much or often do you practice basic (tone production, breathing, etc.)? If so, what kind of basics do you practice?

JH: A piano tone that sings is pleasing to the ear, but phrasing is equally important. I seek resonate sounds within the context of shaped phrases. Technical difficulties must be overcome so that they will not obscure the simplicity of the predominate line. I have found that avoiding extraneous physical motion helps both my hearing and control. Overall, practicing is a delicate process of prioritizing and compromising.

MOL: How do you select repertoire for your recital?

JH: I'm always dreaming up programs for the future. I tend to choose pieces based on how well they complement one another in a particular program, rather than patching together a bunch of pieces I know. Regardless of whether I am focusing on a particular theme or composer, I try to offer a variety of moods, tempos and keys to help maintain interest. As I play through the recital each day, the order of the program usually becomes clear.

MOL: How do you select repertoire for your concerto performance?

JH: At this stage in my career I don't have a choice in this matter. I play whatever I'm hired to play.

MOL: Do you perform regularly these days? If so, how many concerts do you have a year?

JH: I play between ten and twenty times a year, sometimes with orchestra, and mostly on church, community and library series.

MOL: What period of music do you enjoy playing most and why?

JH: Although I do not consider myself as having an affinity for any particular period, I gravitate towards tonal music, and look for pieces with interesting harmonic progressions.

MOL: In your opinion, what is your strength in your playing?

JH: Emotional honesty. I play as I feel, not as I think or have been told I should feel. My goal is to reveal how the music affects me rather than how I affect the music. It may or may not always hit the desired goal, but I hope there is always heart of intention.

MOL: What do you hope to accomplish as a musician?

JH: To play the instrument in a way that gives pleasure and enjoyment to others, and “Soli Deo Gloria.”

MOL: Do you like any other forms of art? such as painting? Tell us about it.

JH: Lately, I have been attracted to the paintings of Rembrandt; I feel that he paints with a great understanding of humanity. I love to study the facial expressions of his portraits and empathize with what their emotions may be. It is also interesting to study his tactical use of lights and shades, which he effectively uses to characterize the act of redemption in many of his religious works.

MOL: What do you like to read? And why?

JH: I like to read the Bible. As music speaks to my heart and soul, the scriptures speak to my spirit. I am learning about the original Creator who made the harmonic and rhythmical universe in which I live. Sometimes in my readings I stumble upon great musical advice such as this: “Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?”

MOL: In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a good performer?

JH: Good performers should have a gift of communicating effectively. They should be mesmerizing storytellers who keep their audience captive until the end of the tale. Or, performers are tour guides, taking people on exciting journeys in a smooth-riding vehicle. They should be able to pace the trip perfectly to allow passengers time to savor moments of interest and beauty, but move quickly enough to prevent boredom.