I remember bringing some Satie to my Juilliard audition, and for some reason unknown to me I was placed in a piano class far above my ability. I didn't know anything about scale fingerings or how to play without looking at my fingers. Frances Goldstein, between puffs on her cigarette, would chant, "tactile, tactile, tactile." She wanted us to feel the keys beneath our fingers as well played scales and arpeggios. I must have failed her class, because the next semester I found myself in a beginner class where I struggled.
I have only shadowy memories of the other teachers I had at Juilliard, but Frances S. Goldstein remains in perfectly clear resolution. I even remember what her hands looked like. Every time I sit at the piano I think of her.
She is a woman of mystery in these internets. All I could find about her was that she was born in New York and began teaching Literature and Materials of Music at Juilliard in 1930. Marvin Hamlish included a description of her in his book The Way I Was that I will share here:
Her name was Frances S. Goldstein. She was an irascible old woman who always had a cigarette in her mouth. She was tough, but she taught me more about music theory than anyone before or since. And when I had finished my scores for The Swimmer and Kotch, I thought it would be wonderful to share them with her. I wondered if she ever went to a movie. Her class at Juilliard was her life, that narrow room in which she kept emphasizing what was good and what was bad harmonically. If she gave you a check on one of our papers, you knew she meant it. If Miss Goldstein said you had done well, it wasn't said lightly to reassure you. You had done well.Since I think about her so often, I would really love to know something about her. Perhaps there are other people with memories of Miss Goldstein who could add something more to the picture Mr. Hamlish paints (yes, I know, with himself in the center), and the one that is in my memory.
I dearly wanted her approval now. I wanted her to know that I hadn't forsaken or betrayed my musical training. I needed that gold star at the top of my homework assignment. With all that was happening to me, I needed her to reassure me I was on the right track. I was hungry for the approval of the heretofore aloof Miss Goldstein and wanted her to see that I was capable of doing serious work.
I telephoned her and said: "Miss Goldstein, I'd love to have you listen to the music I wrote. I really think it's good."
"Marvin, I don't have time to listen to this music of yours. I'm very, very busy."
"But don't you even have time for a cup of coffee?" I asked. "I could bring the music with me."
"No, no, no, no," she insisted.
I was terribly disappointed. I wanted her to know that I understood her values, her virtues, her commitment. She may have been out of touch with the outside world, but in that world she created in her classroom, she believed wholly in what she did. And I was envious of that. I needed to have that in my life. That narrow classroom was an honest place where she devoted herself to the highest standards of music. I needed to get back into that room.
Years later, I learned that Miss Goldstein was in the hospital with cancer. A tiny woman who had always weighed about ninety pounds, she was not expected to live. As I looked down at her frail body in the hospital bed, it was hard to recall the teacher who seemed so tough and formidable at Juilliard.
She told me that her students didn't visit her, and this did not surprise me. She was a killer in the classroom and not immensely likable. Now she could barely speak. Those ever-present cigarettes had ravaged her throat and finally done her in.
We talked of the old days at Juilliard and of my new career. Finally, it was time to go.
"Good-bye, Miss Goldstein," I said, and started for the door.
"Marvin--" she said.
"Yes, Miss Goldstein?"
"I really should have taken time for that cup of coffee."
19 comments:
I'm not sure if this is the same Frances Goldstein who taught at the "Pardee School of Music" on West End Avenue in the 1950's (changed from the "Community School of Music"). But the description fits (minus the cigarettes during lessons). I was an indifferent student who stupidly resented my musical opportunities. Even so, Miss Goldstein left an indelible memory. If I made a mistake, she would offer an instant exclamation which sounded like physical pain. I was amazed that music could be so deeply ingrained. I admired her selflessness and dedication to the composer's intent. That was her truth. I never found another teacher who taught it better. It was a life lesson I ultimately tried to live up to. May she rest in peace.
I had Francis S. Goldstein for literature and materials of music in the pre-college. She seemed to take an interest in me. When I moved up from pre-college to the college division, she stopped me in the hall on the fifth floor once, and asked me how did I like it? I started to say it was hard, but caught myself, and said it was very difficult. She looked at me, nodded and said, "Good!" Years later, I walked into my beginner piano class, and there she was sitting at the desk. She was filling in attendance records! I was startled to see her, and asked her if I was late (for my class). She replied, "No, you are early." I sat down like a statue with my back to her. After a while, I turned around and she was gone! A few moments later, my piano teacher came in the room, and asked me did I just see Miss Goldstein? I said yes. He shook his head and looked shocked! It was a few days later that I saw the program for a concert in her memory! I've often wondered if that was a vision of her spirit? I know that sounds nuts, but I don't know any other explanation!
He must have seen her too. What a creepy story, but I imagine if her ghost were to appear anywhere, it would be on the fifth floor of Juilliard.
I too had Miss Goldstein when I attended the Julliard Preparatory Division in around 1960. I was about 7 or 8 years old and she terrorised me. But, she was a superb teacher and to this day (I am 64) I remember everything she taught me. And yes, she never stopped smoking!
In one class she asked me to play a scale (nothing complicated). Very slowly I played the scale as smooth as could be. When I finished. she asked about the fingering in the left hand. She was standing on the opposite side of the room and unable to see the piano. I looked up behind me to see if there was a mirror. I swear no one could tell the scale was magnificent. But Frances Goldstein was absolutely right and as everyone obviously recognizes (comments above) she raised the bar no matter what your level.
Miss Goldstein was the most competent teacher I ever had. I not only learned music
and music theory from her, but also many teaching and life techniques.
She didn't allow erasing. If you erased an answer on homework or a test
(& she always found it no matter well you erased) she took off 1/2 credit
"because you can train yourself to not make mistakes. Besides, your mistake
leaves a permanent impression in the paper." This borders on advanced
Chassidic philosophy.
She had very gray hair and only wore gray clothes and shoes. Her fingers
were stained gray from 1,000,000 cigarettes. She wore no makeup.
Once, a heavily made up 15 year-old-girl came 7 minutes late to class
(something one didn't do with Miss Frances Goldstein)!
She was practically in tears in fear of some unnamed dreadful punishment
about to be inflicted when it dropped: "You wouldn't be late if you didn't
spend 10 minutes every morning putting that shoe polish on your eyes.
She said you must acquire absolute pitch by the end of the year.
I had absolute faith in her word, and by the end of the year, I had
acquired a reasonable amount of 'absolute pitch'. Those who scorned
her or doubted her did not.
Every December she would invert a manila folder into a billboard and
post the following message on her piano, "No Christmas presenst for
Miss Goldstein- only good, consistent work throughout the year."
I was tempted to get her something and say, "Happy Chanukah!",
but the thought that this might bring down her wrath upon me was
a sufficient deterrent.
Back to music:
She was very big on sight-reading 4 voice Bach Chorales, singing the
alto or tenor voice while playing the other 3 voices on the piano.
Of course, you were forbidden to look at your hands.
She demanded perfection in all areas:
Playing
Singing
Chordal analysis
Voice leading
Penmanship (!)
Personal dress and grooming.
As I was a composer-type, very into perfection and music theory,
and I tried very hard to meet her standards, she sort of liked me.
She did little to hide her dislike of most students who were 'normal'
and didn't strive to please her.
I was honored when 6 years later, when my sister took her first
theory class, Miss Goldstein immediately asked her,
"Is Jordan Kaplan your brother"?
"Yes."
Miss Goldstein replied,
"Good."
Thank you Yehuda! I totally forgot about the grey clothes and shoes. And I forgot singing the inner voices of the Bach chorales (though I remember that in ear training we had to do it with different clefs).
All in all, everyone agrees that as a music teacher, Miss Goldstein was a
once-in-a-lifetime fount of wisdom.
There are a lot of comments (including my own) that discuss her lack of bedside
manner as a teacher.
Having lived through a piano teacher who was a destructive musical predator,
I would like to rise to Miss Goldstein's defense and differentiate her from 'bad'
music teachers who willfully harmed their students.
Miss Goldstein's intentions were purely good, and she only bestowed good upon
her students (although sometimes in the sense that castor oil bestows good upon
the sick).
Before I had Miss Goldstein as a teacher, I was well aware of her scary reputation.
My first day of her class, I was prepared for the worst.
She was nothing like her reputation (although I could see how that reputation
could evolve from her sharpness).
She never yelled or screamed, she was always fair, and if you did the work with
seriousness, you could win a bit of respect from her. She never played favorites,
and she could not at all be bribed in any way.
What I am trying to say is that in many ways, she was an exemplary example of
what a very good teacher and human being should be; knowledgeable, intelligent,
fair-minded, and interested in giving over the vast amount of knowledge she had
accumulated, to the next generation (for 3 or 4 generations!)
An eccentric Camels-chain-smoker who
always wore gray? Yes. But what a teacher!
Like Marvin Hamlisch, and probably thousands of others, not a day goes by when
I don't use some of the skills that she imparted to me- and I'm not restricting this
to musical skills. Striving for excellence,
perfection, and achievement. I can't say this about many other teachers I've had.
I, too, feel the loss that she was not able to relate to her students outside
of her Domain- her classroom.
A great loss for both her, and her myriads of disciples and students.
Yehuda Jordan Kaplan
I too remember well my music theory classes with Miss Goldstein. She once related her memory of Gershwin rushing into Juilliard on the way to a theory lesson, desperately in a hurry to learn what he needed to progress as a composer. "He knew he didn't have much time, I believe."
That's one line I heard from a teacher in the early 1970s that I have never forgotten. I am glad to know that many others remember her as I do- an exceptionally dedicated and memorable teacher.
Aaron Lawrence
I too had "Miss Goldstein" when I was at the Prep Division of Julliard; also I think I started in 1960 when I was about 8. She was an excellent teacher but terrorised me and bullied me. I stayed with her for 4-5 years then changed teachers as I ended up in tears after each lesson. She shared an apartment with Miss Pardee (of the Pardee School) on 96th street I believe. She was truly unforgettable
I was a teaching fellow at Juilliard in 1964-66. Frances Goldstein Was my boss. I thought four classes a week of piano minors. Once a week, I give a “ demonstration lesson“ for Miss Goldstein. This lesson was to be given to a colleague, another teaching assistant.
She (Ms. G.) would watch as I “taught” an introductory lesson to my colleague Fritz! “Now son,” she would say, “Be respectful to your father! Now father, be kind and understanding to your son!”
During my 2 years Miss G always carried a large clear plastic bag containing fresh packs of ”Camel” unfiltered cigarettes.
When I graduated from Juillard and was freshly divorced and hurting she gave me Comforting council--and she gave me some tips about a job, which I followed up and got employed! At this late date I bless her memory!
I have just come across this site re Frances Goldtein as I was writing about a long-time friend who had been a graduate teaching assistant in Frances Goldstein's piano proficiency class. I met my friend while at Juilliard and he was able to lead me to some kind of victory in Goldstein's class - victory was just passing. Flipping papers, lighting a cigarette with kitchen matches and seemingly rummaging around while I stubbled through a chord progress on the blackboard, she would stop me suddenly, albeit politely, with a correction in my fingering without ever looking up or stopping her activities. And she was always correct. We were terrified, but loved her. To this day one of the proudest 'victories' of my education was making it to the end with Miss G.
Don Oehler Juilliard '68
I was a student of Frances Goldstein and in the same class with Marvin Hamlisch, who was always being inattentive and snoozing. She was on his back and that intimidated him. I found her simply wonderful during my years at Juilliard. She even came to my Master's recital many years after she taught me in the Preparatory Division. She had a heart of gold.
Paul Jones Juilliard 1967
I was a student of Frances Goldstein in the 1970's. She was standing on the opposite side of the room, in her customary baseball hat, chain-smoking camel cigarettes.
She asked me to play a scale in octaves (perhaps Re Major; both hands).
I relaxed and felt quite comfortable. She couldn’t see my hands and would have no way of knowing if my fingering was correct. Or any “minor” mistakes.
Playing at a very slow speed was allowed, so now I could escape detection of any minor “mis-fingering”.
I played perfectly. Smoothly. Even toned and no one could detect any error! But somehow I messed up the fingering with my left hand. But no one could possibly detect it without seeing my hands. No sooner had I finished ..............
She tore me to shreds and knew exactly what fingering I used and called it out.
I looked up, at the top of the wall behind me. There had to be a mirror!
I was assigned to her class in 67-68 (my first year at J). Two things surprised me. 1. She would ask students to go down to the cafeteria to purchase the Camels for her, of course providing the exact $. 2. I was a lazy, uncommitted student but, fully realizing that, she did NOT give me a hard time. Treated me nonchalantly. I deserved to be upbraided.
Part 1
Frances Goldstein was introduced to me in 1949, when I entered the preparatory program at the Juilliard School of Music when it was located on Claremont Avenue (near Grant’s Tomb) and Riverside Cathedral.
I have read what other people have written about Ms. Goldstein, and was friendly with Marvin Hamlisch during and even after Juilliard acting as his consigliere/lawyer when needed. (Ms. Goldstein taught piano to both of us.)
I knew nothing about which teacher it was that I would be meeting. Her appearance with her endless cigarettes was not off-putting. I liked her candid, constructive training style.
I was 10 years old. I thought the idea of going to the Juilliard School was daunting. I also thought since I was accepted, someone had made a terrible mistake and confused me with another applicant, that my going to Juilliard wasn’t “for real”.
I was filled with insecurity, self-doubt and feelings of musical inadequacy.
My mother thought I should have piano lessons (after I went through two piano teachers who were not very helpful. My mother decided I was too good for them (or they weren’t good enough for me) but the decision was not mine. I was asked if I would like to continue with my piano lessons and would I be willing to audition for a music conservatory. The answer was I wanted to continue with my music but was scared of failure. I did not want to break the magic bubble of their belief in me. There was no pushing. It was not like a scene out of GYPSY. There was no one shouting “Sing out, Freddie. Play louder, Freddie. Be more flamboyant, Freddie.” I just liked the piano and the attention I attracted.
Frances Goldstein and our first meeting was not a shocker. Neither were her Lucky Strikes or her Camels nor her gaunt appearance. She was patient, nurturing and in the eight years we were together, I experienced the only inspirational teacher I’ve ever had for either academics or music in my lifetime.
Because of her inspiration and what she did for me and demanded of me, because of how she leveled with me and treated me with respect and candor and she told me the truth about my limitations, she became the basis of a conversation I had with Stephen Sondheim. Myrna and I wanted to honor Steve on his 80th birthday. We created a Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award at The Kennedy Center.
We funded it substantially enough that it lasted for about 10 years.
Steve was (by this time) a client and buddy of mine in licensing the secondary rights to all of his musicals and I was the principal and chairman of a company called Music Theatre International (MTI) and he was an intimate of Myrna and Freddie. We hit it off.
Everything that Steve wrote for theater (if it was music and lyric) was in that MTI catalogue and he loved talking business and music. He had a great financial grasp. He was fun and also my inspiration.
He told me about Milton Babbitt and other teachers who had inspired him and how important it was that a teacher did not just teach in a traditional sense of the word and have a program of what they wanted to accomplish and what you needed and offer you guidance, but also served to motivate you, inspire you and tweak the passion one needed to continue the uphill battle of navigating a challenging world that’s also competitive and one which is not private, where you can be held up to scorn and ridicule in newspapers and in a recital hall – and none of that is within your control.
Ms. Goldstein’s greatest gift to me was that she did not allow me to be a seductively charming, chubby, cute 10-12 year-old kid who was accustomed to manipulate teachers in the NYC public school system. In the case of Ms. Goldstein, I got away with nothing!
Part 2
I liked having her as a tough taskmaster. Everything she said was constructive; never mean-spirited. She wanted to hear about what I learned in theory class, what I took away from Ms. Schaeffer’s class about the instrumentation of the periods, the time, the kind of music that a particular composer was known for, giving me ear training and also quieting my anxiety as I was intimidated by the outstanding protégés/whiz kids who sometimes were discrete and quiet about their gifts, but other times were less gifted but still liked to show off, particularly if they had perfect pitch!
She was nurturing. I was invited to her apartment on 110th Street. Her mother cooked. They had a huge Hungarian sheep dog. Ms. Goldstein loved to eat at Schraft’s. She loved chocolates and sweets as much as she loved her cigarettes.
Marvin and I bonded early on. The difference between us was clear. He was gifted, talented and he had a great sense of humor. He loved performing. He loved the accolades. He loved making his mother and father thrilled with what he could do – and he could do a lot.
What Frances Goldstein did for me was answer questions that I raised for myself. I had courage enough to ask her, “Do you think I should continue at this? Am I the worst student you’ve ever had? Am I deluding myself? Am I wasting my parent’s money on tuition? Just level with me.” And she did.
She told me that the likelihood of my being a great pianist was remote. I did not have the gift. I did not have the discipline of learning fingering properly in my left hand and that I was playing and faking a lot of what I was doing by ear (all of which was true). When I had to give my first Juilliard recital, I had to stop and ask to start again because I was playing it by ear. I was playing the “Freddie version” of a theme and variation on or in the style of a sonata by Scarlatti (but not Scarlatti’s sonata as he had written).
All the time I was going through this, she was thoughtful and compassionate and seemed relieved that she was able to speak to me with candor. I did not take it as a personal affront. I was an adult.
She began to question me “Why are you doing this and what made you go to the piano in the first place, besides wanting to show off to your mother and father that you could play something you just heard?” The answer was something that was definitely a probe that forced me to go deep inside my self and I said “I want to be accepted. I’m chubby. I’m fun. I could play anything by ear (even though that’s not the way you want me to play it). I will be the hit of a party and will have a social life. I’m about to be a teenager. I want to be liked. I want to meet people. I want to be the guy who goes to the piano and attracts everyone to come around, sing and be invited to more parties. I like the feeling.” It’s a far cry from giving a recital or being tested (which I was and I passed my tests and stayed at Juilliard for eight years).
By the time I started at Bayside High School, I could sight read anything. I could transpose on sight to different keys. I could accompany anyone’s performance and if they told me to drop it a half tone or raise it, I could do that. And I did some predictable things like become a cocktail pianist, become a music counselor at a summer camp, become an accompanist to a chorus, made extra money by accompanying dance classes. I was never brilliant but I was “good enough” not to get fired.
Part 3
Ms. Goldstein was only accustomed to people who just wanted to be more than good enough.
Marvin knew my anxieties. We played four hands together and his style of correcting me was to shout out “No! Modulate. Now!” “I didn’t say diminished, I said augmented!” and we giggled and laughed and he would finish and we would giggle some more and he said “How do you get away with this?” I said “I’m not getting away with anything!” He asked “What does your family think?” I said “I think that they are afraid to say it out loud. They think I’m Wolfgang Amadeus Gershon.” I told them I’m not. (They took that for modesty.) But I knew I wasn’t Mozart nor was I Hamlisch.
Ms. Goldstein said to me “Why are you continuing with all of this?” I told her “Because I’m enjoying myself and I want that social life (to date girls) and want music to be part of my life.” She wrote down a name of a pianist who was going to play at Lewisohn Stadium and said “Go listen to this young man. This is where you get the tickets. Tell me what you think. And by the way, Vladimir Horowitz is appearing at Carnegie Hall and if you can afford to get a standing room ticket, go see and listen. Go hear Rubenstein and Horowitz and go to Lewisohn Stadium and listen to this new young pianist named William Kapell.”
Everything she told me to do, I did. I always told her the truth. She always leveled with me. But her standards were high. The discipline I learned from her during that period couple with the catharsis of just having leveled with her, telling her my private feelings of inadequacy, my shallow, superficial reasons for wanting to learn the piano… made us grow closer.
Freddie and Marvin were at St. Luke’s Hospital when we went to say “goodbye” to Ms. Goldstein together. She was flattered and welcomed our visit.
Marvin was a wonderful human being. He said he’d rather not go to St. Luke’s alone and if I go, it would make it easier for us both, and I did go.
Marvin was not just a fine musician; he was a mentsch and a lot of fun. Myrna and I socialized with him and attended his wedding… He gave us an anniversary party and hired a string section to play in his apartment!
Somehow, as I say these words, I keep visualizing Frances Goldstein and I remember how much he admired her and how much he felt for her. Then I saw her photo on the Google page and I shed tears. It was Proustian, a true remembrance of things past… but I am so happy that Frances Goldstein has her page.
My business career blossomed the minute I left law school. Even while I was in law school and helped write a school show… and helped many struggling musicians who needed me. I could help them as a musician/attorney.
Ms. Goldstein gave me the courage to try to do anything I wanted to do and never be afraid of failing. Only be afraid that if you don’t try, you’re not going to know. And don’t aspire to be Marvin or anyone like that. Follow your passion, follow your heart… and know your limitations.
I told all of this to Steve, who by then told me about what he learned from teachers and mentors, including (of course) Oscar Hammerstein and those exchanges between us led to the Gershons’ funding of The Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards.
I’m so glad we did that for Steve, for us and for teachers like Frances Goldstein.
Thank you so much for this series of comments! I still think about her every time I sit at the piano. And thanks to you I feel like I can know much more about who she was as a human being.
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