Episode 21-Fran Schwartz: Creative Innovation

Creativity Consultant Nellie Jacobs chats with Fran Schwartz, Pianist, Lecturer, Teacher, Cruise Enrichment Speaker, Arts Volunteer. Theme-Creative Innovation. By the age of four, she could identify each musical note and had perfect pitch. She was a child protégé who loved her piano lessons. When she abruptly quit as a teen, her music teacher cried. In this interview, Fran shares details of growing up with music, why she stopped playing, what she's done in the years since and the circuitous road she took to return to music and a musical career. (Here's a hint: she kept in touch with her extraordinary piano teacher until the woman died recently at the age of 102.) Fran discusses her views about the downside of exposing children to too many extra curricular activities, the quality of education and learning today, the epiphany that led her to leave a very brief fulltime public school teaching career and how she creatively forged an innovative thriving career combining elements of her education, experiences, interests and talents. We also have the added pleasure of listening to excerpts of Fran's piano-playing taken from her CD Encore: Favorite Classics. Fran is currently Vice President and Program Chair of a Philadelphia Orchestra volunteer committee, serves on the Boards of two chapters of PA Music Teachers Association and for a considerable period of time was active in a group called Art Goes to School that brings art into elementary schools.