5 minutes with ... Gary Amano.

Gary Amano is director of piano studies at Utah State University. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Amano's students have won national and international prizes, including first-place awards at the national level in MTNA's Junior, Senior and Young Artist competitions.

When I first met you face to face ("mano Amano"), I was struck with how personable and laid back you are. How do you motivate your students to such wondrous heights of achievement?

Students will often go beyond your expectations as long as you don't put limitations on them. I borrow from both behaviorist and humanist philosophies, realizing that what works for one student can be totally ineffective for another.

An example?

I divided my advanced pedagogy class into teams to analyze specific Beethoven sonatas. It was a weekly competition, with teams presenting the most insightful analyses getting exempted from the big final test. Beethoven was my ally in creating a real desire to study great material; it was amazing how insightful the students became in order to bypass the final. You could say my motivators were class camaraderie, team competition, Beethoven's genius and test evasion.

Do you have any advice for new, young adjudicators?

I was nervous to judge my first competition, so I consulted my boyhood teacher, Irving Wassermann, for advice. He related an incident that occurred when he had previously judged the same competition. Before everything started, one of the judges leaned over to him and whispered, "Contestant number one is starting with the Bach Italian Concerto. Should we hear it with or without the second piano?" I went to judge with renewed confidence.

Have things changed from the days when you were a student?

I never would have told my teacher that I didn't like a certain assigned piece. Mr. Wassermann had a way of making me want to play every piece anyway. Unfortunately, I never learned his secret. Today, my students often complain about their pieces.

Any other pet peeves regarding the world of teaching or performing? (More importantly, should pet peeves be allowed in condos?)

I get upset whenever a teacher or judge implies that pieces must be played their way or it's wrong. There are many different, creative and intelligent ways to express what is right there in the music.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a person who was taught the great joys of music and piano playing and successfully passed this on to many other students. If we all keep doing this, our profession will continue to flourish.

If you suddenly inherited an obscene amount of money, what would you do with it (after copious donations to the Houle Foundation, of course)?

Let's change that scenario to, "What if I could inherit an obscene amount of musical talent and could then give it out like money?" I continually see talented but lazy students who never work and still outplay hard working ones with less ability. I would use that inheritance to rectify injustices like that really fast.

Arthur Houle is founder and director of the International Festival for Creative Pianists (www.pianofestival.org). Houle has taught at the New England and Boston Conservatories, the Universities of Iowa, North Dakota and Texas-Austin and, most recently, at Albertson College.