I have been helping people learn how to listen to great music for over 40 years. For 25 of those years I was a daily classical music program host and music specials producer for WGBH Radio, Boston, winning awards from the Massachusetts Broadcaster’s Association and American Women in Radio and Television. I did my own programming and presentation, using great care in selecting for the quality and inspiration of the greatest music of the last 1,500 years, and showcasing live performances with the most gifted and recognized talents of our time.
For more than 12 years, I have taught music appreciation (a term I don’t care for, preferring “music exploration”) at several continuing education schools in the Boston area. Usually, my classes focus on a single composer, and I try to cast light on how they distinguish themselves as a genius, how their work is unique, and how they were shaped by their time. I prefer composers who engage the heart as well as the mind.
I hope to guide students to embrace the artist's inspiration and also understand some of the mechanics that make inspiration expressible, which change as eras of music change, and can be moving and rewarding to grasp for a music lover.
I hold a master's degree in music from Boston University.
my story
Anonymous testemonials from my students at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education
“Great information, wonderful instructor.”
“This man knows his music.”
"Music was well analyzed including very helpful markings on the scores as we listened. I was really able to appreciate at a whole new level how Bach's music is wonderful.”
"Richard was an incredibly knowledgeable authority.”
“Learning the intricacies of Bach's composition was most positive.”
"[Mr. Knisely] had brilliant knowledge of Chopin's music and the
culture in which he lived."
“Asking questions after class and obtaining resources/information
for future study was a positive.”