In 1969 I was a piano student of composer/pianist Leo Smit at SUNY Buffalo. He was a very nice guy, and had a tremendous store of knowledge to impart. Unfortunately, I was in a very difficult period of my life, bordering on semi-psychotic, so my ability to take advantage of what he had to offer was quite limited. Nevertheless, I learned (by memory!) the Stravinsky and Berg Piano Sonatas with him. It was a particular privilege to study Stravinsky with someone who had known and worked with the composer. I have just a few specific memories of Leo Smit: once in a piano lesson, he said, “Banner, you’ve got juice!,” which meant a lot to me. He did try to impart occasional life lessons: “Avoid the sticky in life.” He was never mean, critical, or exploiting. However, he did “abandon” me after a year to go on an extended European concert tour, ending my studies with him. My “debut” in Buffalo took place in 1970 under the guidance of a pianist with none of Smit’s virtues. One other memory: Smit, Marilyn and I, and some of his other students (perhaps including student and collaborator Judith Sherman) were in a Buffalo neighborhood pizza joint, when the entire place erupted in a brawl - all the tables, including ours, were turned over in the fighting, and we fled out the door. What was that about? No idea.
Mostly, I had no idea who I had the great good fortune to have encountered in Leo Smit. Here are some amazing links: