Livestream | Imagination as Your Problem Solver: Palmer Hughes to Lincoln Center

Hi, I’m Dallas Vietty — accordion performer and educator based in Pennsylvania, USA. I’ve been teaching accordion online for over a decade, helping musicians from their very first Palmer Hughes pieces all the way to professional concert stages. My entire life in music began with piano, and from the very start, I’ve never been satisfied to simply copy the music as it appears on the page. Yes, I’ve always loved making the sounds that drew me to the instrument — but something inside me insisted there must be more: more freedom, more connection, more imagination. The deeper I’ve studied Western music history, and the folk traditions of the world, the clearer it’s become — creativity, creation, and imagination have always been the normal thing. Merely copying music from a page is the historical blip.

In this livestream, we’ll explore how imagination becomes your greatest problem-solving tool in music. From beginner exercises to world-class performance, the same inner skill can help you overcome creative, technical, and emotional challenges. Imagination isn’t just a burst of inspiration — it’s a practical, daily tool that shows you new solutions when your fingers, mind, or heart feel stuck. Whether you’re wrestling with an awkward passage, unsure how to phrase something beautifully, or feeling tension in your body or spirit, imagination gives you another way forward.

Throughout the session, I’ll guide you through ways to use imagination as a problem solver for every kind of musical challenge:

– For expression, finding the emotional truth behind the notes.

– For embellishment, discovering creative variations that fit the style.

– For technique and body movement, visualizing ease and freedom instead of strain.

– For stress, tension, and pain, re-framing your approach through musical curiosity.

– For stage fright and motivation, learning to imagine success instead of fear.

– For identity and joy, using imagination to reconnect with why you play in the first place.

We’ll draw on examples from across the spectrum — from early Palmer Hughes studies to concert pieces you might hear at Lincoln Center. I’ll demonstrate how the same imaginative habits unite all levels of musicianship: how to “hear ahead” before you play, how to imagine phrasing and tone color, and how to let curiosity build the structure of your practice. We’ll also look at the neuroscience of audiation — how your brain constantly predicts and fills in music — and how you can use that built-in ability to teach yourself faster and play more expressively.

We’ll also watch and discuss a series of short YouTube videos that explore imagination and creativity from multiple perspectives — from musicians and educators who help people unlock their expressive potential, to researchers explaining how the brain imagines and predicts sound. These examples will help us see how science and art converge in the act of imagining music, and how you can train that same process in your own practice. Together, we’ll connect the dots between what’s happening inside your mind and what comes out through your instrument.

This livestream is for everyone who’s ever felt that the music on the page isn’t the whole story. Whether you’re beginning your journey or refining your artistry, imagination can be your most loyal collaborator — your problem solver, your motivator, your creative compass. Join me live, and let’s explore how imagination can guide you from the first Palmer Hughes piece to the grandest concert stage.