Again drawing on inspiration from my friend Agnieszka Lasko (author of the First Class Piano method!) and her fabulous ideas regarding improvising at the piano, I set out to help one of my students become more comfortable trying his own improvisation. He has a great ear for music and some definite natural talent, but he […]
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A Sneak Peek at this Year’s Piano Camp!
One of our highlights every summer is Piano Expeditions piano camp! I’ve done piano camps in my studio for years, but four years ago I decided to specifically start offering piano camps for children who weren’t taking private lessons, but still wanted a fun and educational music camp opportunity. Each Piano Expeditions curriculum features a […]
Piano Music for Left Hand
One of my students started experiencing inflammation in her right forearm at the end of last semester due to extensive note-taking in some college classes. So we launched into this semester with the need to give her right arm a break. We determined it was the perfect opportunity to explore left hand only repertoire! I […]
An Unexpected Christmas Gift Find
When I was in a neighboring town a few weeks ago, I stopped in at a local coffee shop and was intrigued by the connected business called “The Clayworks.” I perused the attractive display of handmade items – notecards, pottery, ornaments, and more. In speaking with the friendly receptionist I discovered that they are a […]
New Free Tortoises Beginner Piano Solo with Teacher Duet
One of my new students this year absolutely loves animals. In fact, she’s been bringing various stuffed animals to her lesson to introduce me to them! For our upcoming cookout and piano recital this spring I’m planning to have all the students play some kind of ensemble piece with one or more other students. This […]
Christmas Tunes Bingo is a Hit!
At our final group class of the year, we pulled out the new Christmas Tunes Bingo game and gave it a try. I pulled a musical excerpt out of an envelope and played it on the piano. The students had to guess the name of the Christmas song, then determine which category it belongs to […]
