It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is just around the corner! Our studio enjoys participating in a local WinterFest arts fair at the beginning of December where students have the opportunity to provide background music for the hundreds of shoppers and vendors participating in the occasion. It’s a fabulous experience that is less intimidating than […]
Teaching
New in the Studio this Fall – Ready to Play
While perusing the Piano Safari website late this summer, I came across a couple of books in their Musicianship category. Ready to Play books 1 (Off We Go!) and 2 (Moving Up!) by Sally Cathcart. Forever on a quest to improve how I teach my students musicianship, I was intrigued and added a copy of […]
Notes First or Artistry First?
The latest Musicians Way newsletter (which is always chock full of interesting links and resources) references a post from a few years ago addressing the issue of The Problems with ‘Notes First’ Practice. The longer I teach, the more I realize the wisdom of Gerald Klickstein’s approach, which focuses on developing musical artistry first, not […]
September Surprise is Full of Surprises!
Our much-anticipated kickoff for the year, September Surprise!, launched us into a new year of piano lessons with lively interaction and surprising performances! We began the evening with a fun get-to-know you game where I compiled a list of interesting facts – one for each student and parent – and the families had to work […]
New in the Studio This Fall – Trio Class
This is an idea that has been percolating in my mind for a while, and I’m so excited to launch it this fall! In light of the realization that many of my students identify group classes as one of their favorite aspects of taking piano lessons and also knowing that many children thrive in the […]
My Debut on the Piano Pantry Podcast
I knew Amy was a go-getter the first time I received an email from her 12 years ago. Truth be told, I had to do a little recon to make sure she was actually legit since she was so enthusiastic in her writing and was inviting me to join her for a hot air balloon […]
