Bring Holiday Cheer to Your Young Beginners with 'O Christmas Tree' Pre-Reading Duet
Make Holiday Music a Family Affair with "Go Tell It On the Mountain"
Bring Holiday Joy with "Deck the Halls" – A Beginner-Friendly Arrangement for Piano!
Spooky and Seasonal Ensembles to Enliven Your Studio This Fall
Spooky and Seasonal Ensembles to Enliven Your Studio This Fall
As the leaves begin to turn and the air gets that crisp edge, there’s a certain magic that creeps into our studios. Fall brings with it a perfect opportunity to introduce some new, exciting, and atmospheric music that will captivate your students and keep them engaged as we transition into the cooler months.
This season, I’ve been focusing on a few favorite pieces that not only fit the autumnal mood but also offer flexibility for different skill levels in your studio. Whether you’re looking to add a little spookiness to your lessons or just want to embrace the beauty of the season, I think you’ll love these as much as I do.
Is Technology Taking Over Our World? How Music Teachers Are Navigating the Digital Shift in Music and Books
I’ve made my new preschool method book, Little Red Piano, available in both digital and paperback.
This book has been a hit with my youngest students. They love playing the same songs over and over (which is fine by me—they’re still learning!), and their faces light up when they see the colorful graphics and cute characters. Having the entire book available as a studio license has been a game changer for me. The PDF comes in two formats: landscape for printing and portrait for use on a tablet.
Shopping for the New NFMC Bulletin: What I Learned and What You Should Consider
If you’re on the hunt for something new, I highly recommend trying this innovative arrangement of "Autumn" from Vivaldi’s "The Four Seasons." It’s incredibly flexible—you can use it as an elementary solo, duet, or trio. And yes, I’ve included sample pages and audio for you to check out!
The Good and the Bad of Preschool Piano Books
Check out my opinions on this very popular, but dated, curriculum for young piano students.
A Love for Color - My Synesthesia > Music
I just thought I was weird. (which I now know is a common trait for creative, musical people!)
My synesthesia comes and goes. I hope that as I pay more attention to it - I experience it more often.
Here's how it works for me: when I play or hear a certain key, I get an "impression" of a certain color. I have talked to many people about this and done some research. Apparently, different people have different color associations than I do. That's okay. Some people have different forms of synesthesia - it can be associated with any two forms of perceptions.
What you need to know about kids who have GAPS
Gaps show up in piano lessons all the time.
Here are some examples of places gaps can arise: 1) notation. Notation is an abstract representation of sound. Kids are literal.
2) rhythm. Some kids just don't have rhythm experience in their bodies, which leads to difficulty in counting and playing.
3) technique. Playing the piano with proper technique is a foreign feeling.
4) listening. Some students have difficulty hearing and discriminating pitches, rhythms, timbre, or form
It all started with a little red toy piano.
I was three years old. I received a red toy piano for my birthday.
I can't describe how fascinated I was with this little instrument. It was as if this toy was calling to me.
I really wanted a teacher. Of course, being a child in the 1960s (oops - now you can guess how old I really am!) meant that no one would take on a child that young.
On top of that, my dad was in the military - and overseas in the Vietnam War. Not a good time. My parents were not particularly musical. They were very PRACTICAL. Being in the military meant moving around. Pianos were big and heavy at that time.
Spring Fever - what is it and do you have it?
After Easter - THEN WHAT?
It's a holiday let-down, that's what! I refuse to stop the fun. But let's get real: in the US - we are heading towards the end of the school term. BURNOUT is all around us. What to do? Going back to my childhood, grown-ups always talked about kids getting "Spring Fever". It's not a real illness. It's a term that describes that feeling of burnout, being antsy, and really wanting a break. I captured this feeling for my students with the MODERN song, "Spring Fever" - which features an ultra-cool backing track. Can you believe my students ask for this song, year after year? Because it's written in two levels, I can accomodate that request a few times. Here's the low-down on Spring Fever:
Easter Fun - Kids are Jumpy, Antsy, and Hyper!
I don't usually write about spring flowers, Easter bunnies, or mild topics when it comes to kids.
I like to write about what kids are thinking about - like CANDY and having FUN!
Can you ignore Valentine’s Day in your studio?
of course you can. Here's some thoughts on Valentine's music for piano kids......
Why teach Valentine’s songs when we already have so MUCH to do?
I’m not practicing much, either :(
These days, it’s hard for me to find time to practice. Between work, family, and a little self-care, time at the piano has dried up.
Maybe I need a motivator. Like what I recently did with my students!
Last week, I presented during the Practice Space webinar. Have you seen it? Here is the link to the replay if you missed it (my part is around 30:40)
Is it Easy or Hard to Make Adult Friends?
Make new friends - an easy piano song for young students!
Encourage the value of friendships with this fun piano solo, or duet!
Teaching Piano Finger Numbers
How to teach children the piano finger numbers. Easy games and acticvities.
Solo Piano or Group Piano?
Do you teach privately, groups, or both? It's thrilling to see kids working together towards a goal. Find the easiest piano ensembles at www.pianomusicforkids.com. Simplify your piano teaching!