Meet Julie, Robert, Andrew and Rachel Gastler from Columbia, MO. Julie is a student in the Busy Moms program. She is currently taking a brief and unplanned hiatus from the piano due to injury.Last Friday she cut her right index finger with a table saw. She still has a finger but is unable to play the piano at the moment. She says, “That is by far the worst result of this injury. I can manage not writing and am happy to be banned from washing dishes for a while, but my piano is calling me and I can’t answer.” The good news is that she should be able to play again once she done healing, but it will be a while the stitches wont even come out for 2 weeks. Continue reading “May Member of the Month”
Tag: online piano lessons
Transitioning to Independent Practice
In my March livecast, I talked about modeling an effective practice (which includes identifying and fixing mistakes) so that your student can not only make practice but also learn to one day practice independently.
As a student becomes a little older and more able to do things independently — read, play games, do a puzzle, complete a task — your child will be ready for you to back off a bit and give her some space while practicing. Your role will become that of a “guide” rather than a “fixer”.
The process of learning new music with a student who is in this developmental stage and beginning to make the transition to independent practice can be broken down to 3 phases. Watch my April livecast below for all the details. Continue reading “Transitioning to Independent Practice”
April Member of the Month
Meet six year old Aadya from Cambridge, United Kingdom! She lives there with her dad, Vikas, her mom, Maha and her little sister, Akshara who is two years old. Continue reading “April Member of the Month”
Fixing Mistakes At Piano Practice
One of the reasons piano lessons are such a big commitment is because in order for the experience to be successful, a parent must be involved in the process — especially if a younger student is the one learning to play — in order to help with fixing mistakes at piano practice.
My goal as a teacher is to help my students eventually get to a point where they are able to practice independently. This means they won’t require constant oversight from a parent during every single moment and will even be capable of fixing mistakes at piano practice on their own.
In order for a student to reach that point, the student MUST KNOW how to practice effectively. Which is why it is critical for parents and teachers to model what effective practice looks like. Continue reading “Fixing Mistakes At Piano Practice”
March Members of the Month
Meet the Clemons family who moved to small town in Minnesota a few years ago. Ben and Karyn have three children Olive (7), Ramona (6), Julius (3). Olive is currently enrolled in the Busy Kids program.
What’s your musical background? Continue reading “March Members of the Month”
February Member of the Month
Meet the LaClair family from Phoenix, AZ. Steph, Chris and Linus who will be turning 10 this March. Chris is on the road for work over 200 day of the year and isn’t always home for the traditional holidays. So, this fantastic family has started inventing their own unique holidays!
What is your musical background?
I (Steph) grew up surrounded by musicians. My grandmother was a jazz singer and my uncle was-and still is at age 65-a singer in a rock band. My brother joined the ranks and was the drummer for his band. Our house was often a hangout for my brother’s and uncle’s bands and my grandmother lived with us for a few years. My parents put in a “soundproof” room in the basement for the bands to practice. It was still extremely loud, but practice makes better!
January Member of the Month
Meet the wonderful Williams family from Pennsylvania. This awesome family of 9 includes Mark and Kelley and their lovely children, Ben (20), Ann (19), Sam (16), Gabe (13), Jaden (10), Sarah (9), and Sol (7).
Q: What’s your musical background?
We grew up in Tennessee so the musical influence in our lives is rich and varied, from rock to worship and rap to bluegrass – we enjoy it all. Up until we started Busy Kids Do Piano, only the oldest three had taken any lessons, and only the oldest really connected with it, though everyone likes to play around on the piano and guitar and ukulele. Continue reading “January Member of the Month”
Piano Practice Tips for Traveling
As I write this, the holidays are quickly approaching. For many, this means time off of school, traveling to see family, or even hosting friends and family from out-of-town. This disruption to your typical routine might also mean piano practicing goes by the wayside.
Whether it’s holiday plans, an opportunity to travel for an extended period of time, or a temporary busy “season” where your child is in a school play or taking the bus all over for sporting events, there are times when our piano practice routine is thrown out of whack. Continue reading “Piano Practice Tips for Traveling”
December Member of the Month
Meet the Hibbard family from Little Rock, Arkansas. Doug and Ann have three wonderful children 16 year old Olivia, 14 year old Angela, and 11 year old Steven. It was their oldest Olivia who discovered Busy Moms and now three children participate in the Busy Kids program.
Q: What’s your musical background?
My husband and I both played in band throughout high school, and I also sang in choirs as the opportunity was available while Doug enjoyed working on the tech side of things. Although neither of us play piano well, we are very familiar with music theory and can pick out basic melodies. Continue reading “December Member of the Month”
October Members of the Month
Meet the Latorre-Caceres Family! Ivan (dad) and Diana (mom) and their two sons Ivan (5.5 years old) and Jayden ( 3.5 years old) from Sydney, Australia! They are a music loving family who are using Busy Kids Do Piano to bring piano into their home.
Q: What is your musical background?
Our family’s music background is Colombian music. Continue reading “October Members of the Month”
