Tag: parenting

Why Piano Lessons Still Matter for Kids in the Age of AI

Wondering if and why piano lessons still matter in a world full of AI? Here’s why hands-on music education might be more valuable for kids than ever.

A few weeks ago I was at my daughter Ella’s bookstore for a craft night with some friends. We were bedazzling books — you know, gluing sparkles and sequins onto paperbacks to make them look pretty. Everyone else’s turned out lovely. Mine looked like a craft project a raccoon got into.

And I loved it. I still have it sitting on my shelf.

I loved it because it’s a memory of laughing so hard with my friends that my face hurt, not because it’s a good piece of art. It’s proof that something real happened in that room.

Continue reading “Why Piano Lessons Still Matter for Kids in the Age of AI”

What to Do When Your Child Wants to Quit Piano Lessons

I was in fifth grade when I told my mom I was done with piano lessons.

I don’t remember exactly how I said it — whether it came out dramatically after a rough practice session or as a carefully reasoned case I laid out at the dinner table — but I remember the feeling behind it. I was done. The joy had leaked out of it somewhere, and I couldn’t see a reason to keep going.

Here’s the thing, though. The real problem wasn’t piano. It was my teacher.

She had a habit of taking personal phone calls in the middle of my lessons. She insisted on full hour-long sessions that were genuinely hard for me to sit through at that age. And the music she chose never quite felt like mine — it didn’t challenge me in a way that felt exciting, and it didn’t give me anything to work toward. Without that forward momentum, practicing at home started feeling pointless too. If you’ve ever watched your child drag themselves to the piano bench like they’re headed to a dentist appointment, you know exactly what I mean. Continue reading “What to Do When Your Child Wants to Quit Piano Lessons”

Meet Some of Our Newest Busy Kids Do Piano Students! 🎹

Since January, we’ve welcomed so many bright and enthusiastic new students to Busy Kids Do Piano! These young musicians have jumped into their lessons with energy, curiosity, and joy — and I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate their progress. From learning to clap rhythms to dreaming of performing in worship teams, our new students are already showing how music can spark passion and purpose.

Read on to meet a few of the newest faces in our piano family! Continue reading “Meet Some of Our Newest Busy Kids Do Piano Students! 🎹”

Host Your Own Piano Recital: 5 Fun & Easy Ideas

Hello, piano enthusiasts! If I were your in-person piano teacher, we’d be getting ready for our annual Spring Recital this month. Since I’m your virtual piano teacher, I want to help you bring the recital magic to your home. Here are five easy and fun ideas to host your own recital, ensuring your student’s hard work gets the spotlight it deserves.

Why Host a PIANO Recital?

Regular performances are a fantastic motivator for students. They provide a goal to work toward and a chance for friends and family to celebrate their progress. Gather some fellow music students or siblings and invite a small audience. These ideas require minimal preparation and are sure to create a memorable experience. Continue reading “Host Your Own Piano Recital: 5 Fun & Easy Ideas”

Musical Nutcracker Activities

I’ll be honest — I go a little overboard for the Nutcracker every December. It’s one of those pieces of music that just sounds like the holidays to me, and over the years I’ve built up a whole collection of Nutcracker activities I love sharing with families. So consider this your list, straight from my “favorites” folder to yours. Here are the five I come back to every single year. Continue reading “Musical Nutcracker Activities”

March Member of the Month

I am excited to introduce to you March’s Member of the Month, Amy Hochstetler.
Hochstetler
Amy has been a member of Busy Kids Do Piano for over 2 years, and her son Henry, 10 years old, is her star piano student. Little brother Jack, 6, gets to listen to all of Henry’s practice sessions. The boys attend school at home, which has helped enable the family to do lots of traveling. This year alone, they’ve visited 9 states!
One of Amy’s favorite things about the Busy Kids Do Piano program is that it’s flexible, able to meet their piano learning needs when they are back home in Maryland.

Continue reading “March Member of the Month”

Piano Student Brag Tags

In my personal experience, when I feel successful at something, I’m more likely to stick with it. The same has proven true for my children as well. I’ve noticed that as their mother, I have a lot of power in how I shape my kids’ experiences; giving them feedback that is positive and encouraging always seems to help them persevere. This is true for piano learning as well, and let’s be honest, learning to play an instrument is not for the faint of heart. A student has to persevere through many iterations of getting the notes wrong before they can finally get them right. That takes some serious stamina, even for the most self-confident among us.   Continue reading “Piano Student Brag Tags”

Taking Kids to the Symphony

Taking kids to the symphony is a really awesome opportunity to help them understand how relevant learning an instrument is while also gain appreciation for musicians, musical instruments and different musical styles.

I often share in my livecasts and on my blog posts how important it is to nurture love and appreciation for music in your child. What better way to do this than through a live musical performance by excellent musicians? Continue reading “Taking Kids to the Symphony”

Piano Practice Motivator: Music Appreciation

Parents of piano students are always asking me for my best “piano practice motivator” ideas.

My number one go-to?

Music appreciation.

In this livecast, I’m going to give you TONS of actionable ways that you can help your student to develop an understanding of why learning to play the piano is a privilege. Continue reading “Piano Practice Motivator: Music Appreciation”

Let’s Talk About Piano Technique.

Technique is not a very exciting word. I am envisioning your eyes glazing over at the computer screen as you read the words “piano technique”.

Believe me, if I could come up with a sexier word to introduce this topic, I would!

Even though it sounds rather boring, piano technique is super duper important. And there is SO MUCH to it. Continue reading “Let’s Talk About Piano Technique.”