Your resource for all things piano.
Most of the questions I receive from parents of piano students through the years have been surrounding the topic of practicing piano – specifically how to motivate your child to practice piano.
Practicing piano is a HUGE topic, and there are so many important facets to consider. But let’s focus for now on how to motivate your child to practice piano. Continue reading “Motivate Your Child to Practice Piano: A How-To”
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?
So many parents of my students through the years will say things to me like, “I really just want Johnny to love piano so much that he practices on his own without me having to remind him.”
If your Johnny does this, that is awesome.
And also…rare. Continue reading “Scheduling Piano Practice: the WHY and HOW”
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”
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”
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”
My daughter’s FAVORITE time in piano practice is what we call “Review Time”. We save this for the end, and it’s always a fun activity that feels like a reward for her. She actually even thinks about it ahead of time, planning which pieces she is going to play for “Review Time.”
In this livecast, I talk about why reviewing familiar music and technique is an important piece of piano practice. I also created a fun printable game that you can download to help get your wheels spinning! Continue reading “Adding Review to Piano Practice”
Meet our November Members of the Month Sansha and her two lovely children Hazel and Linus from Melbourne, Australia. Hazel is 8 years old and is currently enrolled in Busy Kids Do Piano. Eight year old Linus is not enrolled in piano but is currently studying the trombone.
What’s your musical background?
I learned piano for a number of years as a child, but wasn’t terribly committed and rarely practiced but despite this, I think it was a very valuable experience. I did always enjoy music and belonged to the school choir and orchestra. Continue reading “November Member of the Month”
I LOVE teaching piano to young children. Experiencing the excitement of learning a musical instrument through their eyes, their enthusiasm for practicing, their sense of adventure for trying new things — it’s incredibly rewarding.
BUT…it can also be challenging. Young students can become easily distracted, might have limited focus and may get frustrated quickly. Continue reading “Teaching Piano to Young Children”
As I sit down to write this post, the leaves are turning and the air is colder. Fall is here!
With so many upcoming seasons and holidays, I love to incorporate fun activities into my home studio and my own children’s musical learning. A few years ago, two of my 3rd grade students played a duet of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Grieg and dressed as witches. I’ve never seen them so excited to play for a recital! Students also love the chance to learn holiday music that is familiar to them, and there’s so many opportunities to attend musical performances with your little one. Continue reading “Holiday-Themed Musical Activities”
