Your resource for all things piano.
Continue reading “Piano Practice Prompt Cards (or…the PICK 3 Piano Practice Game!)”
Spring has sprung, and what better way to embrace the season’s joy than through music? Whether you’re a music enthusiast or just looking for creative ways to engage your family, here is a collection of some of my most popular spring music activities. Continue reading “Spring Music Activities Round-Up”
There’s a reason we still watch The Wizard of Oz decades later. That story, that music — it just holds up. And honestly, I’ve been wanting an excuse to build something around it for a while, so here we are.
I’m inviting your kids to join me for a FREE 3-day online camp built entirely around Wizard of Oz music. Think yellow brick road, but with quarter notes. Continue reading “Wizard of Oz Music Camp”
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”
December has a way of sneaking up on me every single year (you’d think after 22 years of teaching piano through the holidays I’d have this down by now, but nope). One minute it’s Thanksgiving leftovers, and the next my kids are asking when we’re putting up the tree. If your house feels the same way, I’ve got something that might help — a free Musical Advent Calendar to count down the days to Christmas together, one song at a time.
I made this because I wanted something for our family that wasn’t another chocolate-a-day countdown (though, no judgment, we do that too) — something that would slow us down just enough to actually listen to music together during a season that tends to rush right past us. Continue reading “Musical Advent Calendar”
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”
In my years of teaching piano, one thing I consistently encounter is a student who is more confident reading notes in the treble clef (right hand) than the bass clef (left hand). And since many of us are right-hand dominant, it makes sense that playing with the right hand would feel easier and therefore more comfortable. Many students end up with weaker bass clef familiarity and improving this is the goal of the November Music Challenge Monthly. Continue reading “Name the Notes: Bass Clef Edition”
The classic game BINGO is a classic for a reason. From kids’ birthday parties to Tuesday nights at the senior center, the game appeals to all ages, in all seasons. I simply had to incorporate it into our Music Challenge Monthly series — a Back-To-School version for September — where I try to offer fun ways to teach supplemental piano theory to your students. Continue reading “Back-to-School Bingo”
Have you ever performed at a recital, whether in school or for some private lessons you were taking? I have spent countless hours at recitals, both as a student, and as a piano teacher. Some kids are really nervous when it comes to performing. Others shine in the spotlight. I remember feeling my fingers tremble a few times as I picked out which notes to play while my friends, family, and teacher silently watched. I made mistakes. I played beautiful pieces from memory. And I’ve been the silent onlooker, watching kids perform at every level. Continue reading “Host A Spring Piano Recital”
In my early years of learning piano and music theory, never once was I taught about a female composer. We’ve all heard about the greats – all male composers – but this month, for Music Challenge Monthly, I wanted to get students thinking about why there simply aren’t many notable female composers in history. Since March is Women’s History Month, I thought it was a great opportunity to explore this gender inequity and bring into focus the handful of women who did manage to make their mark in music, though the odds were certainly against them.
