Tag: music with kids

August Members of the Month

Meet the Hawkins Family! Ashley and Karen and their three children Sam (13), Allie (10), Kaili (5), Eliana (2). These Busy Kids are very excited to become pianists and love sharing their new skills with relatives.

Q: What’s your musical background?

I (Karen) took piano lessons from age 6-12, but I kept playing piano in our church and for my middle school choir.

Q: Anything fun or unique you’d like to share about your family?

A fun fact about us is that we just found out that we are related to someone who fought in the American revolutionary war! Continue reading “August Members of the Month”

Summertime Piano Practice: Tips and Ideas

If your family is anything like my family, your summer schedule probably looks a little bit different than your schedule during the school year (maybe even a LOT different). Our days tend to not have quite as much structure and more free time, but we also have some pretty big interruptions to the new “normal” with family vacations or even hosting friends and family as they come to visit. Does this mean summertime piano practice is nonexistent in your house?
Continue reading “Summertime Piano Practice: Tips and Ideas”

Independent Piano Practice: What It Looks Like & Your Role In It

You’ve arrived! Your student is practicing piano  independently!

Truly, independent practice is reason for celebration BUT it doesn’t mean that you get to go watch Netflix whenever your student sits down to practice.

You still have an important role to play!

Watch my livecast here to learn what independent piano practice means for YOU — the parent: Continue reading “Independent Piano Practice: What It Looks Like & Your Role In It”

Royal Wedding: THE MUSIC!

I know I typically use my blog to share valuable practicing tips, musical resources and all kinds of super important stuff with readers.

Today I’m blogging about the music from the Royal Wedding.

While this might seem a bit “off-topic” for me, I actually think using real life moments and events to draw musical connections is an awesome and exciting way for kids to learn. And there was so much great music in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding that I simply HAD to make it a teachable moment! Continue reading “Royal Wedding: THE MUSIC!”

Identifying Intervals: Why It Matters

When a child learns to read there are many important components to becoming a fluent reader. A child must be able to identify letters and letter sounds, but if he is going to read fluently, he has to move past thinking of each individual letter and letter sound.

The same goes for becoming a fluent note-reader and music player. A proficient pianist isn’t thinking of all the individual notes when she plays a complicated piece of music (can you imagine having all those individual note names flying through your head as you played?!). Continue reading “Identifying Intervals: Why It Matters”

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”

Motivate Your Child to Practice Piano: A How-To

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”

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!

Continue reading “February Member of the Month”

Teaching Piano to Young Children

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”