March Member of the Month

I am excited to introduce to you March’s Member of the Month, Amy Hochstetler.
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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.
“We recently had our third child, and it has been difficult to get out of the house…I appreciate the versatility of both being able to do the lessons at home when we can, and also not doing the lessons during a busy season, knowing they will be there for us when are ready to return.”
After moving to a new state in the past year, Amy loved that they could take BKDP with them! She says, “It was nice to have the stability of our same music lessons in the midst of so much change.”
Here are some more of Amy’s and Henry’s answers from our interview.
What else do you love most about the BKDP program?
“I greatly appreciate the price of Busy Kids. It is an incredible value compared to traditional lessons, and makes music lessons possible for our family.”
Why piano, and what would you like to share about your family?
“Although I am not a great musician, I believe I benefitted greatly from my childhood [piano] lessons. It taught me to have a deep appreciation for music, even if I am unable to play it myself as an adult. I hope my children will have a deeper level of commitment to learning than I had as a child. I would love for them to be able to read music well and play in a church setting as they mature.”
Now let’s hear some input from Henry. What is one thing you liked to learn from the program?

“When I learn about a new scale in music, it makes me realize other songs I have heard before in the same key. Like when I learned about the A Minor scale, I figured out it is the same notes as ‘Arabian Nights’ from Aladdin.”

What advice would you give other kids who might want to try BKDP?
“Don’t get frustrated with your music, just keep working at it.”
What great advice, Henry! Perseverance is so important when learning something new.
Do you have anything else you’d like to tell us?
“My favorite animal is a cat. We like to foster them for the Humane Society. We feed them and play with them and let them get a taste of what it is like to be in a family. When they get big enough, we take them back…so they can be adopted by a new family. I also have a keyboard that can make lots of different sounds. I use it to make up songs. I don’t write them down, but I practice them frequently enough so I won’t forget.”
Wow, Henry, we love that you are a composer as well as a cat-caretaker! I’m sure your cats enjoy your unique compositions.
When Henry isn’t writing music or caring for their foster cats, he loves Matchbox cars, Legos, reading, and drawing. We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know the Hochstetler family. Accessing BKDP on their own schedule, as well as enjoying both the flexibility and price structure of the program, makes it a great fit for their family’s needs.

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”

Name the Notes: Bass Clef Edition

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”

Summer Practice Challenge

Well, we are already well into the summer, and if your students are like mine, the heat, the ice cream cones, and the screen time are beginning to pull them well out of routine. It’s great to enjoy that much-needed break from the school year, but I don’t love it when my students take too much of a break from piano. Sometimes, I struggle to “inspire” them to keep practicing piano throughout the summer, and I don’t want them to lose precious ground over the break, forgetting what they’ve most recently learned. I think continually changing up the practice routine and keeping it fun can help.  Continue reading “Summer Practice Challenge”

June Members of the Month

Meet Ryan and Jennie, and their two children, Abigail 13 and soon to be 11 Aidan. They are a homeschooling family in Tennessee! However, they have lived in Kentucky, Texas, and Minnesota.

family pic for piano Continue reading “June Members of the Month”

Host A Spring Piano Recital

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”

February Members of the Month

Meet the Nesbitt Family from California! They live in the beautiful San Fransisco Bay area. They are a busy family with two kids in the Busy Kids Do Piano program. Jonah is in 2nd grade and Kyle is in kindergarten. At the start of the pandemic the Nesbitt family started their own YouTube channel called This Japanese American Life.
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Q: What’s your musical background?

Continue reading “February Members of the Month”

January Members of the Month

Meet the Chan family, who live in California, around the San Francisco Bay Area.They are a family of four, Diana, her husband, Amelia Busy Kids piano student, age 7, and her younger brother age 3.  They adventured as a family to see snow for the first time this winter season.momjan
Q: What’s your musical background?
I can play some piano, but it’s always been off and on. I took a piano class in my elementary school for a few years. Then I took some lessons in high school and college. My husband played the trumpet and baritone horn in high school.

Continue reading “January Members of the Month”

November Members of the Month

Meet the Cook family from Fort Campbell, KY. Mom, Amy and Dad, Andrew have 4 children: Hannah is 14 years old, Katelyn is 13 years old, Sarah is 13 years old and Audrey is 10 years old. 

 What’s your musical background?

 I (Amy) took piano lessons for about 10 years as a kid. 

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

I homeschool and we’re a military family. We’re originally from Pennsylvania. We’ve lived in Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, New York, and now here. Our 4 children were born in 3 different states. 

How do you structure piano lessons/practice for your family? Any tips to share?

 I have the girls each take their piano lesson a different day of the week. Then, I help them if they need help and listen to them play it every evening after dinner. 

How did you learn about Busy Moms/Kids Do Piano?

 I heard about Busy Kids from a Facebook friend. 
What is your goal with having your child learn to play the piano?

I would love to see the girls play in church once in a while and also just enjoy playing!

 

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October Members of the Month

Meet the Johnson family from the hills of Perth, Western Australia. Clara is 11, Caleb is 9, Camden is 4, and Piper is one.

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What’s your musical background?

Mum (Jill) is a dancer and Uncle Glenn is the keyboardist/guitarist of a popular band in Australia.

 

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

We live in the hills of Perth, Western Australia

It’s beautiful because we enjoy the native animals sharing the space around us.

 

How do you structure piano lessons/practice for your family? Any tips to share?

The children play the piano daily and record/tick off our family diary. We use the word ‘play’ rather than practice because…playing the piano is fun❣️

 

How did you learn about Busy Moms/Kids Do Piano?

Finding out about Busy Kids/Moms do Piano was the best thing ever🤗🤗🤗

I can never thank Social Media enough for giving us this opportunity to discover this wonderful family – BUSY KIDS/MOMS DO PIANO❣️

 

Do you have any stories you’d like to share about your musical journey with piano lessons?

We feel an attachment to Carly that is unexplainable. She is so amazing💞

Her program has given the children more than knowledge of playing an instrument. They have grown in confidence. Carly is such a multitalented person who has made a tremendous difference in the children’s lives. They never show any disinterest or dislike when it’s time to play the piano.

 

What is your goal with having your child learn to play the piano? 

We are constantly surrounded by music. Learning the piano, in my opinion, is the best foundation to learning all other instruments…like learning ballet is the best foundation for learning all other dance genres. This is my personal opinion.

Finally, being part of the Busy Kids/Moms do Piano family has been the best decision our family has made.

Thank you Carly❣️❣️❣️