Helping Adult Students Move On Part 1
The fall semester of lessons has begun here in Arizona. This year, I have quite a number of adult students in my studio. I love teaching grownups. Some are completely…
When Tigger is Feeling Bouncy at Piano Lessons
As two grinning young people blasted through my door and ricocheted off the walls, I thought that, like Tigger, they were “feeling bouncy today.” So, what do you do when…
Finding The Right Teacher As An Adult
For adults, finding the right teacher can feel overwhelming. Between juggling your family time, work, chores, and outside activities, there just aren’t a lot of extra minutes for researching and…
This Is Your Brain On Meter & Voicing
Have you ever been horrified to discover rhythmic or voicing errors in music you have known and performed for some time? It happens. A case in point for me is…
How I Discovered What Methods Were Really About
Methods are tools. And, with the advent of self-publishing, there are a lot of them available. Unfortunately, no single perfect method exists. I used to wish it did but now…
Beethoven on Social Media: Teaching Advice
I encountered the following tidbit on Twitter last week and it immediately sent my thoughts whirling. It is from one of the letters of Beethoven. In it Beethoven gives advice…
Phrasing in Color
I love answering questions! In a earlier post, One Musical Leaf Falling I talked about using color to depict phrasing. This post is a follow up to answer a super question…
Putting On Our Piano Pants: The Student-Teacher Two Way Street
Practicing is definitely a two way street. I was reminded of this important dual thoroughfare is when my work with 2 different students and my own practicing intersected this week.…