In Cleveland it has been snowy, cold, and generally the perfect weather to stay inside and curl up with a blanket, a good book, and my thoughts 🙂 Now I don't often sit with my thoughts and ask the question as to whether or not my profession has value - both musically and in making my …
Author: McKenzie
What Are You Growing in Your Studio Garden?
This is not the time of year I typically think of growing a garden. It's been a warm, gray winter here in Cleveland, Ohio, and even when the sun does peak through my natural gardening abilities are so lacking it doesn't bring to my mind any desire to dig a plot in the backyard. But …
Continue reading What Are You Growing in Your Studio Garden?
Book of the Month: December 2021
It's mid-December. How are your Christmas shopping and your sanity holding up? I'm currently finding myself in the frenzy but looking ahead to time I have scheduled to slow down. Because time seems extra fast and extra precious this time of year, this post will be mercifully short (both for the writer and reader). But …
Can Santa Deliver Gifts AND Good Practice Habits?
Christmas music is in full swing, and the excitement is tangible around my studio 🙂 Now that it's December, we've had a few snowflakes, and there are sparkling Christmas lights hung everywhere, I have joined my student’s excitement in hearing the carols coming out of my studio (key word being December, not November). But sometimes …
Continue reading Can Santa Deliver Gifts AND Good Practice Habits?
Integrating Music Into a Season of Frenzy
The holiday season is in full swing, and because of this my husband and I took a close look at our calendar yesterday. We are blessed with families we love to be around, a church we are active in, and jobs we are grateful for and want to give our attention to. The closer look …
Spot It!: Nutcracker Edition
Tis the season where we often feel frantic. Holidays, events, performances, family ... and suddenly I feel tired just sitting here! Studio life can feel just as frantic - especially if your students will be performing. But providing fun and engaging holiday-related activities will add the push you and your students need to get to …
Book of the Month: November 2021
I always laugh when I see this quote. I have several people in my life that live this way, and I've tried to adopt the "always have a book on hand" philosophy as well. Partially because I love reading, partially because it's a much better practice than checking social media every spare moment (see Digital …
What’s November really about?
It's November! And around my studio, that means the Christmas music makes its first appearance. Everyone has their own philosophy on when Christmas music should begin. Because I'm a musician and I understand the idea of practice, I dutifully hand it out after Halloween. But my piano teacher ears can't handle Jingle Bells much before …
Creativity In and Out of the Studio
Any C.S. Lewis fans out there? Concept albums are always fun adventures ... and this month I'm drawing my student's attention to one of my recent favorites from The Gray Havens! Blue Flower is based off of C.S. Lewis's autobiography, Surprised by Joy. Each song on the album depicts an idea that shaped Lewis. In …
Fun Fact: Beauty and the Beast
Sometimes the oldies are still the best 🙂 Take a listen here! Most recently? Soul won the award in 2021. Joker won 2020. Black Panther in 2019. The Shape of Water won 2018. And La La Land in 2017 🙂
Piano Possibilities 