It's that time of year again! Amidst all of the craziness I find it monumentally important to carve out time to reflect and reevaluate what worked well this year and what can be changed or adjusted for 2023. I always find this process interesting. Undoubtedly there are things that worked better than expected and others …
Category: Teacher Tips
Habits – Why They Should Matter to the Musician.
As I was looking over my reading lists from the past few years, I realized that I've read an unusual amount of books about habits. And though their titles and premises may all seem very different, I was startled to look back and realize that all of them relate to the phrase "how we spend …
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Summer Strategies: Warming up to Piano Practice
Any studio that chooses to teach through the summer understands that it will present its own unique challenges. Schedules change, motivation can wane, and those who are not as self-motivated in personality tend to struggle through practice during the months off of a school routine. With this in mind, there are two ways to gear …
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Questions to Ask Before Your Child Quits Piano
It's that time of year where schedules change, tuition increases are implemented, and those who have been contemplating whether or not to continue lessons will make the final call as the calendar switches to summer. Sometimes those that move on are not a surprise, while others seem to quit out of nowhere. But it never …
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Women in Music: Women’s History Month 2022
What do your students learn about composers and professional musicians in your studio? Because I desire to see my students become composers and invested musicians themselves, it is monumentally important that I introduce them to a wide array of musicians. Who can be a musician? Anyone! Color, race, gender, or any other category do not …
Black History Month in the Music Studio
Welcome to February! The month where all things love, winter (snow seems to fall a bit extra in Cleveland), and Black History month converge! While I strive to incorporate Valentine’s Day and weather-related activities in with my student’s learning, February presents a unique opportunity to celebrate artists and music styles in a very specific and …
Is there an advantage to music learning?
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 …
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 …
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It’s Not Too Late!
This past week knocked me flat down. I went from a mild cold and enough energy for online teaching to a very bad cold where I couldn't even teach online due to lack of sleep and voice. This week's main activity of choice was sitting on the couch and sleeping or reading, and coincidentally enough, …
Practice With A Purpose: Inspire Your Students to Use Their Music for Good In the Coming Months
What else do students gain from lessons besides the skill of playing an instrument? The list is LONG. We could talk about perseverance, longer focus and attention span, problem solving abilities, a healthy one-on-one relationship with an adult other than mom or dad, fine motor skills, and the list goes on. Music has the unique …
Piano Possibilities 