Hi All,

It has been snowy, cold, and generally the perfect weather to stay inside and practice or cuddle up with a good book 😉 I hope you’ve had a chance to do some of both!

A couple of quick notes –

~ Invoices will be delivered to your individual emails along with this newsletter’s link. There will be 4 lessons for each day in February – but please make sure to double check your total as some students have extra books or resources that need paid for. Invoices are due by the first lesson of the month 🙂 Thanks!

~ Winter is finally here in Cleveland. Please remember that an online lesson is a good option IF you or someone at home is sick, the weather prevents you from getting to the store, or there’s a one time schedule conflict. However, I do plan for each lesson. You are always free to ask, but I cannot guarantee on online lesson unless you have contacted me personally before I begin teaching for the day. Once I begin teaching, I may or may not be able to switch gears and make sure everything is set up for an online lesson. My goal is to give you the best quality learning experience possible 🙂

~ This month’s book features are available at Skyline, and are true gems.

For your youngest readers and aspiring musicians, The Story of Music series is an adorable, fun, and engaging way to teach music genres and history. Check out a real life mom’s review by clicking the image below 🙂

For my adult readers, I present you with a brilliant example of a PhD who is able to write with the reader’s understanding in mind. Is there an advantage to studying music? Hopefully you have been around the studio enough to know firsthand the benefits of music education and learning. But reading and understanding the overarching benefits can be equally helpful! In The Music Advantage, Dr. Anita Collins wades through the neuro-musical research and breaks it apart in easy-to-read ways so that you don’t have to go through the hard work yourself (my busy schedule thanks her a thousand times over for this!). In plain terms, Dr. Collins breaks her own research into 4 sections: Part One – 0 to 5 years, Part Two – 5 to 7 years, Part Three – 9 to 12-14 years, and Part Four – 12-14 years to adult.

She writes with parents, teachers, grandparents, and school board members in mind. Dr. Collins plainly states that she hopes “that parents and grandparents will understand what [their] child or grandchild is experiencing as they learn music but also grasp that when things get tough, [their] little one’s brain is learning how resilience feels.” She doesn’t sugarcoat the music learning experience, and she uses real students and stories to make the case for music in each season of a child’s development.

I could go on all day, but I encourage you to stop by the store and pick up or order a copy to have on your shelf. This will make all the difference in how you and your family relate to music learning and (in our case) piano lessons 🙂

Happy Reading,

Have you missed the other features this month? Check them out by clicking the images below 🙂

For further reading, check out the Book Nook at the top of the page or by clicking the image below.