Piano Parent Podcast

This week is one that I look forward to every year. It is the week where I rehearse with local band students as they prepare for UIL Solo & Ensemble Contest. I love meeting the students and seeing them hesitant to play our music together at first. Later in the week, we are more familiar with each other and are able to follow musical cues better. Finally, when we meet with the judge, I hope to be a source of support and confidence for them so they are able to perform their very best. It is exhilarating! However, along with the excitement comes the responsibility of learning pieces that might not fit my normal tastes and interests. I have to learn to play music that I might not like or at least don’t like until I get to know it more. I like to give my students a choice One thing I like about Piano Adventures, the piano curriculum that I use is the variety of music in every unit in the lesson books. I often have a specific piece that I call a “for sure” piece, meaning they need to make sure they practice that piece. They are free to choose one or two of the other pieces to learn as they match their personal preferences. Sometimes we must learn music that we might not choose on our own I have a student preparing for the UT Tyler Piano Skills Festival. She is learning two pieces that fit in the required range for her division. They may not be pieces she would have chosen to play for her own enjoyment but they are pieces she needs to learn for the festival. We’ve got to find a way to connect to these pieces when there isn’t an intrinsic, immediate connection already. Later this spring, several students will be preparing for the Texas Music Teachers Association Convention Ensemble Teams. The piece for each ensemble is chosen by the director. Though the director certainly aims to select music the students will enjoy, there is no guarantee that every student will love that piece at first play-through. How Can You Connect with a Piece You Don’t Like? To learn How to Approach a New Piece of Music, listen to Episode 008. Study the music away from the piano – before you play, take a good look at the score. Notice repeats, accidentals, key signature changes, time signature changes, etc. Make note of any possible pitfalls that might slow down your ability to perform the piece well. Give the music a slow play-through – slowly play the music. You could play one hand at a time or one line at a time. Slowly and carefully start acquainting your hands with the musical notation. Listen to the music – YouTube is a valuable resource for listening to performances of many (not all) of the pieces your student is learning. If they are playing the music correctly, listening gives them assurance that they are on the right track. Listening also helps them hear nuances of the music that their eyes might miss. Be an active listener – follow along with the music as you listen. This teaches your piano kid to be a more discerning listener. They learn to see expression and articulation marks in the music and listen for them in the performance. Discover the History of the Piece or the Composer – learning the “back story” can often help your child make a personal connection with the piece they are studying. (I love the backstories of the songs I researched in

Valerie Altman is a piano teacher from New York. She knows what students face as they work to sight-read new music and try to find time to practice. She encourages her students with lots of genuine praise. Tell us your personal piano story as well as how you chose piano teaching as a career. When I was born, my mother looked at my hands and said I had piano fingers. They were pretty long when I was a baby, although they are now pretty short haha! I received my first toy piano at the age of 1 like I’m sure many children do, but by the time I was 5 (my mom says I was 3…hard to believe) I was teaching myself to play by ear. My father taught himself to play guitar by ear in his early 20s and he will also dabble with the piano. We were unable to afford lessons until I was 10, but that didn’t stop me from begging! I took lessons for 8 years (until college where I focused on voice) while also doing choir, performing in 4 theatrical performances a year, writing and recording my own music and studying advanced placement music theory. Music was just in my soul! I studied voice in college and then music education. I had the desire to perform and work in a school, but through a lot of life changes, I realized that teaching lessons one-on-one was what I enjoyed the most. I wouldn’t have it any other way!  Teaching lessons is something that feeds my soul just like music did when I was growing up. Were you a good student?  I say yes and no! I tell my students stories about myself as a student and how I used to lie about practicing and that my teacher always knew when I was lying even before I played sometimes! My mother always tells this one story….she was going out to run an errand and told me to practice while she was gone. I said “okay” but of course I was busy watching something on tv. Before I knew it she was home and I panicked. She came in and asked if I practiced to which my response was “yup”. My mother looked at me and said “the keyboard is put away…you never put it away…you’re lying”. Caught! Haha. After the first year or two as I felt more confident in my reading (I had trouble learning to read so learning to read music was also a struggle) I began to practice more and of course, once I started learning pieces that I wanted to learn…I would constantly practice! I was (always have been) always polite and asked lots of questions. I had the desire to play but lacked the drive when things got tough…not unlike a lot of my students now. When I got my first piano, things changed for me; I felt more excited to play. What is one thing you often say to your piano students? I am not a particularly strict teacher. I don’t scold my students if they don’t practice! However, I always tell them “if you don’t practice, you won’t get better”. The big thing I tell them is “practice makes PROGRESS” (not perfect….ever) and I always remind them that they have the capacity to do ANYTHING!!! Listen to this episode for tips on finding time for regular piano practice:  Episode 55 Let’s talk about practice Is there a common struggle your piano parents deal with? How do you help them through it?  The parents do struggle sometimes when the kids aren’t practicing as much. Sometimes I feel parents are more willing to quit for their kids than the kids are. Fortunately, we have always been able to sit and discuss and the kids always pull through. I am very open in communications with my parents and I have to say that I hit the jackpot when it comes to the families that work with! What keeps you motivated as a teacher? The progress of my students. When they finally finish a piece or even when I get there and they are just happy to be playing….that’s motivation enough! Do you have a favorite piece that you enjoy teaching your students?

How can you help your child when they are dealing with anxiety, particularly performance anxiety? Part of the learning experience for musicians is performing before an audience. We might sign our piano kid up for a piano recital, playing for grandparents, a piano audition or festival, a talent show at school or even playing for church. Anytime there is a performance opportunity, it stands to reason that your child will be a little anxious. In fact, public speaking or performing is one of the top fears for most adults. You can read more about this in this article. As parents, how do we know how far to push our children? Are we asking them to do more than they are capable of doing? How do we strike a balance between pushing them a little bit out of their comfort zone but not pushing them too far and causing harm? Are you projecting your own fears? We can bundle our own emotions and past experiences into this new opportunity for our child. “Are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” – Zoe, my sweet neice. More likely than not, our child is NOT thinking what we’re thinking when it comes to piano performance. A good test to determine your child’s readiness to do well for an audience or a judge is to record them playing. Knowing that we are being recorded causes similar reactions in our brain and body that public performance does. Saying, “Don’t be nervous”, can have the opposite effect and could actually cause your child to become more nervous than they were. Instead, tell your piano kid that you are proud of them. Remind them how hard they have already worked. Fear of the Unknown Your child may be concerned about an upcoming performance simply because they don’t know what to expect. You can help them by visiting the venue where the event will take place. With permission, you might even be able to play the piano there. Pianos vary a great deal from one to the next. Some have keys that are easier to press than others. Playing that piano can alleviate some of your child’s concerns. If you cannot visit the venue, perhaps your piano teacher has a photo that you could look at to see what the room looks like. Communicate your child’s concerns with your teacher. This will help them as they work with your child and help them prepare for the event. Let them be the coach while you are the cheerleader. Sometimes the thing that your piano kid is worried about has nothing to do with what you would expect. They might be concerned about where they will sit or how they will know it’s their turn to play. Talking to your child can help you better understand what they’re thinking so you can help put their mind at ease. Fear of Failure Just preparing for the event is already a success. They have already raised their standards and their abilities. They had worked to polish the piece more than they normally would have. Congratulations! While you’re waiting, offer quiet distractions such as drawing or reading. Give their brain something else to concentrate on besides what could go wrong with their performance. Doing a “hook up” by Brain Gym also helps your brain by bringing the energy level down, focusing attention and concentration, and reduce anxiety. Remember, too, that a judge at an event is only hearing what I call a “snapshot” of your child’s ability.

Giving your child freedom to doodle at the piano is more beneficial than you might think The next time you hear your piano kid creating and improvising on the piano keys consider giving them more time to do that before you redirect them back to their assigned pieces. Creativity & Discovery Learning to read a piece of music begins externally. Creating sounds on the piano begins internally. Stumble upon familiar melodies and play pieces by ear – melodies at first and then harmonies to go along with the melody. Create your own fun and you’ll never be bored Improvement Listening – creating original sounds at the piano helps your piano kid develop a stronger sense of listening Hand efficiency – students learn to use their hands more efficiently when they are moving freely about the piano keys A general rule of thumb when playing the piano is you only cross over the thumb! Processing written music – “Hear first, then see.” Children learn spoken language by hearing and imitating what they hear. Eventually, they learn to read and write. The same principle applies to learning music. More Benefits of Doodling You and your piano kid can doodle together at the piano. You play two black keys (you might like the sound better if you skip over one or two black keys between the two you play) while your piano kid plays any black keys on the higher side of the piano.   Here is that Bobby McFerrin video I love so much! You could create a similar effect by playing E and B in the low range of the piano keys. If you don’t know how to find E and B, ask your piano kid or listen to Episode 003: Piano Geography.  While you play the low notes, your piano kid could play any white key on the high side of the piano. Adding the right foot pedal will help blend the notes together for a nice effect too. Drawing improved my daughter’s handwriting Tracy’s handwriting improved drastically after she began trying to draw animals. I believe the same thing will be true for your piano kid. The next time you hear your piano kid creating and improvising on the piano keys consider giving them more time to do that before you redirect them back to their assigned pieces. You might even ask them if you can share their piano doodles on Instagram with #pianodoodles. Here are my January doodles so far in my Bullet Journal. What are you doodling? Resources mentioned in this episode: Bullet Journaling #oodlesofdoodleschallengejan on Instagram Giving Students Time to Doodle The “thinking” Benefits of Doodling

  Welcome back and Happy New Year 2018! This is the time of year when we evaluate our lives and see where there is room for improvement. It is also a great time to set goals or set a new determination to reach goals we’ve already set. My goal for my children as they grow and mature and become independent adults is for them to be happy, healthy, and contributing members of society. Learning to play the piano and make music was a big factor in achieving that goal. Happy Let go of perfection. Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfections, we can catch excellence. Vince Lombardi Learn to be content. Learn to strike a balance between striving for improvement and being content. Celebrate along the way. Beth Hughes, a fellow piano mom really gets this idea. You can hear her share her goals for her children in episode 042. Healthy Break larger obstacles into smaller, more manageable tasks. Learn more than one way to solve a problem. Figure out what works for you. Manage anxiety. (More about that in episode 076 coming soon) Contributing Members of Society Piano study teaches our children: Responsibility Time Management Accountability Being part of a team Dedication Perseverance Stick-to-it-iveness Episode 014: Realistic Goals of Piano Study   What goals do you have for your children when they grow up? How can piano study help you on your journey? Share your ideas in the comments section below.            

You’ve heard me talk a lot about keeping a consistent routine. I still stand by that claim but today I want to talk about the importance of breaks. With the Christmas and New Year holidays right around the corner, this is a great time to take a break from the normal routine. This is true for our work and school schedules and it is true for our piano studies too. There is a well-known quote from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “The music is not in the notes but in the silence in between.” Mr. Mozart may have been talking about the important use of rests and pauses between musical phrases but I’d like to use his quote as a springboard for the topic of taking breaks from time to time in your piano studies. There are many occasions for taking a break from the normal routine: school semesters, weekends, coffee breaks, free days on a healthy eating regimen. Pomodoro Technique One technic for taking breaks while working on a major project or studying for finals is called the Pomodoro Technique. In the Pomodoro Technique, a simple timer is used to alert you to take a short break after working for a period of time. Taking a short break helps your brain rest and come back to the project with new vigor. Breaks are beneficial for piano My piano studio follows school semesters: fall and spring. Each semester consists of 16 teaching weeks. Finish line for goals – Lessons based on a determined amount of time allows for students to set goals and deadlines for reaching those goals. Once the time period is done, students can celebrate their achievements and re-evaluate their goals. Some goals my students worked on this past fall semester were the Texas Music Teacher theory exam, East Texas Music Teacher Fall Festival, Piano Caroling, Jingle Bells variations, etc. Energized to start new – After a short break, students are energized to begin a fresh new semester with new goals to aim toward. Similar to New Year’s Resolutions in January, a new period of study helps students to be motivated to keep working and learning and improving their piano skills. This article from April 2017 Psychology Today gives more interesting explanations about the benefits of taking breaks. The author, Meg Selig, says that breaks restore motivation, especially for long-term goals. She also states that breaks increase productivity and creativity. Productivity and creativity are two vital aspects of playing the piano. Allow students to simply enjoy their piano skills – Taking a break from the constant pursuit of new and more challenging music enables students to enjoy the piano skills they have mastered. Isn’t that why they are studying piano in the first place? In my studio, students are able to borrow sight reading books to play music that they can master on their own. In December, students have been borrowing loads of Christmas books. Playing familiar tunes that are arranged slightly easier than their current playing ability helps give students a confidence boost. They are able to play more music and practice the piano skills they have worked so hard to learn. Don’t abandon piano completely! A break from the routine doesn’t mean you don’t touch the piano at all. Use this time to play old pieces that used to be too hard or try new pieces or be creative with music you’ve learned. These episodes might give you some ideas for things to play during your break:

Do you ever wonder what inspires composers and songwriters to create the music they do? Would you be surprised to learn that some of our favorite Christmas tunes were written in the heat of the summer? Music is a great time traveler. Hearing a beloved song can quickly take us back in time through the memories we have of singing or listening to it years ago with friends and family. Christmas music has even more power to help us recall fond memories from our younger days. Many of the songs we hear at Christmastime today are the same ones we enjoyed when we were younger and in some cases, even our parents and grandparents enjoyed when they were younger – often even by the same artists. Check the copyright dates of Christmas classics and you will find that “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was first published in 1949, “Winter Wonderland” in 1934, and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in 1943. Even though these songs are decades old, they are still loved by children and adults today. On today’s podcast, I’ll share some of the interesting things I discovered about some of the songs we enjoy throughout the holiday season. Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson (Woodbury, CT July 1946) LeroyAnderson.org During a July heat wave and drought, Leroy was digging trenches to try to find some old pipes coming from a spring. He began composing several tunes, including Sleigh Ride (Sleðaferð), in which he envisioned as a musical depiction of the winter season long ago. Here is a wonderful video of John Williams conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra in “Sleigh Ride”. Boston Pops premiered “Sleigh Ride” May 4, 1948, not your typical calendar date for a holiday tune. My favorite part is the moving bass line at 1:50 of the video. The Christmas Song by Bob Wells and Mel Tormè (Toluca Lake, CA July 1945) PerformingSongwriter.com It was a sweltering hot July afternoon in 1945 when Mel Tormé showed up for a writing session at the Toluca Lake house of his lyric partner Bob Wells. … “It’s so d— hot today, I thought I’d writing something to cool myself off,” Wells replied. “All I could think of was Christmas and cold weather.” In this video, you see Mel Tormè and Judy Garland singing “The Christmas Song”. I love watching composers play their own music like Mel Tormè does here. Notice, too, that Judy Garland makes a mistake with the lyrics at 2:58 but she doesn’t panic. She simply salvages the line, smiles, and keeps singing. What a great lesson for our piano kids! Music is not about perfection; it is about giving your audience an enjoyable performance. I believe Judy’s mistake is endearing and gives this video even more character and charm. (Did you notice where Judy sang “rainbows” instead of “reindeer”? I suppose the one and only Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz had much more practice singing about rainbows.)

Is there hope for your non-practicing piano kid? Are they going through a season of no motivation to practice? Are they needing some new music that they are passionate about learning? Nicola Cantan shares the value of great music and encouraging parents in today’s show. Nicola Cantan is a piano teacher from Dublin, Ireland. Nicola readily admits that there was a time in her younger years as a piano student that she didn’t practice as much as she should have. This should be music to the ears of piano parents with children who are struggling to get to the piano. Help them get through this season and spur them on with engaging music and positive feedback. In addition to being a passionate piano teacher, Nicola is also a blogger who offers helpful resources to piano teachers. You can find her blog, Colourful Keys, here. She also runs a wonderful membership site, Vibrant Music Teaching, where teachers can download amazing teaching resources to help gamify musical concepts for their students. Last summer, Nicola even compiled a blog post with several articles and resources, especially for piano parents. You can read it here. (There is even a mention of a certain podcast we all know and love – wink, wink!) Were you a good student? No. While Nicola was pleasant and participated well during her piano lessons, she wasn’t motivated to practice as much as she should have and made slow progress early on. Once she transferred to a different teacher who gave her more interesting music to play her love for music and making interesting sounds at the piano flourished. This is great news for piano parents! Just because your piano kid isn’t practicing like they should doesn’t mean all is lost. Consider communicating with your teacher to find music that will make a better connection with your child. You may also need to evaluate if a different teacher would relate to your son or daughter more than the current teacher. Make adjustments but don’t give up. Listen to Episode 069: How Young is Too Young to Start Piano Lessons? to hear Nicola’s excellent response to my question about helping young students to be successful in their lessons. What is one thing you often say to your piano students? Nicola says she often reminds students to “Go slower!” – not just young students but older students as well. There is a big difference between the student’s version of slow and the teacher’s version of slow. Piano parents can help their children have a more successful practice session simply by reminding them to play their pieces slower. When they think they’ve played the piece slowly enough, play it again even slower.             Is there something you often have to remind piano parents about? Creating a practice routine is vital. Aim to play your piano pieces at the same time of day or after the same activity every day. Establish a consistent practice habit early. If you practice every day at 4:00 pm there is so much that can be added to that as your child progress. You can make the sessions longer, aim for higher quality; there is so much scope to make the practice better. However, if your practice is haphazard and lacks regularity it will be so much harder to implement those things and you will get much more pushback from you piano kid. Unfortunately, this need for consistency is the same for adults!

‘Tis the season for gift giving and letting your teacher know how much you appreciate the influence they are having on your child’s life.  On this 70th episode of the Piano Parent Podcast, I will share with you some of my favorite Christmas gifts and why some piano teacher might prefer something else. 10. Musical Tchotchkes When you think of your piano teacher, your mind might automatically think of music and musicy things. Personally, I enjoy receiving musical gifts. Here are a couple of pictures of things I’ve received over the years. Most of the pieces in this vignette were gifts from students and I am just the sentimental kind of person to think fondly of the student and family behind the gift when I look at it. I love the wire wall hanging! It was given to me by a family with two sons that I taught for several years. The ceramic plaque hanging on the wall says, “Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future. Faith is the courage to dance to it today.” Isn’t that lovely? I taught both the mother and daughter of this family. They have gone through some very difficult times since they gave me this plaque so seeing it is a reminder to pray for them. The Amazing Grace picture was a Christmas gift from my brother and his family last year. They know me so well!   I mentioned in the podcast that I’ve been given probably a dozen or more coffee mugs.   Once again, I think of the family who gave me the mug when I use it. I also try to find different uses for them. Here are two mugs on top of my piano holding colored pens and pencils. This way, they get lots of use every single day! (The gold treble clef/bass clef frame was gifted to me by a beautiful family of six girls! I have had the privilege of teaching five of them….so far.) If you decide to go with a musical gift, the friendly folks at Prima Music might have some ideas for you.     9. Christmas Knick Knacks   Christmas decorations and ornaments are a nice idea but they will most likely only be on display once each year. You might consider pairing a Christmas knick knack with one of the other items on my list.   Here is my grandmother’s old artificial tree that I mentioned. It is tiny and leans to one side but I love it! Most of the ornaments are gifts from students.                     8. Tasty Stuff If you choose to give a food item, please be aware of any food allergies your teacher or their family members may have. 7. Smelly Stuff Candles and lotions make a fine gift as long as your teacher isn’t sensitive to these things. Personally, I prefer shower gel or body spray more than lotions or candles. I use them much more regularly. 6. Personal Stuff Maybe your teacher has other interests beyond music. Do they golf, knit, scrapbook? Take some time to get to know your teacher and see if there is something you can gift them with outside of music. You might simply consider adding a few extra dollars to your December tuition payment as a token of appreciation. 5. Studio Stuff If your teacher is like me, they enjoy getting things that will be useful in their teaching. I love sharing things with my students! This floor keyboard is similar to the one a wonderful family gave me several years ago. Here are a few places to start looking for teaching resources for your piano teacher: ...

  “The Karate Kid” movie with Noriyuki Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio came out in 1984 when I was a teenager. Even today I still love the movie and the wit and wisdom of Pat Morita’s character, Mr. Miyagi. Either you karate do “yes’ or karate do “no”. You karate do “guess so” (get squished) just like grape. After you’ve gone through the initial “let’s give piano at try” phase and have decided to pursue learning to play, don’t dabble. Jump all in. You may need to cut out other activities that create distractions from your goal of learning to play piano. Man who catch fly with chopstick, accomplish anything. To catch a fly with chopsticks requires at least three things: patience, focus, and quickness. The same is true for your piano kid. They need to be patient with themselves when they are learning a new piece; patient with their fingers until they learn how to move to each piano key and play in the correct rhythm. They need a practice environment that helps them focus. Avoid having too many other distractions in the house when your piano kid practices. One thing piano kids love to do is play piano quickly! Unfortunately, they try to go too fast before their fingers are ready and they stumble through their piece making lots of mistakes and really not making music at all. Wax on, Wax off I think this is the most iconic quote from The Karate Kid. Mr. Miyagi uses all kinds of household chores to train Daniel’s hands and arms to move efficiently. Daniel doesn’t realize that he is learning the foundational movements he will use in karate. Your piano teacher is trying to do the same thing for your piano kid when they assign scales and other technical exercises. Training your hands to move correctly to play scales solidifies the same movements they will need in their music at some point. Working on those moves independently from the music allows students to focus on the way their hands and arms are moving. It also allows them to become more familiar with multiple keys. Rather than struggling through a piece in a new key signature and getting frustrated, students would do better to learn the scale associated with that key first. When they train their fingers to anticipate certain sharps and flats on the black keys, they are more likely to be successful when they encounter those notes in their music. Remind your piano kid to slow down when they are working through their technical exercises. Itzhak Perlman, renowned violinist says, “If you learn something slowly, you will forget slowly. If you learn something too fast, you will forget immediately.” I plan on watching “The Karate Kid” with my piano kid this weekend. Whether you choose this movie or some other activity, I hope you and your piano kid will find something to enjoy together. Thank you for listening! Would you consider sharing this post with your piano parent friends?

Dawn Ivers is a teacher based in Pasadena, California. Dawn has been traveling to teach in her student’s homes for the past 11 years. In my conversation with Dawn, I was struck by what an encourager she is, not only with her students but also with the piano parents in her studio. Tell us your personal piano story as well as how you chose piano teaching as a career. Musical family on my mom’s side. Everyone plays an instrument, my grandmother was the piano player, my mom has a degree in voice and plays guitar, uncle plays guitar and mandolin, grandpa plays the violin, everybody sings. We all lived kind of far apart but at holidays we all would bring our instruments and sing and play together so I have very fond memories of that, and I sort of inherited a musical background. We have home videos of me playing the piano as soon as I was tall enough to stand on my tip-toes and reach the keys, so I was definitely interested in the sounds it made early on. I started piano lessons around 5-6 when one of my friends began lessons and I immediately asked my parents if I could too. My first piano teacher was my mom’s best friend. She is wonderful, has a great sense of humor, made lessons fun, but also managed to make her teaching and expectations clear. She was also affordable, which was a big one for my family at the time.  And I am forever grateful for the investment my parents made in my music education. So I try to carry on that piano teacher legacy, of providing a good music education that is enjoyable and communicating the value of what we learn while being as accessible cost-wise as I can afford to make it. I started teaching house call lessons for a couple friends’ and acquaintances’ kids after I graduated from high school. In the course of going through college, word of mouth spread and my studio began to grow. By the time I graduated UCLA I had enough on my waitlist for a full schedule and I had realized that I loved doing it, so I decided to leave my other job at the time and do By the time I graduated UCLA I had enough on my waitlist for a full schedule and I had realized that I loved doing it, so I decided to leave my other job at the time and do piano full time. Since then, I’ve added three wonderful associate teachers, Aki, Mallory, and Michael to help meet the demands of our waitlist. Dawn and the teachers in her studio can be reached for lessons at www.DawnsPiano.com Were you a good student? Yes and no. I was an eager student and was generally really good about making sure my practice log was completed each week during elementary school. But high school got very busy, I was on 4 different varsity teams and in band my junior and senior years, so I had too many extracurriculars to practice as much as I really needed to. I also have never been incredibly patient with myself, so if a song presented too much frustration, I might shut down on it for a while. But all that aside, I did genuinely love what I was learning. Music is in my blood and it mattered to me to do it. What is one thing you often say to your piano students? “Slow down.” I feel like I say that 50 times a day. For some reason at a young age, we trick ourselves into believing that faster sounds better and that just trucking through a piece instead of playing carefully is somehow easier. But that’s simply not true. If you learn a piece too fast, you forget it fast, so the work is all for nothing. Not to mention, rhythm gets muddled, note accuracy takes a big hit, and there’s usually little to no dynamic range. So I always try to emphasize that it’s important to learn a piece slowly, to be methodical, and to teach yourself to anticipate what is coming next. We’ve got to take time to see the whole picture, and the brush strokes to make along the way.

In this week’s episode of 10 somethings about music, I bring you 10 Common Practice Excuses and How you can Avoid Them (and what this teacher thinks when you try to use them)1. I didn’t have time. Speaking of finding time to practice, here is a quick update on my own September #3020 Practice Challenge. I missed a couple of days last week so I’m going to have to add more days to the rest of my schedule for the end of the month. 2. I was at my dad’s this weekend. 3. This music is boring! 4. My family was visiting. 5. I had too much homework. The following animation from TED-Ed demonstrates the amazing affects music has on your brain. 6. My little brother or sister try to play the piano when I practice. (You might also be interested in Episode 001: Establishing Good Practice Habits) 7. I forgot what to practice. 8. I went to a party/soccer game. 9. I couldn’t find my books. 10. I forgot. To listen to my reaction to these excuses, click the play button at the top of this post. One of the highest compliments someone can give is a word of mouth recommendation. Your friends trust you and are likely to enjoy the same things you enjoy. If you find this podcast helpful, would you consider sharing it on your social media platforms? It would also mean the world to me if you would leave a review on iTunes. It doesn’t take very long and I might just share your review on a future episode! Click this link to leave an iTunes review.    

Dan Kessinger has been tuning my piano since 2000. Dan, who is completely blind, learned the Piano Technician trade during his high school years at a school for the blind in Little Rock, Arkansas. For maintenance of your acoustic piano, Dan recommends the following: Find a good, qualified tuner. Check the Piano Technician’s Guild website for a tuner near you. Hire a tuner to check over a piano you are interested in purchasing. Clean the surface of the keys with a damp cloth. Window cleaner works well. Spray cleaner on the cloth, not directly on the keys. Store your piano in a climate controlled area only – not in a garage or outside. To reach Dan Kessinger for piano tuning in the east Texas area, call 903-561-0022.    

Hurricane Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on the coast of Texas Thursday, August 24 In less than four days, the storm dropped 40 inches of rain in south Texas, whose average amount of annual rainfall is 49.72 inches. The resulting flooding has caused massive damage to the homes and businesses in that area. I am a proud Texan, born and raised. Texas is a BIG place and my home is many miles away from the storm and flooding. My family is safe. However, I have many personal friends and piano teacher friends who live in the Houston area. I’m hearing so many stories of their rescues and loss. My brother, Terry, is a ranking official in law enforcement for the state of Texas, stationed close to Houston. His home and family are safe and dry but he has been working many long hours coordinating evacuation and rescue efforts. His work will continue as he assists with cleanup and rebuilding the community. How can we help if we are so far away? I’ve chosen to give monetary donations online through two organizations that I trust. I highly recommend that you make your own investigation and give to organizations and local charities that you trust. MTNA.org – Music Teachers National Association has a benevolence fund designed to assist music teachers with replacing their teaching materials. When you follow the link, the first option to click is “MTNA Benevolence Fund” then scroll down to include your contact and payment information. There are optional boxes where you can indicate that your gift is in memory or honor of someone. You can name your piano kid, your piano teacher, Hurricane Harvey survivors, or simply leave the boxes blank. Support the MTNA Benevolence Fund here. (If you are a music teacher needing assistance from MTNA, call their national office at 888-512-5278.) Samaritans Purse.org – Co-founded by Franklin Graham, son of Christian evangelist, Billy Graham, Samaritan’s Purse “mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters in the United States. We often stay behind after our initial response to rebuild or restore houses for needy families.” Make a donation through Samaritan’s Purse here. Operation Christmas Child is another program that enables us to give generously to children around the world. How can I include my Piano Kid? Tell them how you have given. Let them know about the organization you supported and how they will use the money to help others. Our children don’t know about these opportunities unless we tell them. Organize a Practiceathon. If your child is participating in the #3020 September Practice Challenge, have them invite friends and family to sponsor their p...

      Heather Nanney is a teacher from the St. Louis, Missouri area. She has been teaching 15 years and sees about 45 students each week where she encourages them in their own creative musical journey. Heather was one of the first people to reach out to me and encourage me about this podcast when I first started it. She graciously invited me to interview with her on her blog at www.FunKeyMusic.blog.   You can read the interview here. We first met at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in 2015. She caught my eye the first day of the conference and I am so glad we introduced ourselves to each other before it was over. Since that time, our friendship has continued to grow.     Were you a good student? Yes and no. I enjoyed practicing but I also remember frantically finishing my theory homework on the way to my lesson. I also remember a time when I wanted to quit piano lessons. My parents suggested that I stick with piano lessons for another six months during that time I started to love the piano again and didn’t quit. Is there something you often say to your piano students? Whenever I’m working with a student on a challenging piece or section, I tell they need to be willing to play their music more than they actually want to. In this digital age, everything is moving so fast so I feel that students aren’t used to having to work at things again and again. I really like this quote: Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong. ~ Julie Andrews. I try to offer ways to make their practicing interesting for them but ultimately it’s getting them comfortable with repetition. What do you find that you often tell your piano parents? I’m always here to answer any questions. If an assignment is unclear, I’m happy to answer a text or an email to help clarify the instructions. If there is a concern, talk to me about it early; let’s see what we can do to work through it. Keeping the link of communication open between parent and teacher is so important. What keeps you motivated as a teacher? Two things: * My teaching tribe – through technology and social media, teachers have the opportunity to stay connected and encourage one another through online communities. * I always ask myself, “Am I enjoying this experience?” If I’m not enjoying it, I know my students aren’t. This helps me take a step back and reevaluate to find ways to make lessons an enjoyable experience for both of us. That’s great advice for piano parents too. Is your home practice an enjoyable experience? Piano practice does require discipline but it should not be a source of stress. Find a way to make it enjoyable. Technology Heather uses in her lessons: Mind the Beat app Yamaha Chord Tracker (Both of these apps were part of our favorite apps list in Episode 046 with Becky Laurent) Which composer would you spend an afternoon with and why? Heather’s composer pick is Frederic Chopin. His music includes such raw emotion. Listening to his music is an emotional experience. Listen to her favorite piece below: Heather is a composer as well! Heather is a composer through the Piano Pronto Composer’s Community.