Summary: <br> <br> <br> <br> 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.<br> 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 <a href="http://www.funkeymusic.blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.FunKeyMusic.blog</a>. <br> <a href="http://funkeymusicpianoacademy.com/piano-parent-podcast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You can read the interview here.</a><br> 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.<br> <br> <br> Were you a good student?<br> Yes and no. I enjoyed practicing but I also remember frantically finishing my theory homework on the way to my lesson.<br> 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.<br> Is there something you often say to your piano students?<br> 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:<br> Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong. ~ Julie Andrews.<br> I try to offer ways to make their practicing interesting for them but ultimately it’s getting them comfortable with repetition.<br> What do you find that you often tell your piano parents?<br> I’m always here to answer any questions.<br> 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.<br> What keeps you motivated as a teacher?<br> Two things:<br> <br> * My teaching tribe – through technology and social media, teachers have the opportunity to stay connected and encourage one another through online communities.<br> * 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.<br> <br> 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.<br> Technology Heather uses in her lessons:<br> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mindthebeatgame/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mind the Beat</a> app<br> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chord-tracker-us/id992502589?mt=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yamaha Chord Tracker</a><br> (Both of these apps were part of our favorite apps list in <a href="http://www.pianoparentpodcast.com/046/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Episode 046</a> with Becky Laurent)<br> Which composer would you spend an afternoon with and why?<br> Heather’s composer pick is Frederic Chopin. His music includes such raw emotion. Listening to his music is an emotional experience.<br> Listen to her favorite piece below:<br><br> <br> Heather is a composer as well!<br> Heather is a composer through the Piano Pronto Composer’s Community.
