I’m super excited to share with you a huge project I’ve been working on for almost 1.5 years! Pianissimo is launching a brand new video tutorial library for kids called SmartKidsPiano. Think of it as the Netflix of piano tutorials, designed especially for kids!
When you and your kids log in, you’ll have access to over 100 easy piano tutorials. I’ve hand picked and arranged every song so that kids have can learn songs they love at an appropriate level for them.
The library is launching with 116 songs in many styles – popular, classics, movie themes, kids favorites and hymns (including a bunch of LDS hymns!).
Songs like:
The Star Wars Theme
Let It Go from Frozen
Happy Birthday
The Best Day Of My Life by American Authors
How Great Thou Art
These are just a handful of the songs available.
And the library isn’t even complete yet. In the coming months, you’ll find even more lessons and tutorials.
Why SmartKidsPiano
I work with nearly 100 piano students in-person every week and I’m continually amazed by them. They are creative thinkers, problem solvers, and disciplined.
Kids who learn music and learn about music acquire skills and qualities that set them up for success. I see this daily with my students and it’s something that I want to make accessible for every child.
Piano students are smart. They’re high achievers. They are curious. They love learning.
I’d love to let every child come to my studio each week for a one-on-one lesson, but I know that just isn’t possible. I can only teach so many students. Plus, I know many families just can’t add one more thing to the schedule. Between, parents’ work schedules, other after-school activities and family commitments, it’s just hard to squeeze it all in.
I wanted to create something that is accessible to kids at any time and place. Your kids can easily get in a evening routine of practicing a few minutes before bed, spending part of their weekend at the piano or working it in to a homeschool day without interfering with all of your other obligations.
Plus, compared to private piano lessons, SmartKidsPiano is just a fraction of the cost and very affordable.
But why would a piano teacher endorse online learning?
I used to feel uneasy when students would show up to their piano lessons and show me something they learned on YouTube. As the piano teacher, it bothered me that they were actively learning something different than what I was teaching them. And, a lot of times it meant that I would need to un-teach a bunch of bad habits they were learning on their own.
However, a lot has changed – me, technology, the way kids learn.
First off, I used to be much more traditional-minded in how I approached piano lessons. I valued my own experience that includes a classical training, interpreting music notation and studying music theory.
I still very much support this way of learning the piano, but I have also come to appreciate many other approaches of learning music. I understand that my own strengths and goals don’t always have to align with my students’ in order for me to help them be successful.
For example, students with an excellent ear often enjoy learning songs by rote. There is nothing wrong with passing music down by rote. In fact, some kids really have a gift for observing patterns and sounds away from the written page. There is absolutely a place for this type of learning. It’s something that I’ve come to celebrate since it is so different from the way I learn music myself.
Second, we know that technology is changing so fast, but I’ve specifically noticed that the quality of videos and material presented online has stepped up quite a bit in the last few years. Even 5 years ago, if a student watched a YouTube video to learn a piano song, it was likely taught by either a lifeless computerized graphic or an amateur teacher stumbling over the correct terminology.
I’ve made a point to make sure SmartKidsPiano videos match or exceed the highest quality online videos.
In fact, students not only see what keys to play, they also see my own hands demonstrating how to play, plus they hear my voice explaining what to do. It’s quite an interactive experience and most kids are sure to find at least one element of the videos helpful for their own learning style.
Finally, kids today are learning differently that the way you and I learned. Like I said before, I definitely still advocate for pulling out books and digging into written notation. But, kids respond exceptionally well to technology, interesting visuals and interactive methods.
So, don’t worry! I haven’t abandoned my high teaching standards in favor of substandard online lessons. Actually, it’s the opposite. My goal is to bring high-level music education to the place where most kids are hanging out right now – online.
What You Get With SmartKidsPiano
If you’re ready to jump in and get started with SmartKidsPiano, here’s everything you need to know.
There’s a free 7-day trial, so go ahead and sign up for that so that you can check out all of the tutorials available.
Once your 7-day trial is up, SmartKidsPiano is just $9/month. (Be sure to jump in now to secure that low price! It’s just going up from here with tons of new content rolling out in the coming months.)
Once you’re subscribed, head over to Facebook and join the exclusive SmartKidsPiano group. This is where you’ll have direct access to me. I love seeing videos of kids practicing, making progress and learning new things, so be sure to post frequently. I’ll be around to answer all your questions, to cheer you on and to give you tons of good practicing tips. I have some fun practice challenges and incentives planned for families who participate in the Facebook group! And, you’ll probably make some new piano friends there.
When you’re logged in to SmartKidsPiano, you’ll have full access to all of the current tutorials. You can watch them and re-watch them as many times as you would like. Plus, every tutorial includes downloadable sheet music that you can print at home. This completes the puzzle so that your child won’t miss out on learning about written notation. Interactive videos plus sheet music – the best of both worlds!
One of the best perks for subscribers is that you get to request tutorials for your favorite songs. If your child is obsessed with a certain song, you can just send your request over and I’ll get busy creating a tutorial.
So, go ahead and get started with your 7-day free trial! I’d love to hear what you think and I can’t wait to get started helping your kids fall in love with playing the piano.
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