Parents often approach me with questions about how to read and interpret all of those tricky sign and symbols in their child's piano book. This is understandable, because if a parent has no music background, reading music can seem like a foreign language. I'm always looking for ways to help parents crack the code behind music and to make it easy for them to help their child practice. I'm … [Read more...] about Piano Parent Tips
Must-Have Tools For The 21st Century Piano Studio
Teaching piano has changed a lot in recent years. Gone are the days of being able to teach piano lessons with a piano, a pencil and a metronome. Reaching 21st-century students and running a 21st-century business require using the latest tools and technology to give your students the best possible learning experience and to make your business stand out. The good news is, incorporating new … [Read more...] about Must-Have Tools For The 21st Century Piano Studio
How To Improve Your Piano Sight Reading Skills
A lot of people want to learn to play the piano because they envision themselves leisurely reading through a book of sheet music purely for enjoyment. Sight reading sheet music is definitely a satisfying activity and worthy goal for pianists. You can entertain yourself and others for hours just by flipping through the pages of your favorite collections of sheet music. Unfortunately, most … [Read more...] about How To Improve Your Piano Sight Reading Skills
9 Reasons Why Adults CAN (And Should) Learn Piano
Have you ever thought about playing the piano? On almost a daily basis I interact with adults who express interest in the fact that I teach piano lessons. It's very common for them to tell me that they've always wanted to play the piano or that they wished they had stuck with it as a kid. But, then they usually go on to tell me reasons why the can't learn the piano at this stage of their … [Read more...] about 9 Reasons Why Adults CAN (And Should) Learn Piano
Songs Like “River Flows In You”
My students absolutely love learning River Flows In You by Yiruma. It's a beautiful piece and it falls nicely under the hands. It is built upon a simple 4 chord harmonic pattern that repeats for the entire song and it only has a few technically challenging parts. You can read my short review of it and watch a video of me performing it here. Every student that hears it loves it and wants to … [Read more...] about Songs Like “River Flows In You”
This And That – Moving, A Visitor, Flip Books And More
I've been wanting to share a bit more about some behind-the-scenes things happening around my piano studio, so I decided to create a new themed post full of piano and not-so-piano things going on. (You can also catch some of this info over on my FB page.) We've also had a lot of new faces visiting Pianissimo lately, so I hope these posts give you a chance to get to know me a little better, … [Read more...] about This And That – Moving, A Visitor, Flip Books And More