Are you a composer?

Composition...  Can anyone do it?   

Simply Music allows students to immediately reveal their musical selves because the songs are taught in a simple way giving students a bag of tools to work with.  These tools make learning the songs really easy, but also borrowing from these tools makes song-writing very accessible.  

Check out the original compositions by Sam and Nahaar and hear what their moms think about Simply Music:

Release your inner composer!

Aleisha and Ivy's 32 Day Challenge

I love teaching... I love my students... And I love how involved their parents are in their musical education.  One of the most important things I've realized about teaching piano is that "playing the piano" is actually secondary to all the other things that are being learned.  Students are learning life skills: how to have a long term relationship, how to fit in the things that are important to them, how it feels when they "show up" and do their part in some venture... there's an immense sense of satisfaction that comes from doing something that's important to us, even on those days when we just don't feel like it.

Aleisha (the mom) and Ivy (the student) are sharing their 32 Day Challenge with us...

Have you started your 32 day challenge?  Please share!

Being Musical

Why is it such a pleasure to make music?  As I was having my guitar lesson on Friday morning, my teacher and I were playing 3 chords - D C and G.  We started with a little finger picking and then moved into a nice steady strumming rhythm.  There was a point when it felt like meditation.  A point when I didn't have to think about what I was playing, I simply allowed my body to be it's musical self.  And it was beyond "fun".  Fun is such a funny word.  Was my strumming giving me the giggles?  Not really.  It was giving me a sense of freedom, but also a sense of connecting to my self and to the other player.  I absolutely loved it.  

When introducing someone to the Simply Music program, I love talking about how we are all innately musical.  Being musical is such a part of who we naturally are.  Here's a wonderful video with Neil Moore (the founder of Simply Music) talking about musicality and the simplicity with which a student gets to immediately experience himself/herself as a musician.  Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhpIdijE0zw&feature=related

What is the 32 Day Challenge?

As a piano teacher I've heard a huge variety of reasons why practice wasn't done during the week.  "I was too busy" is the most popular one.  Kids are busier than ever.  I remember as a student having the same challenge and often I didn’t find the time, nor make the time.  And based on how I did with my practice, I would arrive at my teacher’s house with either enthusiasm or dread.  

Life is full of wonderful activities that tick tock away the time I have in a day.  Lesson preparation, teaching, paperwork, Facebook, emails, television, texting, blogging, as well as the other necessary daily things I do like showering, getting Ava ready for preschool, preparing meals, doing laundry, grocery shopping, talking to my husband, and taking care of baby Dakota. I really shouldn’t have any extra time. 

Over scheduling can clog up my time and make me feel like I’m not in control.  But I have a choice.  I can either let life drag me around by my hair or I can learn to say “no” or “not now” or “maybe later”. 

The 32 Day Challenge is a commitment to do something consistently for 32 days.  It can be anything.  I've been taking guitar lessons since Jan (2012) and I committed to 32 days of practice which I've completed.   Since then I've moved on to the 100 day challenge.  Today I'm on day 54. 

What’s the magic behind 32 days?  The brain develops a new neurological pathway that causes your body to think the activity is completely normal and expected.  After doing a little research on this, I found Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul) uses a 30 day challenge in his work to maximize a person's full potential.  30 days or 32 days?  Does it matter? 

What happens if a piano student practices his/her piano consistently for 32 days?  Does a new neurological pathway in the brain that makes piano practice a normal everyday activity have the power to shift a person’s relationship with music?  The piano?  His/her own musicality?  We're going to find out...  Many of my students are either committing to the 32 day challenge or have moved on to the 100 day challenge.  Here's our poster board:

Since completing my own 32 day challenge, I can honestly say that my body will not let me NOT practice guitar.  Or at least not let me forget that I didn’t practice.  I missed one day and the following day it bugged me!  I had this subtle, but nagging sensation to get it done.  And how it’s affecting my relationship to music is something I’m continuing to explore… more on this later.

What is something that's important to you or for you that you have wanted to make a consistent part of your life?  Are you up for the 32 day challenge? 

Starting something new...

I am the great starter of projects. I love having something new to think about.  Whether it's a new technology, new instrument, new music, new curriculum... I get great pleasure in the discovery phase of anything.

My newest delight is finding ways to use technology, social media, stories, and music to push the boundaries of my own insecurities in this great big adult world.  There are many inhibitions that keep me from exploring my own musicality...  there are many fears that keep me from expanding my own teaching opportunities...  I've discovered many reasons to stay small.... to stay the same.  And to those reasons, I say, "SHUSH!"

This blog is something that is out of my "normal" zone.  It's a part of my new project.  I will stay connected to my project.  I will step one foot in front of the other allowing myself to learn and expand...  and you're welcome to join me...