Aging melodically...

When an adult calls about piano lessons, they are quick to tell me their age.  I guess this is kind of a disclaimer or something on their part.  "Please don't expect much from me because I'm old."  I usually let them know that my oldest student is 89 years old and he plays beautifully.


Age is a funny thing.  It's a number and it only means what we want it to mean.  I've met many elderly folks who just seem old.  They're often grumpy, impatient and simply unhappy.  And then there are those rare ones who, though, the lines on their face and the shuffle in their step tell a story of a life long lived, there is a brightness in their eyes and a gentleness in their soul that sings an ageless song.  This describes my John.



I recently posted a blog about John (teacher's pet) and wanted to post something again in celebration of his 100th lesson.  John comes weekly and in our lessons together we always end up playing duets together.  We just can't help it.  He is a "tinkerer" at the piano and can play some very remarkable, melancholy melodies.  


Here we are playing together for his 100th lesson.  Enjoy!

Don't just perspire this summer... be inspired!

One week into my two week "stay-cation".   Pool, beach, bbq, friends... and last night, fireworks.  It's been a great summer so far.


Aside from the non-work activities, I've also taken some time to organize my summer schedule, talk to prospective students, play the piano and the guitar and will hopefully, complete the training for Play-A-Story before summer's end.


It feels great to be doing other things. Gives my brain a break and helps me come back to center.  One of the areas I want to dive more deeply into is composition.  And with many students taking a break this summer, I'll have more time to focus on playing and composing.  My declaration:  by September 1st, I'll have written two songs, one for each instrument (guitar and piano).  I will let you know how that's going in a few weeks!


Here's a great video of two kids who not only play beautifully, but are also amazing composers.  Anna shares a bit of Bach and her brother, Lukas, a sweet little song by Neil Moore.  Anna finishes up with a brilliant combination of the two.  


Enjoy!

12 Things That Make My Job Better Than Yours

Next week we'll be finishing our school session.  Then taking a break for a couple weeks and in mid July we'll be moving on to our summer session of lessons and workshops.  Lots of really wonderful things happened this year.  In fact, there are 12 things that just make my job better than yours...  :)


(1)  many new students have come as a result of parents talking about the program and students playing for their friends - thank you for this!


(2)  referrals are the best and I've been able to discontinue all paid advertising.  Yay!


(3)  the new students and parents that have come in are exactly what I want to attract;  they get the program, appreciate the musical progress and love making music together!


(4)  the 32 day challenge and the 100 day challenge got us all practicing more and it connected the students to each other


(5)  moving the furniture out and around the studio, painting, and getting new pieces has made the space even better


(6)  I've pushed through my own mental barriers around teaching the higher levels (reading notes and so on) and as a result...


(7)  teaching my upper level students has given me a new appreciation for Neil and his brilliance


(8)  and it's made me very proud of my students and what they're able to play and create at the piano


(9)  pushed through another mental barrier around learning other instruments;  taking up the guitar is shifting my relationship with music and it's opened up a new avenue of expression


(10)  exploring the world of blogging has been fun because I get to showcase my students;  the videos and interviews have been a great way to connect with students and parents on a different level - thank you for participating and allowing me to video you!!


(11)  playing the piano has been more fun for me this year;  coming from a traditional background, I have hidden hang-ups that many people don't know about;  many of these hang-ups have been almost completely silenced due to me playing more with my students.  


(12)  and the last thing I'll share is that because I'm able to teach this amazing program to amazing people and can do that from my home, I'm able to be with my two girls.  This is a major blessing for our family!


Looking forward to some fun in the sun this summer!  And to exploring this awesome musical journey we're on!

A Musical Cavern

I think introducing a new student and his/her parent to the Simply Music program is like being a trail guide into the Grand Canyon (I imagine).  The hikers have no idea what is coming around the corner, but the guide does.  There must be moments on the trail when the guide sits back and watches with a mischievous grin as the group wanders into a cavern that is more breathtaking than anything they’ve ever seen before.   All the effort it took to get them there must be worth it in that moment.

As a Simply Music teacher, I cannot predict when that moment of "awe" will happen.  But I love guiding students and parents towards the possibility of being blown away.  When a student is discovering composition after only having learned a couple songs or when a student has an “uh ha!” moment because he can see where a new musical tool fits into what he already knows is like standing in that cavern.  Suddenly, what was once unexpected and hidden is now out in the open.  A beautiful thing!   

Edie is a fairly new student.  She’s had 20 lessons and leading her through the musical cavern that is Simply Music has been a joy.  I love her eagerness to use what she's learned to create her own songs.  Here she is playing a piece she wrote called, “The Night It All Happened”.

What about Nicole?

One of my favorite scenes from the movie, What About Bob, is the one that shows Bob securely tied up on the sailboat and in his delight for having found an activity he enjoys, he exclaims, "I sail!  I'm sailing!  I sail!"  


This is how I feel about playing the guitar.  It's such a great activity and though I am merely a novice, it makes me want to exclaim, "I play!  I'm playing!  I play!"  Here's a video to prove it.

Musical Pacifiers... who knew?

Just read this very cool article about premature babies and music.  
What is it about music that encourages growth in premature babies?  

The innovative PAL device, which uses musical lullabies to help infants quickly learn the muscle movements needed to suck, and ultimately feed, is being sold through a partnership with Powers Device Technologies Inc. Research studies have shown that PAL can reduce the length of a premature infant’s hospital stay by an average of five days.

“Unlike full-term infants, very premature babies come into the world lacking the neurologic ability to coordinate a suck/swallow/breathe response for oral feeding,” said Jayne Standley, Florida State’s Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Music Therapy and inventor of the PAL. “The longer it takes them to learn this essential skill, the further behind in the growth process they fall. PAL uses musical lullaby reinforcement to speed this process up, helping them feed sooner and leave the hospital sooner.”

PAL uses a specially wired pacifier and speaker to provide musical reinforcement every time a baby sucks on it correctly. The musical lullabies are gentle and pleasant to the baby, making them want to continue the sucking motion so they can hear more of the lullaby.

Read the complete article here:  http://bit.ly/Kxm3ma

Can I borrow a cup of Burgmuller?

Sometimes inspiration comes from taking something I'm familiar with and tweaking it slightly... or tweaking it to the point that the familiar 'thing' is no longer recognizable.  When composing music, I often look around me at the music I like.  Why do I like that particular piece?  There are many treasures in any given song and it's with creative freedom that the musician expose the parts he/she likes by creating a piece based on the familiar song.  

In this video, Jessica, plays for us Friedrich Burgmuller's Ballade; it's a familiar playful piece that Zach Brewer borrowed from to create his own composition.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, yes?  Enjoy!

Teacher's Pet

Teachers aren't supposed to have favorite students.  And certainly they aren't supposed to tell others who the favorite is.  But I'm going to have to break that rule here.


Prior to meeting John, over two years ago, I had never met a person with more strength of character, more focused intent, more gentleness and more patience.  John came to me after suffering a brain injury.  The injury happened because of a fall and it changed his life.  The simple everyday things that he was once able to do without any thought, have become everyday challenges in which assistance is necessary.  


John began taking piano lessons because his doctor recommended the Simply Music program.  Learning the piano is a way for his brain to heal and make new connections/pathways.  It's been a long road with many ups and downs, but John is nearing his 100th lesson.  And despite his challenges, he brings sunshine into my studio every week.  


Here we are playing the blues:

 

Please move me to tears...

I'm not opposed to crying at all.  In fact, I've been known to cry while listening to "The Winner Takes it All", watching Hallmark commercials, hearing a friend share a personal tragedy, seeing a squirrel get hit by a car, looking into my daughter's eyes after I've scolded her, saying goodbye to my parents after a long visit and the list goes on and on.  I've been told that I'm a sensitive person.  And I've told myself that since I was really young.


As a teenager, sad music was something I learned to create to reflect my endless introspection. I took free reign over simple chord progressions laced with minor and suspended chords and threw in some surprising dynamic choices.  I was sitting behind the controls of the roller coaster and my riders (my peers mostly) thought the emotional ups and downs were fantastic.


Emotional music can be pleasing for some and unnerving for others.  Occasionally when I'm teaching a song in a minor key to a student, it becomes apparent that the student cannot handle the piece.  Not because it's too difficult, but because it's too sad.  I've had a couple students walk out of the room when I play a sad song and still others have cried.  I wonder if this has something to do with the vibration of a particular note and it's affect on our bodies and brains is largely due to our bodies being roughly 70% water.  Sound can transform water.  Energy vibrations can transform water.  (Interesting read, "Messages in Water" by Masaru Emoto).


I'm not a scientist and I cannot easily articulate my thoughts around this phenomenon, but I do know that Adele's "Someone Like You" brings me to a place of sadness surrounding past relationships, makes me go inward, makes me tear up and yet, I want to listen to it again.  And again... the pain is pleasurable.


Here's an interesting article about the mystery behind sad music.

The science behind Adele's emotional music

www.mnn.com

Researchers examine how the hit 'Someone Like You' evokes an emotional response that keeps us coming back for more.

A Family Affair

Learning an instrument is a family affair...  Everyone experiences music on some level.  You may be an "audience" member or you may be the music maker, but you're all - mom, dad, brother, sister - exposed to the vibrations of sound that are created by hands on an instrument.  


The Anzai family embraces music in their home.  It's present on a daily basis.  Sam and Taylor share their music with us - a little boogie woogie and a little jazz!  And Joe (their dad) shares his thoughts about their musical journey...