November 2018

A Month of Haydn

Studies show that children tend to like what they are exposed to frequently. So throughout this month we focused a lot on learning about our composer of the month, Franz Joseph Haydn, a.k.a. “the father of the symphony.” Haydn was one of the grand master composers of the Classical era (roughly between 1750–1820). He came from very humble […]

Holiday Family Performances

During Thanksgiving last week, I was reminded of Thanksgivings past when, as a child and teenager, I was often asked to perform on the piano for family and friends gathered together for the holiday. These impromptu family performances were always fun times to showcase what I had been learning and to let others enjoy some […]

After a Recital

Most students prepare a piece for several months before actually performing it at a recital, so after the recital, many students may be thinking: “Now that I’m done with my piece, what do I do?” The weeks following a recital performance can be a great opportunity for students to review goals and set new ones for the […]

How Apathy Kills Heartfelt Performances

At our recent recitals here at the Piano Academy, we had several great performances and some performances that allowed me as a teacher to instruct my students further in performing under pressure and dealing with performance anxiety. In the week after the recital, I had the opportunity to help my students take a step back […]

Why YOU Should Listen to Classical Music

A while ago, we shared some of the benefits of playing classical music—language development, higher test scores, and higher IQ among them. But you don’t have to take lessons to reap the benefits of classical music—just listening to it has been observed to have some amazing side effects, as well! Here are some of the benefits […]

An Attitude of Gratitude

To best help our students develop both talent and testimony at piano lessons, we focus on one virtue each month from the Virtue for Virtuosos list. This month our faculty and students are focusing on GRATITUDE! This virtue ties in perfectly with the season and with Thanksgiving coming up right around the corner. When people hear the word gratitude, […]

Pre-Recital Performances

Performing in front of an audience at a recital can be a scary situation for some students. It can be nerve-wracking to know others are listening to your performance. Performing can make the performer hyperaware of everything they are doing, which can often put a performer in a very different state of mind from the […]

What a “Bad” Performance Taught Me About Practicing Piano

I’ve been practicing piano and performing for a lot of years (more years than most of our students have been alive!), so I’ve had a wide range of experiences when it comes to performing—from terrible to great and everything in between. While I’d say performing has almost always been a positive experience for me, sometimes things […]

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