Susan Ottzen Piano and Harp Teacher

Bad weather coming. Shopping early for this week.

Going to the Farmers Market before the cold snap this week!

What’s the temperature where you are? It’s 90 in Decatur

Watching Black Holes/The Edge of all We know on Netflix

My latest testimonial from a parent of a piano student about my teaching - my private piano and harp studio in Decatur
TESTIMONIAL 12/27/21
Susan Ottzen has been a wonderful piano teacher for my son. He’s a quick learner, and Susan both challenges him and encourages him to explore on his own. She is very patient but also keeps things moving in lessons. My son has loved piano lessons with Susan!
As a conservatory-trained instrumentalist and music educator myself, I put in a lot of time researching teachers in the Atlanta area. I was thrilled to find Susan; when I spoke with her for the first time, I knew I’d made the right choice for my son. Her background as a professional harpist, jazz musician, piano teacher, recording artist, and her commitment to maintaining membership in professional music organizations piqued my interest as I compared her background with the qualifications of other local piano teachers. I highly recommend Susan Ottzen to anyone looking for a high-quality, dedicated private teacher. Jennifer McCrary 9/15/21

Susan Ottzen’s Christmas Holiday in person recital (vaccinations, masks, hand sanitizer) Dec 5, 2021 at 4 pm at Columbia Presbyterian Church 711 S Columbia Piano and Harp students- if you want to attend please email me at sottzen@gmail. com

9 BENEITS OF MUSIC LESSONS

1. It builds language skills. As they learn their instrument, children become accustomed to different sounds that they would not have recognized before. This practice trains their ears for the nuances and subtle sounds of language.
2. It makes them stronger academically. Researchers have found connections between music lessons and nearly every measure of academic achievement: SAT scores, high school GPA, reading comprehension, and math skills. Music also improves their powers of recall for powerful learning in all subjects.
3. It increases their IQ. Numerous studies (including this one in 2004 by E. Glenn Schellenberg) have proven that children’s IQs increase because of even a few weeks of music lessons. Brain scan technology reveals that brain activity increases following musical training, and some parts of the brain even grow larger!
4. It teaches them discipline. Your child may be expecting to become a viral sensation overnight, but in fact, he may have to spend hours even just learning the proper way to hold that violin or trumpet before he can even make a sound. Music lessons require hours of concentration and patience. Children must persevere even when things aren’t going well…an invaluable skill for all areas of life.
5. It supports muscle development and motor skills. Children must use their whole bodies to keep the rhythm going when they play. They also must coordinate different motions with their hands at the same time. In doing so, they develop strength and coordination.
6. It improves social skills. If children play in a group, they have to learn to work together to achieve a common goal, exercising tolerance, patience, and encouragement towards their peers.
7. It makes kids feel good about themselves. There’s nothing quite like the sense of pride that comes from working on building a new skill for an extended period of time…especially when the result is beautiful music.
8. It helps kids understand culture. By learning music from various parts of the globe, students come to understand these cultures, whether it’s African drumming or Argentine tango music.
9. It brings joy. And finally, we come to the most important reason of all. When children can play music, it makes them happy…and everyone else too.
And you thought they were just learning how to play an instrument! Little did you know that your children will accomplish so many other wonderful things too.

Victor Wooten-"The Music Lesson" pg 3
Here's what I mean. I listened to Music in the past but only in a one-sided way. I only listened to what I wanted to hear, not what Music had to say. It was like I only wanted to hear my opinion. Have you ever had a conversation where you didn't really listen to what the other person had to say? Of course you have. We do it all the time. We are usually so anxious to say the next word or phrase that we don't listen fully to what anyone wants to say. We feel the need to get our point across-the need to win. That doesn't cultivate a good relationship. It won't work with Music either. Music exists inside each one of us

Its Susan Ottzen I teach piano and harp virtually and in person contact me at [email protected] or text me at 404-550-9304

My students are practicing SO much during the pandemic, its very exciting, One Adult harp student is practicing 7 hours a week. A piano student a boy is practicing 4 hours a week Just heard about recent study using MRI on beginning musicians showing how much of brain lights up when they are playing , which was a small amount at the beginning, gradually as they played more and more, their scanned brains showed more and more activity in the brain the more they played. Shows the value of playing and practicing. Kim Robertson's harp webinar shared this

Teaching piano and harp on WhatsApp and FaceTime is working-thanks to all my hard working students-I have one adult student Albert Yoo who is practicing 7 hours a week!

THE BENEFITS OF PLAYING MUSIC HELP YOUR BRAIN MORE THAN ANY OTHER ACTIVITY