Harmony House Piano Studio

Our first recital is this Saturday. We've done performances at a local assisted living home at Christmas, but this is our first BIG DEAL. I can't wait for my students to share what they have learned. It brings me to tears when I think about what they have accomplished to prepare for Saturday. I wish I had taken a video of each of them on the day they got their piano piece just so they could see how far they've come. I'm so proud of them, but more than that, I hope they are proud of themselves. They certainly deserve to be!

Oh, these little hands!

While my schedule is pretty much full for after-school students, I have plenty of spots during school hours. I'd love to have some adults or homeschooled students help fill them. If you've been thinking about piano lessons and can take a lesson during school hours, send me an email for more [email protected].

This Is My Wish - Jordin Sparks

"Let love be the song that everybody sings."
https://youtu.be/E7zTOXwKfzk

This Is My Wish - Jordin Sparks http://vndata.blogspot.com * Lyrics: This is my wish, my wish for the world That peace would find its way To every boy and girl This is the time, the time fo...

The holidays are coming! What better way to kick off the season than by treating yourself and your child to a little Christmas fun by taking a Mommy (or Daddy) and Me piano class. I'm offering four-weeks of fun and games where you and your child will learn to play a Christmas song (or two!) together. Lessons are 30 minutes long and cost $75 for four lessons. I have ten slots available, so contact me via the email button on my fb page if you are interested. (Program is most appropriate for 4s and 5s.)

Here's a sneak peek of something I have in the making for the Christmas season.

Summer is a great time to give music lessons a try. It's also a great time because my schedule can be so much more flexible than during the school year, with the ability to accommodate vacations, if necessary. If you'd like to find out more, contact me at [email protected]. I'd love to talk with you about your child (or you) taking lessons.

With an afternoon/evening schedule that is almost full, I'm branching out to those who are able to take lessons during school hours--retired folks, homeschooled children, etc. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] for more information.

Tonight I said a prayer for my students. I prayed that through piano they find what they need: confidence, joy, pride, creativity, a voice... Of course, I want them all to be skilled in piano, but that comes second to what I hope they find within themselves through this instrument.

I've just started a music program called WunderKeys with my daughter (she's 4). This afternoon, she asked me if we could play hide-and-seek with her "Piano Friends." Ah, be still, my heart.

How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins

The benefits of playing a musical instrument...

Be smart!! Sign up today! Private lessons are $75 per month for weekly 30-minute lessons.

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins

How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians’ brains when they play, and examines s...

October is almost here, and that means all things Halloween! I picked up these cute items from the $1 bins at Target. Halloween stickers, eye ball stickers to help my students remember certain trouble spots in songs, black cat heads that can double as game pieces and as black cat notes, and zombies...gotta figure a way to use those. Maybe a note relay on the keyboard? I've got lots of Halloween songs to share for my beginners as well as my more advanced. Can't wait for the Halloween fun to begin!!

This is how we remember which finger to play first in our piece. I'm thinking a little fingernail painting party would have complimented the Dora rings nicely.

School begins soon, and that's when everyone normally begins signing their children up for sports, dance, and music classes. Be an early bird and beat the rush! By signing up early, you have a better chance of getting a lesson time that fits into your schedule best.

And don't worry. I have no registration period. As long as I have the space, I'll take new students any time!

I am so proud of my 4 year old student, Amelia. She's been learning "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" for two weeks with colored tissue paper. When she came to her lesson this week, I took away the tissue paper just to see. She nailed it!

I can. Not. Wait! to have my student, Connor, next week! We talked about goals for the piano and songs she'd like to learn to play. Her song: "One Call Away." She's in the Primer, so I wanted to give her a format similar to what she's seeing. We're going to spend time talking about note value, where she colors in some notes (she already knows the rhythm of the song anyway). I'll introduce a simple chord explanation, and we'll listen to notes that sound good together in the next few weeks. She's going to LOVE THIS!

Teaching the use of firm fingertips is fun with a little Playdoh, a rolling pin, and a kid-friendly baking sheet. My student, Amelia, made Playdoh cookies, pressing the "chocolate chips" into the dough. She put it in my children's play oven, and the cookies "baked" while we had our lesson. Maybe one day I'll use real cookie dough and have a delicious treat to share at the end of the lesson. Yum!

I got this tapestry when I volunteered in South Africa in a village library. It's always spoken harmony to me. I can't think of a better picture to represent my piano lesson business. I just love how this African woman seems at one with her earth while music surrounds her.