Piano by DESign, LLC

A fun discussion question as we head into the holiday season!

MOTIVATION MONDAY:
Becoming a musician is a constant process of invention and discovery. Be an adventurer!

For our families that celebrate Diwali, we offer this special wish.

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines:
November 6 - LATE FEE ASSESSED if tuition is not received by this deadline
November 9 - TMTA Theory Test, Messiah Lutheran Church (Plano), 1:00PM
November 16-17 - PMTA Fall Festival, Collin College Spring Creek Campus
November 23 - NTMTA Recital at Tribute Senior Living, Prosper
November 25-29 - Thanksgiving Break - NO LESSONS (Studio Closed)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to the Halloween holiday, Ms. Debbi will be taking the day off. In her place, we have hired a substitute teacher for the day. Welcome, Mrs. Razzle Dazzle!

Did you know today is National Candy Corn Day?

Here are some fun facts about candy corn:
One serving of candy corn contains only about 140 calories. And, hey -- it's fat free!

• Candy corn is not just for Halloween anymore. Brown, orange and white candy corn or "Indian corn" is available for Thanksgiving followed by red, green and white candy corn for Christmas.

• Along with Hershey's chocolate and Snickers bars, candy corn makes the Top Ten list of most popular Halloween candies year after year.

• More than 35 million pounds of candy corn will be produced this year, or about 9 billion pieces.
(Fun facts courtesy of www.chiff.com)

For our feline fans, post a photo of your cat in the comments below! We love our furry feline friends!

Take note of the upcoming deadlines and events in November!
November 6 - Late fee assessed if tuition is not received by this date
November 9 - Fall Theory Test, Messiah Lutheran Church (Plano), 1-4PM
November 15-16 - PMTA Fall Festival, Classical/Rococo Era Repertoire, Collin College (Saturday) & Music SO Simple (Sunday)
November 23 - Tribute Senior Living Recital
November 23 - NTMTA Holiday Recital (ONLY for students unable to participate in the Piano by DESign Christmas & Holiday Recitals)
November 25-29 - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, Studio Closed

Today is the registration deadline for the PMTA Fall (Classical) Festival, held on November 16-17 at Collin College, Spring Creek Campus (Saturday) and Music So Simple (Sunday). If your student is participating, you should have received an email regarding this registration. If your student is unable to participate, please let us know TODAY to avoid being charged the registration fee.

The PMTA Halloween Recitals are TODAY, 4:00-8:00PM at Steinway Piano Gallery in Plano!

The 4:00 Recital is sure to have some "BOO-tiful" music!
The 5:00 Recital should be a "FANG-tastic" time!
The 6:00 Recital will be "PUMPKIN" to talk about!
The 7:00 Recital is going to be "SPOOK"-tacular!
The 8:00 Recital will be full of "skele-FUN!"

Can't wait to be "witch" you all tonight!

It's Festival Day!
Today is the NTMTA Fall Festival, held at Messiah Lutheran Church in Plano. Please remember to bring:
- your music (with measures numbered)
- for printed copies, please bring the Copyright Release Form
- your critique sheet
- a great, positive, and CONFIDENT attitude!

Wishing all our students who are participating in the NTMTA Fall Festival tomorrow the best of luck! You have done a great job of preparing your pieces, so go out there and show what you can do! You've got this!

Another great blog post on how to practice more effectively. Today's topic: Repetition!

Most students have a sheet of practice games in their assignment binder. One of the practice games is to try different types of repetition:
- play in different octaves
- play with a different rhythm (swing the eighth notes, for example, or play in cut time)
- play with a different tempo

There are lots of fun ways to keep repetition from becoming boring!
https://harmannymusiceducation.com/2024/08/22/tools-for-practicing-repetition-makes-better/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ZJvr8iXofDFMUWG6/

Happy birthday to Franz Liszt!

The virtuosic pianist and composer who wrote countless influential works was born on this day 213 years ago. Happy birthday, Liszt. ❤️

In the 19th century, he inspired unprecedented levels of fandom, called ‘Lisztomania’, laying the foundations for superstars of today. Read more about Lisztomania at the link in our bio.

TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY!
Whether it's dressing up in costumes, going trick-or-treating, decorating the house, or even something more elaborate, share your favorite traditions in the comments!