Appassionata Piano Studio & Professional Services

My office last night:

🎹 the belly of with the kiddos rehearsing for that is happening this weekend with the

🤗 my chorale kiddo was pretty excited for me to be helping with rehearsal

If you’re in local to the Denver area, don’t miss this amazing opportunity to hear the in CO perform Howard Shore’s soundtrack while watching this epic film on the big screen. (And seriously, these kids sound so good!)

Appassionata Piano Studio, LLC, is proud to be part of STEPs (Steinway Teacher and Educational Partner Programs).

Steinway’s commitment to excellence over the past 170 years continues to exemplify the best in artistry and musical craft. It is an honor to be a and a partner with Steinway in music and music education.

Want to know more? Drop a 🎹 in the comments for more information; or visit appassionatapiano.com or https://www.steinwaycolorado.com (links in bio).

If I’ve been told once, I’ve been told a thousand times: “You’re so talented!” “I’d give anything to have half your talent.” “You are so lucky to have a talent like you do.”

My response is always an attempt to explain what so beautifully sums up below.

***

Talent? It’s Just Practice in Disguise…

Let’s get one thing straight: talent is the ultimate magician. It shows up, performs its tricks, and leaves everyone gasping “Wow, they’re so naturally gifted!”
But behind the curtain? It’s really just hours and hours (and hours) of practice wearing a fancy cape.

Take a deep breath—this is actually great news.

It means you don’t need to be born with some mystical “talent gene” to do amazing things. You just need to put in the work.

Think about Mozart (yes, him again). People love to say, “Oh, he was born a genius.” Sure, Mozart started composing at five, but guess what?
His dad was a music teacher who made him practice like crazy. He wasn’t just born scribbling symphonies in the womb. He practiced, experimented, and honed his craft relentlessly.

Or how about Serena Williams? She wasn’t born with a tennis racket in her hand. She was trained from a young age with intense dedication. What we see on the court now—those jaw-dropping moves—is the result of thousands of hours of sweat and hard work.

Even Picasso had to learn how to draw stick figures before painting Guernica.

The truth is, practice doesn’t care where you came from, how old you are, or whether your neighbor has “better genes” than you. It rewards effort, consistency, and a willingness to fail (a lot).

Think of it like a bank account for skills. Every time you practice, you make a little deposit.

Some days it’s pennies, other days it’s a nice fat check. Over time, all those deposits add up.

And suddenly, one day, people are like, “Wow, you’re so talented!” while you just smile, knowing your secret: that talent is just practice with better PR.

Why Practice Beats “Talent” Every Time:

- You’re in Control: You can’t control if you’re born with a “gift,” but you can control how much effort you put in.

- It’s More Reliable: Natural talent might give someone a head start, but consistent practice will always win the long race.

- Failure Becomes Your Friend: Practice isn’t about getting it right every time; it’s about getting better. Messing up is part of the process.
Practicing isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes it’s frustrating, repetitive, and you’d rather binge-watch your favorite show.
But every time you push through, you’re inching closer to your goals. Plus, there’s a strange kind of joy in realizing that the thing you couldn’t do last week is now a piece of cake.

So, if you’re looking at someone’s incredible skill and feeling discouraged, remember this: they weren’t born amazing. They put in the time, made mistakes, and kept showing up. And you can do the same.

Whether it’s playing piano, learning a language, or becoming the reigning champion of charades, your success isn’t about “talent.” It’s about practice, patience, and a willingness to keep trying—even when it’s messy.

And hey, if all else fails, just remember: Mozart practiced. Serena practiced. You can practice too. Who knows? One day, people might be whispering, “Wow, they’re so talented!” about you. 😊

On these words.. I’ll start practicing .. Have a good day! 😘

ps: Then there is quality over quantity.. I’ll do a post about that.. quantity without quality is not practice .. you better have a walk instead 😇 And there is such thing as too much practice.. 😉

✍🏻: Anne-Gabriéle Douce

📷: APS students in practice and performance

Keep those resolutions real. 💫🎹

[Source: Don’t Shoot the Pianist, http://euge.ca]

Another in the books—and what a special one it was!

🎄🎹

Christmas gigging. 🎄🎶

What better way to spend night than practicing ?

APS students know how to have fun at recitals! Here is live footage from our fall recital finale, Lavignac’s Galop-Marche arranged for 8 hands at one piano.

📷: Luke Dillard (at the piano)

🎹: .q.k, , Keira, and Luke

Every summer, I plan summer lessons around a theme with a showcase and ice cream party in August 🍨 One summer, students loved learning movie music 🎬another summer, they had a blast practicing pieces that are summer-themed ☀️

This summer, I bravely chose ensembles as our studio theme, half-expecting that over the course of the break, lessons and rehearsals would get too complicated with everyone’s wildly varying schedules 🎹🎻

Not only did my students rise to the occasion of creating ensembles with friends and family members, they picked their own music, practiced it, and rehearsed with their ensemble partners to prepare for our upcoming showcase. On Sunday, I will host 20 different ensembles of students, parents, friends, and grandparents, including duos featuring piano with cello, violin, voice, and even accordion; a trio of piano with ukulele and guitar; and a song written, composed, and performed by three middle schoolers. From classical standards and movie themes to folk music and popular tunes, this program will show off what these amazing kids (and their awesome parents, grandparents, and friends) are capable of. 👏🏼

📷: the few photos I remembered to capture this week during rehearsals

S P R I N G R E C I T A L



A beautiful display of musicianship and scholarship at today’s APS Spring Recital!

🎶: Composers Through Time and Sound

🎹: Students chose, researched, and practiced music by composers over a 300-year span, from classical composers to film score and video game composers. I couldn’t be more proud of their work, scholarship, and musicality today!

Final recital of 2023—The Nightmare Before Christmas and Christmastime is Here—is in the books. 🎶💀🎄

Ranging from age 4-17, my studio is full of kids who have so many talents, but they performed for not one, but two recitals today.

(Our Halloween recital was snowed out, and since they were all so excited to perform those pieces, we combined it today with the holiday recital in a fun little twist.)