Piano, Clarinet, and Vocal Instructor

The Sleeping Piano
By: Elizabeth Springsteel

There once was a woman who loved to play
her grand piano every day.

She kept it in a lovely room
And dusted it with a feathered broom.

It sat beneath a chandelier
Polished shiny as a mirror.

The room had windows to see the trees
with delicate curtains that moved in the breeze.

A tall clock stood beside large fish,
golden tails that softly swished.

And inside her piano lived colorful notes.
And when she played, they would float.

They swirled out of the piano and twirled and bloomed.
They danced like smoke around the room.

The piano thought that this was fun.
Eighty eight keys smiled like the sun.

So every season, year after year,
when she played, the notes appeared.

They danced to falling yellow leaves
piling up beside the trees

They danced while winter air held snow;
Falling flakes in frosty rows.

They danced while muddy spring rain fell
on fragile flowers shaped as bells

And while they danced in warm starlight,
their colors shimmered in the night

But as the years passed the woman by,
the sparkle faded from her eyes.

She played the piano less and less,
until one day she took a rest.

Her wrinkled hands upon her lap,
the piano took a summer nap

It slept through fall, winter, and spring
No playing for years, not a thing.

The old clock clicked
Tick. Tock. Tick.

The clanging keys of a stepping cat,
landing on the sharps and flats.

Water swished
around orange fish.

Songbirds with feathers of pastel
sang as clear as crystal bells.

And while the grand piano slept
Sad music notes cried and wept

Sobbing next to silver strings,
wooden hammers, and coiled springs.

One afternoon, the front door CREAKED,
A little girl kissed the woman’s cheek.

“Grandma! Grandma!” the child called.
Upon the piano’s bench she crawled.

She pressed some keys with a PLINK
“I have the best idea, I think!”

“Will you teach me how to play?”
The child pleaded, “Maybe today!”

The woman smiled with gentle eyes.
“So many years have passed me by.”

“I’m not so sure I remember how.”
“Oh Grandma! Teach me now!”

The next afternoon, the child returned.
With a new purple book, and stickers to earn

The woman taught her to count her thumb
“In our piano book it’s number one.”

The child’s notes were careful and small.
The woman said “Seven letters, that’s all.”

The piano stirred, a bit out of tune,
but it did wake up that afternoon.

The child practiced through summer and fall,
her hands grew strong and her posture tall.

By the next winter, notes danced again.
Just like they used to do back then.

She played some notes from a tune;
A French little piece called “Clair De Lune.”

They swirled out of the piano and twirled and bloomed.
And danced like smoke around the room.

“Grandma will you play for me?” the little girl asked her gleefully.

The woman smiled and sat down to play
A beautiful Sonata from her younger days

“Bye Grandma!” the little girl said
“It’s time for me to go to bed!”

The woman smiled, and waved at her son
She loves family more than anyone.

On her chair, draped in fur,
she pet her cat who began to purr.

The snow fell as the car drove away,
her heart felt lovely that winter’s day.

Learning the note ‘E’ in preschool piano!

Green is the color of choice of play doh for the day before St. Patrick’s Day! 💚🍀

I needed a prop for the Raffi song “Mr. Sun,” so I decided to put silk scarves in my expandable ball.

Linus truly thinks this is for him. 🌞

Today in preschool piano lessons, Penelope the kitty puppet will teach middle C! A simple craft will help reinforce this brand new note! ‘C’ for cat, and creative teaching at that!

Your voice holds power far beyond words.

According to a fascinating study, singing for just one hour can increase your body’s production of secretory immunoglobulin A, or SIgA, by up to 240 percent. SIgA is your immune system’s first line of defense. It coats the lining of your mouth, throat, lungs, and digestive system, blocking viruses and bacteria before they invade deeper.

Researchers compared people who sang to those who simply listened to music or sat quietly. The difference was clear. Singing led to a massive spike in immunity, while the other activities offered only minor changes.

The act of singing is not just emotional. It is physical medicine. Breath control strengthens the lungs. Muscle engagement improves circulation. Vocal vibration stimulates healing in the chest, face, and brain.

Even more impressive? Singing activates the vagus nerve. This nerve calms the body, regulates stress, lowers cortisol, and balances your immune system. It is the body’s natural switch between fight mode and healing mode.

This is not about singing well. It is about singing fully. Whether it is gospel in a choir, humming in the kitchen, or belting a pop song in the car, your immune system listens and responds.

Singing also boosts endorphins, creating a natural high that relaxes the mind and energizes the body. In a world overwhelmed by stress, that shift can be the medicine many people never realized they needed.

So sing like your health depends on it. Because science says it just might.
Your voice is more than expression. It is immunity in motion.

Music time is more than just fun, it’s also a little burst of magic for growing minds! 🎶

When young children sing, clap, and move to music, their brains are making tons of new connections that help with language, memory, and emotional skills. (Fun fact: music activates both sides of the brain at once: go, brain, go!)

With smiles, silly songs, and joyful repetition, music time helps children feel confident, connected, and ready to learn.

We love learning through music, because happy hearts and curious brains grow best together 💛🎵