For the Love of Music - lessons in piano

I don't know who needs to hear this, but you don't have to wait until your creative efforts are perfect before you share them with someone.

Winston Churchill said, "Perfectionism is the enemy of progress".

You might never know how your efforts to grow and learn something will inspire someone else to chase after their creative dreams.

Love yourself and your creative efforts right where they are.

They are blossoming and developing so don't stunt their growth by being hard on yourself.

It is a huge privilege to be able to have new students come into my studio.
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I love getting to know them and why they want to learn.

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I love learning more about what they love to do as well.
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One of the best parts is that I gain a new friend.
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The next best part - I get to help my new friend love the piano too!
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"The piano is a mirror to the soul; it expresses what you are feeling at the moment" Alicia Keys
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This time, I'm giving myself permission to show just how much I love the piano and have fun with my students.
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I want to laugh and not take myself or the piano too seriously.
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If this is the kind of piano experience you've been hoping for, my door is open.
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Jenn

One of my students is young, like 4 years old young. You might wonder why I would accept someone that young to learn piano. Because there are books that will support him in learning, he is so excited to learn, and we will take it slow. And this is his why! He wants to learn to play the piano. He makes me laugh because he is so excited and so inquisitive. :D

I also have an adult student who has some experience but had to quit previous lessons. Now we get to start fresh for a few weeks as she gets back into it. It is going to be so fun! She wants to learn a song that she has heard someone she loves play. This is her why.

So forget "the rules" about being too old or too young to learn a new trick. If you want to learn, you can! Think about why you want to learn and then get started on that thing you've always wanted to learn. That "WHY" will drive you all the way into the fun of learning something new!

Okay, let's talk about something I was discussing with my daughter today:

There is a place for all types of piano players! 🎹

Some people want to play for fun and not win competitions. I teach those people. 😍 If you want to learn for fun, or learn a new hobby, I would be a great option for you.

If you want to play in recitals or win competitions, I'm not the teacher for you.

Come learn to play with me if I'm the teacher for you. 😃 I am loving the opportunity it has been to teach again to so many students, children and adults.

Jenn

Let's talk about my WHY - what pushed me to learn to play the piano when I was a teenager.

I had a piano teacher for a few years when I was young. We moved states and then I didn't have a teacher anymore. I was a young teen so it probably didn't make sense to my parents. Also, I really remember not wanting to practice or even do the theory work.

When I was a mid-teenager about 15, my dad told me that I was wasting my (piano) talent. I responded with "What talent? I'm playing out of John Thompson's 1st grade book. No thanks!"

And that was all he said.

I decided right then and there that I would figure out how to play. I wanted to play on my terms though.

I grew up singing around the piano with my siblings, although usually my older siblings played for us when we sang. So based on that I found a book of songs in our piano room that I was familiar with, and that I wanted to learn how to play. One of the songs had no sharps or flats. It didn't look too difficult. So that's where I started.

First, I began looking at the notes in the first measure, one step at a time and before I knew it I could play the song. Aaand the song was pretty much memorized by that point because I had played it over and over so many times to learn how to play it. 😂

Now what?

I found another song this time with 1 flat. Well, I can figure out this song as well I thought. So using the same method as before I figured out how to play that song. Then a song with 2 flats, then 3, etc.

Pretty soon I was ready to learn sharps. Same method as before. 1 sharp at a time.

So what drove me? The desire to play and sing songs that I loved or wanted to learn. That was my WHY.

I have no idea how long it took me to learn to play the piano like that. I kept a journal during that time but didn't mention even once that I was learning to play or that I played the piano.

Sometimes the amazing things we do in life are not appreciated until years down the road. Now I finally see what a blessing that was for me. It helped me through my awkward teen years with brothers who wanted nothing to do with me. It gave me confidence like nothing else ever could have done.

So what is your WHY? Have you always wanted to play a specific song? Do you just want to be able to play for fun? Do you want to be able to learn to play so that you can sit down in the evenings and play relaxing music? Let's get you there together.

If you are an adult and already know some, but want to improve what about a monthly lesson? We'll play through songs, see where you are, and then give tips and tricks for you to move through songs at your pace. If you have questions throughout the month you can reach out in whatever way you need to get help (video chat, marco polo, voice text, etc). Or we can schedule another lesson in the middle of the month. Whatever we need to do.

But first - what is YOUR WHY? Message me and let's get started.

Jenn 😍