Piano Buds in a Pod

🌟 Congratulations to Shiv Dubey! 🌟

We are thrilled to celebrate Shiv Dubey for achieving the ABRSM Entry Level Award in Music Performance (Initial Grade) – Piano with Distinction! 🏆🎶

This prestigious certification from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) recognizes Shiv’s dedication, hard work, and musical growth. Along with this achievement, Shiv has been awarded 4 credits at Entry Level (Entry 3)—a fantastic milestone on his piano journey!

Presented by Piano Buds in a Pod, New York, this success is a testament to Shiv’s passion and perseverance. We are incredibly proud and can’t wait to see where his musical path leads next!

In the heart of New York City, our Baby Beethoven toddlers after-school program creates magical musical moments! This week, our little musicians mastered their C Major scale on the big digital pianos and took turns performing the “Tiger” song on the grand piano. 🐯 As each child played, their classmates brought the music to life by walking, running, and roaring like tigers, blending creativity and fun with musical learning.

🌈🎵 You and your child are welcome anytime to attend Baby Beethoven music, movement, and piano class (45mins) at Piano Buds in a Pod on 91 Street and 2nd Avenue. Take a fun peek of our classes at https://pianobuds.com/blog-explore-our-classes Book a class at https://pianobuds.com/baby-beethoven

Baby Beethoven are early-childhood music classes crafted to spark your child's imagination through music, movement, piano, and dramatic play. Over the semester, with varied themes, students will explore the core concepts of performing classical music within pretend play while keeping a steady beat, playing rhythm instruments, dancing to orchestral music, looking at art, singing the solfège, and exploring the piano with one-finger classical tunes along with your stuffy Nina Ballerina. Fee: $30/1-introductory class; $32/1-class with a course ticket; $45/1-class (drop-in)

💂🏾‍♀️It’s Nutcracker Season at Piano Buds in a Pod!

This week, our toddlers embark on a magical musical adventure through Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker! The journey begins with the enchanting tale of Clara, who receives a Nutcracker shaped like a toy soldier from her Uncle Drosselmeyer. “Uncle Drosselmeyer is here! He has presents for everyone!”

Our little musicians bring the story to life, playing the iconic musical themes on their piano books as they step into Clara’s world and discover the magic of the Nutcracker. Let the holiday fun begin!

🌈🎵 You and your child are welcome anytime to attend Baby Beethoven music, movement, and piano class (45mins) at Piano Buds in a Pod on 91 Street and 2nd Avenue. Take a fun peek of our classes at https://pianobuds.com/blog-explore-our-classes Book a class at https://pianobuds.com/baby-beethoven

Baby Beethoven are early-childhood music classes crafted to spark your child’s imagination through music, movement, piano, and dramatic play. Over the semester, with varied themes, students will explore the core concepts of performing classical music within pretend play while keeping a steady beat, playing rhythm instruments, dancing to orchestral music, looking at art, singing the solfège, and exploring the piano with one-finger classical tunes along with your stuffy Nina Ballerina. Fee: $30/1-introductory class; $32/1-class with a course ticket; $45/1-class (drop-in)

In this lively New York City music class, toddlers transform into gallant knights riding plush hobby horses, their costumes adding a splash of medieval flair. One bold knight steals the show, blasting a silver toy trumpet with gleeful enthusiasm, filling the room with triumphant t***s.

Meanwhile, the teacher sets the pace at the piano, playing Rossini’s William Tell Overture with a galloping rhythm that has the little knights racing and twirling around the room. The mix of music, movement, and make-believe creates a joyful, energetic scene where fun reigns supreme and creativity knows no bounds!

Pitch Perfect Adventures with Woodland Friends! 🦊🌈 In our music class for kids, we explore the magical world of chime bars! Children get to discover the special sounds of do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti as they strike each bar to hear its unique pitch. To make learning even more fun, we match these chime bar sounds with colorful music notes, so kids can see and hear how each note fits together.

Adding to the excitement, we bring in adorable finger puppet animals—playful squirrels, a sly red fox, cuddly black bears, a curious skunk, a busy beaver, and a wriggly salamander! As the pitch goes up and down, the kids pretend to climb a staircase with their finger puppet friends, imagining the animals exploring hills, valleys, and forests. This playful, hands-on approach helps kids connect movement and sound while making music an adventure they’ll always remember!

After-school Group Piano for ages 5+

At Piano Buds in a Pod this week, the Baby Beethoven class is buzzing with rhythmic exploration! The toddlers are diving into the world of percussion as they engage with fruit shakers and cajons.

The class begins with a quick warm-up on identifying basic notes, something they’ve been practicing for a while. Then, the real fun starts! Using colorful, tactile fruit shakers, the little ones learn to subdivide beats, exploring rhythmic patterns that feel playful and musical.

Next, the cajons take center stage. Toddlers are guided to use their fingers to tap out bass notes and experiment with different tones. The instructor helps them create a simple rhythm, blending the deeper bass sounds of the cajon with the crisp, bright tones of the shakers.

The session is lively, interactive, and designed to foster foundational rhythm skills, all while keeping the toddlers captivated with movement, sound, and fun. By the end of class, they’re not just playing—they’re grooving!

In this session, toddlers will learn the playful song “Stirring My Brew,” where we’ll pretend to mix up a magical brew filled with exciting ingredients.

Using rain sticks and other simple instruments, children will produce simmering sounds as we stir, stir, stir! Together, we’ll sing:

”Stirring and stirring and stirring my brew!
What shall I put in my magical brew?”

Each child can imagine and add a fun ingredient like a golden scarab, and we’ll listen to the rain sticks as we watch our “brew” bubble and boil!

This class encourages creativity, early rhythm skills, and imagination while introducing young children to music and sound exploration. Perfect for little ones who love to play and make magic!

🧪 Join our *Halloween Music Fun* class, where toddlers can sing, play, and explore sound with the spooky song, “Monsieur Mouse Runs Through the House!” 🎶 In this interactive class, little ones will sing about a mischievous mouse, brewing potions, and clattering bones, all while playing cymbals to create the “clink clink clank!” of the potion-making scene. They’ll use their imagination as they act out the song, pretending to toss bones and see rats scurry around the bubbling pot. The perfect way to introduce toddlers to music in a playful and creative setting! 🎃

Photo: Steinway Hall, New York

Dear Students and Families,

We are pleased to announce that the piano recital is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 4:30 PM. The event will take place at Steinway Hall in New York.

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Time: 4:30 PM
Venue: Steinway Hall, 1133 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036 (at Bryant Park)

Who Should Attend:
All students are encouraged to participate and showcase their progress. Friends and family are welcome to attend and support.

What to Expect:
Each student will perform one (1) selected piece in front of an audience of peers, family members, and instructors. The recital will provide a professional and supportive environment, perfect for gaining performance experience.

Important Reminders:

• Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the start time for warm-ups and sound checks.
• Dress code is semi-formal.
• The recital will conclude with a group photo and an award ceremony presented by Steinway & Sons representative Jennifer Chiaramonte.

Photography:
This recital will be photographed, and pictures of the students may be used on the Piano Buds in a Pod website and social media platforms.

We will provide more specific information regarding performance preparation and logistics as the event date approaches. Should you have any questions or need further details, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We look forward to seeing all of our talented students perform at this special event!

Warm regards,
Alexandra

A Special Milestone: Piano Buds Becomes a Steinway Educational Partner!

I am beyond excited to share that Piano Buds has officially partnered with Steinway & Sons as a Steinway Educational Partner! Receiving this prestigious certificate, presented by Jennifer Chiaramonte from Steinway & Sons in Manhattan, marks a new chapter for our piano community.

This partnership is a tremendous opportunity for all my students, allowing them to learn and grow while surrounded by the world's finest pianos. It’s not just a recognition—it’s a step forward in enhancing the quality of piano education we provide.

Stay tuned for more details about an upcoming Piano Tasting event, and of course, I can’t wait to announce our student recital at the Steinway Recital Hall in 2025. I’m hoping to lock in a recital date between May 1 and May 23, 2024, so keep your calendars open!

Thank you, Steinway & Sons, for believing in the future of music education, and a special thank you to Jennifer for making this moment possible.

Looking forward to an exciting year ahead! 🎶

🍎 New York City is known for its impressive skyline, with tall, gleaming buildings reaching up into the sky. This week in our baby-and-me "Baby Beethoven" music class, the young students are delving into the world of brass and woodwind instruments. The clarinet takes center stage with an amazing introduction to George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, a composer known for his love of jazz music in America. 💙 The teacher skillfully demonstrated the music's introduction on the piano, captivating the students' attention. The class then sang a lively song about trains, mimicking the sounds of "puff," "peep," "chuff," and "toot" as they played their wind instruments to mimic the passing trains. 🚂 Don't miss out on this musical adventure - book a class at pianobuds.com today!

This week in our baby-and-me “Baby Beethoven” music class for ages 1 and up and “Group Piano” for ages 5 and up, the young students start to dance, copying the swan’s movements. As they do, the melody begins to play and the piano sounds like the water rippling underneath the swan as it swims. 🩰 They also learned and played on their pianos the melody of the music. Their teacher played the solo piano version of this music in class. The music is by Camille Saint-Saëns who is from France. 🇫🇷 Book a class at pianobuds.com

Music class for ages 1 to 3! 🌈🎵 You and your child are welcome to attend Baby Beethoven music, movement, and piano class (45mins) at Piano Buds in a Pod on 91 Street and 2nd Avenue. Book your first class at pianobuds.com with the code BABYBEETHOVEN for $30/1-class. Monday 2pm classes are $20/1-class.

📸 Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com Piano Buds was an activity partner at the Central Park Conservancy Playground Partners Annual Family Party 2024 hosted by the Central Park Women’s Comittee, founded in 1983, with a community of 1000 women who raise funds and awareness to keep Central Park green and beautiful. It is a huge opportunity that I am thankful for especially as a new business in New York. The children had fun under the sun and completed the piano challenges. They also played on fruit shakers and soundbellows as they explored rhythm and new sounds! As a saying goes by pedagogue Dr. Suzuki, “they’re rarely too young...and never too old to twinkle”.

2024

📸 Matt Borkowski/BFA.com Piano Buds was an activity partner at the Central Park Conservancy Playground Partners Annual Family Party 2024 hosted by the Central Park Women’s Comittee, founded in 1983, with a community of 1000 women who raise funds and awareness to keep Central Park green and beautiful. It is a huge opportunity that I am thankful for especially as a new business in New York. The children had fun under the sun and completed the piano challenges. They also played on fruit shakers and soundbellows as they explored rhythm and new sounds! As a saying goes by pedagogue Dr. Suzuki, “they’re rarely too young...and never too old to twinkle”.

2024