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This is the time of year when I start thinking about what I want summer to look like—for me and for my students. If you’re a piano teacher, you’re probably starting to think about that, too!

Summer offers a natural change of pace—a chance to mix things up, take a little time off, or do things differently than you do during the school year. However, it can also be a season when income takes a hit, especially if your studio follows a traditional school schedule. Planning ahead now can help you so that you’re not scrambling come June.

If you love to teach groups of kids, have the space to host 4-10 kids, and want to either recruit new students or offer a fun alternative to lessons for current students, consider offering a summer camp!

Here are a few things I love about camps:

Camps Build Community

Camps give piano students, who usually learn in isolation, an opportunity to learn together, laugh together, and make music together. They discover that rhythm games are more fun with friends, composing is easier when ideas bounce around the room, and music is something to be shared.

Camps Attract New Students (and Re‑Engage Current Ones)

Summer is a natural time for families to explore new activities. A camp is a low‑commitment, high‑interest way for new students to meet you, experience your teaching style, and get excited about music. It’s a natural recruiting tool!

It’s also a wonderful way to re‑energize current students who need a little inspiration. A week of hands‑on activities, games, and creative projects can spark motivation that carries into fall lessons.

Camps Give You Flexibility

Some practical benefits of running a camp are that it allows you to:

• Replace or supplement summer lesson income
• Consolidate teaching hours into a few focused days
• Free up the rest of your summer for rest, travel, or creative work

For the price of a month of lessons, students get to participate in a fun music camp “intensive” —and you get the benefit of teaching multiple students at once.

Camps Let You Teach Musicianship in New Ways

Explore rhythm through movement, composition through storytelling, listening skills through group games, and theory through hands‑on activities. Students absorb concepts differently when they’re immersed in a sensory camp experience…and they’ll remember the fun they had when the bullfrog visited them during an outside theory game!

But… Planning a Camp Can Feel Overwhelming

The questions pile up quickly:

• What kind of camp should I run?
• How many students should I plan for?
• How long should it be?
• Should I use an existing curriculum or create my own?
• How do I structure each day?
• What should I charge?
• When do I start marketing?

So many decisions can be overwhelming.

That’s why I put together a planning workshop for you!

How to Run a Summer Camp: A Planning Workshop for Piano Teachers

In this on-demand workshop, I’ll walk you through:

• Choosing the right type of camp for your studio
• Deciding on length, structure, pacing, and group size
• Reviewing the best camp curriculums available for piano teachers
• Tips for writing your own curriculum (if you want to!)
• Pricing, marketing, and registration strategies
• A planning timeline to keep you on track
• Sample emails and registration form

You’ll leave with a clear plan of action for this year’s camp—plus a planning guide with all the resources you need to get started.

Summer camps have been a fun way to supplement my private piano teaching and keep students engaged. If you’ve ever thought about running one—or even if you’re just curious—I would love to help you get started.

Ready to plan your camp?

👉 Click here to access the workshop. 

I can’t wait to see what you create this summer!

Happy music-making!
Cori

P.S. For more ideas on how to boost your summer income, check out this link.

Do you make time for composer study in your piano studio? 

Lesson time seems to always be at a premium. How does one fit repertoire study, technique, music theory, sightreading, and ear training into a 30- or 45-minute lesson, let alone music history?! If you are like me, you spend most of your time teaching repertoire, taking a few minutes out for technique and a few more for theory, and the rest happens “if there is extra time.” That is why most of my discussions about specific composers, their lives, and their music, happen in my group lesson settings rather than in private lessons.

Composer Study in Community

Every 6 weeks or so my piano students come to a group lesson with 3-5 other students for a community-building time of music theory games, informal performances, and in-depth composer study. We enjoy being together as a group, and the 60-minute timeframe allows for discussions of a composer's life and music. (Lest you think I conduct these discussions like a college lecture, let me assure you that our time together is quite lively and we switch activities every 10-15 minutes!)

Coming up with Resources

I used to cobble together resources I found on the internet, choosing composers I thought students might have some background knowledge of or whose music they were starting to encounter in their lessons. But recently I decided to organize my thoughts a little better and plan ahead for the school year so that when group lessons come around, the planning is already done! 

Introducing…the Composer Kit!

For each composer we study this year, we will be reading a short biography; listening to selected works from a pre-formed playlist; composing using a musical technique that that composer used; and playing games that reinforce music theory concepts, new vocabulary, composer trivia, memory techniques, and more! 

I am really excited about introducing my students to a variety of composers in this way. The materials in each kit are highly interactive and designed specifically for multi-age, multi-level (beginner and intermediate) groups. And because students are learning through play, they are much more apt to remember the information and start seeing these composers as “real” people rather than figures in a museum or history book. As they play around with different composition techniques, they will start to see what is possible in the realm of composing…and will start to identify concepts in their own repertoire study.

Designed for Multi-age, Multi-level Groups

The student worksheets are levelled, so beginners and intermediate have their own pages to work on with individually tailored assignments; however, the concepts are linked, so everyone will feel like they are “on the same page”! The worksheets fit nicely into a 3-ring binder, so students can collect a biography for each composer, followed by an example of their composing technique.

Easy Prep, Planning is Done For You!

The teacher's guide shows a suggested timeline and lesson plan for the activities with ideas for extending learning. The games are low- to no-prep and can be reused in the piano studio.

It feels great to have my group lessons planned out for the year, with all the materials in one place and ready to go! You can learn more about Composer Kits here!

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As piano teachers, we often choose to teach private lessons because we like the one-on-one relationship with our students. We typically teach out of our homes and have introverted personalities, enjoying the freedom to teach a block of lessons and then take a break to re-charge. This is my preferred approach 😊; however, there are also times when we want to build community in our studio, giving our students opportunities to perform for each other and get to know other pianists “like them.” This can take the form of recitals, holiday or end-of-term piano parties, summer piano camps, monthly workshops, or quarterly group lessons. But what is a teacher to do who isn’t comfortable managing groups of students?

In my late twenties I transitioned from being a private piano teacher to teaching first grade in a public school. While I had worked in Vacation Bible Schools for years and even ran an after-school program at a YMCA for grade-school students, managing kids in a more formal learning environment required me to have an even better grasp on management strategies. Here are some tried-and-true tips that I learned during my teacher training that can help you lead a successful camp/workshop/group lesson, whether you have a group of 4 or 30 students:

Keep your rules short and memorable: Be kind and have fun. 

Explain your rules: Be kind means that we will listen when others are talking, be respectful in what we say, etc.

Explain the consequences for unwanted behavior:

1. Verbal warning
2. [Short] time-out away from activity or must sit with the teacher
3. Talk with parent at the end of camp

Have a plan for getting students’ attention when it gets loud. Choose one of the following or make up your own: 

1. I clap a rhythm and you clap it back; 
2. I say, “Campers, attention please!” and you put your hands in the air and look at me; 
3. I say, “Give me five” and you respond with eyes on me, ears listening, mouth quiet, hands to yourself, heart ready to learn.

Yelling over students’ voices is never effective. If you have verbal instructions, wait until there is a drop in the noise level, and then take advantage of it by calling students to attention. If there is no drop, try recruiting students one at a time by saying “If you hear me, clap once,” then, “If you hear me, clap twice.”

It is best to practice your call-to-attention before you need it, so do it often in the “honeymoon” phase of the first day. Make it a game to see who listens first!

Befriend your tricky kids. You know the ones – the kids who, if given the chance, will act out and pull your whole group quickly into chaos. Know their names, make a point to connect with them early in the day, and keep them close. Assign them a job that gives them positive attention. 

My best management strategy is to get ahead of disruptive behavior by befriending kids, setting clear expectations, and having a plan in place for bringing the group back to attention. With a little forethought and consistent follow-through, you can have a successful and enjoyable time with groups of students!

Need a plan for a 60-minute group lesson? Check out my free Group Lesson Planning template below:

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This summer I ran two piano camps for my students and any interested friends/siblings/potential students. One was Joy Morin's “So You Want to be a Composer?” and the other was her “Music of the World” camp. Both curriculums are fantastic and served my two groups of students well.

I've written about the composer camp elsewhere, but in brief, I ran this camp with six 6-12 year-olds: two current piano students of mine, two students who take Suzuki violin lessons, and two former campers with some beginning knowledge of music and the piano. Since it was a smaller group, I was able to give individualized attention to students as they worked on their own compositions. The curriculum definitely requires kids to have the ability to listen and discuss music in a focused manner, although it has plenty of variety to keep everyone engaged and having fun!

The second camp I ran was Joy's “Music of the World,” and this was with an entirely different group of students! I hosted 11 kids for this one, more on the younger side (several 6-year-olds) and in their beginning years of piano. This was a very craft-heavy camp, as each day we cut and pasted facts and illustrations related to each country into a “lapbook” that the students could take home. Kids also had the opportunity to make an instrument each day.

Because I knew I had a younger group (and a lot of siblings!), I researched some outdoor games to supplement with. We ended up playing an egg-and-spoon game for our visit to Australia, throwing pennies into a frog's mouth during our time in Peru, kicking hacky sacks on the day we visited China, and playing mancala (with egg cartons and beans!) when we went to Ghana.

Many of the campers from both weeks had attended my Piano Camps for beginners last year, and they were thrilled to be back for more.

If you're looking for a ready-made camp curriculum for your students, check out these camps by Joy:

So You Want to Be a Composer?

Music of the World

And my camps designed for beginner students with 0-2 years of piano:

The Great Music Race

Musical Secret Agent

What other camps have you hosted in the past? If you have a curriculum to recommend, leave a link in the comments!

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I’m heading into year three of teaching piano, after a multi-year hiatus due to raising my own kids. Our three girls still live at home, but are at an age where they are more independent and starting to be able to drive themselves places. I have had the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom for their growing-up years, and have always tried to work music around our family life. I have taken random freelancing gigs, hosted concerts in my home, and played for church and choirs during times my husband could watch the girls. When I started to think about resuming piano lessons, I decided I wanted to try to attract homeschool students so I could keep my afternoons and evenings free to attend our girls’ sports games and drama productions. 

Finding homeschoolers

Year One 1️⃣: I sent emails out to friends and family, letting everyone know that I was teaching again and had daytime hours available for homeschoolers. I began reaching out to homeschool groups on Facebook (the ones that let you advertise), and I contacted friends I knew who either were a part of homeschool co-ops or had been in the past. I also passed out fliers at my local farmers market. That year I gained 4 students from 3 different families. Total: 4

Year One Summer 🌞: I created two piano camps and invited my existing students, spread the word in Facebook groups, and posted on my kids’ school group. I filled both camps with 20 students and earned a little extra income. No new homeschoolers, but the camps did whet the appetite of some of the participants for future lessons.

Year Two 2️⃣: I became more intentional about posting in Facebook groups and expanded to local neighborhood groups and one run by my church. I posted regularly, once every month, in each group. I lost two students and gained a sibling and 3 more homeschool students. I decided to open up limited hours on Saturday mornings to accommodate non-homeschoolers, and gained 4 more students Total: 10

Year Two Summer 🌞: I heard from a parent of last year’s campers and gained 2 more students. I lost a student to graduation but gained another sibling. A parent who had inquired over a year ago in a Facebook group reached out, and I gained one more student. Total: 13

I held two more camps with a total of 17 kids. The camps were a big hit again, and I received 2 new inquiries. 

I actually turned down the last two inquiries, as I decided to cap my numbers at 13 this year. Besides teaching, I have a regular choir gig, am building my online business that serves piano teachers and choral accompanists, and want to leave room to continue freelance accompanying as well. Right now, 13 feels like a good number.

Lessons in Marketing to Homeschoolers

I’ve learned a few things about marketing in the last two years (and am sure I have lots more to learn!):

1. Word of mouth is a great way to gain students, but it takes time for “word to get around”

2. Consistent, repeated advertising in Facebook groups eventually yielded results 

3. Camps are a fantastic way to advertise lessons (of course, you also have to market your camps…) 

4. Although I have an active website, I don’t generally attract new students with it. (It does draw some inquiries, however, and is where I first point interested parents, as well as where I house my new student intake form.)

5. Siblings are one way to organically grow your studio 

6. Growth takes time ⌚

While it took some time to attract the students that I wanted in my studio,  I am happy that I set the parameters for the times I wanted to teach, as I now have a schedule that works with my family life.

I encourage you to think of how you can create a studio that works for you. Maybe that means group lessons, hiring a teacher to teach some of your students in another space, teaching adults during the day, putting together a music class or group lessons for a group of homeschoolers at a co-op, or…? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and create the kind of schedule that fits the season you are in!

What does your studio look like currently? Let me know in the comments how you are working to create a studio that works best for your situation!

If you want to use my camps as a way to attract new students, either in a 2-hour-a-day/4 day camp or in a modified weekly class format, check them out below:

MSA: Musical Secret Agent

The Great Music Race

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Inspired by nature

To be played on a Watercolor Xylophone

Body percussion - a hit with the kids!

Hard work on one main composition all week

I inputted each student's week-long composition into music software (MuseScore is free online!) and printed it out so they could take home their very own “published” composition!

We put on a brief Composer's Showcase at the end of the last day, where each student chose to perform one of their pieces for their parents and siblings. We also viewed a slideshow of all the fun activities and hard work everyone engaged in this week.

Thanks, Joy, for putting together such a fun and rewarding camp!

For more on Piano Camps, check out these blog posts:

So You Want to Be a Composer? (Joy's camp)

What Does a Piano Camp Look Like? (free webinar)

The Great Music Race Piano Camp for Beginners

The Musical Secret Agent Camp for Beginners

Are you running a camp this summer? Let me know in the comments!

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I am always looking for ways to cut costs, and designing my own t-shirts for my Summer Music Camps is one way I can do that! 

Last year, I held two different camps for my beginner piano students and new recruits (The Great Music Race and MSA: Musical Secret Agent) and I designed a t-shirt for each specific camp. I was thrilled with the results (you can see them in my shop - click here and scroll down to Piano Merch). 

However, this year, I decided to try something a little simpler. I am holding two new camps, and instead of trying to produce a separate t-shirt for each one, I decided to go with a design that works for both. I think it turned out pretty well!

I made the design as a 300 dpi PNG file as well as a SVG file, so it can be used as an iron-on transfer or with a cutting machine. Iron-on transfer sheets can be purchased from any office supply store or online, and you print the design on them from your personal printer! (Be sure to choose “light” if you're printing on a light-colored shirt and “dark” if you're printing on a dark-colored shirt.)

Blank t-shirts can be purchased from a local craft store, like Michael's, or online, in a variety of colors and sizes. You can even buy them in bulk at a discounted price. I like to purchase youth shirts for my campers and a few adult sizes for myself and my teenage helpers!

Get the design for your DIY Summer Music Camp t-shirts in my shop.

The MSA: Musical Secret Agent Piano Camp was one of the highlights of my summer last year. It is similar in format to The Great Music Race, which incorporates Student Workbooks, card games, and outdoor fun, but with the addition of cup rhythms and several new activities. I created both camps to give my beginner students a fun way to review musical concepts and to attract new students to my studio. (I also deliberately re-used the Printables from The Great Music Race to save me time on printing and laminating! You can, too!*)

Day One started with photos and fingerprints of our “Musical Secret Agents” and a test of their observation skills in the student workbooks.

We then discussed some ground rules so that everyone could enjoy a week being safe, being kind, and having fun! 

The Secret Agents were then introduced to the “suspects” (Half Note Henry, Professor Half Rest, Quarter Note Corky, Cornelius Quarter Note, and the Aimless Eighth Note Twins) so they could learn to identify them if and when they showed up at camp.

Mornings were spent learning new concepts, working in workbooks, playing card games, and refining our Cup Rhythm skills. Each student became a “music spy” as they learned to quickly identify note names, rhythmic patterns, and new-to-them music vocabulary.

After a brief snack break, we practiced steady beat and reading simple melodies using Boomwhackers and colored water jars.

We couldn’t do summer camp without summer water games, so we ended our days outside with lots of fun and laughter!

We celebrated with a video montage of our week and ice cream treats! Can’t wait to do it again!

The M.S.A. Musical Secret Agent Piano Camp is now available for purchase in my shop!

*If you are interested in running both camps, you will enjoy a discount when you purchase one full camp and the other as an extension pack. See more info in the product descriptions. Contact me for any questions.

I debuted The Great Music Race last summer with current students and a lot of new-to-my-studio kids with two goals in mind: 1) Provide a fun camp for my beginners to review musical concepts, and 2) Attract new students to my studio by giving them a fun introduction to the piano. The camp was a success on both fronts, and kids left asking if there would be another camp the following year!

We began each day with an easy-entry workbook page, something kids without any musical knowledge could fill out without much trouble, but which would provide an introduction to musical symbols and concepts with a fun coloring, copying, or matching activity.

On the first day, we took pictures with my instant-film camera and had the kids “fingerprinted” as their “entry ticket” or initiation into The Great Music Race.

After workbooks, we would have a brief lesson on a musical concept, like keyboard geography, note names, steady beat, etc, and then the kids would play card games with a buddy to practice.

We practiced the concept of steady beat and reading simple rhythms using Boomwhackers!

After an hour we took a short snack break. The kids brought their own non-messy snack from home, and if the weather was sunny, we took it outside.

We played a lot of running and water games to practice our musical knowledge.

Campers earned star stickers each time they completed a workbook page or their team won a game.

We ended each day with a review game or time back at the table finishing up workbook pages.

After saying goodbye, I would clean up and quickly prep for the next day, gathering supplies in a shoebox in the order in which we would use them.

We all had a blast learning and playing together! I can’t wait to do it again this year!

The Great Music Race is now available for purchase in my shop!

We all want paid time off, right? But how do you manage that as an independent piano teacher? Let me share a few ideas with you!

1.  Schedule it into your existing studio calendar. (Hopefully you are currently implementing a Tuition-based model. If you aren’t, check out this article on why you should!) Depending on how you run your studio, you may choose to charge tuition for a 9-, 10-, 11-, or 12-month calendar year. Your tuition can include monthly private lessons for a certain number of months along with a required summer component (either a set number of private lessons, a camp or two, workshops, or some combination). You can then schedule your PTO into your studio calendar. Present this to parents in your studio policy at the beginning of your studio calendar “year” and make your expectations for payments and lesson attendance clear.
2. Offer a summer intensive. Offer longer-length lessons or more frequent lessons during the summer for your existing students (a summer “intensive”). Use the time to focus on a particular skill or music genre. You can also offer a month of “trial” lessons (paid) for prospective students who want to “try out” your studio.
3. Save up! Maybe you want to take 2 or 3 months off for the summer without offering anything extra. Run your studio calendar of private lessons for 9 or 10 months, and for each month you teach set aside a little money for your “Summer PTO.” 
4. Find accompanying gigs. If you love to perform, seek out gigs in the form of weddings, church positions (sometimes music directors/pianists want a sub for a substantial part of the summer), or musical theater summer camps or shows. If you start looking earlier in the spring, contract with an instrumental or voice studio to rehearse students and play for their spring recital.
5. Run your own Piano Camp. If you love to teach groups of kids, have the space to host 4-10 kids, and want to either recruit new students or offer a fun alternative to lessons for current students, this could be a great option for you! Check out my two camps for beginners in my shop. 

I'd love to hear what other ideas you have on how you boost your summer income! Comment below!

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Picture Credit: Image by Diego Ortiz from Pixabay

I received word last month that the Adult Piano Retreat that I taught at last year, and which enjoyed a 22-year run, has been discontinued. I was sorry to hear that, as the retreat was truly a special place for adult amateur pianists to be fully immersed in a week-long “love affair with the piano.” 

Interestingly enough, a conversation popped up recently in one of the online groups I follow about someone wanting to start such a retreat in Poland! Because the group has an international following, many people chimed in with their thoughts on similar experiences in locations around the world. Here are a few that piqued my interest:

Residential programs

In Vermont: https://www.sonatina.com/sonata

Finchcock’s, in Kent, England: https://vimeo.com/743496255 

Finchcock's boasts boutique rooms and all kinds of course offerings, including this residential option geared toward improving your sightreading: https://www.finchcocks.com/availability/enjoying-sight-reading-with-david-hall/

Non-residential programs

Piano at Peabody

In Somerset, England, Jackdaws provides weekend piano courses: 

If you ever have a chance to attend such a retreat, I would encourage you to do so. Being in community with a group of fellow music lovers is a treasure, and receiving instruction and encouragement at the piano in a welcoming, safe environment is wonderfully inspiring. 

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What is a Piano Camp? Have you ever run one? Are you thinking you’d like to?

Piano Camp is much like any other day camp you might be familiar with – a Vacation Bible School, YMCA day camp, or musical theater camp. It is a group of kids coming together to have fun while learning! 

Piano Camp is an immersion in musical concepts related to the piano using fun games and activities. It could take the form of a half-day Saturday camp, a month-long one-hour-a-week camp, or a half day week-long camp. However you structure it, Piano Camp is a fun change from private lessons, an opportunity for kids to make music together in community, and a great way to teach and review music theory and history!

You can create your own materials or use ready-made curriculum. You may plan for existing piano students or decide to use the camp as a recruiting tool for new students. It may take the place of your private lessons in the summer, or you may use it to supplement your teaching.

Let me share how I run Piano Camps and then give you additional resources that will help you decide how you would like to tailor your camp(s)!

My student goals for Piano Camps are for students to 1) Have fun; 2) Review and solidify theory concepts; and 3) Be inspired to continue practicing. 

My personal goals for Piano Camps are to 1) Enjoy a lighter summer schedule; 2) Maintain a steady summer income; and 3) Have fun teaching my students in a different format.

I like to run a four-day camp, two hours each day, with teenage student helpers (most recently, my own kids!). Two hours is a nice duration – just long enough for a variety of activities and not so long as to have down time where the kids get bored and into trouble!

I like to have a variety of large and small motor activities (running/movement versus card games and workbooks), a teaching element, and clear opening and closing routines. Games and activities should be accessible to a range of ages and abilities, and there should be a “fun” factor that makes it feel more like camp than school!

Since I like to run camps in June, teach private lessons in July, and take the month of August off, I start talking about my summer plans in March with current piano students. I send out a survey to determine who is available and when, and open summer registration in April. I spend the next few months spreading the word, registering campers, and gathering the necessary materials. 

As you think about what your Piano Camp might look like, you will want to answer a few questions: Where and when do I want to hold a camp? What age range of students do I want to invite, and how many? What are my goals for the camp? How much do I want to charge? 

One good place to start thinking about these things is Jennifer Foxx’s Summer Camps Q&A (https://musiceducatorresources.com/2023/05/19/summer-camps-qa-music-teacher-tip-37/).

Another place is at my free 35-minute webinar on How to Run a Piano Camp being held Friday, March 7^th, at 10am PST on Zoom. I will give an overview of what a camp might look like, share some planning resources, offer time for questions, and give you options of pre-made camps available for purchase. Register here to save your spot!

Running a Piano Camp is a great way to generate excitement around learning music and boosting interest in piano lessons. I hope you’ll give it a try!

Missed the webinar? Contact me to get on the waiting list for the next one!
 

Need a ready-made piano camp for your beginner students? I have two in my shop! Check out The Great Music Race and MSA: Musical Secret Agent.

This is the fourth in a series of posts about the 2024 Adult Piano Retreat at Icicle Creek Music Center in Leavenworth, Washington. 

At this year's Adult Piano Retreat, I gave an optional talk concerning Music as Healing, Worship, and Celebration in the Bible. We are so blessed, as musicians, to have been given the gift of music. Not everyone is fortunate to have spent any number of years in private music lessons, learning the language of music and discovering the riches therein. For those of us who have had that privilege, I believe it to be a gift given by the Creator of music itself, not only for our personal enjoyment, but also for the benefit of others, providing a way of healing, worship, and of celebration.

You may be familiar with King David, one of Israel’s most famous kings, who wrote a majority of the psalms in the Bible. He was one of several sons of a man named Jesse – not the firstborn or the tallest or strongest, but the youngest, whose days were spent tending sheep. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be king in the place of King Saul. The Bible says that David was God’s choice for a king, and not because of his outward appearance, but because of what was in his heart. 

David went from being a shepherd boy to being a king, all the while being a musician and using music to express his joy, sorrow, and worship of God. 

We pick up the story in I Samuel 16:

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

¹⁵ Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹ Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

²¹ David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

²³ Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

At this time, Saul did not know that David was to be his successor; in fact, over the next few years, David would kill the giant Goliath, befriend Saul’s son Jonathan, and go out on military missions for Saul – killing a great number of enemies. Saul became increasingly jealous of David’s conquests and fame, and David continued playing his lyre in attempts to calm his spirit. (I Samuel 18:10; 19:9)

Maybe you have experienced the healing nature of music, too. I have a friend who plays cello both for “entertainment” and as therapeutic healing; she plays for hospice, too. And I remember a time awhile back when an old family friend emailed me and remarked on listening to a recording of my music when her father was dying, and being comforted by it.

Music is this remarkable gift that we have been given – to educate, inspire, and entertain, but also to express those deep emotions that cannot quite be expressed in words. 

This same David, after he became king, danced wildly in the streets after the ark of the covenant returned to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14-15):

¹⁴ And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. ¹⁵ So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.

His wife, Michal, was deeply embarrassed, and told him so. His response:

²¹ David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.”

Music can express our exuberant joy and our devoted worship. 

J.S. Bach made notes in his Bible about the spiritual nature of worship. At the conclusion of I Chronicles, he noted, “Splendid proof that…music was instituted by the Spirit of God through David.” And then in response to this passage in 2 Chronicles 5:13 – 

“The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord…Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service…for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God,”

 – he wrote “Where there is devotional music, God is always at hand with His gracious presence.”

Like David, Bach could not help but worship God with his music. Not only did the routinely inscribe his manuscripts with the letters “S.D.G.” (Soli Deo Gloria – “To God alone, the glory”), he would frequently initial his blank manuscript pages with the marking, “J.J.” (Jesu Juva – “Help me, Jesus”), or “I.N.J.” (In Nomine Jesu – “In the name of Jesus”). 

Music as healing, as celebration, as worship…

I find that I am most at ease as a performer when I am conscious of being in the service of music – that my job is to minister to my listeners the beauty and goodness inherent in the music I’m playing. When I instead turn inward, and let my mind drift to questions about what the audience might think about me rather than the music, I quickly spiral down the path of self-consciousness and self-doubt. It is only when I am a conduit, or a servant, of the music itself, aiming to give to my listeners, that I am most at peace.

What about you? How have you experienced music to be healing, or celebratory, or worshipful in your life?

Read more about this week of Piano Camp in Leavenworth here:

What was it like?

Let's Talk About the Music!
Social hour: Keys to a solid performance

Keep up with my writing by subscribing to At Home with Classical Piano on Substack.

This is the third in a series of posts about the 2024 Adult Piano Retreat at Icicle Creek Music Center in Leavenworth, Washington. 

As part of my teaching responsibilities at the Adult Piano Retreat, I led a social hour. My topic was “Keys to a Solid Performance” and my goal was to give some tips on how to prepare well so that pianists can confidently share music with others. Here are a few of the things we talked about:

Practice like it’s a performance. Make it your goal to be accurate and at ease in your movements.

We all want to play the notes that are written on the page, but it doesn’t always happen. Memory slips, technical issues, nerves…all play a part in throwing us off. But we can make it a point to practice accuracy. 

1. Practice your fingerings. If there are fingerings written, try them out! If they don’t work for you, write your own. Come up with a solid fingering that promotes ease of movement (and accuracy!), and stick to it. Many times my memory errors, or my accuracy errors, are due to my not having consistent fingering. If I train my brain – and my fingers – to know what fingers play which notes, I am much less likely to botch a scale or arpeggio passage, or a jump.
2. Practice your page turns. If you are planning to memorize your music, this won’t apply to you. But…if you are planning to use music, either as a soloist or an accompanist, it will be a big help to you to plan your page turns. (This is a trick I learned in choral accompanying.) Write in which hand will turn the page, and at which point at that last measure you will turn the page. If you need to, write in the next chord or note from the top of the next page so that you know exactly what is coming. Then, practice the page turns that way every time you come to them, so that it is second nature when it comes to performance time.

1. Practice secure memory techniques. If you plan to memorize your music, don’t rely solely on your ear. 
   1. Make sure that you follow your planned fingerings, 
   2. Know the arc, or form, of the piece (ABA), 
   3. Know your key centers. Label your music with the starting key and the ending key; where does it move to a parallel major or minor, or to the dominant key? As you memorize, commit to memory the physical movements and the key centers; know where your cadences are. 
   4. Try thinking the piece away from the piano – on a walk or in your bed or when you are waiting in line. Think every single note. If there are holes, go back to your music and figure out what you’re missing.
   5. When you are at the piano, try starting the piece at different points – not always at the beginning. Make sure you have “anchors” so that if you lose your place, you can begin again at the next section.
   6. Try “ghosting” the LH or RH as you play the opposite hand.

1. Practice your beginnings. It is easy, when we are practicing, to use the beginning measures to “warm up” or “get into the piece,” but we don’t have that luxury in performance. When you are preparing to perform, make sure that you practice your beginnings. How will you start? Will you think the first phrase through? Will you take a breath as an upbeat? Do you need to think of a fast passage and set your tempo based on that section?
2. Choose your repertoire wisely. This is perhaps the most important thing. My high school piano teacher used to tell me “Show them what you can do, not what you can’t,” which meant that when going into a performance or competition, I needed to choose pieces that highlighted my strengths. It did no good to choose an impressive piece that I could only half-play.

Practice performing (lots). Make it your goal to create opportunities to perform.

The only way to get better at performing is to do it. But not many of us have the luxury of having an agent who schedules performances for us, or the venues in which to perform! However, that is not an excuse! All of us can find places to perform if we think creatively about it.

How can we find places to perform?

• Informal, spontaneous: at your house, at a friend’s house, in the airport, wherever there is a piano!
• Formal, planned: Student recitals, house concerts, a friend’s dinner party, church, Ladies Musical Club
• Informal, planned: Dessert & a song, YouTube recording, Instagram reel, Christmas party, ACMP Chamber music gatherings
• If nothing else, record yourself with your phone, and play it back! Become your best critic – learn to listen and to praise what you do well and fix what needs improvement. 

Fake it. Make it your goal to recover quickly and act like a professional.

The difference between an amateur and a professional (other than not getting paid!) is that a professional recovers quickly.

• Know your key centers; find a cadence. End with confidence.
• Watch your gestures/facial expressions - don’t give it away
• No apologies
• Accept praise graciously

We are often held back from sharing our music with others because of self-doubt, fear of criticism, feeling like it's an inconvenience, having “nothing” to play, and, of course, nerves. But when we focus more on what we have to give to others - the gift of music - we can switch our mindset from it being all about us and work more on blessing and ministering to others with the gifts that we have been given.

Read more about this week of Piano Camp in Leavenworth here:

What was it like?
Let's Talk About the Music!
Special topic: Music as healing, worship, and celebration in the Bible

Keep up with my writing by subscribing to At Home with Classical Piano on Substack.

This is the second in a series of posts about the 2024 Adult Piano Retreat at Icicle Creek Music Center in Leavenworth, Washington. 

The students at this year’s Adult Piano Retreat were asked to bring at least three pieces: one piece of music to share with others, one “work in progress,” and one piece in need of additional attention or a new viewpoint. Participants came with a wide variety of works including Chopin waltzes, Brahms Intermezzi, a little Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Bach, some ragtime, and modern pieces by Hania Rani and Nils Frahm. It was a privilege to sit with each student in private lessons and in group masterclasses, sharing their love for music and guiding them to consider how to draw out the composer’s intentions more fully and with greater ease of execution. 

Many of those who came were piano students as children and returned after completing successful careers in other fields. We had several former lawyers and a judge, as well as a retired geophysicist. Quite a few are currently involved in the arts: volunteering at an art museum, serving on the board of a chamber music organization, teaching piano lessons, and playing the piano for cancer patients. What a treat it was to engage with such highly intelligent lovers of music! 

There were two of us teaching lessons and masterclasses, and in my interactions with students, I often found myself focusing on musicality and interpretation. In no particular order, here are a few things we addressed:

• Each time the subject returns, do something different! Does it need more intensity? Less? Different voicing? Slower/faster tempo? More/less rubato? Why is the composer saying the same thing twice, three times? 
• Don’t pounce on the end of phrases – set them down gently. Think of the ebb and flow of language (our voice goes down at the end of the sentence; as we get excited, our tempo and dynamic increase!). 
• When you take time away from a phrase (ritard), give it back in the next (a tempo). 
• If a phrase is indicated by a phrase marking and only lasts a measure or two, it is probably part of a larger idea. This can happen in Brahms and Rachmaninoff. 
• Dynamics indicate the range of volume within a piece. A “pp” in a piece that only ever reaches “mp” is much different than a “pp” in a piece that goes to “ff.”
• In later Romantic works, take advantage of the full dynamic range of the instrument 

We also focused on technical challenges to make the execution of a piece easier:

• When things start to fall apart, isolate your hands and re-teach yourself the fingering and shape of the phrase. AFTER you do this, put your hands together SLOWLY before you try it at tempo again.
• Write in fingering for runs and know exactly where your thumb crosses and hand shifts are.
• Glissandos don’t have to be played with the back of your hand. Try fingers 2 and 3 together “petting” the keys. Stay on top of the keys as much as you can, without “pressing” all the way down.
• Sometimes the repetition of a cluster of notes is too finger-y and you need wrist rotation to help you execute.
• Let trills propel you into the rest of the phrase. They are usually not the destination, so don’t let yourself get “stuck” there! The melodic line should carry through, regardless of the flourishes.

Lastly, we talked about analyzing the music so that we know not only what is happening physically in the piece, but also what is happening at an intellectual level. Our brains tell our bodies what to do at the piano, and the clearer we are in our thinking, the better our hands can execute the appropriate musical task. Accuracy comes from knowing exactly where our fingers need to go. Similarly, musicality happens when we have a clear view of the form of a piece and where it naturally ebbs and flows. We discussed how to identify sections to practice and memorize the music:

• Does the composer change key/tonality (indicated usually by a number of accidentals)?
• Where are the repeats? Those are natural sections.
• Where are the cadences? Where do the phrases end on the “home” chord, or tonic, or first note of the scale? This can be a clue that a section is ending.

Of course, this is merely a brief overview of the many discussions we had about bringing music to life at the piano. It was an immense act of courage for these participants to come and be vulnerable in lessons and on stage, and to offer themselves at the piano for our critique. 

The Adult Piano Retreat was a special moment in time – an approximation of the musical immersion one enjoys as a piano major at a university or conservatory. Specially designed for adults, it is a treat for those who never studied at the collegiate level. I hope all who came were encouraged and emboldened to dive deeper into the music than ever before!

I write regularly about these topics, and more, in my newsletter, At Home with Classical Piano. Subscribe here so you don't miss a thing!

If you are an adult returning to the piano after a pause, or you simply need another “ear” to listen to what you are doing at the piano, I would be happy to give you lessons or coaching. I offer daytime hours, and we can schedule lessons when it is convenient for you. Contact me here and we'll discuss making music together!

Read more about this week of Piano Camp in Leavenworth here:

What was it like?

Keep up with my writing by subscribing to At Home with Classical Piano on Substack.

How would you like to go to Piano Camp? What’s that, you ask? I found out for the first time this October, when I drove through the glorious fall-colored mountains of the Cascades to spend a week with two other teachers and twelve adult amateur pianists at the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts. 

The week started out with introductions and a time of “sharing” (a.k.a. a private concert) by the teaching faculty – myself, teacher and composer Rachel Matthews, retreat director Lisa Bergman, and guest artist William Chapman Nyaho. This particular concert was dedicated to the memory of a former Piano Retreat student who had recently passed away, and students were given time to reminisce and share memories of her as well as honor her love of music with their own musical sharing at the piano. Afterwards, we enjoyed the first of many delicious catered dinners together, and then had the option of playing duets with a new friend or retiring to our rooms for the night.

Each participant was treated to a private piano lesson each day, daily group masterclasses, faculty-directed social hours (in which we explored topics such as Practicing, Performing, and Movement), access to multiple pianos for practicing, and optional meditation and movement classes. I also offered a talk on music in the Bible used for healing, worship, and celebration, and participants were given the opportunity to “Stump the Chump” as they peppered Rachel and me with all sorts of questions concerning practice and repertoire. There was a showing of a movie about a piano prodigy, and time available for playing duets, hiking, and visiting the organic garden and sculptures at the neighboring Sleeping Lady Resort. We enjoyed many meals together, which were another opportunity to learn about each other’s musical background, life experiences, and challenges at the piano. We shared ideas for repertoire, discussed the various musical groups we are a part of “back home,” and marveled at the natural beauty of our surroundings. 

It was truly a unique experience, a “treat” for all of us to enjoy a week away from the busy-ness and distractions of daily life, and a time to take a deep dive into the many wonderful works written for piano. 

Note: A wonderful resource for practicing can be found on Nyaho’s website under “Resources.” Check out his “Efficient Piano Practice” document. 

Read more about this week of Piano Camp in Leavenworth here:

Let's talk about the music!
Social hour: Keys to a solid performance
Special topic: Music as healing, worship, and celebration in the Bible

Keep up with my writing by subscribing to At Home with Classical Piano on Substack.