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Due to our current situation, live recitals are not an option. This is the single most exciting thing we are missing out on in regards to piano lessons. BUT, we have the next best thing- video recitals! 😍

Everyone benefits from recitals! 💯

The students (as terrified as they may be in the moment) love it! They get a chance to dress up and show off for everyone. It’s their time to shine! ✨ It helps them to become stronger, more confident and mature individuals. It’s no easy task to play in front of an audience, and the feeling of accomplishment and self respect that is gained from doing this is invaluable. 😌

The parents! It’s so wonderful to see all the proud (and nervous) parents supporting their kids! All the pictures and the videos, and the conversations that often lead to new friendships. Families start looking forward to seeing the same people at the concerts, returning year after year for such an exciting event. It offers a sense of community and support. They are able to share their sense of pride when their child gets up on stage to perform. ❤️

I usually arrange to have our recitals at a retirement or nursing home. The residents just LOVE to hear the students play. Often they start singing along to the songs they know, and they are always incredibly encouraging with the students! 🥰 I know they are all sad to be deprived of this for so long. 

And of course, there’s me. It’s a lot of work to organize something like this, but well worth it! I love to see all the fancy outfits and excited kids. I feel a sense of pride when I see all the hard work the students and I have done together put into action, on display for everyone to enjoy. Aside from all the fun, recitals also teach me a lot about the students. Seeing them outside of our lesson time allows me to learn more about their personalities and how they interact with others. I am able to see how they respond to the pressures of performance, and how this affects their playing. Some students actually play better in front of a crowd! And if they don’t, then I am inspired with new ideas to better help them with their piano and performance skills! 💖

Stay tuned for the upcoming Facebook recital videos! 🎹💃✨🎶 @glasshouseofmusic

Earlier, I talked about how some children can feel overwhelmed with piano. Sometimes, that’s because it’s one more place in their life where they don’t feel like they have any control.

But the piano can be an escape- even for the tiny ones. 

When small children first begin learning piano, we don’t spend the full thirty minutes on one thing – that’s way too long for them.  I break up the lessons into various activities such as different rhythm exercises, improv, ear training, and note drawing, as well as learning and practicing pieces together of course.

They sometimes have the choice of what we do in class. I like to give them options so that they have a sense of control. Some of them don’t want to make the decision, and that’s ok too! With the more timid ones I just guide them through the lesson and tell them what we’re going to do next. They eventually start to open up and might hint at what their favourite activity is. This is the signal for me to see if they might make a decision when presented with options now. 

This helps with their decisions making skills. I might give them two or three choices (not so many that they’re overwhelmed by choices). 

It also teaches kids about following through. Once they make the decision, we have to stick with it.  Sometimes a child will decide really quickly – like one student I have, who is 6 years old. He’s so excitable, which is great! One day I gave him the choice of improv or ear training games. Without thinking, he chose ear training games. (No doubt this had something to do with the word ‘games’ being included in that selection ☺️). Well, about one minute into his choice, he wanted to switch to the other option. This is where I let him know that we have to stick with the choice he made, and finish activity. Then, of course, we usually end up doing the other activity he wanted to try as well! 😀 Sometimes we actually end up getting more done this way, although I keep that little secret to myself 😉

A small learning, but over time, this little boy learned to consider the options and stick with his choices. It takes time, but it’s just one more way that piano lessons go beyond music and provide children with life skills. 💪

Improv isn’t just for comedians – it’s also for piano students! 

For young children first learning the piano, just pressing the keys is a new experience for them. The excited kids just want to bang away. The shy ones might tentatively press a key… very softly. 

Improv is a way to get children used to the piano as an instrument that they can control. 

When I play improv with the kids, I first just let them play whatever and however they want. After they’re a little more comfortable I start to give them commands- Play softly. Play one note loudly. Play bouncy sounds. Play some high notes. Etc. Etc. 

It’s a great creative outlet for children while getting them comfortable at the piano.

With some kids, we can just run with this activity. With other children, they might only play one note every 30 seconds. 

Once they become more comfortable I’ll start to play some bass notes and they have to add in treble notes. This becomes a good indicator of how a child can adjust to what they are hearing. I will change my bass part to set different moods, and see if they can adjust. It’s shocking how quickly some of these kids can process the mood I set and jump right into that emotion! For the ones who can’t react as quickly, I have them pick a mood and tell me a story about what will happen in the music before we start to play. Imagery is very helpful for a lot of students (and performers as well)!
Music performances are not often ‘note perfect’. It’s all about the illusion of being perfect, and the only way to give that illusion is to be able to smoothly move on from any mistakes. This requires being able to make things up on the spot, in order for the music sound seamless. So improv is beneficial at every stage of learning, for different reasons! Plus, most people find it to be a lot of fun 🤩 

Unfortunately, this is one of the activities that has greatly suffered with online lessons. Solo improv still works, but that’s not as much fun as a duet. Internet connection usually won’t allow the duets, because if there is any delay in sound then it gets pretty messy. And let’s face it- there’s almost always a delay in sound! 😅 One day we’ll get back to the in-person scenario!! 🙌

I found this chapter of ‘Musicophilia’ especially intriguing. I had never heard of this condition before, as is the case with most people. This is largely because this syndrome is very rare (affecting maybe one in 10,000 children), and was not formally described until 1961. Awareness is growing, as is support for families who are affected by it. Parents of children with Williams syndrome have difficulties in finding appropriate environments for schooling for them, since they are not mentally challenged in the usual sense. They are intelligent far beyond their years in some aspects, while severely limited in others. 

People with Williams syndrome are extraordinarily responsive to music. Not all of them are talented in this respect, but they are all deeply moved by it. The musical talents of people with WS differ from those of musical savants because there is always a strong desire to play music with and for others. (Savants are largely independent of influence by others). Some other personality traits of WS are that they’re generally very friendly and talkative, with an unusual command of language. They show a special feeling for narrative, and show great sensitivity in reading others’ emotions and moods. However, they are strangely indifferent to inanimate objects; some are unable to put simple lego blocks together. They usually have difficulty with numbers and abstract reasoning as well. Unfortunately, this syndrome is also accompanied by some potentially life-threatening complications, such as cardiovascular problems and a high level of calcium in the blood. 

Dr. Sacks talks about Gloria Lenhoff, a young woman with Williams syndrome who learned to sing operatic arias in more than 30 languages! A documentary about her remarkable musical abilities was aired on public television in 1988, soon after which the parents received a phone call. Someone wanted to compliment them on the film, but was also curious as to why there was no mention that Gloria had Williams syndrome. This was the first time the parents had heard of the syndrome. What a life changing phone call that would have been for them! Since then, her parents have been instrumental in bringing awareness to the condition. Gloria went on to join a musical group called the Williams Five, of which all 5 members have WS. Unfortunately, I could not access any videos of the group, but I did manage to find one of Gloria. Have a listen- I hope it brings a smile to your face like it did mine! 😃

I’ve shared with you about the brilliant book, Musicophilia, now see the man share about how music can help patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Such a captivating genius of a man! 

Part 2 of my review of Dr. Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.

Pitch…Perfect?

Absolute pitch has always sounded like such a wonderful gift to me, but there are problems associated with it that I’d never considered. Absolute pitch is when you hear a single note and know exactly which note it is, without having to think about it. It’s very rare (occurs in less than one person in ten thousand).

Think of it as a colour analogy- we look at blue and call it blue, without having to compare it to other colours. People with absolute pitch hear middle C and know it’s middle C, without having to compare it to other notes.

One problem with this is that instruments go out of tune constantly. If this happens, even slightly, to someone with perfect pitch it can be extremely irritating. If a piano is tuned a little bit differently than they are used to, it can be extremely difficult to play because everything just sounds ‘off’.

They can’t transpose familiar pieces (move them to different keys/positions than where they were written). Even if someone else transpose them, they find it difficult to enjoy because it sounds so wrong to their own ears. If a piece is written in the key of ‘green’ then of course it would sound wrong hearing it in the key of ‘orange’. Absolute pitch is more common in native speakers of Vietnamese and Mandarin because their languages are tonal.

Beyond hearing

There are so many interesting things that happen in regards to music and the brain! Dr. Sacks talks about synesthesia (yet another topic that has always intrigued me). This is when people experience instantaneous conjoining of the senses. The most common is seeing colours when hearing music. Some people even experience different tastes with certain music. 

Musical hallucinations are much more common than you might think. They’ve found that these are not imaginary or psychotic, but real and physiological. They often occur in people who have experienced hearing loss. It’s as if the brain (deprived of its usual auditory input) is trying to entertain itself! A third or more of the human cortex is concerned with vision, and if visual input is suddenly lost, very extensive mental reorganizations and brain mappings may occur. Your brain literally rearranges itself, so your sense of hearing is truly heightened.

There are many blind musicians, probably because children who lack a visual world will naturally discover or create a rich world of touch and sound. They are drawn to music and motivated to make it central to their lives. It has even been discovered that dystonia (a severe cramping of the hand due to repetitive movement) is due to a disorganization in the sensory cortex of the brain. It’s not just a physical issue like they originally thought.

It’s been proven that racers (swim, bike, run) are most often able to reach their best times when listening to music with a strong beat. Using five-finger piano exercises as a training test, Harvard studies have shown that the motor cortex in the brain can show changes within minutes of practicing simple sequences. This occurs not only with physical practice, but even just with mental practice.

“It’s not surprising that anatomists today would struggle to differentiate between the brain of a visual artist, a writer, or a mathematician- but they could recognize the brain of a professional musician without a moment’s hesitation.” I’m sure everyone has heard that ‘music makes you smarter’. This is quite a summarized statement, but there is most definitely truth and proof behind it. Music awakens parts of your brain that would have otherwise remained dormant. What a powerful thing!

This book was incredible. I’ll try to break it down in a couple of blog posts, although I highly recommend reading the book yourself – I’ll definitely read it again someday!

The Power of Music

“Music, uniquely among the arts, is both completely abstract and profoundly emotional. It can pierce the heart directly; it needs no mediation. There is a deep and mysterious paradox here, for while music makes one experience pain and grief more intensely, it brings solace and consolation at the same time.”

It’s fascinating how music affects the brain like nothing else, and how the brain can affect how we perceive music. Music doesn’t have to be familiar to affect us emotionally. Nor do we have to have any formal knowledge of it or be particularly ‘musical’. It has the power to affect us all in one way or another. It’s a language that knows no barriers.

Learning Through Music

Music has the power to embed sequences, and to do this when other forms of organization fail. Every culture has songs and rhymes to help children learn the alphabet, numbers, and other lists. Even as adults we rely on mnemonic devices or patterns sometimes, and the most powerful of these devices are rhyme, meter, and song.

Dr. Sacks gave some examples of patients who could not carry out simple tasks (eating, getting dressed, etc.) without setting them to music. What an incredible relief to know there is something so easily accessible that can help people function (at least somewhat) independently on a daily basis.

Even though music affects each individual differently, people are bound together by rhythm. It’s not only heard but internalized, identically, by everyone present. Rhythm turns listeners into participants and synchronizes them. It’s very difficult to remain detached, or resist being drawn into the rhythm of chanting or dancing.

Do you hear what I hear?

People often joke that they are tone deaf if they can’t sing well. But true tone deafness is only present in about 5% of the population.

When we listen to music, there are many different dimensions we’re perceiving (whether we are aware of this or not). Among these include tone, pitch, timbre, loudness, tempo, rhythm, and contour. ‘Amusia’ is the term used when the perception of some or all of these qualities is impaired. There can also be a partial or total loss of the feeling or emotions normally evoked by music, even though perception of music is unimpaired.

People with an amusia can veer off key without realizing it, or be unable to recognize off-key singing by others. These people can still enjoy music and singing (even if it’s not pleasant for those around them 😅).

I had a young student when I first started teaching, almost 20 years ago now. She couldn’t tell two notes apart and had no sense of whether notes were moving higher or lower. At the time, I thought she just didn’t want to do that particular exercise, so we moved on to something else. Looking back after reading this book, I wonder if she maybe had some sort of amusia. If only I could travel back to that time temporarily, knowing what I know now!

Some people never want to play for anyone else’s ears, and that’s ok. But music is meant to be heard! It’s meant to be shared, and this will only make you that much better (as a musician AND as a person) if you do. It will help make you stronger and braver, and take you out of your comfort zone! And just like anything else… the more you do it, the easier it will get because you WILL get better at it. As terrifying as it might be those first few times, it does get easier! I know this because I have always suffered greatly from stage fright. It could be 35 degrees celsius and my hands are still freezing cold, due to nerves. This makes it extremely difficult to play, especially when you combine it with trembling due to nerves (which I suffer from as well)! It’s not usually visible, but I feel it big time, and my playing does suffer because of it. But you will be surprised at how encouraging and appreciative people can be about your playing, no matter what level you’re at. It can be so inspiring and motivating to hear feedback from your listeners. Start with playing for just one other person- someone you really trust. Then branch out from there as you become more comfortable. Remember, the majority of the population doesn’t know how to play anything on the piano. So even if you’re just playing a 5-finger melody, you’re ahead of the game! 💪

Here is my first recorded performance of Brahms Intermezzo (op.118, no.2)

Think about your pieces. You need to have them in your head. Imagine hearing it played in your mind! See if you can hear every note of the melody and every note of each chord, every dynamic change, every phrase ending- see how many details you can remember without having the music in front of you or hearing someone else play it. You could even try imagining what your piece would sound like if it were played by a string quartet, an orchestra, or even a rock band! Musical imagination is a very powerful tool.

You can try running through the piece on your lap. Follow the music this time, but have your fingers ‘play’ the piece away from the piano. (This can even be done while you’re lying in bed trying to go to sleep!) 

This is scientifically proven to help. Dr. Pascual-Leone from Harvard has observed that ‘mental stimulation of movements activates the same central neural structures required for the performance of the actual movements.’ That is to say that thinking about doing something activates the same parts of your brain as actually doing it. 

I met a student at an internationally acclaimed performance school in Poland, who started piano at age 7, like I did. Unlike me, though, she didn’t have a piano to practice on at home for the first 2 years she was taking lessons. Her parents drew out a piano on a long piece of paper, and that’s what she used to study her music! The only time she would get to play an actual piano was when she went for her weekly lessons. Her imagination would run wild through the week, thinking about all the sounds she couldn’t wait to make on her teacher’s piano when she got there for her lesson. I don’t recommend people try this, but it does go to show how much work can be done and progress can be made even if you’re not sitting at a piano. 

I have solved many technical issues away from the piano. If I get stuck on a part, and can’t just seem to make it comfortable for my hand, I think about it later. Sometimes it can be easier to come up with a technical solution when you’re not limited by the keys in front of you, and you’re not distracted by the sounds you’re creating, trying to figure out the right movements. Your imagination has a little more freedom to come up with different physical approaches. It doesn’t always work, but even when I don’t come up with a physical solution I am still solidifying the music in my mind. So it’s always a win! Sometimes it’s a win-win. Definitely worth it!! 😁

You can check out the 2nd movement of Beethoven’s Pastorale Sonata (work in progress!)

Tip number 4 for practicing the piano: Be self aware and realistic.

Know when something isn’t working, and work on something else! Save that frustrating, just-can’t-figure-it-out section for your next lesson. That’s why you have a piano teacher like me! I’ll help you through that difficult section when we have a lesson. We all have our days.

Chances are, that if a certain piece or section isn’t working one day, you could come back to it the next day and everything falls into place. Or maybe it’s time to work on something else entirely… do some sight reading, improv, figure out a melody by ear, or do theory work! All of these things contribute to a well-rounded musical education and give you a break from the pieces you’ve been practicing for months. 

You want to practice when you’re fresh. This is another reason why it’s a great idea to do it in smaller sessions. Often in practice, we hit a wall. No matter how hard we try, we just can’t seem to get that part exactly the way we want it. Or we keep making the same mistake, on the same note- so frustrating! If you walk away and take a few deep breaths, have a little snack or cup of tea, go outside for a walk, even watch a few minutes of television or play a game, and then come back to that same part- often we find we’ve got it! All the hard work we put into it really did pay off. It’s just that we needed to take a step back in order to see that. The music needs time to settle. This is part of the reason why students (and parents) can get discouraged- we want instant results! But music (and come to think of it, almost anything worthwhile in life) doesn’t work like this.

I can’t resist sharing this little story… I have one student who has a particularly hard time with practicing on their own. Even in class, if they don’t get it right the first time they are immediately discouraged. So I had to ask if they thought I got everything right on the first try at the piano. She said ‘yes, of course you do.’ I couldn’t help but laugh. I only wish!! If that were the case, why would I spend such a huge part of my life practicing? 🤔😂

Here’s my first Chopin Mazurka, op.63, no.3. I kind of dove into the deep end with this one, but I just couldn’t resist! Preparing this for Jarred Dunn’s Mazurka Workshop last weekend definitely helped speed up the learning process for me. Deadlines can be a very good thing sometimes! 😆