Pictures!

I love it when students draw pictures for me.  This is a picture of a falcon according to six-year-old Oliver.  He drew it while waiting for his sister's lesson to be over.  It's hanging in my Bemus Point studio.

And Here We Go!

Private lessons have begun and we're having fun already.  My students are ready to learn more about how to play the piano and the music they love.  Even the adults are excited!  We are planning an adult music tea so they can socialize with other adults who love piano.

Group lessons begin next week.  There is still room for more students in the classes.  Check out my website for day and times.  http://www.cindyspianostudio.com/group

Sign Up For Fall Classes

I had some wonderful news today.  I can have flyers distributed to the students at Bemus Point Elementary School this year.  Yea!  Now more students will have the opportunity to find out about Cindy's Piano Studio.  I'm so convenient to the school and the bus will drop off the students at the door after school. 

The schedule this year will be:
Thursday:
3:30-4:15 - 9-11Year Old Beginner Class
4:15-5:00 - 7-8 Year Old Beginner Class
5:00-5:45 - 5-6 Year Old Beginner Class

I'm planning some fun things for this year.  More on that later...

Summer is Coming to a Close

It's August 1st already!  Summer is almost over and it's time to think about scheduling piano lessons.  My hope this year is to have private students at my home in Lakewood on Monday and Tuesday and classes at the Bemus Point studio. I'll be calling everyone the last week of August or first week in September to arrange lesson times.

Dandy Ritardando

I love children's sayings.  In L's lesson yesterday we were learning about ritardando and her comment was "It's dandy to have a ritardando."  She just said it without any prompting on my part. It just popped out of her mouth.  I wonder if she had been thinking it beforehand or it just came out on the spur of the moment.  Whatever, it was really cute.

APT Exam

Saturday, six of my piano students participated in the Association of Piano Teachers' yearly exam.  This was their first year and it was a lot of work.  We started in October slowly learning scales and sightreading and clapping rhythm examples and brushing up on theory questions.  They also started learning their two pieces a little at a time so that it wouldn't be overwhelming.  Looking back on the process, I don't think I would have changed anything except less focus on the exam and more on learning new concepts.  The exam took up too much lesson time. 

All six of my students; however, got excellent scores and one frequent comment was how well they played dynamics!  Yea students!  A few students were very concerned about the sightreading and yet they got perfect scores. 

It was an interesting process and one I'm sure the students are glad is over.  Well, I am too.  Now we can focus on learning new concepts and finishing books and and and...

I'm very pleased with each of my students progress at the exams.

Piano Lessons in Bemus Point

Cindy's Piano Studio in Bemus Point is growing.  Students are coming and learning how to play piano in a fun atmosphere.  Classes are being held on Wednesdays and Thursdays and some Saturdays.  All ages are coming from 6 years old to 65 years young.  More improvements to the space are in the works.  Soon internet access will allow students to reinforce piano learning concepts with theory games.

Call 716-763-1197 or visit http://www.cindyspianostudio.com/ if you wish to sign up for classes this Fall.

Wonderful Student Comments

I love it when I get comments that just pop out of my students mouths like this one:

"I'm in love with this song. It's so awesome!"  Comments like these make me feel like what I'm doing is worthwhile.  My students are having fun and enjoying their music and piano.

"Practice A Lot"

This week a beginning student said to me, "It's really easy if you practice a lot!"  She was so excited about being able to play her pieces well at her lesson.  She is right.  In order to play piano well, it takes lots of practice.  Practicing with concentration and a purpose, not just playing through pieces once, will ensure lots of progress and quickly.  Practicing piano when you are tired is not the best time to expect progress.  It's better than nothing but the best time is when you are able to concentrate on what you are trying to make your fingers do and listening to the sounds that your fingers are making.  Slow repetitions are best for learning new pieces; however, the repetitions should be in short sections like two or four measures at a time, not the whole piece.  Thinking about how you are pressing the keys on the finger tips with a rounded hand position or relaxing your shoulders, back, and arms as you play or counting outloud or saying letter names outloud will help to keep you focused.  So as my student said, "It's really easy if you practice a lot!"

Happy Practicing!