Meet the newest member of my studio! At our state conference a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful workshop by Betty Todd Smith titled “You Like to Practice? Why???” As a part of the presentation, she discussed fun and creative ideas to help students learn to repeat tricky passages. The one that grabbed me? Mr. Potato Head! Students start with … Continue reading
I first became acquainted with the music of Glenda Austin through our local association’s annual Multi-Piano concerts. We’ve featured several of her compositions and arrangements over the years, including one of my all-time favorite duet pieces, Valse Elegante. Her duets are always a hit with my students – most of them sound much harder than they really are! I was delighted to learn about a … Continue reading
Welcome to Pianimation! If you’re reading this, you’ve probably made the trip over from jenspianostudio.wordpress.com. You’ll find all of the old blog posts from that site, plus all of the downloadable teacher resources from jenspianostudio.com here – all in one place! I’m VERY excited about this new site… and promise to post lots and lots of fun ideas and games in the coming months … Continue reading
It’s finally summer in my studio. Not that you could tell by looking at a calendar – the “official” June 21st start to the season is still a week away, and I’ve already been on summer teaching schedule for 2 weeks. Nope… It’s finally summer because my to-do list has been cleared to the point I can work on some creative projects I’ve been putting off … Continue reading
Has anyone met a piano student who doesn’t LOVE sheet music? There’s something especially exciting and motivating about the stuff. My students love to play it… and some of them also love to MAKE it. During summer lessons, I make an extra effort to encourage creative projects in my studio. Many students opt to compose a piece or two (or three…). Once they’re satisfied … Continue reading