Ilia Malinin showed the world what resilience looks likeThe 2026 Winter Olympics are over, and team USA did very well! I'm not a hockey fan, but even I was cheering for mens and womens hockey over the weekend. My attention during the winter games has always been drawn to figure skating. The combination of beauty and athleticism is fascinating, and it doesn't hurt that it is one of the few sports set to music. I was especially interested by Ilia Malinin, the 21 year old from Virginia who excelled in his short program and then fell (literally) during his next event, and finished in eighth place overall. He told the press he let the pressure/expectations get to him, and you can see a distinct difference in the tension in his body between the two programs. Ilia's story does not end there. In his free skate performance, he delivered a powerful, emotional performance to the song "Fear" by NF. Side note: If you are unfamiliar with NF, I recommend you look up his music. He tackles emotions is a unique and powerful way, and the visuals in his videos add a fascinating depth to his lyrics. Ilia did not give up after his rough performance. In interviews, he said Tom Brady and Simone Biles contacted him and offered him encouragement and inspiration, sharing their own struggles with pressure and performance anxiety. And he then he took to the ice again, pouring all of his frustration and anxiety into his program to deliver a raw, emotional performance that speaks to all of us about grit and resilience. Parents, grandparents, and teachers: we need to teach and model to the children in our lives that life is not a binary system of winning and failure. Life is messy, and emotions are complex, even in children. Sometimes we prepare really well and perform really well, and that is cause for great celebration. Sometimes we prepare well and something happens in the moment to distract us just enough that we don't perform as well as we hoped to. When that happens, our first inclination is often to give up and walk away, saying "I guess I'm not talented enough". But if we quit (or let our children quit) after a bad performance, we are encouraging the binary mindset of winning or failure. What if we encouraged a growth mindset of "How can I learn from this experience?" Examples of a growth mindset statements would be: "I am disappointed, but I can learn from this" "I made some mistakes but I am proud of myself for finishing" "What did I do well, and what can I do better?" I love celebrating a beautiful performance-wether it is music, or sports, or theater-as much as the next person, but sometimes the best life lessons are what we learn from the performances that don't go our way. Talent is not something you are born with. It is developed over time. Life is not about winning or losing. It's about keeping the game going.
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It is finally warming up here in the Piedmont area of North Carolina.
We had two winter storms on back to back weekends, bringing first 3" of sleet and then 11" of snow. After the first storm, we had a week of record cold temperatures, so the beautiful, fluffy, white snow fell on sleet that had hardened into ice. During this "snow time" when schools were remote and everyone was stuck at home, it was difficult to keep track of the days. Every morning after breakfast, I would layer up and go outside with my handy tools, and work to clear the parking spot and walkways for my piano students, so we could return to in person lessons. Sometimes my family members helped me, and sometimes I worked alone. As I worked, I was struck by the similarities between ice/snow removal and practicing. Here are my thoughts: 1) Move in small steps. When you are dealing with ice, you have to start cutting the edges first, and be patient. Sometimes only small pieces break away, and sometimes you hit the right spot and larger pieces break off. In practicing, sometimes it feels like the progress is so slow you are barely progressing. Then you come back to next day and suddenly make a leap forward. Identify a small thing you can do successfully, and start with that, then move on to the next thing. 2) Patience is essential. Removing ice/snow and learning to play the piano can take a long time. If you get frustrated and give up, you will be left with a snowy, icy walkway and be unable to play the piano. 3) Looking backward can help you move forward When I am clearing ice, it was easy to become very focused on whatever is in front of my snow boots. If all you see is the landscape locked in snow and ice, it can be very discouraging. To encourage myself, I made it a point to look back over the trail I had cut, take pictures of my progress and text them to my family. Similarly, it can be hard to see your progress at learning the piano when you are always focused on the next task. Recording videos during practice or during lessons is a great way to capture the progress of the moment, and celebrate small achievements. In my piano studio, we also celebrate progress through sharing music during group class. Over the course of weeks and months, students hear each other gain confidence and skill. One of the highlights of the "snow time" was a surprise recording I received from one of my adult students. I had recorded my part of a duet we were working on, and sent it to her so she could practice. I was completely surprised and overjoyed when she sent a recording back, and it was her playing along with my recording! In conclusion, whether you are a parent, a student, or a lover of classical music, remember these three things: Move in small steps Be patient Document and celebrate your progress And if you live in NC, get outside and enjoy the warmer weather! |
AuthorEmily Morgan is a Suzuki piano teacher who loves teaching music to all ages and discussing personality styles. She enjoys playing music with others, whether that is chamber music, piano duets, or singing in a choir. Her favorite composers are Bach and Haydn. Archives
February 2026
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