Our town is slowly recovering from the effects of Florence.  School has been back in for over a month, the debris piles are being picked up by the ‘claw of happiness’, as the locals have dubbed it, and in my studio we are starting to work on holiday music.  Because of the hurricane and the disruption to the schedule, we have kept the fall into practice challenge going through October, and my students are so used to telling me how many days they practiced that we’re still going strong in November.  I have been impressed and touched and so proud of the students who have worked hard to practice consistently and get the twenty days of practicing certificate.
 
 Everyone was effected by the hurricane in different ways.  Some of my students had damage to their houses, and one family is still displaced and living in a temporary house while theirs is being repaired.  So it is impressive and inspiring that, despite the obstacles, parents and their students keep showing up for lessons.  Parents continue to ask me “what should we practice this week?” or “how can I help ____ this week?”
 
Seeing this dedication reminds me of a podcast episode I listened to this summer.  It was an episode of Building Noble Hearts by the Suzuki Association of the Americas. I won’t
summarize the episode, because I don’t want to spoil it for you.   I did find one phrase mentioned very interesting: an adult, describing her memories of practicing with her dad as a child, said “I felt very important because my dad was choosing to spend time with me.”
 
Even though the musical concept she was learning was difficult, and she was dealing with the natural angst and frustration of learning something new, she also recognized that her father valued her enough to take time out of his day and work with her.
 
This is one of the beautiful possibilities of music.  As the child learns, the parent has the opportunity to spend time with their child, to strengthen the relationship, to learn more about their child and about themselves.
 
Parents- every time you listen to your child practice, every time you come and sit in the lesson, every time you say, “I know this is hard.  Try it again,” you are communicating that, in that moment, your child is worth the time investment. 
 
Take the time to invest in your relationship with your child.  Be present.  Come to the lesson. Encourage them to keep striving, even when the concepts are hard and seem insurmountable. 
 
In ten or fifteen years, your child may not be playing piano anymore (although that would be nice), but they will remember the time you spent with them, and your relationship will be stronger because of it.
 
I am so grateful to the parents who are investing in their children.  I am grateful for the students who have worked hard to establish a practicing routine.  Let's keep up the momentum and continue to grow in our musical knowledge and strengthen our relationships.  

As Suzuki famously wrote: 

"Do not hurry, do not rest." 

This month has not turned out the way any of us expected.  It has only been a little over a week since Florence made landfall, but the devastation caused by the storm will take months to clean up.  I know you all have been glued to the news like I have, so I won’t recount all the damage done by this massive storm. Today, I am writing about the power of music.

 In light of all the flooding, damage to homes, displaced residents, loss of power, etc, it seems trifling to talk about the power of music and how music helps us deal with difficult circumstances, but please, keep reading. 
​
Music allows us to experience and process emotions. And whether you decided to stay in town or evacuate, you probably experienced the same emotions of anxiety, uncertainty, fear, stress, and sorrow that I did.  Children experience the same emotions as adults, but often they have a hard time verbalizing their emotions.  So when they practice their music, it gives them a way to focus their anxiety into doing something productive.  When they play a sad piece, and a happy piece, it helps them process the sorrow over seeing the community changed by the storm and the happiness at seeing the community come together.  Starting back to weekly lessons helps restore a sense of normalcy. Setting a practice goal, whether that is memorizing a piece, playing a piece hands together, or practicing 5 days in a row, and achieving that goal helps the child realize that while some things (like hurricanes) are out of our control, many things are within our control.
 
So parents, take time this week to talk with your child.  Tell them that you want to hear what they are practicing.  Do not underestimate the power of being present and listening.  Together, we will get through this difficult time, and through the process of rebuilding, we will emerge stronger than before.
 

Hello, September!
 
The school routine is becoming a little more normal now, and we are becoming used to getting up early and going to bed early (I hope).  Students are getting used to doing sports after school and homework after sports. 
 
But how do you incorporate a new habit, say practicing piano, into your routine?
 
 Forming new habits takes time and intentional thinking. Suzuki often reminded people that you have to practice a certain habit 10,000, 12,000, or maybe even 50,000 times before you master it.  But if you never remember to work on the habit, how can you master it?
 
Sometimes all it takes is a little motivation.  And this month, the motivation will be Fall into Music Practice Challenge!  I heard about this idea from a teacher on Facebook, and the challenge was created by Shelly Davis, who hosts the Piano Parent Podcast.
 
Students who practice every day for 20 days will get a certificate, and I have passed out practice sheets to help them track their days. 
 
And, as part of the greater musical community, teachers and students all over the country are participating in this challenge. 

I am excited to see how this challenge influences the practicing habits of my students.  Let's get started! 
 

I love listening to podcasts about teaching.  This week, I was listening to the latest episode from Building Noble Hearts by the Suzuki Association of the Americas.
I won’t summarize the episode, because I don’t want to spoil it for you.   I want to focus on one sentence I heard: an adult, describing her memories of practicing with her dad as a child, said “I felt very important because my dad was choosing to spend time with me.”
 
Even though the musical concept she was learning was difficult, and she was dealing with the natural angst and frustration of learning something new, she also recognized that her father valued her enough to take time out of his day and work with her. 
 
This is one of the beautiful possibilities of music.  As the child learns, the parent has the opportunity to spend time with their child, to strengthen the relationship, to learn more about their child and about themselves.
 
Parents- every time you listen to your child practice, every time you come and sit in the lesson, every time you say, “I know this is hard.  Try it again,” you are communicating that, in that moment, your child is worth the time investment. 
 
A new school year will be starting very soon, and naturally there will be a period of upheaval as everyone adjusts to the new schedule.  While the routine is in flux, take the time to invest in your relationship with your child.  Be present.  Come to the lesson. Encourage them to keep striving, even when the concepts are hard and seem insurmountable. 
 
In ten or fifteen years, your child may not be playing piano anymore (although that would be nice), but they will remember the time you spent with them, and your relationship will be stronger because of it.

References:
suzukiassociation.org/building-noble-hearts/episodes/s2e3-practicing-can-be-hard/
 
For more information about practicing with your children: 
Helping Parents Practice by Edmund Sprunger

For more information about the Suzuki philosophy:
Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki