Spring break is over - and that means it's time to start picking our piano pieces for the "Piano Rocks" concert.  I can't wait to see which piece each student picks as their favorite to share with the audience.  

I believe that each child has music within.  I also believe that sharing that music - in whatever form - is vitally important for the development of the child.  That's what we are going to do on May 12!

​Looking forward to cheering, yelling, clapping and whistling as each child brings forth their best effort.  Great fun!

​Our end-of-year piano concert will be something your family will remember!  Let's get ready to show our kids that we are their biggest "fans"!  Here is the article that inspired me to have a piano recital like none that you have ever seen: (be sure to watch the opening short video)

www.teachpianotoday.com/2017/06/21/creating-piano-fans-in-your-studio-one-teachers-amazing-studio-recital-story/

Aren't you excited to participate?  Here is what you can do to get ready:

1.  Save the date - Saturday - May 12.  Wunderkeys kids play at 9:30 a.m., other students play at either 10:30 or 11:30.
2.  Start collecting stuff!  You will need some of these items:  pom-poms, homemade signs, air horns, cow bells, blankets, camp chairs, foam fingers, and general cheerleading items.
​3.  Plan what to wear.  Family colors, face paint - show your spirit!  The concert will be very casual.
4.  Start "cheering" your student during their practice time at home.  See this article for ideas - look for the section on "Piano Parents Turned Music Fans"
www.teachpianotoday.com/2014/06/15/why-my-next-piano-recital-may-include-hot-dogs-foam-fingers-and-the-wave/

Don't miss this amazing opportunity to showcase and encourage our fantastic kids!

Tim Topham, an internationally known piano teacher, blogger, writer, and presenter - just wrote a fantastic article on this.  I am delighted to find out that he recommends the very same digital piano I have in my studio - the Roland FP-30!  Check out what Tim has to say:

timtopham.com/how-to-choose-the-best-digital-piano-for-your-students/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=%5BWeekly+News%5D+Creative+Piano+Teaching+Podcast+returns&utm_campaign=%5BWeekly+News%5D+Feb+7

Fine motor skills are so important to a child's success.  But in this age of ipads, smartphones, and tablets - what's a parent to do?

​Check out this important article for some tips on how to help your child.  It's about a 5 minute or less read.

www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-14/ipad-generations-fingers-not-ready-to-write/9143880

At our piano studio - we are always striving to find ways to increase those motor skills, and give kids cross-over skills that will help them succeed in school and life.  It's so much fun to watch these kids grow!

If we can help you in any way - let us know.  Pop us an email, ask a quick question, and we will get back to you shortly.  Looking forward to a great year of young musicians in 2018!

​

There it is.  The ugly truth about my silverware drawer.  It drives me crazy - and occasionally I wipe it out - but there they are again.  Crumbs!

Why am I being so openly transparent about this?  Because I want all you mamas out there to know several things:  it's okay if your house is not sparkling, your kids are not perfectly behaved, and you lose it every once in a while.

Forget all the Pinterest-perfect pictures.  Let's talk about real life.

My kids are grown, but I look back on lots of times that were less than perfect.  Big picture - they managed to make it to functioning, loving, amazing adults.  Even my special-needs adult son continues to encourage me by his responsibility and care for others.

From my vantage point - I try to make the main thing the main thing - Love.  And I hope that in this New Year - 2018 - you take the time to love, and to be kind to yourself.

Here in my piano studio - we practice the same thing.  We love each kid, and overlook the small stuff.  If you are curious as to what a modern piano lesson looks like, contact us.  We will give you a few quick schedule options to choose from.  Happy New Year - and here's to wonderful music-making!

Do you want your child to have an enjoyable activity that will carry throughout life?

Do you want your child to learn skills that will help them succeed in school?

Do you want part of your child's brain to be bigger? (What?)

There is great research on just what piano lessons can do for a child BEFORE they turn seven. 

Read this quick article - written by the founders of Wunderkeys.  I hope it helps you as you navigate the choices of parenthood!

wunderkeys.com/2014/03/14/eat-your-broccoli-and-take-wunderkeys-lessons-a-healthy-brain-starts-here/

​So, why are YOU thinking about piano lessons for your child?
 
*Did you take lessons as a child and want your child to have a good experience with music?
*Did you wish you had taken lessons when you were younger, and never had the opportunity?
*Do you want your kids to have the benefits of increased attention span, better language and motor skills, and generally be a more well-rounded person?
*Do you want to see smiles and hear energetic laughter as your child plays and creates songs?
 
Whatever your reason, piano is a great activity for kids – and the younger, the better!
 
Here are some glimpses into the studio:

• When students play a game in the studio, they instantly "get" the concept being taught.  No more boring presentations, or endless review.
• Children are running up the sidewalk to get to their lesson. Kids regularly beat their parents to my door, they are so excited!
• Kids receive verbal encouragement from a caring teacher at every lesson.

 
And my favorite – I hear this one all the time:

• Your child's eyes will light up, they will break into a smile, and ask, "Can I play that again?"

 
 
What kid says, “Can I play that again?” to a learning activity?  That is when you, as a parent, know that you have hit the sweet spot of providing that is so unique and special- they can’t get enough of it.
 
The Best Part – You are framing an experience for your whole family.
 
Learning piano is a skill that your child will enjoy throughout life.  Imagine your child helping your GRANDCHILD to play the piano.
 
This powerful truth hit me several years ago.  One of my former students, all grown up with kids of her own, put her two year old on my waiting list.  Her child had to wait FOUR YEARS to get into the studio.  It was so cool to see Elisabeth bring Noah, then his younger sister Emma, to lessons every week.  They were my first “grand-students”!  The whole family had fun playing piano together.
 
 

Thinking about buying a keyboard for your child?  Read on for the top 5 digital pianos available for under $1,000!

Digital pianos have changed the way piano is taught, and the way it can be learned.  They also provide you, as a parent, many choices on what kind of instrument to buy for your children.  Let's examine the considerations:

If your child is a preschooler (age 4 and under), you may want something they just can "play" with.  In other words, you want a toy.  In that case - why not buy a "toy piano" for under $25  from Target or Wal-mart?  Here is an example of a cute one:

What you are really after is something that gives them a little way to explore, without busting your budget or having a younger sibling destroy it (right?).  Any child in my Wunderkeys program could do their lessons on something like this.

In that case - please don't get a 61 or 76 key un-weighted keyboard.  This type of instrument might cost $50-$100 ish at a big box store.  You are wasting your money here.  Reasons you DON'T want to buy this kind of keyboard:

• it promotes bad posture.  This keyboards are commonly set on a desk or table.  The child can't sit properly, and uses bad posture with their neck and back.
• it promotes bad hand position and weak hands.  Because of the non-weighted keys, children can't get the "feel" of what it's like to play a piano.  They come to piano lessons and feel frustrated.  Imagine working out at a gym with one-pound weights, and a trainer hands you a ten-pound weight.  
• it causes disorientation and confusion on where the keys are.  Because the keyboard is shorter, when students come to a full-size piano, they don't know where they are and how to navigate.  Imagine learning to park in a parking lot with narrow spaces.  Then, you are presented with a super-wide parking space.  Do you park in the middle, or on the side?  (The analogy breaks down here, because on the piano, it really MATTERS where you place your hands.) You can park in the parking space as long as you don't get your car dinged.  But, a child is trying to learn how to play.  This disorientation, along with all the skills they are trying to learn, is very confusing.

So - if you really want your child to play the piano, even if they are just a beginner learning to play simple songs (and I would say, ESPECIALLY if they are a beginner) - get an instrument that won't confuse them.

If you are ready to get that kind of instrument for your child, keep on reading for my 5 Digital Pianos for under $1,000 recommendations!  

I don't particularly like the sound of these pianos, but the price is lower than some of the others.  You can sometimes find a used one for $399, and a new one for $499.  Check Guitar Center and Amazon. Watch out how you use this one - try to get the keyboard the correct height for your child.  See your teacher for recommendations.

This one comes just as a keyboard ($399) or with a frame, bench, and sustain pedal for $529.  

www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Weighted-Digital-Piano-Furniture/dp/B01HQNGSZY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1508962566&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Yamaha+P45+88&psc=1&smid=A3SPLR0MSOYZ8O

This piano was recommended by a teacher I highly respect.  In fact, she put one of these in her studio as an extra piano.  It comes with a stand and pedal, and can be "portable" if you need to transport.  Around $799.

​www.amazon.com/Yamaha-DGX-660-Digital-Piano-Instructional/dp/B01DCA1CJM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1508959413&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=yamaha+dgx+660&psc=1#HLCXComparisonWidget_feature_div

These instruments are available at Guitar Center, Yamaha dealers, and other music stores.  The settings are simple, action is weighted, and pedals are secure so they don't slip.  (That's something to really consider about the previous instruments.  If you buy a digital piano with a plug-in pedal, and your child continues piano for more than 2 years, you will need to upgrade to something more substantial after that to allow them to learn pedalling techniques.) The Arius ranges from $699 used to around $1,000 new at most stores.

www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Yamaha/Arius-Digital-Piano.gc?cntry=us&source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=CjwKCAjw7MDPBRAFEiwAppdF9EQNxzMKpL-CFXKVh0sfwHAOaGbgpH0ryJjueLM_7yE8_Qf_z0fbUxoCFtIQAvD_BwE&kwid=productads-adid^221116235902-device^c-plaid^412740300407-sku^113515182@ADL4GC-adType^PLA

Another portable instrument.  Not ideal - but will carry you through a couple of years if placed properly.  I personally love the sound and feel of Roland pianos.  They are also easy to connect to ipads.  Around $699. I personally recommend also buying the kit that is "furniture" style.  It's sturdy, and looks alot better than the X-stand.  The X-stand was very frustrating for the little kids in my studio. 

www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FP30BK

There you have it!  Five options to get your little ones' fingers moving on the keys.  If you have any questions about acoustic pianos, or digital pianos over $1,000 - contact me.  I would be glad to help point you in a direction that is budget-friendly, yet helpful to your kiddo!

Calendar dates for the school year are set!  Take a look at the attached file.   I hope you find many, many opportunities to involve your child in music this year.  As they say, the more, the merrier!

Parenting little ones is exhausting!  How in the world are you supposed to keep everyone clothed, fed, cleaned, and well-behaved?  Thinking about preparing for kindergarten is one more daunting thing on a parental list.

"What? Piano for preschoolers?  I've always heard they were too young."

Not now.  With the introduction of Wunderkeys, a curriculum built developmentally for ages 3-5 - your preschoolers can learn about music and the keyboard in a gentle, age-appropriate way. We also throw in math, listening, and fine motor skills mixed in with a heap of fun!

Contact us for a free, no-obligation resource that outlines characteristics of children who benefit from Wunderkeys.  

Denton Piano Lessons is always striving to help provide more information to parents.  Check out this link for a great article on getting kids ready for the classroom:
​www.care.com/c/stories/3178/14-preschool-activities-to-get-your-child-rea/

Let's start a conversation about your child, his needs, and how we can serve you and point you in the right direction.  You're not in this alone.