Regaining Your Groove after a Long Break

This is the first time I've taught piano while pregnant (hence the crackers always near the piano lately). I have really enjoyed how weekly lessons align with the weekly development of pregnancy. I've also appreciated how supportive all of you Napa parents have been during the first trimester. Hopefully, the second trimester, which I'm entering next week, will bring more energy.

I want to let everyone know I am planning to take a maternity leave in the fall. Lessons will not take place during this time. Of course, if the baby comes much earlier than expected, this may change. I have updated my Studio Holiday and Leave document to reflect this.

monthly masterclass idea...

We are at a point where many students have got pieces under their fingers, and I'd love to create some regular, low-stakes opportunities to play what they are working on for their peers. This is why I would like to begin hosting a monthly masterclass.

These will be like little Napa piano "workshops." We'll start off with a group activity to get everybody warmed up, and then those performing (2 or 3 students) will introduce what they've been working on. After the performance, we'll talk about how the piece was learned, tips for practicing, and technical concepts. If issues occur during the performance, we'll talk about those too, and discuss healthy practice habits as a group. We'll end the masterclass with another game. It is open to all ages and skill levels, and will be a great opportunity to make piano playing more of a social experience (as it can be very isolating always practicing on your own), see what others are working on and hopefully, get inspired. I also like this format because it mimics some of what they'll experience if any of them go on to study music beyond pre-college levels—studio masterclasses are a requirement required in universities and beyond.

what we're working on...

Now that we're past the holidays, I see many students regaining their groove. If you are still finding it difficult to encourage practice at home, don't get too discouraged. This journey is not linear. For every single one of us, there are spurts, and there are slumps. It's important to keep a level head during the spurts, and not to lose hope during the slumps—unless it's all slump and no spurt, but I feel like that's pretty rare. I am always here for troubleshooting.

I've also been assigning a transcription (listening and recording music by ear) project I devised on the song "Auld Lang Syne" to a few older students, and have felt very encouraged by the response. More of my nerdy thoughts on transcription here, for those interested.