Songbird Piano Lessons

 I know. This is a music blog. I should be sharing a music video of 'O Canada.'    This is going to come across as odd to those who know me, and especially to those who have been at our house on Canada Day where I insisted that we absolutely had to go and sing our national anthem, but I've never once bothered looking up a video of 'O Canada.' And I keep thinking I should make one... but I never remember until it's June 29th and too late to slap something respectable together.     So, instead, enjoy reading the full four verses below. I love the last verse especially. (Copied from  Beyond the Rhetoric. ) O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free! From far and wide, O Canada, We stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada! Where pines and maples grow. Great p

In  my last post,  I promised to expound on the different items I challenged myself to practice this summer. Hanon's up first on the list, so today you will learn about Hanon.    Have you ever noticed that your fingers aren't equal? Let me explain. Your fingers do not each have equal strength and dexterity. This may not be obvious while cooking or mowing the lawn, but it becomes very obvious during a child's first lesson, when I say, "OK, now lift finger 4!" and the student struggles to get their ring finger off the table. The more music is played, the more obvious it becomes. The thumb thumps, way too loudly. The ring finger barely moves. The index and middle fingers are strong and tend to go where they're wanted, when they're wanted. But the pinky isn't, and tends to be an out-of-control rogue.     What do you do when part of you is weak?    You exercise it, of course.     Hanon exercises are meant especially to make sure all the fingers

 Last time, I wrote about  summer piano practice.  Actually, I didn't really write about it, but linked back to an earlier post where I had written about it.     But the real question simmering in your minds isn't whether your child should be practicing or not, is it? The real question you all want to know is, am I taking my own advice?    Yes!     Sort of.    I mean, I do have a part time job, and on days I have to go to work, it's harder to get in practice. (Although there are very few days where I don't sit down and play something at the piano.) On the flip side, though, I decided not just to let summer break slip by like a creek flowing, flowing, flowing, until it's gone. No, I set myself some goals here. I thought of all the musical areas I could use improvement on. I wrote them down. Then I aimed to work on those areas every day.    Then I actually sat down. And realized that, as usual, I had grossly overestimated how much I could do in an hour, and that I was

Summer is a busy time. I know. The temptation to not practice piano is strong.     Who wants to practice when you can be outside?    But here's why you should encourage your children to spend a little time practicing over the summer. And how you can help make it happen by making it easy.  http://songbirdpianolessons.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-but-of-summer-break.html

 Before I ever had a chance to teach preschoolers, I wrote a post on why you should sign up your preschooler for piano lessons.    Normally that's a bad idea. Writing about something you don't have experience on.    But in this case, experience has only strengthened my view. Teaching preschoolers is very possible, very good for them, and very fun!     So, without further ado, here's a link to my original post. I take nothing back from what I said the first time. All I have to add is that signing up your preschooler for piano lessons... is a better idea than I thought it was. ;) http://songbirdpianolessons.blogspot.com/2018/08/why-put-your-preschooler-in-piano.html