I had a dream years ago when we lived overseas in Germany. Part of it was due to boredom, part of it aspiration, and part of it convenience. This dream was catapulted by a class I took in college called Information Systems Management. 

I've always loved Access by Microsoft. I'm an odd duck, what can I say? But seriously, the ability to organize and filter things, create forms and reports ... it did what Excel can do, yet so much more. I wanted to see everything I owned and was (and still am) acquiring in key signatures, difficulty levels, publishers, cost, etc.

The benefits of creating a database of your music library are manyfold. So, let me give you a lending hand as to what you can do.

Database Ideas:

• Music Pieces - for individual songs, works, whatever you want to call them.
• Music Books - for every book you own filled with music
• Methods - for every book that is a method (i.e. Alfred's Basic Piano Library, Piano Adventures)
• Albums - for all records, discs, MP3s, and other formats of music you know
• Educational Materials - for books about composers, treatises, theory, pedagogy, etc.
• Your compositions and works in progress

Now how can you sort this material? By this I mean, what information do you want accessible at your fingertips? Make primary indexes to be book numbers or ISBNs. Titles of books and pieces should be written with overly specific information. Have two sources for the Moonlight Sonata? Use Opus numbers or organizational systems (WoO, K. numbers, etc.), or you could even put a parenthetical note for the arranger, book, and so forth, or editions.

• After primary indexes, make sure you include things like:
• Composer
• Arranger
• Key Signature (if applicable)
• Accompaniment as a yes/no
• Duet as a yes/no
• Cost (if applicable)
• Year purchased (if desired)
• Year published
• Publisher
• Book Numbers or Levels
• CD as a yes/no
• Pages
• You difficulty level rating
• Instrument
• Genre

The next step would be to create a form to fill out for each database, and reports. These should automatically update in the software you use, so that as soon as you fill out a form, the information is added. 

Ideas for Reports would include:
Music by Composer (and make sure composer names are entered consistently with first and last names)
Music by difficulty level
Music by key signature
Duets
Pieces with accompaniment 
Music by instrumentation

As a teacher, this is super useful. I can filter my results or pull a report for a student at a certain level, in a certain key signature and by a specific genre without having to leaf through hundreds of my books and materials.

I hope this post gives you excellent ideas on how to organize your library, studio, office, or classroom. I know it seriously helps me. Yes, it takes some time setting up and getting through entering everything you own ... but in the end, you have something like this to look forward to:

I was asked just this week by a long time student of mine how he should be practicing. I'll have to be honest and say this floored me a little. "Wow," I said. "I'm so glad you asked me this." Keep in mind that my job as a teacher isn't just to teach you the concepts and material, it is also my job to impart the know-how and tools of practice. 

So, without much further ado, here are 17 Hits to get the most out of your practice.

1. Warm Up - Pick an etude, play an easy song, get the blood moving in your fingers to have them ready and at their tiptop condition for practice.

2. Do your scales. Pay close attention in particular to ones that are the key of your pieces to practice. Remind your brain and your body that you need quick access to this knowledge. Patterns are crucial for any musician and scales are excellent pattern practice.

3. Play some Hanon. (See above) Transpose if necessary or applicable.

4. Take a study break. Look over your material carefully. Actually READ your music. You can even sit comfortably in a chair or on a couch for this portion of practice. Sing the song in your head as you read through it. Note all the highlights you need to remember (dynamics, articulations, tempos, etc.)

5. Use the 50% rule at least once per piece. Don't know the 50% rule? That means practice at exactly 50% of the speed of the piece you are working on. If you just have "Allegro", then select the slowest pace of 60 BPM. 

6. Become friends with a metronome, and use it at least once per piece (all the way through). You may adjust as necessary by 2-3 or even 5 ticks, but make an entire practice through with it. Your timing and rhythm will improve, as well as your attention to speed.

7. Work in chunks. Take small sections of 2-4 measures at a time, and perfect them before stringing them all together. Be methodical about this.

8. Refrain from the desire to "fix mistakes" constantly. Ignoring mistakes is sometimes just as important as fixing them. You'll never make it through a piece if you constantly stop and start. Performances demand that time continues on, so allow yourself some grace. Then, return to chunking and the 50% rule to fix your mistakes.

9. Keep a pencil and highlighter handy. You may need notes, you may need instructions, or you might just need encouragement. Either way, a pencil and highlighter is a must if you want to succeed in practice.

10. Take brain breaks. Rest your thoughts and let loose a little by throwing in a fun song, playing something enjoyable, or just fiddling around on the keys. Your focus and intensity might suffer if you don't give yourself the space to relax a little.

11. Never quit practicing until you have worked on each assignment with 3 full run-throughs. This ensures you made mistakes, worked them through, and then attempted to perform to the best of your ability.

12. Practice in a variety of environments. Loud or quiet, we musicians put up with a lot. Plus, other people still have lives. If someone is making dinner and is whipping up a racket, put your practice skills to the test! If you have the chance to play on another instrument that isn't yours, try it out! If you have company, or the house is still asleep, give the keys a whirl. We build up our concentration and focus this way as we tolerate a lot of conditions we cannot control as musicians.

13. Sightread a piece of music. It can be new, it can be old, it just cannot be anything you're working on (or just worked on). This puts all of your theory skills to the test.

14. Try a video recording of yourself that you can delete later. Set it up  so you can see your hands and hear the music, and then LISTEN CAREFULLY to the playback. This will give you a ton of information about yourself that you might not otherwise have known. Maybe you're sitting wrong, or maybe you missed all the F#s. 

15. Practice your music backwards! Start with the last measure. Then the last 2. Then the last 3, etc. This gives your brain a bit of a workout and allows you to hear the music in a different way. It may even highlight important things you have overlooked.

16. Be positive with yourself, and stay calm. The worst thing to do is become frustrated with something you struggle on. Tell yourself that you can do better next time, and don't give up!

17. Try out an audience. Mom, dad, neighbor, babysitter, whomever! Wherever! Ask them for their positive feedback, and ask them if there's 1 thing they think you could work on. They might see and hear things that you don't, so use these to motivate yourself to success!

Learning music is a commitment. It can be a serious one, or a casual one - but it's still a commitment. We all have lives, and let's be honest about it: Some days are better than other days. As adults, we have jobs, children, grandchildren, chores, work, errands, appointments ... and an endless amount of capability to organize it all. So can we fit in learning piano?

If you're deciding whether or not you can learn piano, you must set some sort of goal or at least have one in mind. Many of my adult students come to me and say they always wanted to learn so they had a hobby, or a pastime. This is a great motivator to learn! I have others that have come to me and said that they want to accomplish a specific piece of music. Also a great reason to learn. Rarely have I had an adult come to me and say they'd love to play Chopin level 8 pieces, or that they want to be a pianist. But this can also be an excellent driving force. I'm going to be brutally honest about all three of these types of adult beginners (or returners) for a moment, and I hope I don't hurt your feelings.

The first adult I mentioned is the most successful adult student.  The second is the least successful adult student. The last student is so rare, that I've had only 1 adult in my 10+ years of teaching have this goal - and they fell off the face of the planet when a family crisis occurred.

There are a plethora of reasons for the success of the first student, and why I've retained several of these for years. These adults always come to me with an awareness of self and ability. They are timid, they are receptive, and they are candid. They knew that there would be times when it would be difficult to practice, yet they persevered through lessons that may have felt overwhelming or unsuccessful. They understood that not every lesson would be exciting and fun, and that there is a substantial amount of sweat and tears involved in the learning process.

That leaves the other two types of students. The second type of student tends to fail because they don't live in reality. Most educators are unwilling to teach you something they know you don't want to understand. That said, learning a intermediate piece of music that isn't Mary Had a Little Lamb can involve more than 50 musical concepts. Sure, you can learn by rote ... but are you really learning music? No. Are you really learning the song? No. There's more to music than just the right notes and the right lengths of the notes. People with a piece goal in mind want to play NOW, and then never come back for lessons. In truth, this is distracting and leads to disinterest on not only behalf of the student, but also the teacher.

The final student who wants to be a great musician is genuinely rare at an adult's age, that there isn't much to say really. As an educator, I'd equate it to a drastic change in careers: A mechanic suddenly becoming a financial consultant. It's a dream, and dream chasers can be valuable students and can learn very well. But, when obstacles block their path, they can end up more reluctant to change their ways and will easily settle for less.

All types of adults and goals can be successful, but in my experience, the adult that knows the level of dedication involved is the one best prepared for success in lessons. They can truly learn piano. Good or bad, they have the thick skin required and the resolve.
​
Now let's get to how to overcome your challenges being an adult.

• Schedule your life around piano.
• Make doctor's appointments and meetings for the same day, and back to back to assure the best use of your time.
• Limit your lazy activities (i.e. TV, internet junk) to 1 hour a day total. Keep a tally to help stay on track.
• Set a timer every day at a certain time. If you haven't practiced, GO NOW!
• Be flexible where you can. Use the 15 spare minutes in the morning before you leave for work at the piano.
• Prepare your life ahead of you. Make dinners in advance and freeze them, put out your clothes for the next day, multi-task, make lists and stick to them, etc.
• Spend less time in the bathroom. Limit showers and hair/make-up time. Be strict with yourself on this.
• Use a reward system. 30 mins of practice = 30 mins of knitting and watching TV.
• Ask others to hold you accountable by asking you to play something for them. (THIS IS A TRICK! You've just suckered yourself into a practice!)
• Delegate where you can. Let your spouse do the shopping, make your kids help out with chores, have the neighbor drop your box off at the Carrier's, etc.
• Make some of your "family time" include your practicing with family in the same room.
• Run all your errands back to back when and where you can.
• Unplug from social media (or plug in with a live broadcast!) and practice when you could've been chatting.

You should write in your music more than you believe you should. I hearken back to my collegiate days with this belief. I had professors in Philosophy, English and History strongly advocating using pen in your books for many reasons. As a musician, you need more than just the odd definition here and there. You need LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! Connecting important ideas and concepts in music is difficult as there are so many, so be highlighter friendly.

1. Use 1 colored highlighter to capture dynamics. Your eye is automatically drawn to bright color, so make yellow or pink stand out with a little line right over your sforzando. ESPECIALLY if you routinely miss dynamics, or forget to play that one in the middle of the music where there was a slight change. Yeah, that one. We all do that.
   
   
2. Give any tempo changes a pass with the old bright stick. Ritardandos and a Tempos are often not bold or obvious when dealing with unwieldy pieces. Make sure you meet those speeds accurately every time by highlighting them.
   
   
3. Notes you routinely miss should probably also be highlighted, not just circled a million times. Create that failsafe and let your tension free itself with a scribble over any note that is a problem causer.
   
   
4. Choose 1 specific color for finger numbers on notes you either miss, or use incorrect fingering on. Ensure that you are in the right place, at the right time, with the right finger always with this proven method.
   
   
5. If you're in a group, use a highlighter for lead-ins, extensive rests, or solos vs. tutti. You will need to distinguish these sections from others in a way that won't escape your concentration.
   
   
6. Never highlight ties, only slurs. Keep this in your back pocket by taking a pencil and putting an X through anything that is tied, and only reserving the highlighter for slurs that need extra attention to detail.
   
   
7. Clef changes can be easily missed if you fail to highlight them.
   
   
8. Staccato, accented, marcato, and tenutos that are important or missed can use a swipe with the stripe. Make sure you only use them when necessary on these. Over use can lead to carelessness or unwillingness to see the whole picture of music on a page.
   
   
9. Routinely missed repeat signs and/or endings should be highlighted. Do your endings in two different colors so your eyes can lead you to where you should be automatically.
   
   
10. Pedal Signs should never be ignored if they're in short supply on the piece you're playing. Random pedal at the end? Highlight. Random pedal in the middle? Highlight.
    
    

Highlighters are a musician's best friend in all these scenarios. Don't shy away from a colorful page that brings out the importance in the music that you may be missing or ignoring. Below is my suggestion for color coding your highlighters, but make your own list!

• Yellow - Pedal & 8va
• Pink - Dynamics and/or Tempos
• Orange - Notes & Finger numbers
• Green - Slurs
• Blue - Articulations
• Purple - Miscellaneous
  
  

Now here comes the catch: Don't use highlighters on everything. ONLY USE HIGHLIGHTERS WHEN you are legitimately struggling, or are missing important things. Don't be overzealous. Really. DON'T BE OVERZEALOUS! Be sparing. Use them as an advantageous way to capture the essence of the piece and what you are learning from it.

Dynamics are essentially musical volume. Dynamics help to create a few important musical structures: mood, scenery, shading, and character.

1. Mood - Otherwise known as emotional disposition.  What temper do you want to be? The tone of the piece can really set how someone feels.
2. Scenery - Otherwise known as the landscape view of the piece. Are you in a circus or are you depressed because your doll broke? These are important backdrops to what is happening in the music.
3. Shading - What is the color of the piece? What is going to happen? Ask yourself this question. If the piece is about goblins on Halloween night, you probably don't want to scream the music. Volume gives the listener hints about what is to come, and about what is happening.
4. Character - This is the personality and overall charm of the music. Is this a piece that is strong, dark, and handsome? Declare who you are through sound!

Now that we've covered the important expression dynamics encompasses, what do those symbols ACTUALLY MEAN?

ppp - Pianississimo

• Pee-an-ees-ee-see-moh
• As softly as possible
• Sounds like a whisper

pp - Pianissimo

• Pee-an-ee-see-moh
• Very softly
• Sounds like a mouse

p - Piano

• Pee-an-oh
• Softly
• Sounds like a kitty cat meow

mp - Mezzo Piano

• Met-zoh-pee-an-oh
• Moderately or Medium Soft
• Sounds like someone humming

mf- Mezzo Forte

• Met-zoh-fore-tuh
• Moderately or medium loud
• Sounds like someone talking

f - Forte

• Fore-tuh
• Loudly
• Sounds like someone yelling

ff - Fortissimo                

• Fore-tee-see-moh
• Very loudly
• Sounds like an airplane

fff - Fortississimo

• Fore-tees-ees-ee-moh
• As loudly as possible
• Someone screaming at the top of their lungs

sfz or sf- Sforzando or Sforzato

• Ts-fore-tsahn-doh / Ts-fore-tsah-doh
• Strongly accentuated
• Forced loudly

fp or sfp - Forte Piano or Sforzando Piano

• Fore-tuh-pee-ahn-oh / Ts-fore-tsahn-doh-pee-ahn-oh
• Loud, then suddenly quiet
• Like a baby's crying suddenly quieted by a bottle

Cresc. or Crescendo <

• Cruh-shehn-doh
• Gradually get louder
• Like an ambulance coming toward you from a distance

Dim. or Diminuendo >

• Dih-min-you-ehn-doh
• Gradually get softer
• Like a racecar passing by you

I have several large pumps of hand sanitizer in my home studio, and at my pianos. This is very important to me since I cannot always get up in between students. The average kid encounters billions upon trillions of germs daily. These germs have the lifespan of spreading to as many as 10+ people in hours. Bacteria double at an astronomical pace, and are living and growing.
 
As a musician, health is very important. We use our hands and often our mouths to operate our instruments, which leaves us vulnerable to invaders of the bacterial kind. Here are a few healthy tips to remember as a musician.
 

1. Never put your mouth on an instrument that isn’t yours, or hasn’t been extensively cleaned. Bad bacteria enter our body easiest through our orifices, and our mouth is a very common way to come into contact with nasty germs.
2. Wash your hands routinely. Before and after practice. The more often you clean your hands properly (Rinse, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) the less likely you will be to have bacteria lingering on your skin, or the debris on your skin.
3. Reduce hand shaking to a minimum. When you shake hands, you can gather more bacteria than you can when kissing a person. The surface space of the skin touching other skin is vast.  Keep wipes or sanitizer handy if you are the Concert Master or the Soloist in particular.
4. Don’t share food and beverages! I can’t emphasize this enough because this is exactly how I ended up with mono for six months in high school – sharing drinks with my friends. All musicians should keep a water bottle handy and full always. Make sure it has a cap or lid to keep harmful bacteria off the mouthpiece as much as possible.
5. Clean your instrument, cleaning rods/rags, case & lining weekly. Fabrics and materials can swarm with germs, and a regular weekly cleaning can keep them sanitary.
6. If you are on the go, invest in wipes or sanitizer. Be cautious of cheap hand sanitizers though. These can strip the good bacteria from your body. My personal favorite is Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer by Young Living. Use my member number 10456767 if you decide to make a purchase. It’s a club membership company, like Costco or Sam’s club, and if you don’t have a membership then you must be invited by someone with a membership, or you’ll be randomly assigned to a team leader (Basically a support contact). You can e-mail me directly for more info on this.
7. Don’t attend practice or lessons if you or someone close to you (in the vicinity or in your daily life) is even potentially ill. Seriously. Don’t. If you’re using your hands or mouth on your instrument, you could be doubling the spread of illness – particularly if you blow through your instrument. Make sure the people closest to you in lessons or performances aren’t ill as well. Protect yourself with supplements and extra hand washing if you are uncertain. Good immune boosters are:
   1. Elderberry
   2. Ginger
   3. Myrrh
   4. Oregano
   5. Vitamin C & D
   6. Echinacea
   7. Probiotics
   8. Ginseng
   9. Rosemary
   10. Thyme
   11. Cinnamon
   12. Eucalyptus
   13. Clove
   14. Inner Defense by Young Living
   15. Life 9 by Young Living
   16. Tons of water
8. Wipe everything down that you can. Germs LOVE to stick to surfaces you’d rather they not. The counter may have caught wind when someone (or you) blew their nose.  Door handles, music covers (non-paper), trash bins, counters, metronomes, tuners, batons, pens, pencils, erasers, or basically anything you can. Don’t be afraid to even get walls and windows. As little things like brushing up against them, or a breeze can transfer germs.
9. Avoid being in the crowd or get a flu shot. Mingling is an important part of life as a musician, and it often involves close contact, brushing up against people, using things they’ve used, etc. You can fight this with a flu shot, or even suggestion number 7 of fortifying your immune system with support from dietary additions and/or supplements.

Many people ask me this question, and inevitably, the answer is almost always no. It's usually the people that DON'T ask this question that aren't ready for their kiddo to be in a music lesson.

Many of my students begin or began lessons between the ages of 6 and 16. A few students have started later as adults, and only 1 of my students is under the age of 4.

The reason to not give a child a standard piano lesson and workload should seem obvious, but it often isn't to a parent, guardian, or well meaning benefactor.

1. If they don't know their alphabet, can't spell their name, and have no concrete grasp of writing, your child isn't ready. Students have to be able to read minimally and write/draw for their assignments and lessons.
   
   
2. If your child cannot communicate well verbally, your child isn't ready. Your student needs to understand concepts and ideas, and to verbally answer questions like "What is the volume of this song?" or "Do you understand?"
   
   
3. If your child cannot control their bathroom habits, your child isn't ready. You need to be able to get through a 30 minute lesson without wasting time being in another room not doing anything music related.
   
   
4. If your child cannot sit still and listen for up to 30 minutes, they are not ready. If they struggle in children's church, pre-school, daycare, in the car, at the doctor, or without toys and/or devices, your kiddo is not ready for lessons.
   
   
5. If your child has poor fine motor skills, they aren't ready. All students need to be able to move their fingers individually with relative ease. If they have difficulty eating or holding a crayon, steer clear of the piano as a serious subject.
   
   
6. If your child cannot follow instructions, they aren't ready. Lessons involve a lot of directions. Being able to mimic or repeat are good signs they follow instructions well. If your child spends a lot of time in time-out or crying because they can't get their way, then lessons aren't in the foreseeable picture.
   
   
7. If your child doesn't do well in a variety of settings and surroundings, they aren't ready. Lessons usually involve semi-stranger contact, being in the same room as other people such as a waiting student or parent, and different environments from loud and noisy, to quiet. Additionally, your child will be expected to complete practice and assignments at home. Pets, company, meal making, and cleaning are all things that can be distracting. Any student looking to begin serious study must be comfortable in a myriad of situations.
   
   

So, what is the IDEAL age to begin lessons?

Truthfully, I usually answer 5-6 years old. This is the point in life when kids are learning classroom habits and manners, and it is perfect timing to incorporate music. They are at their most fresh in learning skills.

Does that mean your student is ready? NO!

Does that mean every student is the same? NO!

I've had a few 5 year old students who are better than my teenagers/adults. In fact, I find that the WORST time to pick up an instrument is between the ages of 16 and 30. There is good intention, but zero commitment from about 85% of people walking into my studio at this age. The best times appear to be when kids are in elementary school, before they hit middle school and are asked to either join choir, band, or orchestra. Or conversely, when an adult has grown/growing children and are looking for an outlet, hobby, or stress reliever.

If you read this list above and don't see something you question with your student, great! I applaud your kidd-o for their desire to learn and love something.
​
If you read this list above and see some red flags, DON'T IGNORE THEM! Your kid might not be ready.... YET! Just give it some time, and soon they may have improved their skill set. Just, please PLEASE don't inflict the suffering through an unproductive lesson on any teacher knowingly. 

Practice is necessary for development as a musician regardless of whether or not you are serious, or you are just learning for fun. Sometimes practice can be stress inducing because we want to have fun, we can't focus, we're easily frustrated, or for other unmentioned reasons. Here are some great tips for how you can control your practice sessions without feeling overwhelmed or upset.

1. Follow your notes. Your teacher should be an excellent note taker. Bring a practice book to lessons with you, and ask your teacher to write down your assignments, and leave you helpful tips, strategies, and information. Your notebook should be a study guide for success. Write questions in it, put in practice information, draw some notes in there, etc.
2. Don't pick and choose. As tempting as it may be to only do the things you like, or to quit when you get discouraged, be authoritative. Tell yourself "No, I'm going to do this until it's done." Treat the unpleasant parts of practice like your least favorite foods or chores: Do them first, and they'll be over with! Everyone has to start with the basics, just like you did when you went to school for the first time. Everyone had to learn their ABCs. Music is the same. You can't truly learn anything until you've given it your best. Plus, you might find something out in the process! Many people discover they're good at jazz or ear training this way.
3. Use the "Chunking" method. We all run into tricky spots. Save your time and energy by practicing only the measure(s) that you struggle with, then adding a little around it at a time until you can play the whole piece. My personal philosophy is play your chunk until you can do it 3 times in a row with no mistakes, then you can play the whole song again.
4. Practice backwards. Every student I say this to has this insane look of incredulity on their face that says "That' not even possible!" But, I tell you it is! Start with the last measure of your song. Then play the last 2. Then the last 3. So on and so forth. It'll give you not only a new perspective on the piece, but give you insight into the sounds that you're creating. Out of context, they will sound unique, or different. This can greatly assist your ear training skills in addition.
5. Practice in a variety of environments. No, don't go out on the street corner and play (unless that's your jam), but try playing when you're in a quiet room, alone. Then try when the room is full of energy, people, or noise. Practice with people staring at you. Practice with people in the same room doing a different activity. Practice with a pet bugging you, practice with the doors/windows open. Try everything you can think of to make your experience a unique one, or a challenging one. Routines can become ineffective when we become too exposed. Stimulate your senses in other ways by challenging yourself in how you practice. Spend at least 1 practice session a week in a different environment to hone your focus, and your proficiency.
6. Move past mistakes. Everyone makes them. Get over it. We can't learn if we never miss an opportunity for a total flub. Ignore all mistakes and come back to them with the chunking method (see above).  Ignoring mistakes is good performance preparation. because you can't stop and restart during a performance. Make the most of the situation by learning from it.
7. Take frequent breaks from pieces. If this is the 99th time you've practiced that darn Mozart piece, let it wait. Take a day or two off of it completely and work on something different. Coming back to it later can give you a refreshed perspective on what you hear, see, and feel. You may also feel renewed energy with your practice.
8. Reward yourself. My motivation was always to keep a copy of a piece of music I wanted to learn handy, and tried a few bars or notes at the end of practice, or in between pieces. Maybe your motivation is to place a cookie on the piano, and as soon as you've practiced 15 minutes, you can eat it. Find what works best for you. I you're a techno-junkie, try 30 minutes screen time, 30 minutes practice time. Remember, it's all work and no play that will require some serious happy pills!
9. Surround yourself with support. You don't have to be a musical genius to play music. Remember, your family and friends should be kind and helpful when it comes to listening to you, giving you feedback, or offering guidance. If someone is negative, it can affect your whole output because your mind isn't in the right place. Be cautious of this. Simply not liking a song, and saying "That's terrible" are two different things. One is a personal opinion that doesn't affect you or your playing, while the other is potentially damaging. Parents should always say something encouraging during a practice session like "That was really good energy, could you play it again just like that?" or "Your attention to detail was great, and I think the more you practice the better it will get!"

These are just a few of my great tips to help you get the most out of your time at your instrument. Remember that hard work really does pay off and if you keep at it, you could really do something amazing with music! 

What are some fun things YOU do during your practices? I'd love to hear!

It might seem very clear that you need a set of books, and a willingness to learn. While these are great tools anyone must have, these are just the tip of the iceberg so to speak. So what do you really need?

1. A teacher you are comfortable with. If the person you've hired seems distant, disengaged, unenthusiastic, overly strict, or really awkward, chances are you may have picked the wrong person for the job. Don't be afraid to establish a cordial relationship where you ask each other how your day was, and to engage in small talk about anything exciting that has happened, or is going to happen. Whomever you hire, make sure that after a good solid 2 months of lessons, you feel confident in that teacher's skill, and charm. If you can't name 3 positives that will keep you happy and connected, find a new teacher.

2. Discipline. It takes a lot of focus and concentration to do everything you need to do. You must be able to sit correctly, hold your arms/hands in the right way, read the music without watching your hands, and so on. Self-control is the core of learning your instrument. If you are indulgent and lazy, you will not make the best student, and teachers will spend countless time correcting you - which in turn could make you less likely to enjoy lessons and more likely to quit at some point. Think hard about what you want to achieve, and make that goal a reality with perseverance. Don't give up.

3. A voice. When you don't understand something, speak up! If you love a song, tell your teacher. If you really enjoyed an activity or exercise, express that enthusiasm. If something is difficult, explain why. You are the one who is benefitting from the music, not the teacher. Be vocal about your needs, and your feelings and your teacher will know what you need.

4. Encouragement. Whether it's mom, dad, sister, cousin, aunt, grandma, or friend, have a support system in place. They should be willing and able to give you constructive feedback, and help set boundaries. If you have no one who is supporting you, it will be more difficult to be the star in your show.

5. A reward system. Clearly, learning something new can be difficult. Especially music, which is like learning another language. Be upfront with yourself on the time you have available to devote to music, and stick to a plan. If you have a favorite TV show to watch as an example, practice for 30 minutes, and then watch your television show. Make getting your music done less of a hassle through gifting yourself an indulgence. Finish practicing 1 song that felt like it took 3 hours? Eat a dessert of your choice. Feel stressed out and without enough time in your day? Practice after getting up in the morning, and then take a relaxing shower/bath.  Make music work for your lifestyle and hobbies with a reward system.

6. An attitude of humility. No one is perfect. You are going to make mistakes, and that is part of learning. Don't let your mistakes tether you. Let them happen, and then work through them. Everyone is capable of a break through. Think of it as if you were a 5 year old learning their alphabet in kindergarten: everyone has to do it, and some take longer than others. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Be gracious when you do something correct as the feedback will always be more useful. Don't let a bad attitude spoil your education. You could miss out on a great experience or learning opportunity you might not otherwise have had.

7. Be honest. Never try to hide the fact that you didn't practice, or didn't complete an assignment. Learning music should always be at YOUR pace. If you have a super busy week, there are still things you can accomplish during the lesson even if you weren't able to practice. If you never practice, then you have to be honest with yourself. Maybe you need a better incentive to practice, or maybe you need to make the time for music in your day, and learn to cut other things out. Or maybe, music just isn't for you. And that's okay (and rare).
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Knowing these things can make you or break you in your success as a student of piano. Getting the job done well should be part of everyone's goal when learning music. If you want to enjoy music, you must come willing to commit to these. Anyone can love music, but it takes an exceptional person to learn it. Let that be you!

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor, or person who holds a degree or position in the medical, scientific or research field. My education has come from my own experiences, so please speak with a medical professional before treating or handling any injury, and follow their advice. Make sure to tell them you (or your student) are a musician, and that this is important to your body's health and maintenance. This may help them determine how to go about your treatment without detriment. None of these statements are endorsed by a medical professional, or by the FDA.
 
Hand care is of the utmost important to all musicians. Injuries stemming from systematic abuse or from extraneous accidents can endanger the livelihood of a player at any age. Respecting your body and its comforts or limits is something we don't appreciate at a young age. That is why a football injury from high school can mean loss of enjoyment in life20 years later because you might be unable drive your daughter safely or comfortably to her soccer game, or swing her around in your arms, and so on.

Some of the most common injuries are the hardest to treat because healing can be a long process. Blisters, calluses, cuts, broken bones, pulled muscles, bruises, tendonitis, arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome are among the most rampant issues we deal with as a musician. And, let's face it. Our hands are often the key to our instrument. So how should we care for them?

1. Short Nails = Better Control. The biggest benefit from short nails is control. It's like wearing sneakers to drive your car - you can feel and asses the road better than in flip flops or high heels. Short nails also = a less risky way to use our body, and mush less opportunity to contract tendonitis in the fingers (trigger finger).
   1. Trim your nails weekly.
   2. File rough edges and smoothly round the edges.
   3. Keep your nail about 1/4cm or about 1/16th of an inch below the puffy skin at your finger tip.
2. Trim cuticles and hangnails  IMMEDIATELY! This will keep your skin from tearing and creating sore spots on your fingers. Plus, you don't want to expose more germs to the piano with blood, plasma or infection pus. If you can feel it or see it, snip it gently away as close to the skin as possible.
   1. If you're like me and have a hard time trimming them down dry, soak your fingers, or make a habit out of doing this after you bathe.
3. Properly bandage any cut or blister, and use an antiseptic to clean it, and take a break from playing practice. Instead, choose writing or visual exercises that don't agitate your hand. I don't recommend playing with a band-aid on as your touch sense will be very off.
4. Use wash hands/sanitize and lotion religiously. Keep yourself protected. Even a small hang-nail can attract germs. Also, the lotion will help soften your hands to make them flexible and responsive. It also helps smooth rough, dry or itchy skin and works gently on calluses.
5. Use a round shape of the hand when playing, and try to keep your wrists straight at all times. This will fight against the potential for abusing the yielding joints young musicians or beginners may have. Follow your instructor's advice on the best techniques for your body, and your personal playing style/issues.
6. Only use finger power when necessary. Don't overuse your energy by always using finger power. Let your arm weight and wrist movements help guide your music in a flowing way to stay resilient. Chords should usually be played with arm weight. Quick passages should usually be played with finger power. Treat each section or measure in music as its own thing, and treat it accordingly with the right type of weight and body use.
7. Exercise Regularly. Like, every day. Do technique or technical skills, work your Hanon or your scales at a steady pace that gently stretches and warms up each finger and joint set. Keeping your fingers warmed up will make you more productive. Without those gentle stretches, you might find that attracting arthritis is easy. There are a lot of ways to exercise your fingers.
   1. Playing a scale
   2. Playing a technique study
   3. Playing an etude
   4. Gentle hand pumping
   5. Band stretches (weighted rubber bands that you can stretch with just your fingers
   6. Clip pinches (using a clip or something that pushes your muscles using weight)
   7. Reflexology, Yoga, Physical Therapy
   8. Washing hands in warm water, and drying them off (seriously, warms them up in two ways!)
8. Think before you act. This seems obvious, but don't reach for that heavy jar filled with prunes with one hand. Don't do volleyball directly before you play. Don't strain or push yourself without thinking of the potential hazards, or future consequences. You might be young and strong, but when you're 40 your body won't be if you don't put effort into how your joints, muscles, tendons, and bones are used in your hands.
9. Relax! This is something everyone gets frustrated with - an unresponsive or uncooperative hand/finger. If you just relax and stay persistent, you will achieve better results and more quickly too. Don't place tension in your hand if unnecessary. And don't go around giving everyone an "arm burn" either. Just be positive and let the stressed out finger sit comfortably, as if you're relaxing with your hand on the couch arm.

At the end of the day, you want your hands to feel good. You don't want to wake up a week from now with an aching pinky because you put all kinds of torque and pressure on your joint when playing. It would take weeks to months to years to heal properly if not caught and cared for. Be aware of how your hands are cared for. Stuff lotion in every possible place. Keep nail trimmers everywhere. Gently exercise and stretch before playing. Treat your body and hands with the respect they deserve.
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I'll end with my favorite analogy for my younger students: Does Usain Bolt get up out of bed and run a marathon every morning? Nope. No marathon runner would do this without warming up and stretching. No one in their right mind jumps out of bed straight into a race without throwing on clothes, using the bathroom, washing up, stretching, etc. So, don't just sit down and play or practice. Put some thought into how you want to succeed, and you can accomplish anything.