Prioritize. After a lot of thought and consideration, I chose to actively pursue the word prioritize during the year 2020. (Read more about this.) I chose to approach this word in four aspects of my life: In my Spiritual Life. In my Professional Life. In my Relational Life. In my Personal Life. Prioritizing My Spiritual Life. Three ways in which I approached this goal included studying what I believe to outline and guide my personal beliefs and life principles; routinely…

It is officially 2021 and at A Suite Sound, we are starting off this year with a HUGE CELEBRATION! In honor of our anniversary month January, you will find all kinds of surprises across our social media (such as Facebook and Instagram) including…. A  S P E C I A L  A N N I V E R S A R Y  D I S C O U N T  We are offering 10% off the first month of services for…

One of the most popular questions that piano teachers hear from parents and caregivers is “how old does my child need to be to start piano lessons?” Guess what? Parents and caregivers are going to like this answer! Several factors may be considered, however, because each child develops at different rates and interest does play a huge role in attention span, there is NO HARD-FAST RULE as to what age a child needs to be in order to begin piano…

Several people express interest in traditional piano lessons, however, they are in fact requesting services offered in adapted piano lessons. The following table has been designed to concisely compare and contrast traditional and adapted piano lessons.  TRADITIONAL PIANO LESSONS ADAPTED PIANO LESSONS Typically taught by teachers with backgrounds in music. Typically taught by board-certified music therapists experienced in working with people who have special needs. Primary Goals:  Establishing a solid foundation in music theory, ear training, and performance. Primary Goals: …

Prepare Movement Songs. Group sessions– particularly with preschoolers and kindergartners– flow more smoothly when started with a movement song. I have even had requests for “dance” songs by my older students. Starting with a movement song meets the buzzing excitement of the students before gradually bringing the level down so that they may better focus on cognitive goals. As music therapists, we call this technique the iso-principle. A few of my favorite movement songs include: Move It, Move It! by Stephanie…

Worldwide, people are being impacted by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in countless ways. People are postponing wedding ceremonies and proms, canceling birthday parties and graduations, and having to mourn the loss of loved ones over distance instead of in-person. These are just a few of the many current disappointments that thousands of people are grieving. Life is currently confusing and difficult.  With permission, I have recorded “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay,” (click link to view) written by Rachel Rambach.…

Considering stay home stay safe orders, we as music therapists are having to be extra-creative in our approaches. Not only are we reformatting our implementation, but we are also having to reconsider how our clients can stay instrumentally active during our virtual sessions. In traditional (in-person) settings, music therapists provide the necessary music instruments for the length of each session. However, with Telehealth, we are virtually present– not physically present. Therefore, we are unable to easily provide music instruments for…

In recognition of World Autism Awareness Day– April 2nd, I have 3 tips to share that I have found to be helpful when teaching piano students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or ASD characteristics: Sing a hello and goodbye song in support of their preference for structure. Lesson content is likely to change week to week as the student progresses in learning. So, open and close their lesson with something familiar. Regardless of how their day is progressing, greeting…

Can you guess how many keys are on a piano? I’ll give you a hint: Today is the 88th day of the year and it is National Piano Day! Yes, there are 88 keys on a piano. In honor of this special day, here are 8 ways that you can celebrate. Whether you are an experienced pianist, an aspiring pianist, or simply appreciate piano music, I’m sure that you will find at least one of the following ideas to be…