I have talked to hundreds of adult piano learners about why they take lessons. Here are some common themes I hear over and over: Adult learners often turn to music as a creative outlet in their lives where otherwise there wouldn’t be one. In many cases, my students work in …
Chris 
What I Learned from Writing “Play Piano”
Writing “Play Piano” was by no means easy. The process took about a year and half, including me editing at least six drafts printed at FedEx Kinkos down the street! I am amazed at how well it came together, not just in my opinion but as a valuable resource for …
Overcome Negative Thinking to Achieve Your Musical Dreams
Back in high school, I took classical piano lessons at the San Francisco Conservatory’s pre-college Preparatory Division. All in all, this was a rich and inspiring experience. Over two and a half years, I worked closely with two accomplished Conservatory piano teachers. At the time, the Conservatory was in a …
The Best Piano Practice Technique for Reading Precision
Piano learners are eager to gain fluency in playing and reading music. I have never found a shortcut to growing reading skills, yet over and over I see the progress learners make when using effective piano practice techniques. One such piano practice technique is counting while playing. Some years ago …
Unlock Your Creativity with Music Composition
Recently I went on a camping trip with my mom. My mom loves camping and is always appreciative of being in nature. This makes her a lot of fun to camp with. When I got home from the trip, I was inspired to compose a new piano piece dedicated to …
The Joy That Powers Piano Learning
From an early age, I found joy in making music and desired to spend my life doing it. That desire came entirely from inside of me. Similarly, one thing I love about teaching piano adults is that they too, in my experience, only take lessons for personal reasons. As I …
Piano Improvisation: An Invitation for Learners
I have a confession. Though I am a highly capable sight reader and enjoy helping my students learn to read music, as a performer I often prefer piano improvisation over reading sheet music. For example, last year I did about a dozen solo piano shows, including a luncheon, a private …
The Path to Sight Reading Excellence
If you have ever felt overwhelmed or discouraged about sight reading at the piano, you are not alone. Many piano students come to me saying their dream is to sit down at the piano and read music of songs they love by sight. Yet relatively few piano learners actually learn …
Lessons with Gail: The True Value of a Good Piano Teacher
The summer I was twelve, I started taking piano lessons with Gail. Gail lived a few miles from our home in Concord, California. When I met Gail, she had some kind of medical problem with her throat. She told me she had to speak more softly than usual. This translated …
“Play Piano” Book Launch: A Sweet Community Event
Recently, we had a book launch celebration for “Play Piano: A Learner’s Guide to Playing, Reading, and Creating Music.” It was a pleasant Saturday evening in April in downtown Sacramento. My piano students on the “Book Launch Committee” played a critical role in helping the event take place. Amy, who …