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 piano learners.
Here’s why I think the book turned out so well:
1) Involving Piano Learners: I wrote the book for piano learners, so I involved them in every step of the process.
- I shared early drafts with my students (I didn’t even show my wife or mom until later).
- I held student focus groups where students gave me feedback on chapter excerpts.
- A family friend with piano-playing experience reviewed the first complete draft.
- I collected piano learner quotes for the beginning of each chapter and featured a “piano learner spotlight” at the end of each section.
- I gave my students a free download of the book and use it in our lessons.
👉Involving piano learners made the book relevant and filled it with real voices and stories.
2) Embracing My Knowledge and Teaching Philosophy: The book features time-tested ideas honed from nearly two decades of piano teaching. It is based around my teaching philosophy, encouraging learners to follow their musical interests.
- I encourage learners to “choose their own adventure” in piano learning, whether that be traditional music reading, improvisation, composing, or playing by ear.
- The book’s spirit of exploration and self-direction is unique in my experience of piano education.
3) Making It Accessible: I wanted to make the book user-friendly for learners, whether they studied piano before or not.
- I minimized unnecessary music jargon.
- I communicated mindfully to different experience levels including beginners.
- I engage the learning process with varying content, in addition to normal text: pull quotes, bulleted lists, tables, images, music notation examples, and piano learner quotes.
4) Celebrating with My Community: Involving my students in the process naturally led to the book launch event, first suggested by one of my students. Student support made the book launch a real celebration! The event also inspired me to launch this website.
Looking back…
I see the book wasn’t just about writing. It was about listening to my community to create something that can really make a difference.
👉 If this sounds like something of value to you, I invite you to take a further look at the book here.