As another studio year comes to a close, I decided to try something new: I asked my students for feedback. During the last few weeks of lessons, students completed aContinue readingListening to My Students: What the End-of-Year Survey Revealed
Author: Christina Walldren
Listen with Curiosity
A few weeks ago in lessons, I gave my students a challenge: name as many composers as you can in one minute. The average? Just 2.4 composers. One especially music-curiousContinue readingListen with Curiosity
Cottage Days, Piano Works by Martha Hill Duncan
If you are looking for an unusual, early-intermediate, summer-themed book for a student who enjoys learning new concepts, I’d like to recommend Martha Hill Duncan’s Cottage Days. I picked upContinue readingCottage Days, Piano Works by Martha Hill Duncan
Spring Portraits – by Kevin Costley
With Spring on the horizon, I have been looking for some seasonally appropriate pieces for my students – and what better place to start than with this book by KevinContinue readingSpring Portraits – by Kevin Costley
Ellie
Ellie has been an active member of the Walldren Piano Studio since 2019, and is under the spotlight today because she just received her seventh consecutive superior at the NFMCContinue readingEllie
The Joy of Jumping In
As a pianist, there are times when I’m deeply immersed, and times when I step back. I tend to throw myself into projects and repertoire for a while and then allow space for a break. I’ve beenContinue readingThe Joy of Jumping In
Working beyond the excerpt
This week I read an article in The Atlantic titled Stop Meeting Students Where They Are, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. It opened with “At some point over the past 15 years, kidsContinue readingWorking beyond the excerpt
What I learned from a 3-week practice experiment
I started this studio year by planning several challenges for my students. Challenges designed to encourage progression through practice in varied ways. I have been thinking of these challenges as experiments – the results ofContinue readingWhat I learned from a 3-week practice experiment
“I don’t really like this song.”
This week, I heard the same thing in several different lessons:“I don’t really like this song.” That’s a fair thing to say, right? Students are absolutely allowed to have preferences.Continue reading“I don’t really like this song.”
Getting Confident with the Count
This week in the studio, I’m starting every lesson with focused rhythm practice. Truly understanding how to accurately count rhythm is foundational to confident, musical playing. When students only “kind of get it,” theyContinue readingGetting Confident with the Count