What gives you the right? Who gave you permission?

Do you have any secret things that you would LOVE to pursue, but you just feel like it’s too ridiculous? You’re not qualified. Besides, SOOOO many people are better at it than you, so why even bother?

Before we announce the winner…

With each passing year, I truly feel that time is moving at an exponentially faster rate. Suddenly, my daughters are in middle school and the half-way point of elementary school. We may or may not need babysitters and they can make their own snacks.

It’s as if one day you wake up and you’re in a new phase of life. Nothing quite marks the passing of time like parenting.

Happy New Year!
The holidays (or holidaze as I like to say) can dig up a variety of emotions – gratitude, wonder, connection, or on the opposite end of the spectrum – overload, chaos, disappointment… And then there are the gifts. How did you do in the gift department? Did you choose the perfect gift for that special someone? Did someone give you something that exceeded your wildest hopes and dreams?

Happy New Year!
The holidays (or holidaze as I like to say) can dig up a variety of emotions – gratitude, wonder, connection, or on the opposite end of the spectrum – overload, chaos, disappointment… And then there are the gifts. How did you do in the gift department?

💎 A few nights ago, I was about to turn out the lights and go to bed and I thought to myself, let me just sit down and see what comes out, one last time this evening.
💞 I sat down on the bench, in my robe, and this magic appeared🎶. Sometimes I feel like music is a divine gift.

Have you ever met someone who just really blew you away? Maybe it was because of their enthusiasm, their kind nature, their intellect, or their gentle yet ambitious drive. In the field of creative piano teaching (improvisation, composition, the art of arranging, etc), the person who will most likely come to mind is an inspiring human by the name of Forrest Kinney.

The Email that Started it All

In 2004, I checked my email and found this in my inbox:

The Challenging Reality

Let’s face it, online schooling can be depressing for our youth. I’m starting to get a bit concerned about one of my teen piano students whom I have taught since she was four.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful we are able to have school in any capacity and I want us all to stay healthy, but in my deepest heart of hearts, I yearn for kids to be in school together.

Last fall, I was knee deep in booking concerts to promote my upcoming original solo piano album Central Star. I contacted venues all over the country, created a spreadsheet, got my pauladreyer.com website completely revamped, and started reaching for the stars. The first venue to accept was the prestigious Old First Concerts of San Francisco.

The sorrow…
Some people assume that it is hard to emotionally and personally connect with students during online lessons. I recently had a very powerful and impactful lesson via Facetime. I logged into a lesson with my 10 year old student who I have taught for five years. When she answered, I was surprised to see her in tears. I asked her if she was frustrated with piano or if she was upset with something that happened at school.

What Can I Do?
During this trying time of Coronavirus, so many of us ask ourselves, how can I be of service, right now? Some people are jumping into action and guiding those who feel helpless or hopeless. Some are feeling extreme grief and overwhelm and maybe aren’t feeling in a position to be of service, yet. I believe that if you really look for it, there are small yet impactful ways that each of us, regardless of circumstance, where we can show up and serve others.

The struggle
I have a confession to make- I struggled with correctly spelling the word ‘Resiliency’ (twice). But, I paused, thought about it, course corrected, and moved on. I believe we are constantly being tested and our resiliency will make us or break us, in life and in music making. By the way, I am happy to report that by the third time I wrote the word ‘resiliency’, I had no troubles.

Do you believe in angels?
It’s kind of a fun thought, that people and events are sent to you as a sign or for reinforcement that you are on the right (or wrong) path. Being a creative artist who produces their own works (think composers, writers, choreographers, etc) requires quite a bit of courage, conviction, and determination. One must have full belief in themselves that one day, in the distant future, countless hours of hard work will be appreciated and fully worth the effort.

I believe every person who walks into my studio with the desire to learn piano should be given the tools to soar and express themselves through music. I am talking about high achieving children ready to work their way up to a Beethoven Sonata some day, kids with behavior and learning issues, elderly people who have never touched the piano, adults who may have had a negative experience learning piano as a child but have always yearned to return to music making, and anyone and everyone in between.

Heading to the world of Disney!
The big national conferences are a huge deal for me in so many ways. They evoke feelings of excitement, fear, awe, inspiration, exhaustion, renewal, humility, pride, and the occasional headache and nostalgia for delicious food.

You can teach a student how to pedal by using a pencil? And you step on the student’s foot? Is this some sort of torturous, antiquated teaching technique? Absolutely not! Students love it and it’s highly effective.