[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Greetings from Minneapolis, where I’m attending the MTNA National Conference! If you’re here too, please hit reply - I’d love to meet up! Also: two days ago, my YouTube channel ticked past the 25,000 subscriber benchmark. 🤯 In celebration of this milestone, I'm planning a Q&A video where I answer questions from my viewers. You can ask me a question by filling out this form here. So anyway... this week I have been thinking about motivation. Recently, a student...
18 days ago • 6 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Before we get started, I wanted to let you know that I’m attending the MTNA National Conference next weekend in Minneapolis. If you’re going to be there, let me know—it would be fun to connect! Lately, I’ve been thinking about structure—the way it gives shape to things, provides a framework, and helps create stability. This week, I’ve noticed it in four seemingly unrelated contexts: musical form, the academic semester, soil, and practicing. Musical form. One of...
25 days ago • 6 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, I'm sending this on a Monday instead of my usual Sunday - but better late than never! 😅 Before we get started, I want to let you know that Butler University's Piano Camp is happening June 16-20, and this year, Chopin is our featured composer! Camp will take place in Indianapolis at Butler University for pianists ages 12-18. We will offer private lessons, performance opportunities, ensembles, movement and theory classes, and more. If you, your students, or a...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Greetings from snowy Indianapolis! I’m excited to have flutist Susanna Self in town this week as we rehearse for our upcoming concerts on Tuesday February 18 at Butler University (livestream link) and Sunday February 23 in Door County, Wisconsin (link to tickets). Our program includes a Hasse Sonata, Amanda Harberg’s Fireflies Triptych, and the Prokofiev Flute Sonata - if you're in the area for either event, I'd love to see you! With the semester now in its...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Before we dive in, I want to let you know about some upcoming concerts. I’m currently preparing for a duo recital with flutist Susanna Self, and we’ll be performing twice this month: 📍 February 18 at Butler University (Indianapolis) 📍 February 23 in Door County, Wisconsin Our program features works by Hasse, Prokofiev, and Amanda Harberg. If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you there! Now, let’s talk about a practice technique that has been a lifesaver for...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, It’s been a busy start to the semester! I’ve been working on YouTube videos and getting ahead on my production schedule – I’m excited to roll out some new topics this month. And so I skipped a couple of weeks of this newsletter. If you’re new here, welcome to all of my new subscribers! 👋 One thing I always enjoy about a new calendar year is starting a fresh practice journal. (By the way, if you're looking for a great practice journal to use, here's one I...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, I hope you are doing well! As I wrote in last week's newsletter, we spent the holidays overseas; because I did not have anyplace to practice, I was by default forced to take a two-week vacation from the piano. It had been quite a while since I’d had such a long break, and although it was great to have some time away, when I returned in January I could really feel it! My fingers were sluggish, my focus wasn’t sharp, and I knew I was out of practice, both...
3 months ago • 4 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Happy New Year! I hope 2025 is off to a wonderful start for you. I just returned from two amazing weeks in London, which was such a memorable way to close out the year. Now I’m getting ready for the new semester, which begins next week. This week, I’ve been thinking about new beginnings and fresh starts – something about a new calendar coinciding with a new term always feels like an invitation to re-imagine and reset, before diving right back in. Today in...
3 months ago • 3 min read
[Read in Browser] Dear Friends, Greetings from London, England! My husband and I have been here for a couple of weeks, and we are having a wonderful time. I hope you are happy and well, wherever you are! This time of year always brings familiar music: soundtracks in stores switch over to the “Christmas soundtrack” about six weeks before Christmas, surrounding shoppers with the sounds of the season, whether we want it or not! On Christmas Day, my husband and I attended a service at St. Paul’s...
3 months ago • 4 min read