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 Indianapolis, a blanket of fresh snow has transformed the landscape, perfectly mirroring this sense of renewal. It’s a reminder that even the familiar can feel new again and benefit from a fresh perspective.

Wishing you inspiration and momentum as you step into your own new beginning this year.

👋 Have a great week! Happy practicing! 🎹

-Kate

January’s Practice Theme: “Technique Tune-Up"

This Week's Practice Tip: Scales

Scale practice is one of the most important things you can work on, yet I often meet students who once learned their scales and then never played them again. Scale practice is a lifelong pursuit. Once you know all your scales and become proficient, you can use them to practice other technical and musical skills to elevate your playing.

Scale practice offers benefits to pianists at every level. Beginners can build coordination between the hands and deepen their understanding of key signatures. Intermediate players can use scales to improve evenness of tone, practice articulation, and explore dynamics. Advanced pianists continue to refine their tone, control, and speed through scale practice.

To get the most out of your scale work, focus on quality over quantity. It’s perfectly fine to work on just a few keys and really master them. Pay attention to playing your hands precisely together and producing a singing tone. Use a metronome to maintain a steady tempo and gradually increase your speed while maintaining that excellence in tone and accuracy.

If you’re just starting out, practice scales hands separately until you feel confident, then move to hands together.

Once you're secure with your scale fingerings, the fun can really begin! Incorporating variations will help you stay challenged and engaged. Try experimenting with dynamics, such as starting pianissimo at the bottom and getting louder to fortissimo, then reversing it on the way back down. Explore different articulations. Advanced players can add challenges like practicing scales in contrary motion, in tenths or sixths between the hands, or with rhythmic variations.

One of the reasons we practice scales is because classical piano repertoire is full of scale patterns! Becoming proficient with scale fingerings in all keys allows you to play with ease when encountering these passages.

Dedicate just 10 minutes a day to scales, and you’ll notice a significant improvement in your overall playing. 🥳

🎥 YouTube Video: How to Learn a New Piece Quickly

My most popular video in 2024 was “How to Learn a New Piece Quickly,” with 21,081 views over the course of the year! It’s easy to see why this topic resonates with so many pianists. If you haven’t watched it yet, here’s the link to check it out and discover practical tips to make learning new pieces easier and more efficient.

​The BEST Way to Learn a New Piano Piece QUICKLY​

💜 Some of My Favorite Things

1. 🎶 Performance: Tomorrow marks the 153rd birthday of Scriabin. In this recording, Yevegny Subdin performs Scriabin’s Sonata No. 5, Op. 53. Considered one of the most difficult of Scriabin’s pieces, Subdin handles the technical and musical challenges with ease.
2. ​⭐️ Inspiration: This human interest story profiles Takosangba Pongen, a 27-year-old blind pianist from Nagaland, India. After losing his vision at 14, Pongen taught himself to play the piano by ear and through YouTube tutorials. Music became a vital part of his life, providing energy and hope, and he aspires to inspire others through his journey.
3. 🎼 Musical Score: This anthology of piano works by women composers is a must-have for any advanced student of the piano. Well-engraved scores of women composers such as this can be difficult to come by. The collection includes compositions by Fanny Hensel (Mendelssohn), Amy Beach, Teresa Carreño and more. (Here's the Kindle link, too!)

👉 You can check out all of my recommendations here!​

🎹 Stay Connected:

• 📆 Book a lesson or a coaching session with me. I have updated my available dates through January 10th!
• 🎓 Contact me to learn about applying to study with me at Butler University at the undergraduate or master's level. You can also see ​Butler University’s audition schedule​ if you are interested in studying with me here in Indianapolis. Go Dawgs! 🐾
• 📚 Check out my resource pages, where I share my recommended books, technical exercises, gear and more!
• 🎥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel!
• 📱Follow me on Instagram!