Dear Friends,

Well, it’s a wrap! Another academic year is in the books. Last weekend I participated in Commencement exercises, marking the end of my 19th year at Butler University.

Graduation is always a time to celebrate the students: their accomplishments, their dreams, and the start of a new chapter in their life.

But here's what people don't always tell you: the commencement ceremony is an important ritual for faculty as well as students: it's a ritual marking the end of the academic year and allows faculty to take stock and turn a page into the summer.

The feast-or-famine schedule that results from teaching in the academic calendar can be jarring: there is so much to do during the semester that the days get packed full of lessons, meetings, rehearsals, appointments, and extra performances and events. During the semester, it gets very, very busy.

And then, when the semester ends, the rhythm of the days abruptly completely changes: suddenly, it’s quiet. The frenetic activity has stopped and everyone is gone, off doing their own thing.

Commencement marks the opportunity to turn my attention back inward. In the summers, I have the luxury of practicing more and focusing on my own projects, and not trying to squeeze it all in between other appointments. I have more time to exercise and catch up with friends. Time to travel, to be creative, and plan.

But most importantly, it’s a time to catch my breath, rest and reflect, and just “be.” Here’s to the summer!

Happy Practicing! 🎹

-Kate

🎼 Today's Practice Tip: Define Clear and Attainable Goals

One of the most common practice issues I see in students is a lack of clarity when it comes to what will be accomplished in a given practice session.

Therefore, it’s important to set clear and realistic goals each time you sit down to practice. This provides a sense of direction and purpose in your practice sessions.

Having a clear goal will transform abstract ideas like “improve my technique” or “learn this piece” into concrete steps that you can measure and track over time. Clear goals help you stay focused, avoiding the frustration of feeling like you’re not making progress.

You will use your practice time more efficiently: you’ll be more productive and stay focused on specific outcomes. This will also help you stay realistic and choose goals that are within your current abilities. Since an optimal level of effort is neither too hard nor too easy, this will keep you motivated and engaged; you will see tangible results and check off milestones as you reach them.

This week’s exercise:

• Get specific: Instead of saying “get better at scales,” choose which scales you’ll practice and what your goal will be (e.g., “Practice all white key major scales, four octaves hands together, approaching 80 beats per minute”)
• Set deadlines: Having a clear goal will create a sense of urgency. If you have a piano teacher, the lesson itself can create a specific goal, as you prepare certain pieces or exercises for the next lesson.
• Make it attainable: Be realistic and give yourself a goal that is in the “sweet spot” - not too easy or too hard, and is something you can see progress on within the amount of practice time you have.

Quote of the Week

🎥 YouTube Update:

Over on YouTube, the channel recently passed the 16,000 subscriber milestone. Thank you to all of my viewers and to all of you who have left comments and written to me over the course of this time. I started this project intending to make supplemental resources for my students; I didn't imagine that it would resonate with so many people. I have grown so much as a pianist and as a teacher from making these videos, and my life is enriched by all of you. Thank you!!

💜 Some of My Favorite Things

1. Recording: Recently the pianist Benjamin Grosvenor came to Indianapolis to perform with the Indianapolis Symphony. Here is his beguiling recording of the final movement of Chopin's F Minor Piano Concerto, with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
2. Inspiration: Last week marked the 81st birthday of Cuban-born American composer Tania León. Her work "Stride" won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize. In this 4-minute video, León talks about her creative process when writing this piece.
3. Book: The Savvy Music Teacher by David Cutler. Five of my piano students graduated last weekend, with a master of music degree in either performance or piano pedagogy. They will all be teaching piano in some capacity. This book contains everything you need to know about approaching music teaching as a business. Find it on my list of recommended books!​

🎹 Want more from me?

Here are four things you can do:

1. 📆 Book a lesson or a coaching session with me.
2. 🎓 Contact me to learn about applying to study with me at Butler University.
3. 📚 Check out my resource pages, where I share my recommended books, technical exercises, gear and more!
4. 🎥 Watch piano tutorials on my YouTube channel!