sound bites

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George Elliott once said, "Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music".  I believe in creating meaningful connections with musical learning styles and genres in piano and vocal teaching in a private setting where students can learn, practice, improve, and be motivated to share what they have learned with each level they attain. Allowing the art of Piano Mastery from the youngest ages to the more mature ages, to become a LOVE and not just a "To Do List" is beneficial in so many ways for the mind and the soul. As a teacher that almost lost my desire to move forward in piano lessons because of the negativity and harsh nature of one teacher in my teen years, I am more motivated as a teacher now to direct students to the natural bent of their musical abilities and leanings, but just pushing hard enough to find out what might be hidden under the limitations one's own mind and motivations might consider to be "enough". Just think of the music we would have missed out on if Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Rachmaninov, Schubert, Hayden, Brahms, Chopin, and Litz had not been given access to a piano at an early age or because they developed or had disabilities that someone told them would keep them from being remarkable before the most extraordinary virtuoso's, concerto's, and lullabies were ever imagined and written down for future piano masters to grace the living rooms and grand halls with the most exciting and evocative pianists known today. I think of Leif Ove Andsnes, Martha Argerich. or Stephen Hough in the classical arena, or even Jerry Lee Lewis, Scott Joplin, Elton John, or Billy Joel in the more contemporary jazz, pop, or rock genres. Imagine if the greatest classical composers were not allowed to create and pen some of the greatest Sonatas and Aria's this world has ever known? Oh, what masterpieces of musical melodies we  tragically might not have been entertained by and felt moved by if famous voices like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Andrea Bocelli, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Julie Andrews, Patsy Cline, Randy Travis, Freddy Mercury, Adele, Garth Brooks or groups/ bands like The Beatles, U2, Boston, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, The Clash, Greenday, ABBA, AC/DC or Twenty One Pilots, just to name a few, had never made the cut and made their claim to fame with memorable songs like "Thriller", "Crazy", "New York, New York", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "With or Without You", "Someone Like You", "Wish You Were Here", "The Entertainer", "More Than a Feeling", "Here Comes the Sun", "The Piano Man",  "Should I Stay or Should I Go", "Con te partiro" (Time to Say Goodbye) "Back in Black", "Dancing Queen", "Can't Help Falling in Love", "My Way", "Great Balls of Fire", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Fur Elise", "Rondo alla Turca", "Dreams", "Stressed Out", "Jolene", "Forever and Ever, Amen", "My Favorite Things", "Friends in Low Places", "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Respect", or "Candle in the Wind". My mind cannot comprehend that thought. My heart cannot fathom the wonder and joy that would have been lost. And so, my love of music and the sheer enjoyment and peace I experience from playing, singing, writing, listening to every melody, harmony, note, strum, beat, and lyric is all encompassing in a life that grows up with that beautiful, unyielding gift of that which we call "MUSIC". As the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned, "Music is the universal language of mankind." and William Shakespeare rightly proclaimed, "If music be the food of love, play on, give me excess of it." from Twelfth Night. I agee!