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December 16, 2025

When Will My Child Be Ready to Play Longer Pieces?

When Will My Child Be Ready to Play Longer Pieces?
When Will My Child Be Ready to Play Longer Pieces? This question I've been asked in recent conversation with a parent whose child is currently in stage 1 piano learning.  Conversations like these often reveal a gap in understanding how piano skills are truly built especially with young students. At recitals, parents see some students perform beautiful, expressive pieces that last five or six minutes. What’s easy to overlook is the journey behind those performances. Many of those students have...
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August 18, 2025

From Online to In-Person: The Power of Piano Summer Camp

From Online to In-Person: The Power of Piano Summer Camp
Every day, I teach piano online to student across the country. Students log in from their homes, and together we learn how to play piano, explore music theory, practice technique, and celebrate progress. But once a year, something truly special happens—I fly from my home in Florida to California to join Oclef for a Week of Piano Summer Camp in person.
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July 07, 2024

How to Help Your Child Love Piano: A Parent’s Guide Beyond Practice

How to Help Your Child Love Piano: A Parent’s Guide Beyond Practice
As a long-time piano teacher at Oclef, I've seen the full range of emotions that kids bring to their piano lessons or to any learning, for that matter. Some walk in excited, fingers itching to play, while others sit reluctantly on the bench, waiting for the timer to go off. The question I often get from parents is, "How do I get my child to love piano, not just do it because I ask them to?" It's a tough one, and if you're a parent who's invested time, energy, and resources into your child's ...
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July 05, 2018

Become the Music

Become the Music
If a student is detached from their music, there is no music. If they play enough times without passion, they develop a habit of detachment. Eventually, the student is merely pressing black and white plastic keys for half an hour every day.
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