Hobbies

Scales. You’re supposed to play them, right? Maybe you feel guilty because you don’t practice them enough – or at all. Or maybe you practice them excessively as an unconscious way to avoid tougher creative challenges. But what’s an appropriate…

Imagine yourself at a casual social gathering, where you find the courage to share a life event that deeply affected you. This simple act becomes an icebreaker, and soon, you’re bombarded with comments like, “You should write a book!”

June 1st marks the beginning of meteorological summer, a prelude to the solstice and a promise of endless hours of sunshine ahead. In this season of growth and green, there is no better time to recommit to our creativity. Here are five steps…

Many of us read; some have eclectic tastes. If you’re always open to exploring less-known titles, here’s a list to peruse. Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart My husband and I listened to Shteyngart’s best seller Super Sad True Love Story. He loved it. Me, not so much. That’s how I felt about Our Country […]

Today we revisit the Minuet you played in Lesson 28, but this time we are adding some bass notes to the melody. One of the most difficult things for beginning piano students to learn is that the bar lines between the measures including the repeat bars…

Sustainable gardening is an approach that allows you to cultivate your garden by working in harmony with nature. It involves practices that reduce your environmental impact and make your little piece of the earth a healthier place for plants, wildlife, and yourself…

I am a sucker for a before and after transformation. My dream job would be to flip houses! What is something that you would do if time, money and resources wasn’t an issue? I would be looking for that one diamond in the rough piece…

I lost 55-pounds in my early 40s and figured out how to maintain the loss for 18 years now. I call it a “forever-loss.” That said, one of my most favorite hacks is to make a deal with myself earlier in the morning that I’ll eat a tiny dinner at 6 p.m…

Welcome to lesson 35! Today I discuss simplifying your left-hand chords, and playing with increased expression, in the Barcarole on p.88 of our Upper Hands Piano, BOOK 1. I love the Barcarole on p.88, which is called Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour…

Whether you’re just beginning to play or you’re ready to take your guitar playing to the next level, you’ll find plenty of options for learning. While it’s great to have a lot of choices, it can also be overwhelming. But with a little introspection, information…