September 25, 2026 (30 min · in-person)

2026-2027 Events

  • October 17-18, 2026 — Group Classes

  • December 5-6, 2026 — Group Classes

  • January 24, 2027 — Performance Class & Guest Artist Workshop

  • February 27-28, 2027 — Group Classes

  • April 10-11, 2027 — Group Classes

  • May 22, 2027 — Student Final Recital

How to Practice

Use the Practice Guide below. It logs your practice for you — no comments needed.

  1. Press Start from # whatever number it shows. It picks up where you stopped last time.

  2. Press Start, read the assignment, practice.

  3. Tap the kind of practice, then press Done.

  4. Press Next practice item and go again.

Capped items count down and chime. Keep going if it's going well.

Some assignments finish. Those carry a Done for the Week button. Press it when the job is done and the assignment comes off your list. Technique and repertoire don't have one; those are every day.

Need the metronome, a recorder or the NFPER colors? They are in Practice Tools, right under the practice types. Tap one and it opens inside your assignment. Tap Close to put it away.

Got something to say about an assignment? Paste the line it gives you into the comments and add your note.

Log only what you actually did, on the day you did it. Five minutes is a real entry.

Log every practice session from today. The competition starts October 1 — practicing and logging now is how we get the kinks out.

🟩 on track · 🟨 needs extra attention · 🟪 didn't get to it at the lesson · 🟥 priority · ⬛️ on hold, don't practice this one · 🟧 mine, not yours

[PRACTICE TOOLS]

Theory

1. 🟩 Griffin's theory packets

THIS WEEK: Look through all of them and note anything you have to stop and process.

  • Three packets plus the two new ones.

  • Most of it will be easy. What matters is anything that is not immediately accessible.

  • Write down what it was and tell me next lesson.

  • Press Done for the Week when you have been through them.

Musicianship

2. 🟩 Basic Rhythmic Training (Starer)

THIS WEEK: Go through the book until you reach an exercise you are not sure you understand. Tell me the number.

  • The small down-stem notes are the beat. Clap those.

  • The top line is the rhythm. That is your ta.

  • Clap one measure of silence first, then start.

  • Press Done for the Week once you have found your stopping point.

3. 🟩 Practice sessions with Griffin

THIS WEEK: One or two sessions with him this week.

  • Work straight through his Practice Guide. The instructions and videos are in it.

  • When a spot goes wrong three times in a row, stop. Zoom in on that spot, clean it up, then zoom back out and put it in context.

  • With the flashcards: say it on the tick, wrong cards to one pile, right cards to the other, then run the wrong pile again.

  • Tell me next lesson how the material felt to you.

4. 🟩 Classical ideas for your own songs

THIS WEEK: Is this something you may want to explore?

  • Nothing to practice. This is a thinking assignment.

  • You raised Bolero and writing lyrics to the melody line.

  • Press Done for the Week when you have one to tell me.

Next Time

5. 🟧 Your sight-reading book

I am choosing and bringing sight-reading material for you, probably Piano Adventures or the preparatory Celebrate Piano books.

6. 🟧 Your first technique assignment

I am putting this together for you.

7. 🟧 Your first improvisation assignments

I am finding beginning improvisation material for you.