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.
Press Start from # whatever number it shows. It picks up where you stopped last time.
Press Start, read the assignment, practice.
Tap the kind of practice, then press Done.
Press Next practice item and go again.
Capped items count down and chime. Keep going if it's going well.
Some assignments finish. Printing, theory units, sight-reading pages and Four Star sets 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. Logging starts October 1.
🟩 on track · 🟨 needs extra attention · 🟪 didn't get to it at the lesson · 🟥 priority · ⬛️ don't practice this one
[PRACTICE TOOLS]
Setup
1. 🟩 Sitting Position
Do this every day, before you play.
Straighten the bench. Get off first, then one side at a time.
Sit in the middle. That is your piano seatbelt.
Straight back.
Hands on the keys. Your elbows go right in front of your tummy.
Elbows too far in front? Move the bench closer.
Technique
2. 🟩 Baby Bird Hands
Do this every day. One time with each hand.
Pick up a pretend baby bird from the bench.
Put it on the two black keys. Keep it safe.
Keep space under your knuckles. Do not squash the bird.
Low wrist first, then play.
Relax your elbow and your shoulder.
Right hand, then left hand.
Reading
3. 🟩 Bee and the Note Family
Do this every day.
Read the first paragraph.
Watch the video.
Find every doghouse. A doghouse is two black keys, never three.
Play Doggy D in every doghouse. He sits in the middle, in the shade.
Baby bird hands. High ones with your right hand, low ones with your left.
🎥 How to play Doggy D https://youtube.com/shorts/-rgpslL-GvE
Theory
4. 🟩 Celebrate Theory, Preparatory Level, Unit 1 (RCM)
Do this every day.
Read your musical map on page 4, Unit 1, Getting Started.
Read Pitch.
Watch the video.
Play a high Doggy D, a middle Doggy D, and a low Doggy D.
Hold each one for two seconds.
Pitch means high, middle or low.
🎥 High, middle and low https://youtube.com/shorts/jbI0ofJZuNo
Musicianship
5. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), page 3
Do this every day.
Page 3, Sitting at the Piano. Read it and do what it says.
Same page, Hand Position. Read it and do what it says.
It is the same thing we practiced: relax your arm, pick up the bubble, put it on the keys.
6. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), page 6
Page 6, Finger Numbers. Follow the instructions and finish the page.
This is a one-time assignment. When the page is done, press Done for the Week and it goes away.
7. 🟩 Notespeller for Piano, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), page 2
Page 2, the gloves on the line.
In each glove write RH for right hand, or LH for left hand.
On each clothespin write the finger number.
Thumb is 1. Then 2, 3, 4, 5.
This is a one-time assignment. When the page is done, press Done for the Week and it goes away.
How Much to Practice
At least 15 minutes every day. More is even better.
Your Books
Piano Lessons, Book 1
Notespeller for Piano, Book 1
Piano Solos, Book 1
Celebrate Theory, Preparatory Level
Bee and the Note Family
Manuscript paper
Keep them in your own pile, not with Aria's. A binder is coming.
Two Piano Rules
Always sit in the middle. Piano seatbelt.
Low wrist first, then play. Never flat fingers.