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.
When you are finished, 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. 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 Section-Work colors? They are in Practice Tools. 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, and 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]
Reading
1. 🟥 Notespeller for Piano, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), page 2
THIS WEEK: Finish page 2, the gloves on the line.
Practice type: Learning.
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.
Press Done for the Week when the page is done.
2. 🟩 Notespeller for Piano, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), page 3
THIS WEEK: Do all three activities on page 3.
Practice type: Learning.
Blue line from each set of two black keys to the twins.
Red line from each set of three black keys to the triplets.
Color the twins blue. Color the triplets red.
Press Done for the Week when the page is done.
3. 🟩 Bee and the Note Family
THIS WEEK: Play every Baby C and every Eddy E.
Practice type: Learning.
Read the second paragraph.
Baby C is to the left of the doghouse.
Eddy E is to the right of the doghouse.
Play all of them, all the way up.
Theory
4. 🟩 Celebrate Theory, Preparatory Level, Unit 1 (RCM), page 4
THIS WEEK: Say the musical alphabet forward and backward.
Practice type: Learning.
Page 4, The Musical Alphabet.
A B C D E F G, then it starts over. There is no H.
Say it forward. Then say it backward.
5. 🟩 Celebrate Theory, Preparatory Level, Unit 1 (RCM), page 5
THIS WEEK: Read page 5 and do what it says.
Practice type: Learning.
Page 5, The Keyboard.
Press Done for the Week when the page is done.
Musicianship
6. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), page 4
THIS WEEK: Feel the Beat on page 4.
Practice type: Learning.
Read the page and do what it says.
Clap the beat. Slow, medium, fast.
Watch the video and follow it.
🎥 Feel the Beat, page 4 https://youtu.be/TY86qhJXd94
7. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), page 7
THIS WEEK: Play doghouse on both sets of black keys.
Practice type: Learning.
Watch the video and follow it.
Finger 3 and finger 3, one hand on each black note.
Low wrist first, then say dog house while you hold it.
Skip the very lowest set and the very highest set.
🎥 Page 7, your part https://youtube.com/shorts/Hjji_oWfMGE
8. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), pages 8-9
THIS WEEK: Climbing Up and Climbing Down, both pages.
Practice type: Learning.
Watch the video and follow it.
Right hand is up-stem notes. Left hand is down-stem notes.
Start in the center. Finger 3 and finger 3.
Page 8 climbs up. Page 9 picks up where page 8 stopped.
🎥 Pages 8-9, your part https://youtu.be/YTX2YLW6Cno
9. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1 (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library), pages 8-9, teacher part
THIS WEEK: Watch the teacher part so you know what I play with you.
Practice type: Polishing.
Watch the video and follow it.
This is the part I play next to you next time.
🎥 Pages 8-9, teacher part https://youtu.be/7yH5BND-zdw
Setup
10. 🟥 Get a three ring binder
THIS WEEK: Get a three ring binder and put your books in it.
Your theory Unit 1 packet goes in it.
Bee and the Note Family goes in it.
Every book stays inside the binder from now on.
Press Done for the Week when it is done.
11. ⬛️ Who Was Mozart?
For next time. Nothing to do yet.
How Much to Practice
About 30 minutes, all the way through, with your dad. At least 15 minutes every day.
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.