October 2, 2026 (45 min · in-person)

October 3, 2026 Dustin Gledhill

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 Tools panel below. It logs your practice for you, no comments needed.

Press Start here. It picks up where you stopped last time.
Read the assignment, press Start, practice.
When you are finished, press Done.
Press Next practice item and go again.

Try for five days a week. Fifteen minutes is plenty.

Log only what you really did, on the day you did it.

Log every practice session from today. Official tracking starts Monday, October 19, the Monday after our first group class. 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]

Piano Rules

Don't speak when someone else is speaking. That means me too.
Don't play the keyboard when someone is speaking. That means me too.

Theory

1. 🟩 Celebrate Theory, Preparatory Level, Unit 1 (RCM), pages 4-11

THIS WEEK: Keep going from where you stopped.

⏱ Max 5 minutes per practice session.

Press Done for the Week when pages 4 to 11 are finished.

2. 🟩 Spooky Lane, page 5

THIS WEEK: Complete page 5.

Practice type: Learning.

Play every C, starting at the top and going down.
Color in a pumpkin each time you finish one.
Press Done for the Week when page 5 is done.

3. 🟩 Spooky Lane, page 6

THIS WEEK: Complete page 6.

Practice type: Learning.

Color in a pumpkin each time you finish one.
Press Done for the Week when page 6 is done.

4. 🟩 Spooky Lane, page 7

THIS WEEK: Complete page 7.

Practice type: Learning.

Draw Candy C, Dangle D and Eek E under their keys.
Color in a pumpkin each time you finish one.
Press Done for the Week when page 7 is done.

Musicianship

5. 🟩 Quarter Notes and Rests, page 3

THIS WEEK: Prepare page 3, the quarter note.

Practice type: Learning.

Clap a steady beat for the x's and say "ta" for each quarter note.
The x marks the start of a beat, so it lines up with the start of the note above it.
Press Done for the Week when page 3 is done.

6. 🟩 Quarter Notes and Rests, page 4

THIS WEEK: Complete page 4, the quarter rest.

Practice type: Learning.

Clap each beat and say ta for the quarter notes. Make sure to be silent for the rests.
Press Done for the Week when page 4 is done.

7. 🟩 Quarter Notes and Rests, page 5

THIS WEEK: Complete page 5, rest practice.

Practice type: Learning.

Clap each beat and say ta for the quarter notes. Be silent for the rests.
Press Done for the Week when page 5 is done.

8. 🟩 Quarter Notes and Rests, page 6

THIS WEEK: Complete page 6, rhythm review.

Practice type: Learning.

Press Done for the Week when page 6 is done.

9. 🟨 Basic Rhythmic Training (Starer), No. 7

THIS WEEK: Pass off No. 7. Three correct in a row, or five correct in total.

NFPER focus: rhythm.

Clap on the final bar line as well.
Set the beat to m.m. 80. Meter: none.
Open Section-Work and it is already set to rhythm for you.
Clap four beats with the beat first. Then start.
Don't stop for a mistake. Go all the way to the end.
Too fast is what makes it hard. Go slower and it works.
Three correct in a row, or five correct in total, and you are done for the day.

10. 🟩 Notespeller, Book 1, page 3

THIS WEEK: Complete page 3.

Practice type: Learning.

Read the instructions with your practice partner.
Press Done for the Week when page 3 is done.

11. 🟩 Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? (McDonough), read to page 25

THIS WEEK: Read up to page 25.

Take turns reading it out loud.
Keep it in your binder.

Repertoire

12. 🟪 Piano Lessons, Book 1, page 4, Feel the Beat

THIS WEEK: We did not get to this one. Keep clapping with the video.

Three speeds: slow, medium, fast. Follow the video.

🎥 Feel the Beat, page 4 https://youtu.be/TY86qhJXd94

13. 🟪 Piano Lessons, Book 1, page 6, finger numbers

THIS WEEK: We did not get to this one. Finish page 6.

Press Done for the Week when page 6 is done.

14. 🟨 Piano Lessons, Book 1, pages 8-9, student part

THIS WEEK: Learn Climbing Up and Climbing Down well enough to play it with me next time.

Bubble position, and keep the third finger round without bracing it.
Up-stem notes are the right hand. Down-stem notes are the left hand.
Say it out loud while you play: right, left, right, left.
Climb up to the next set of black keys, then climb back down. Start the trip back with the left hand.
Aim for no pause when you move up to the next group.

🎥 Pages 8-9, student part https://youtu.be/YTX2YLW6Cno

15. 🟨 Piano Lessons, Book 1, pages 8-9, teacher part

THIS WEEK: Play along with the video, three times each practice session.

Learn it first with the student video, then play with this one.
Next lesson I play this part on the two black keys while you play yours.

🎥 Pages 8-9, teacher part https://youtu.be/7yH5BND-zdw

Next Time

16. 🟧 Your Halloween packet about the staff

I'm bringing it.

17. 🟧 Your video from the lesson

Still uploading. Watch it with mom and dad when it is here.

September 25, 2026 (45 min · in-person)

September 25, 2026 Dustin Gledhill

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 Tools panel below. It logs your practice for you — no comments needed.

Press Start here. It picks up where you stopped last time.
Read the assignment, press Start, practice.
Tap the kind of practice, then press Done.
Press Next practice item and go again.

Try for five days a week. Fifteen minutes is plenty.

Log only what you really did, on the day you did it.

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]

Piano Rules

Don't speak when someone else is speaking. That means me too.
Don't play the keyboard when someone is speaking. That means me too.

Theory

1. 🟩 Celebrate Theory, Preparatory Level, Unit 1 (RCM), pages 4-11

THIS WEEK: Read the instructions and do pages 4 through 11.

⏱ Max 5 minutes per practice session.

Press Done for the Week when pages 4 to 11 are finished.

Musicianship

2. 🟩 Basic Rhythmic Training (Starer), No. 5

THIS WEEK: Pass off No. 5. Three correct in a row, or five correct in total.

NFPER focus: rhythm.

Set the beat to m.m. 72 and press play.
Go to NFPER Method and press Rhythm.
Clap four beats with the beat first. Then start.
Don't stop for a mistake. Go all the way to the end.
Three correct in a row, or five correct in total, and you are done for the day.
Same spot wrong three times? Zoom in on just that spot, fix it, then zoom back out.

3. 🟩 Basic Rhythmic Training (Starer), No. 6

THIS WEEK: Pass off No. 6. Three correct in a row, or five correct in total.

NFPER focus: rhythm.

Set the beat to m.m. 72 and press play.
Go to NFPER Method and press Rhythm.
Clap four beats with the beat first. Then start.
Don't stop for a mistake. Go all the way to the end.
Three correct in a row, or five correct in total, and you are done for the day.
Same spot wrong three times? Zoom in on just that spot, fix it, then zoom back out.

4. 🟩 Basic Rhythmic Training (Starer), No. 7

THIS WEEK: Pass off No. 7. Three correct in a row, or five correct in total.

NFPER focus: rhythm.

Set the beat to m.m. 72 and press play.
Go to NFPER Method and press Rhythm.
Clap four beats with the beat first. Then start.
Don't stop for a mistake. Go all the way to the end.
Three correct in a row, or five correct in total, and you are done for the day.
Same spot wrong three times? Zoom in on just that spot, fix it, then zoom back out.

5. 🟩 Notespeller, Book 1, page 2

THIS WEEK: Read the instructions and finish page 2.

Write RH inside the right-hand gloves and LH inside the left-hand gloves.
Write the finger number on the clothespin above each finger. The thumb is 1.
Press Done for the Week when page 2 is done.

6. 🟩 Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? (McDonough)

THIS WEEK: Keep reading from where you stopped.

Take turns reading it out loud.
Keep it in your binder.

Repertoire

8. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1, page 4, Feel the Beat

THIS WEEK: Clap the beat with the video, once each practice session.

Read the instructions with your practice partner.
Three speeds: slow, medium, fast. Follow the video.

🎥 Feel the Beat, page 4 https://youtu.be/TY86qhJXd94

9. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1, page 5

THIS WEEK: Watch the video and sing the melody, verse 1 and verse 2.

Get to know the melody and sing along with the video.
You can just play it instead if you would rather.

🎥 Page 5, sing with the melody https://youtu.be/_WWBbXI3p8I

10. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1, page 6, finger numbers

THIS WEEK: Complete page 6.

Press Done for the Week when page 6 is done.

11. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1, pages 8-9, student part

THIS WEEK: Learn the notes of Climbing Up and Climbing Down with the video.

Up-stem notes are the right hand. Down-stem notes are the left hand.
Right, left, right, left. Keep the wrist moving.
Climb up to the next set of black keys, then climb back down.

🎥 Pages 8-9, student part https://youtu.be/YTX2YLW6Cno

12. 🟩 Piano Lessons, Book 1, pages 8-9, teacher part

THIS WEEK: Play along with the video, three times each practice session.

Learn it first with the student video, then play with this one.

🎥 Pages 8-9, teacher part https://youtu.be/7yH5BND-zdw

Next Time

13. 🟧 Your video from the lesson

I am uploading the video we made at your lesson. Watch it with mom and dad when it is here.

September 18, 2026 (30 min · in-person)

September 19, 2026 Dustin Gledhill

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 Tools panel below. It logs your practice for you — no comments needed.

Press Start here. It picks up where you stopped last time.
Read the assignment, press Start, practice.
Tap the kind of practice, then press Done.
Press Next practice item and go again.

Try for five days a week. Fifteen minutes is plenty.

Log only what you really did, on the day you did it. 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]

Piano Rules

Don't speak when someone else is speaking. That means me too.
Don't play the keyboard when someone is speaking. That means me too.

Technique

1. 🟩 One Note Bubble

THIS WEEK: One note at a time. Right hand, then left hand.

You named this one. At the piano, one note at a time.

Sit up straight. Straight back.
Elbows a little in front of your tummy. Move the bench if they are too far or too close.
Make a bubble with your hand, like there is a bird underneath and you don't want it to fly away.
Wrist and elbow relaxed.

Right hand, then left hand.

🎥 One Note Bubble https://youtube.com/shorts/PKMOFohQxxs

Musicianship

2. 🟩 Basic Rhythmic Training (Starer)

THIS WEEK: Get through page 6.

The red book. Not at the piano.

Review pages 4 and 5.
Get through page 6.
Bonus: page 7, numbers 1, 2 and 3.

Tap and say it. Later we will clap and say it at the same time.

Your book lives in your folder.

3. 🟩 Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? (McDonough)

THIS WEEK: Read pages 1 to 3.

Take turns reading it out loud.

Keep it in your binder.

Next Time

We start reading the keyboard — the black keys in groups of three and two.

4. 🟧 Your books

THIS WEEK: I am bringing your books.

Nothing for you to do on this one.