Beginners tend to get focused on reading the notes and finding the right keys on the piano and forget the point of playing - to bring personal sensitivity to bear on the music. Here's some ideas to help beginning piano students energize their music and bring it to life with personality and style.

1. Relax so your body can easily respond to the music as you play.

When students play stiffly they aren't able to feel the music and to express it with sensitivity. Be sure to breath slowly and deeply while you are playing to keep your body relaxed.

2. Feel the vibrations of each note as it is played and allow it to resonate through your body.

Being relaxed allows students to feel the vibrations of each note as it is played and to allow the vibrations created by each sound to resonate throughout the body. This is like "plugging the piano” into your nervous system. It creates an energy circuit that infuses the music with the human sensitivity of the artist.

3. Hear the music in your mind and decide how to touch each note.

The next step is to hear the music in your mind and decide how you want each note to sound before it is played so that you'll know how to touch the keys. Play the music intimately as though you're telling an interesting story to your best friend. Use your energy t