Beginning piano students can become focused on reading the notes and finding the right keys on the piano and miss the point of playing - to make the music sound, well, musical. This takes a creative human touch and sensitivity that children are capable of, when they know where to look for it. Here's a plan for connecting to the music in a creative, artistic, and human way. I call it the HEART approach to making music at the piano.

The HEART Approach to Making Music

H - Hear

Hear each note in your mind before you play it. Frederick Chopin (1810 - 1849) spent plenty of practice time playing each note of a piece of music slowly, so slowly in fact that it would be painful for anyone listening. But that's what Chopin was doing - listening very carefully to every note. He was connecting to the music with deep listening to allow every note to resonate within him. Similarly, hearing each note in your mind before it is played and thinking about how to touch each key is important to playing thoughtfully and creatively.

E - Energize

Gather energy from the music by feeling the vibrations of each note as it is played.

A - Ask

What is the composer trying to communicate with this music?

R - Respond

Don't hold back. Allow yourself to respond fully to the energy and spirit of the music as you play each note the way you imagine it should sound.

T - Tell the Story

Imagine you are telling an interesting story to your best friend.

Infuse the telling of the story with your own personality. This is the magic that will bring the music to life.

After learning to read the notes and locate them on the piano keyboard, beginning piano students can add artistry to their playing with the HEART approach to making music.

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