Lisa Marie
I started taking piano lessons when I was six years old because my parents required it of all six of their children. I was the only one that chose to keep playing past 15 years old. And so, I became the "piano player" of the family. I remember countless times where I would sit down at the piano and think, "I don't want to do this anymore, I don't want to practice." Because as you know, practicing can be a little boring at times. I chose to keep practicing because of how it made me feel. It gave me confidence, discipline, and most of all a love for music. My favorite thing in the whole world to do is sing as I play, by myself or with my family. I love it!
More personally, my husband and I currently live in Beavercreek, OH, but that will change soon (we are moving to New Mexico in April) and probably a few more times after that, because my husband serves as a Captain in the Air Force. We don't have any children yet...but hopefully someday soon. Lastly, I chose to begin this blog because I served in Primary in a little branch in Panama City, FL and I taught piano lessons to some of the Primary children. They love the Children Songbook songs, but they were not advanced enough to play them straight from the Songbook, so I started writing simpler arrangements for them to learn and they love it.
Cathy
As the oldest of 7 children, I was blessed to grow up in a home that was filled with music. There were two pianos, an organ, a trumpet, 2 violins, a flute, an upright bass, and countless acoustic and electric guitars as well as A LOT of singing. At 9 years old I decided I wanted to play the piano and after 2 mini lessons with my Aunt Michelle who was visiting from Florida, I taught myself to play from some old John Thompson piano books that were lying around. At the time, we lived in Northern California and attended church in a very small congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. I got tired of singing acapella in our children's primary, so I learned "Pioneer Children Sang as they Walked", and the following week at church I volunteered to play while we sang. I only knew that one primary song, but the Bishop heard about it and at 10 years of age he called me to be the primary pianist.
My mom decided it was time for me to get some lessons! I had lessons on and off for the next 6 years, including some incredibly good ones with a wonderful lady in Southern California who graduated from the New York Conservatory of Music with her Masters degree in piano pedagogy. I also continued to grow and learn musically as we moved from state to state and had the opportunity to serve as a ward organist and a choir accompianist at church. When I was 16 years old we moved to Boise, Idaho and I decided that as much as I loved piano, I really wanted to be a dancer and that I couldn't be competitive in both and keep my sanity. So I dropped out of the "competition/adjudication circuit". While attending BYU as a history/Spanish education major I continued to take lessons just to keep my skills up. Following graduation in 2002 I began taking piano students of my own and have learned more that I could have imagined from each of my students over the years.
There has also been a surprising amount of cross-over from my experiences in teaching History (grades 8-12 in both public and private schools), Spanish (grades K-12 in private schools), ESL, adult basic education, math tutoring, swimming lessons and, of course, motherhood! Now I try to pass on that musical heritage to my own amazing four boys and draw on all of these teaching experiences as I immerse myself in this most important teaching role called "MOM". I am a teacher at heart and feel blessed to have so many varied opportunities in my life.
My mom decided it was time for me to get some lessons! I had lessons on and off for the next 6 years, including some incredibly good ones with a wonderful lady in Southern California who graduated from the New York Conservatory of Music with her Masters degree in piano pedagogy. I also continued to grow and learn musically as we moved from state to state and had the opportunity to serve as a ward organist and a choir accompianist at church. When I was 16 years old we moved to Boise, Idaho and I decided that as much as I loved piano, I really wanted to be a dancer and that I couldn't be competitive in both and keep my sanity. So I dropped out of the "competition/adjudication circuit". While attending BYU as a history/Spanish education major I continued to take lessons just to keep my skills up. Following graduation in 2002 I began taking piano students of my own and have learned more that I could have imagined from each of my students over the years.
There has also been a surprising amount of cross-over from my experiences in teaching History (grades 8-12 in both public and private schools), Spanish (grades K-12 in private schools), ESL, adult basic education, math tutoring, swimming lessons and, of course, motherhood! Now I try to pass on that musical heritage to my own amazing four boys and draw on all of these teaching experiences as I immerse myself in this most important teaching role called "MOM". I am a teacher at heart and feel blessed to have so many varied opportunities in my life.
