Tiny students have tiny hands. They are so cute on the keys, and they're teachable, but how does a tiny student learn to build strength in those itty bitty fingers properly? There are several techniques parents and teachers can use to get precious fingers positioned properly for piano practice. So, who likes spiders?

Happy Valentine's Day to the three- and four-year-olds, kindergarteners, early elementary kids, middle schoolers, high school young adults, adults-of-students-turned-students-themselves, and grandparents who I see in my studio week in and week out. It's no secret how much I love you all, but in case I don't say it enough, here's a love letter from your teacher...

When I opened the studio I knew it would be modeled after Separk Music's original location on Fourth Street; specifically, there would be dogs present. Whenever I needed music, I took the short walk from my Fifth Street workplace down to Fourth Street to the cozy shop where Charlie Parker, a gentle giant of a dog welcomed me every time. Now that Separk has moved to its new location in Lewisville, the store exhibits a poster of pictures of the good-ol'-days when Charlie was alive and the new dog-in-residence is Pepper, a gentle girl who loves tummy rubs and knows me quite well. And I might know from inside information that another dog at Separk may be part of the future plan.

Lucky for me, when I opened my studio, I already had the perfect mascot, Ash. Ash had been a stray, picked up from a hardware store where he loitered, and taken to a hobby farm in Lexington to be fostered. He was later listed on craigslist as a young dog searching for a permanent home. I happened to be searching craigslist and saw him, drove down to Lexington, put him in the passenger seat of my car, and drove him home. My quick decision to toss him in the car was based on the observations of his living situation and, frankly, a selfish, impulsive whim. I wanted a Black Lab, he was free and needed a home, and he seemed to get along with the donkey, cats, small humans, chickens, and other animals wandering around the hobby farm. How careless of me, and how lucky. He is absolutely perfect. 

But can one ever have too many Labs?