What else would I show you this time of year besides a recital photo?! LOL
I don’t know about you, but I’m very particular about having well-placed faces in my recital photos—probably a habit from the years my husband spent as a wedding photographer. 🙂
This year’s photo is missing my three oldest, long-time students—all of whom didn’t perform in the recital for various reasons (which I won’t get into here). However, I did include a one-minute video clip of each of them performing in the recital slideshow, so my younger students could still see where 11 or 12 years of piano lessons can take you. I think my studio families appreciated that. It felt like a nice way to honor those kiddos, even if they weren’t performing live.
This is going to be a big year of change for my studio, but honestly, I think that’s one of the things I enjoy most about teaching—every year brings new needs and new challenges. I’m looking forward to the summer session and a fresh year ahead!
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Speaking of long-time students, I recently shared thoughts on how to say goodbye to long-time students: Episode 158: Before They Go: Lasting Skills and Meaningful Goodbyes (The Piano Pantry Podcast)
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30 Things I Learned at European Cooking School That Change The Way I Cook Forever (Steph Robinson | Substack)
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Last month, one of my goals was to make something with Lemon Curd. I have a white ceramic tart pan that is pretty but totally useless because you can’t get the ridged edges out cleanly. It was time for a better solution.
Enter the removeable bottom tart pan – genius! The Wilton 9″ Non-Stick Tart and Quick Pan with Removable Bottom worked perfectly for Smitten Kitchen’s Classic Lemon Curd Tart
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I’ve been enjoying the new King Arthur Podcast: Things Bakers Know.
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It’s that time of year! Looking to take on new students fast? Here’s a practical guide—featuring referral tips, social posts, and outreach ideas that work.
Find Students Fast: The Essential Music Teacher Marketing Checklist (Tim Topham)
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I’ve not used this, but I think it just sounds cool and would be great for someone who likes to journal and take notes: Spiral Bible.
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My friend Janna just published a brand new (completely practical) resource on pieces you can use to prepare students for harder music they might be excited to play but not ready for yet.
It’s appropriately called “Not Ready Yet” and it’s on sale through 5pm Friday, May 23.
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The Way Mnemonics Don’t Work (with Samantha Coates) – The Piano Sensei Way Podcast
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A cute movie (based on a true story!) on Netflix: Nonnas.
It’s about a man who opens a restaurant but hires Italian grandmothers to be the chefs. It will certainly lift your spirits. Very cute. 🙂
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I’ve been on the lookout for rhubarb recipes that aren’t desserts. We love strawberry rhubarb pie but can only eat so much of it! Here are a few winners!
Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal (The Kitchn)
Rhubarbeque (BBQ Spare Ribs) – a little sweet for me – I would use less sugar
Rhubarb Chia Pudding – I haven’t tired this yet because we aren’t breakfast eaters but I like the idea
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If you ever get tired of your cold drinks creating a pool of water on your drink coasters, you need these! We LOVE them. The woven center not only absorbs the bit of liquid that might pool, but it also makes for a quieter experience when setting glass cups on it. They come in a variety of color sets. I personally like this one (labeled on Amazon as “Colorful.”
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While working on our state MTA’s site rebuild, a colleague shared the website “Colorspace” with me for getting color recommendations (thanks, Elizabeth!). We seemed to get better results from it than from Canva’s color generator tools.
Did you miss last month’s finds? Check it out here >>> Friday Finds #285
