Well, I finally did it.
I turned in my official resignation to the church I’ve played for over the past 11 years (Calvary Lutheran).
To be transparent, I’m actually giving them until the end of the year to find a replacement, so it’s not a quick cut-off, but still… the end is near.
This throwback photo is from April 2023, my final Sunday playing live and in person for services.
At the 8-year mark, I asked the small congregation (typically 20-30 people) to keep me on at half-time, and I would continue to record music on their Yamaha Clavinova.
Every few weeks, I go in on a Thursday morning and record three weeks’ worth of services, organizing each one into digital folders saved on the Clavinova with everything in the exact order it would occur.
Then, on Sunday, a member of the congregation simply presses “play” at the appropriate times.
I can’t believe I’ve been recording music for this church for 3 years. It feels like maybe two at most.
But it was time.
You know that feeling when you suddenly realize you’re no longer doing the thing you’re supposed to be doing? That’s where I found myself.
Now I just have to figure out how to replace that income! Ha! (Care to join my Patreon? LOL)
~Amy
P.S. The handsome 12-year-old in the photo is my nephew. He’s now at least a head taller than me and, having just turned 15, is about ready for his driver’s permit. How does that even happen?
He’s also a bass guitarist and recently started taking music theory lessons with me. Naturally, I couldn’t stick to just “theory.” In our very first lesson, we discovered he has an incredible ability as a bass guitarist to hear a full chord and immediately find and sing the resting tone.
So fun to get to work with him!
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I’m definitely behind on the Creative Piano Pedagogy podcast, but recently enjoyed several episodes. Elizabeth and Tara have a niche in that they focus on teaching neurodivergent students.
18 – Lessons from Gifted Neurodivergent Students about Flexibility, Stickers, Lunch, and Kindness
20 – What Worked for My Studio in 2025
23 – Boundaries with Heart: Using Proactive Teaching to Create a Positive Lesson Environment
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Looking for a unique graduation gift this year? How about The Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives by Gretchen Rubin. As soon as I finished the book, I bought 4 to have on hand for Grad gifts this year. It’s a light read, and a great price point. (Currently on sale for 44% off at the time of this post. I also got a bulk purchase discount when I bought on Amazon. Not sure if that’s still an option.)
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Also from Gretchen Rubin — A Little Happier: How I Found My Way to a Beautiful Piece of Music
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Sara Campbell from Savvy Music Studio and Michelle Markwart Deveaux from The Speak Easy Cooperative are 9 episodes into their new podcast (with the best title): How to Run Your Business Without Hating Your Boss.
I was lucky to meet Michelle for the first time at MTNA and to reconnect with Sara. Being that it was both of their first times at MTNA, I loved hearing their recap on the whole shebang: Episode 9: MTNA Recap: Conversations, Questions, and… Crabs?
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I recently reunited with an album on Spotify I listened to a lot in college by Broadway star Audra McDonald: Happy Songs.
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Last month, I mentioned my next-door entrepreneurial table neighbor at the conference. This month, I wanted to mention another one in particular because he had a really unique software that I think could benefit a lot of organizations that run festivals.
It’s called simplissimoevents.com, and it does just that – helps you manage entries for events for just $2 per student! The owner, Alex, is married to Whitney Hawker, a piano teacher from Utah, so he definitely has an “in” on what it takes to manage events like this!
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4 Tips for Teaching Tension-Free Piano Hands and Thumbs (Rebekah Maxner)
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I have four new, really good finds from Trader Joe’s I’m dying to share with you.
Baladi Egyptian Sourdough Pocket Bread
This is like a pita pocket but much tastier and less dry. I used their Gyro slices, but you could also fill them with falafel or any kind of filling you like!
Dark Chocolate Covered Crunchy Corn Kernels and Dark Chocolate Bark with Almonds, Pretzels, and Sea Salt
These are both absolutely delightful salty/sweet snacks. The crunchiness of the corn, almonds, and pretzels adds even more to the experience.
Gluten Free Norwegian Crispbread
These crackers have such AMAZING flavor! We break them into smaller pieces and enjoy them with a bit of cheese or even on their own!
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Target is making a serious change to their cereal aisle this May (and it’s a good one!) – yeah!
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My friend Christina just reopened her new course: Building Better Music Readers. There’s a $20 coupon good only through April 26, 2026! I can speak from first-hand experience that it’s well worth the month.
You know I’m all about “practical and sustainable” around here, and that’s what this course delivers—practical and sustainable tools for building better music readers.
