After taking July off from Friday Finds to finish up two back-to-back presentations, I had a hard time choosing just one photo to share with you today!
While I consider all of you online readers whom I get to see maybe once a year in person (if that), I thought I would share the people who make up the live, in-person side of my daily world.
These are some of the members of our church worship team after a special outdoor worship night we held in the local park last month. Our worship leader (third from the right) is a high-energy, organized young adult who came to us fresh out of college. He puts a lot of thought into selecting music for the church, and I appreciate his heart and leadership very much.
Next to him is my 15-year-old nephew, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who plays bass, acoustic guitar, and drums and is taking some theory lessons from me. I’m sure I’ve shared about him before. Such a wonderful young man!
It feels great to be back in this space with you! If you have any favorite finds from the past couple of months, drop them in the comments as always!
1
Help ‘m Join the Jazz Band: Some thoughts on preparing students for school jazz ensembles (Jason Sifford)
2
Is Rotisserie Chicken Healthy? Here’s What Nutrition Experts Have to Say (Martha Stewart)
3
Recaps from two different piano teacher retreats this past summer:
Highlights from my 2026 Retreat at Piano Manor (Joy Morin)
Organize Your Digital Life Retreat 2026 (Amy Chaplin)
4
Kentucky-based teacher and composer Daniel Light has a new website where he sells his wonderful compositions.
5
Best Resources for Teaching Music to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Creative Piano Pedagogy)
6
New from The Pantry:
→ Recital Theme Voting Ballot [Canva Template] (also usable if you don’t have Canva!)
→ Simple Open-Face Tomato Sandwich (Mayo Free)
→ Beyond the Piano Bench: Songstories for Young Students
7
The beloved “I Love Coffee, I Love Tea” first published in the Shaak piano method is available as a studio-licensed digital download.
8
A list of Chrissy Ricker’s Favorite FREE Online Resources.
9
Motivation: Creating a Learning Environment Where Our Students Can Thrive (Christopher Fisher | Piano Safari)
I love the phrase he uses in this article on using “Guardrails instead of handcuffs.”
10
Behind the Brands: The Meatpacking Monopoly and the Illusion of Choice (Farm Action)
11
8 Beloved Regional Pizza Styles, from New Haven to Chicago: A virtual (pizza) road trip across the country (King Arthur Blog)
12
Eight Years of Full-Time Self-Employment: Here’s What I Learned (Ashley Danyew)
13
A beautiful rendition of Heart and Soul from Silkroad Ensemble and Yo-Yo Ma featuring Lisa Fischer and Gregory Porter.
