I have heard from a bunch of regular readers/viewers wondering where the heck I have been the last several weeks? Read this post and watch the video to get a great update on 2023 and the exciting happenings coming in 2024!
2023 in Review
I had a totally packed 2023 and managed to accomplish a lot of what was on my huge list! Here are a few highlights.
Private Teaching
I had an amazing year of private teaching and taught piano and voice (and sometimes piano/voice) to folks all over the world via Zoom. Operating out of my cozy studio on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, my studio is beautifully set up for voice and piano lessons.
I have a beautifully and freshly tuned Yamaha upright piano and a full sized Casio keyboard so I can play live with my piano students.
Zoom Lessons
Over half of my private studio is on Zoom and I see voice and piano students across the US and Canada and around the world. It's amazing to be teaching one of my students in Australia and it feels like we're in the room together!
The Versatile Musician Membership has EXPANDED
This year has been a huge one for The Versatile Musician - my all-inclusive online music membership. We have grown to nearly 100 members and the content in the membership has expanded a LOT.
In 2023, I added over 100 unique videos, plus several courses. We also did 15 live member Zoom workshops, all of which are available on the membership platform.
I did workshops on:
Efficient practice and Goals Setting - Boogie Woogie and Blues Piano
Pop Piano Voicings and Fills - Classical Piano/Notated Music Techniques
Learning Songs by Ear - Instrumental Piano Arrangements
How to Harmonize Melodies - Solo Jazz Piano Styles
Adding Interest to Basic Chords Using Cadences and Sus Chords
SOS Piano (how to learn piano in a hurry) - Worship Music 101
Piano Pedaling Techniques - Dominant 7th Chords
How to Sing Better - How to Sing Harmony
Christmas Songapalooza - Potpourri Q&A Session
Holy smokes! That's a lot of content!
I also created a brand new full-length course called Piano Technique and Ear Training, which has been a game changer for so many Versatile Musician members. It's a 24 week course devoted to teaching scales, chords, arpeggios and cadences in all 12 major and 12 minor keys, complete with fingerings and proper technique.
PLUS - there is an individual ear training exercise each week, so by the end of the course not only can you play amazing piano, but you will also boast amazing ears!
A New Album is Coming Soon!
After several years been eyeballs-deep in my teaching work and mothering, in 2023 I decided it was time to return to recording. Back in 2019 I did a 9 day artist's retreat at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and wrote 8 songs. It's a collection of songs about my experience as a mother, which I had been jotting down ideas about and singing fragments into my voice memos for YEARS. I was meant to record the project in Spring of 2020, but we all know how that went down...
I spent the summer working hard on the music, doing a ton of arrangements and rewrites and finishing the last two songs. I'm excited to report that we recorded the album in October 2023!! I spent a lot of October, November and December hard at work on the photos, mixing, album design, post production, etc.
Best news? It's coming out in May 2024! Stay tuned...
I Needed a Break.
Now that I'm writing this, I think I can understand why I needed a long break at the end of the year! I was BUSY.
As much as I love creating educational content for my membership and videos and shorts for my YouTube channel, it can take its toll after awhile.
I posted my last YouTube video of 2023 (a fun arrangement of Last Christmas by Wham!) and decided to step away from the computer.
My family went to London, England for a week during the Winter holidays and came home to rest and relax at home. Much needed!
Coming up for 2024!
I'm already busy with private teaching and my studio is up and running for the new year. I have a long list of fun topics that I'll be workshopping with The Versatile Musician membership this year too.
A few immediately coming up:
Country and Country Rock piano styles
Chord Inversion Olympics
Solo Piano Chording Styles
Jazz Improvisation
I'm obviously hard at work finalizing all the details of the new album too. LOTS going on over there but I promise I'll share as soon as I can!
Finally, I have a great song list ready for my YouTube channel. I'm planning to focus on some more piano bar and singalong classics, as well as tackling some more specific styles like 70s R&B and 50s Rock and Roll.
Happy New Year!
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Want to level up your musical skills? Strengthen your piano skills, develop your ear training, become a rhythm ninja and learn new skills like jazz and improvisation.
The Versatile Musician is an all-in-one membership that combines video lessons, print material and live support to help you level up your skills and thrive as a musician and music teacher.
To learn more, check out www.theversatilemusician.com and get ready to become the best musician possible!
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