When it comes to performance, the first ten seconds are the hardest and the most important.

"The most important part of any act is the first ten seconds and the last ten seconds...what happens in between isn't that important." - Singer and Dancer, George M. Cohan

So, what do you plan to do with those important ten seconds?

Grab the Audience's Attention as you walk up to the piano. Did you know that your attitude as you walk up to the piano is very important - for you as well as for the audience? Be confident! Be excited! And show that to everyone in the way that you walk up to the keyboard. Anticipate that you'll have fun and enjoy sharing your music!

Start with a bang! Well, not literally, but your first couple measures will set the tone for the rest of the piece. Even if you're not feeling confident, playing that beginning with strength and expression will calm your nerves. Once again, anticipate enjoying the beautiful sounds you'll create!

Anticipate the fun! Remember that we chose these pieces because you really, really liked them. What was it that attracted you to that piece? Was it the sound of all the notes blending together as you use the damper pedal or did you like the sound of those deep, low notes that finish the piece? I know for some, you enjoyed playing with both hands at the same time! And for my older students, it's so much fun to see how creative you can be with all the different styles of music that we've studied!

As you prepare to play at the recital, think about why you chose that piece in the first place. Why you enjoyed playing it so much during our lessons and your practice time! Make those first ten seconds exciting and the fun will continue throughout the rest of your performance!

My boys and I love to play with playdough - The only problem we run into is that I like to keep the colors separate and they like to mix them together. Oh well!!!

In early childhood education and elementary school - including piano lessons - playdough provides some wonderful benefits for youngsters: creative thinking, eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, etc.

You probably watch each week as I point out a wide variety of musical symbols to your child! We talk about how "a quarter note gets ONE count," "a rest means that we have to be quiet," "the treble clef means we use our right hand to play," etc, etc, etc! Occasionally we use crayons to color these symbols, or we search for them on a page filled with musical notation.

Playdough is just one more way to review these important theory symbols with your budding musician - whether they like to mix colors or not! Have them fashion a green bass clef followed by pink quarter notes, and complete the rhythm pattern by adding bar lines - don't forget the double bar line at the end. They can even make those quarter notes go up and down on the table as they sing the melody of a song!

A little person's creativity is boundless - and they aren't bothered with how things are "supposed to be done." They're learning and discovering new things everyday!

So, pull out that playdough and spend some time creating music with your child. You'll probably be amazed at how many musical symbols they remember from their lessons!

It's been so much fun to watch my Little Mozarts - my 4-year-old and 5-year-old students - learn all the notes on the keyboard. Now, we're moving on to finding notes on the treble and bass clefs.

As I was looking for extra activities to help reinforce this new way of reading notes, I found these Search and Find worksheets created by Susan Paradis. I can't wait to try them out this week!

If you're little musician is getting bored of simply playing these new notes and doing flashcards (two great ways to learn notes, but the repetition can get a little tedious), these worksheets would be a great option to use. I will probably laminate my copies so I can use them over and over again!

And parents, if you choose to print a worksheet for your child, you can definitely count it toward their practice time!

Renowned musician and educator, Rebecca Penneys, is currently offering master classes and private piano lessons on the USF campus to a chosen few of the world's most skilled piano students.

Many master classes, as well as student performances, are open to the public. This includes a 2 Piano 8 Hand concert which is scheduled to be held in Barness Recital Hall on the USF campus this Saturday, August 3rd at 2pm.

For more information, visit the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival site by clicking here.

Established in 1884, Bush and Gerts became known for their intricate and detailed woodwork. The company began in Chicago, but by the mid 1920s their pianos were being built by the Haddorff Piano Company in Rockford, IL. There are a number of Bush and Gerts still available today, demonstrating the high quality of craftsmanship utilized to build each instrument.

This antique piano was built around 1900 and is in excellent condition with only some minor cosmetic issues (some of the keys are lightly chipped and there is some cracking on one of the sides). From the outside, the piano looks to be in great working order. The wood finish has been restored which makes this antique piano look beautiful - a wonderful piece of furniture!

Some experts claim that antique pianos have a much richer sound compared to contemporary instruments. I am not exactly sure how or why, but I have also found antique pianos to have a much fuller sound. Not only is the sound noticeably better, but the woodwork can be more elaborate at times. Antique pianos have their own set of problems though - requiring more attention to cosmetic detail, as well as frequent tuning in order to maintain a true pitch.

The seller is asking for $500. (Update: this piano is sold). Jessica's Piano Studio simply provides a platform for people to purchase, sell, or rent instruments. The purchaser and seller take full responsibility for the condition and quality of the instrument.