2024 7 9 Ep 53 Transforming Musical Challenges

[00:00:00] Jenny Leigh: In this podcast episode, I aim to provide you with valuable insights and practical advice that will help you on your musical journey. Whether you're just starting out, returning to the piano after some time gap, or struggling to fit piano practice into your busy schedule as a busy adult, My goal is to inspire and guide you toward achieving your piano skill development.

[00:00:29] Welcome to Your Creative Chord Podcast, where we unlock creative flow, celebrate the artist within, and find inspiration in every moment. I'm your host, Jenny Lee Hodgins. And the voice behind your creative cord, where we blend creative living with transformation. I'm here to guide you with empowering stories, insights, and practical tips to fuel your creative life.

[00:00:55] We're in this together, from overcoming stage fright, to changing obstacles into possibilities, to finding your unique voice. Let's get started. Hello.

[00:01:13] Welcome to this special episode of Your Creative Chord Podcast. I'm Jenny Lee Hodgins, and I'm excited to share my passion for piano with you. For over 30 years, I've been deeply involved in the world of music. I hold a degree in music composition, and I've had the joy of playing piano and singing professionally for over 25 years.

[00:01:33] Alongside performing, I've dedicated 30 years to teaching piano, music, and chorus to students ranging from ages four. Throughout my career, I've encountered a wide range of experiences that have shaped my teaching philosophy and approach. From transforming my own stage fright to helping thousands of students discover their unique musical voices, my journey has been filled with challenges, growth, and countless rewarding moments.

[00:02:01] Today we're continuing a special piano series of episodes to celebrate the upcoming launch of my new book, Start Piano, What You Need for Successful Learning. I'll be sharing stories from my personal piano history and offering tips that you can apply to your own practice. So let's dive in and explore how my experiences can ensure your successful piano learning foundation and Move forward with consistent momentum in your piano playing.

[00:02:30] The goal of today's episode is to inspire and guide new and returning piano learners through sharing my personal piano journey with you. If I can enjoy successful musical progress at the piano, anyone can. Here's a question for you. Can you relate to having challenges when learning a new skill? What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?

[00:02:56] I'm going to share a little bit about some of my background in my piano history from my new book, Start Piano, What You Need for Successful Learning, from page one.

[00:03:11] I wrote this book for you because you want to play the piano well. You love piano music. Like me, you value finding the beauty in musical moments. Piano music moves your heart, gets your dancing feet pumping, or utterly awes you. By playing the piano, you want to express yourself. Feel confident in your musical skills.

[00:03:34] Know the joys of creative flow. Experience a spiritual connection. Increase your performance confidence and success. But where should you begin? If you played piano in the past, how and where should you return? If you're looking for ways to support musical education for your child, what is the most suitable way forward?

[00:03:56] This book offers my knowledge and unique musical experience in piano. Why should you trust me as your guide? So I actually had a rocky relationship with the piano. And I'm going to tell you a little bit about that from my book on page five, from the chapter, How My Piano History Helps You, My Rocky Relationship With Piano.

[00:04:20] Playing piano and composing music for or at the piano is how I most sincerely reveal myself. I express my intimate interconnections with life, nature, and people through playing or composing for the piano. The piano is where I openly lay my heart and soul. I entrust my emotional vulnerability to playing or composing for the piano.

[00:04:46] The piano is where I express my most humiliating defeats, devastating losses, persistent dreams, soaring victories, and unrelenting hope. My rocky relationship with piano. The therapeutic power of my piano learning journey is an invaluable boon to my existence, but my relationship with the piano did not have a smooth start.

[00:05:12] I did not have a musical family heritage, a solid foundation of consistent or well rounded piano education, a high quality piano keyboard to practice on until I played on the fine arts department pianos during college, training or preparation for performance confidence or success. I had none of that. My non musician parents were middle class people who did their best to support my love of music in their way.

[00:05:38] They provided a console piano for my music practice. They sporadically landed a few local piano teachers to teach me throughout my childhood. There were gaps of time when no piano teacher was available or affordable, and many of my pre college piano teachers lacked skills and capabilities themselves.

[00:05:59] But my love of piano and the opportunity to meet weekly with the few piano teachers I had kept me practicing music throughout my youth. So that's from my book from the first chapter. And here's a question for you. Have you ever had an inconsistent learning experience with something you're passionate about?

[00:06:22] And how did that affect your progress? My inconsistent piano learning experiences have shaped my teaching philosophy and approach. My rocky background with piano learning has actually become my credentials for how I can benefit piano learners. I had sporadic lessons and years between finding a new teacher who could continue my musical lessons.

[00:06:46] Let me share a little more about that from page 8 of my new book, Start Piano. My mother finally found a graduate voice student, not piano, at the local university to teach me. That young teacher was bright and kind. I enjoyed her lessons a lot. She gave me a brief but solid few months of piano education.

[00:07:10] She kindly informed my mother that I had rapidly absorbed everything she could teach me at that point. After quickly outgrowing my first piano instructor, I spent a few years waiting for my parents to find another. When they found one, I went through everything my next piano teacher could offer within a year.

[00:07:30] This swift turnover interspersed with time gaps continued in the same pattern until I started college. I had a spotty, Inconsistent and generally lacking educational quality, piano history before my college days, my pre college piano teachers did not provide me with any strategies for improving my piano skills.

[00:07:53] I'm grateful they kept me connected to piano music through weekly lessons. But I received no instruction on piano technique beyond basic posture and using a curved hand. I had no clearly defined music theory curriculum and I did not learn how to practice piano. I had no preparation at all for musical performances.

[00:08:18] This predicament was the state of my knowledge and skill gaps when I finally entered college.

[00:08:28] Just a quick break to share some exciting news. On my birthday, July 16, I'll be launching the revised paperback edition of my book, Start Piano, What You Need for Successful Learning. This book is your trusted guide to unlocking the secrets of a successful piano learning foundation with strategies tips for finding the right teacher and method and setting up effective piano practice routines.

[00:08:59] It's also a perfect resource for piano educators to gift or recommend to students. Plus right now you can get a sneak peek with our free unlock your piano potential ebook. You can download that today at your creative cord. com.

[00:09:23] Stay tuned for exciting updates, exclusive bonuses straight from my book, and everything you need to keep making beautiful piano music. Until book launch day, July 16, my birthday, keep nurturing your creativity and listen each Tuesday for a deeper dive into making confident piano progress. Let's get back to the show.

[00:09:47] Now I will read from the section in my book called How My Musical Challenges Became My Source of Musical Progress. I'm going to read another excerpt from my new book Start Piano from the chapter How My Piano History Benefits You under the section How Passion Opens the Door to Opportunity on page nine.

[00:10:07] The few and far between piano teachers of my youth expected my performance in sporadic piano recitals. But I had no preparation for handling performance anxiety in these stressful, unfamiliar scenarios. My piano teachers did not address such issues in piano lessons or otherwise. I felt debilitating stage fright as a child and through my early 30s.

[00:10:35] I lacked confidence as a piano player. I lacked confidence, period. I entered the local university in this state of personal and musical weakness. My first assigned piano teacher abruptly told me I was not ready for a piano performance degree. I had too many glaring gaps in knowledge and skill. His assessment of where I was as a piano player may have been spot on, but it deepened my low esteem and gave me no hope of becoming a successful pianist.

[00:11:08] I'm sharing my personal story in detail, and there's much more in this chapter in my book about my struggles with piano learning throughout my youth and college days, and the story of how I I eventually began my career as a performing and teaching musician. After I began teaching piano and music, I discovered many adult piano learners and kids in their teens and a little older that were my students.

[00:11:34] They experienced a similarly spotty piano learning history. I learned through teaching and my experience as a professional pianist. That I was uniquely positioned to relate my experiences to these common challenges faced by piano learners. So here's a question for you. Did you struggle with consistent piano learning or run into frustrating blocks with your piano progress?

[00:12:02] What kind of resources do you think would have helped you the most?

[00:12:09] Let me share with you a section called how my bad habits perpetuated stage fright from my book on page 11 due to my rollercoaster piano education in my youth, I had horrible. performance anxiety. I also had not yet developed a disciplined, regular piano practice routine. My stage fright and undeveloped piano practice regimen were probably the catalysts for my musical composition efforts.

[00:12:39] I got piano and vocal scholarships and led the jazz, magical, and college choirs. Still, I opted out of a vocal degree. Although I was equally capable as a soprano and a pianist, creation always had a stronger voice within me. By the time I finished my music degree at the University of South Florida, I had changed my major from piano performance to music composition.

[00:13:02] Instead of practicing the piano repertoire for my semester jury performances, I spent more time composing music in the piano practice rooms. I developed a habit of procrastination regarding piano performance. Then, two weeks before my jury recitals, I would cram piano practice for eight hours daily. I somehow managed to get mid to high or high marks on my piano performances, but it was so stressful that I never enjoyed learning the repertoire.

[00:13:32] I had such anxiety. That I would throw up before any performance, my right foot and leg would shake violently during my performance, like a sewing machine leg. This ordeal triggered an onslaught of internal self criticism. Making my performances a tortuous experience for me. In my college years and beyond, I wrestled deeply with stage fright while teaching students and performing as a pianist and vocalist for a living.

[00:14:06] I felt like an imposter. Why would I share these embarrassingly empty personal details about my mediocrity or lack of credentials with you, the aspiring piano player? My shaky musical journey deepened my determination to help new and returning piano learners avoid wasting time and effort. I want piano students to understand the foundational habits and skills they may consistently rely on for continued piano playing success.

[00:14:44] Throughout this book, Start Piano, What You Need for Successful Learning, I reveal how I overcame My piano study challenges gained success and developed confidence as a piano learner and performer. My difficulties led me to practice a philosophy of transformation. I continue using this way of thinking to create value from any suffering or musical deficiency.

[00:15:15] I've discovered that the power of our tailor designed problems is that they become the fire for burning the wood of artistic growth and inspiration. So that's from my new book, Start Piano, What You Need for Successful Learning. Do you experience stage fright or performance anxiety when asked to share your piano playing with others?

[00:15:42] How does performance anxiety affect your enjoyment and progress in playing the piano?

[00:15:55] Speaker 2: Did 

[00:15:56] Jenny Leigh: you know that performing music for others is a beautiful way to deepen your enjoyment and connection with both the music and your 

[00:16:06] Speaker 2: audience?

[00:16:13] Would you like to hear 

[00:16:13] Jenny Leigh: more about the techniques I used to overcome stage fright and how you can apply them to your own playing to experience these benefits? What topics or questions would you like me to cover in future episodes on your creative cord podcast? Your feedback will help shape upcoming content.

[00:16:32] Thank you for joining me today. Enjoy your time at the piano. See you next time. Remember, on my birthday, July 16, my new book, Start Piano, What You Need for Successful Learning, launches in paperback on Amazon. Mark your calendars and thank you for making this launch so special. In the meantime, don't miss out on the Free Unlock Your Piano potential ebook available right now@yourcreativechord.com slash piano strategies.

[00:17:06] It's packed with valuable insights to kickstart your piano momentum. To learn about the paperback and purchase from July 16, visit your creative 

[00:17:17] Speaker 2: cord.com/books.