Merry Christmas

although it's been said many times many ways...Merry Christmas to you. j&h (plus one)

Christmas gift idea

looking for a Christmas gift idea?

this past april headed into the studio to start work on recording my first CD 'scattered'. my prayer has been and continues to be that people will be drawn into a closer relationship with God our creator because of it.

keep 'scattered' in mind as you're thinking what will bless your love ones, friends and co-workers this season.

Godbless and Merry Christmas

joel slater

free shipping orders at www.joelslater.com/store

back in the usa

it's crazy to think that just a week ago we were in sunny australia, now a week later we find ourselves here in cold washington dc.

i've decided that if it's going to be cold it may as well snow like it is here this snowy saturday morning...very cozy being inside and not having to go out.

the month of december

piano lessons will resume this week...yay.

because of christmas, new years and just because it's a crazy busy month we'll only have three lessons.

tues = 1st, 8th & 15th
wed = 2nd, 9th & 16th
thurs = 3rd, 10th & 17th

looking forward to seeing you all again :)

fire @ pine point, yorke peninsula

view of the fire from our beach house

2 days away from being away

holly and i just spent a couple of days taking a holiday from our holiday. we went away to a beach front property on the 'Yorke Peninsula' with my brother, his wife and his 3 kids.

last night @ the beach house we saw smoke on the horizon thru the big glass windows as we sat down to play a board game which led us to look stand up and walk outside. a mile or two away we saw a blazing fire picking up momentum with the strong winds (55 miles an hour) which left us wondering if we should get the heck outta there or just keep a close eye on it. the winds were blowing away from us which made us feel better and came to the conclusion that seeing we were so close to the beach we were in the best place. if we it came to an emergency we could scoop up the kids and head for the water...anywayz, it didn't come to that but was a little scary.

here's where we were on the map. 'A' is where my mums house is 'B' is where we went.

View Larger Map

first glimpse

8 weeks

18 weeks

just a reminder...

that holly and i are on our way to australia so there are no piano lessons for the remanded of november. lessons will resume the first week of december.

enjoy the break and remember to keep on practicing.

see you soon.

joels in studio 'scattered' interview

i was asked if i'd like to sit down in the studio and be interviewed on camera to talk about my music and to introduce people to who i am and what i stand for. here it is...

indonesian tv

as i may have told some of you, i was asked to be a performer’/pianist for the taping of an indonesian tv show being filmed in washington D.C back in march. it was nothing like they told me it was going to be which made things interesting as you'll see :)

piano & beyond

when i was growing up i didn't really know why i took lessons other than to simply play songs because i was told to. as i kept on learning i started to enjoy playing more and more until i thought, "if i really enjoy piano this much, how can i do something music related for a job?"

years later i'm doing just that on 3 different levels...

• my full-time job as a worship leader in the church enables me to use my talents in music, not only playing and singing on the weekend but also during the week as i prepare the music we're going to play. this is a very brief overview of what this job entails.

• as a piano teacher which is an avenue to teach others and help me stay sharp on my own musical knowledge and helps me in all other areas of music. it is enjoyable to see students develop and grow as I teach them.

• my greatest passion of all is being a recording artist, here i write, record and perform my songs. This right now is the least of the above two but is picking up momentum, soon i hope to be able to do this full-time which will be awesome.
  

so i write about these 3 aspects of piano that i would have never dreamed of being able to do way back when i was 10 years old. right now it may seems as if all we do is learn song after song but it's all part of learning and who knows what the future may hold.

pianos 4 sale

holly and I wandered into costco this afternoon and found a piano
display setup.

i'm not usally one to recommend brand new pianos because 'most' brands
are built to last decades and decades so why not go second-
hand...nontheless I checked them out.

I came across this little upright yamaha (after hitting the food
samples) and thought "not a bad piano for the price".

it's a yamaha 'T' series which I believe is classified as a student
piano, meaning you could spend more for a better quality one, but for
the money you're paying you won't be disappointed. it'll last you
years and years and sound great.

just a thought.

:)

hello friends,
thought you'd like to know that holly and I are pregnant. april 5th is our due date and so far holly's feeling great.

my iphone rocks

joel slater in concert

if you'd like to see your piano teacher rock out songs from his latest CD 'scattered' plus more then you'll want to be @ his concert this saturday night as he kicks off his 'scattered tour'.

	Saturday, September 12, 2009
	7:00pm - 8:30pm
	Fair Oaks Church Rec Center (not in the church building)
	4601 West Ox Road
	Fairfax, VA

my debut cd 'scattered' comes out this weekend

for those who don't know or for those who have been follwing it's progress, 'scattered' my debut cd releases this coming weekend...all songs are written & recorded by me with the help from an amazing band.

how can you obtain a copy?

1. pick one up at fair oaks church this coming weekend (aug 15/16) where the cd will be selling & i'll be signing after each service. i'll also be playing a song off of the cd to conclude each service. (services = sat 5pm, sun 9am & 10:45)

2. go to www.joelslater.com/store & order a copy there.

3. next week in piano lessons i'll have copies for sale there if they're not sold out from the cd release, to make sure you get yours refer to numbers 1 & 2.

this cd not only has cool music on it but is a wonderful tool to use if you're looking for a way to talk to a family members or friends about God. my hope is that people will be blessed & that it will cause you and others to walk even closer with our creator.

good to be home

it's good to be home after 2 long days in the recording studio. what
weekend?

studio time 2

i really appreciate everyone who has been asking about my recording project and praying for me.

this past recording session was a huge success and a major step forward towards getting started on these two records. we were able to lay all the bass and drum tracks for my entire album and EP.

the EP should be released in late may/early june, maybe earlier and after that it's full steam ahead to finishing the album.

here's a picture of a few talented people i've been working with...bass, drums, me & my producer

piano recital may 29th

we're coming up to that time again where all our hard work is put on display. This is a great time for my students to prepare some of their best songs and play them for their friends and family who come and see them preform.

Most students who learn to play piano will at some point in their life perform in front of a group of people, this is a great platform for them to get performance experience that they'll be glad they have later on in life. Please mark this date down and invite friends and family to support these hardworking piano students.

Piano Recital, May 29th, @ 7pm
Fair Oaks Church (Floyd White Chapel)
4601 West Ox Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030

More details will follow later,
or email any specific questions you may have to joel@shinypiano.com

dear julia

thank you for your thoughtful question, "Do you like living in America or do you miss Australia?"

i do like living in america very much, but i haven't always felt this way.

when i moved here nearly 6 years ago i was very homesick and sad for a very longtime. after being here for six months i almost moved back home because my visa, the documents from the united states that gave me permission to stay in the country, was about to run out. on the last week my work visa, which allowed me to work at my church was approved. i was very disappointed that i was allowed to stay and even though i could have moved back to australia anyway, i felt strongly that God wanted me to stay here for an important purpose. maybe it was so i could meet you and be your piano teacher!?

i have learned that being obedient to God is the most important thing in life; it may not always be easy, but He will always give you the strength to endure.

i enjoy living here very much now, but occasionally i wonder what it would be like to live in australia again near the beach and close to my family. maybe one day i'll move back there with holly but until God tells me to do so i'm going to wait and see what He has in store for me here.

Julia Orejuela

What is your name?
Julia Orejuela

How old are you?
7 years old

What is your favorite color?
Pink

How long have you been taking piano lessons?
Almost one year

What's your favorite song you know how to play?
Star Quest

If you could play any song in the world what would it be?
Sponge Bob square pants theme song

Do you play (or want to learn to play) any other instrument besides piano? if so, what instrument?
Guitar

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A piano musician

If you were banished to a desert island and could only choose one kind of food to eat for the rest of your life, what would that food be?
My mommy's noddles

Who is your favorite person in the whole wide world (beside Mr. Joel...that's a given)?
Jack, my dog

If you could ask Mr. Joel any question in the world it would be?
Do you like living in America or do you miss Australia?

studio time

I'm really excited to be heading into the studio this weeks to start working on my first CD with the hopes of releasing a 6 song EP while finishing up the full length album.

I'll be working with a great engineer/producer who works directly with Dave Matthews and other big names in secular music, it's already been cool to hear his ideas for my songs to take them from a solo artist feel to a full band sound.

I'm also working with studio musicians (Drums & Bass) who are awesome players.

This has been a lifelong dream for me to record my songs so others can hear them, up until now the only way of hearing them have been when I've preformed live.

I'll keep you updated throughout the whole journey as I take forward steps and even hit some speed bumps along the way...not to many I hope.

Please keep me in your prayers especially this week.
Godbless

dear shane

thanks for your question concerning that brown stick in the corner of my piano room.

the brown stick is called a didgeridoo, it's an aboriginal wind instrument from australia. my friend gave it to me as a 21st birthday present and i decided to bring it with me when i moved to america.

you put your mouth on it and blow like a trumpet which gives a droning sound. the hard part is not in getting the sound to work but to get a continuous sound, this is achieved by circular breathing.

circular breathing is when you can breath through your nose while breathing out of your mouth at the same time, this is means that you don't have to stop playing to breath. this is not a very easy thing to do, and i don't do it very well. check out this video below to watch a real pro.

hope this answers your question, shane.
mr. joel

didgeridoo video

shane martin

What is your name?
Shane Martin

How old are you?
11

What is your favorite color?
red

How long have you been taking piano lessons?
3 years

What's your favorite song you know how to play?
Rocky theme song

If you could play any song in the world what would it be?

Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen

Do you play (or want to learn to play) any other instrument besides piano? if so, what instrument?
I used to take trumpet lessons

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A football player in the NFL

If you were banished to a desert island and could only choose one kind of food to eat for the rest of your life, what would that food be?
Ribs

Who is your favorite person in the whole wide world (beside Mr. Joel...that's a given)?
Sean Taylor

If you could ask Mr. Joel any question in the world it would be?
Whats that long brown stick in the corner of your piano room?

questions anyone?

if you have a music related question you would like to ask me please feel free to email me at joel@shinypiano.com, you're probably not the only one who will benefit from the answer :)

unto the Lord

back when i was in music college i used to feel intimidated by others who seemed to play better than i. music wasn't offered at my high school so when i arrived at college and decided to specialize in music i was definitely behind the eight ball.

there was one other piano student in my year; for one of her recitals she chose to learn and play a piece called 'maple leaf rag' (an amazing piano piece). in the end she was able to master this really difficult piano piece. unfortunately, she had an arrogant attitude about her. i, on the other hand, was learning other piano pieces that appeared to be less complicated. during this time in my life i learned a valuable lesson. God taught me that the level of difficulty of the piece i played was not as important as the attitude/state of heart i played it with.

my peer could play really well but it went to waste because she was self centered; when she played it was for her benefit and her glory (as i perceived it). when i played i could play the simplest tune or chord progression on my piano at home and offer it up to God as an offering of praise to him and could feel His great pleasure as he enjoyed my song.

yes we should work hard, yes we should do our best in whatever we do but one question should remain constant in the forefront of our minds...who are we doing it for?

when we're truly surrendered to God and are weak He delights in making us strong and using us for his glory.

let's play that with the fast track

if you've ever been in a piano lesson with me you've probably heard me say those exact words..."let's play that with the fast track" or "let's go ahead and play that with the CD."

the CD comes in the books that i teach from; each song has two tracks, and the first one is called a practice track. it plays more slowly and you can hear the piano part to play along. the second track is faster and doesn't have the piano part playing along so you can be the one to add in the piano.

chances are if a student goes on with music they'll decide to play with other musicians on various levels. in order to do that they need to be able to hear what is going on around them as well as maintain what they're playing. this isn't something that happens naturally but like everything else it is a skill that can be developed.

this is where playing with the CD comes in handy; by playing with the CD we have an opportunity to develop our ear and to be listening to what's happening around us. i think you will also find that it makes practice time a lot more enjoyable.

the CD is a useful tool to hear how the song sounds on the practice track, especially outside of piano lessons...it can refresh your memory. it also gives many students a great goal to work up to the fast track.

be careful, though, not to swing too far the other way by developing a dependence on the CD to play. a healthy balance is best.

count aloud

1, 2, 3, 4, seems easy enough, right? not really according to almost every one of the students i've ever taught. counting to four can be a hassle when it comes to playing a song.

first, the student is trying to play the right notes, the right rhythms, the right dynamics and now the teacher wants her to count aloud at the same time. this is definitely a skill that requires some effort to perfect, the trick is to get to a point where you don't have to think about it (auto pilot as i say) as quickly as possible.

when you don't count you may think you're playing a rhythm correctly, but you could be totally wrong. counting aloud gives you another 'check point' along the way, if what you're playing doesn't line up with what you're saying you will realise that there is a problem and be able to fix it yourself.

when reading the music we have visual confirmation on what the rhythm looks like but by adding in counting it gives us an audible confirmation as well.

it's hard to explain but i'll leave it at this: when you count aloud you will get the rhythm right more often than when you don't....it's a fact!

taken advantage of

i've been thinking lately about how people can get the most out of their money when it comes to piano lessons. here are some tips...

• come well prepared and practiced to piano class. we may not always pass our song or songs, but at least progress has been made.
  

• when a parent is heavily involved in helping their child at home it frees me up to teach other principles in lesson time like scales and other exercises. we don't need to play through each of our new songs all the time in lessons, instead i can explain any new concepts and demonstrate them and then move on to additional material.

(every lesson varies and every student is different meaning there is no one way to do things; however, a good tag team partnership between parent and teacher is a great asset in the learning process)

• Mum and Dad, ask plenty of questions to help you understand what's being taught.
  

• Students, review the principles taught from the previous weeks by looking in your note book. This saves time when i don't have to go over it again.

• Students remembering the basics (sitting up straight, holding bubbles, hand positions ready) when they arrive saves time.

keep these tips in mind to achieve a smoother more productive lesson.

you never know

when i was 8 or 9 years old i was playing with 'star war men' in my room when my mum came in and said, "joel, do you want to take piano lessons?" i looked up and said "ok", and that was the end of that... or should i say the beginning.

i wasn't necessarily interested in music or the piano but it seemed like a good idea at the time. looking back now and seeing how my parents struggled financially to put me through lessons i get great comfort knowing that their investment was worth it.

i don't jump to conclusions when a student doesn't grasp a concept right away, nor do i measure one student's progress against another...why? because they remind me of me! i wasn't exceptionally slow, but i wasn't a prodigy either.

as i learned more about piano and began to mature, my love for the instrument began to flourish; but who would've known that in just a few years i would make such dramatic changes in my approach to my instrument. when someone says "you're so talented" i think that it comes back to loving the instrument. when i allow the piano to be an extension of who i am and a way i can express how i'm feeling i make a much greater investment into it. it's kind of like a fondness toward someone: you want to spend all of your time with them! in short, it's not just about talent; love equals time and time develops knowing.

my goal as a teacher is to maintain a balance between teaching crucial, elementary skills while keeping lessons fun so a student does not wear to the point of quitting. there is a lot of hard work to do when learning an instrument, but if you can persevere hopefully a love for the instrument will be cultivated within you; then, you'll be able to enjoy a life of music and not be an "i used to play once upon a time" casualty.

the 'P' word and parents

after teaching for many years now i've observed what makes a good piano lesson, and it all leads back to the 'P' word...practice.

for starters i know the feeling of being that student that walks in knowing he hasn't practice anything since the last time he sat on the same piano bench in his teachers studio, i was a student once to you know. the question of "can i fake my way through this lesson?" looms in your thoughts.

i think of practice like this...if piano lessons once a week was an all you can eat buffet and you ate all you wanted until you were stuffed but after that you didn't eat anything till the lessons the following week you wouldn't be in very good shape, would you? instead you eat meals everyday to sustain your body, that is like practice. a little everyday is better than once or twice a week.

i want you to know that in my experience the students who do well are the ones whose parents are very much involved in their practice routine. kids usually left to practice on their own rarely make good use of their practice time and most of the time get distracted and don't end up doing what they're suppose to do.

the advantage with my setup as a teacher is that a parent is present at every lesson giving the parents an excellent opportunity to listen in and even be interactive in the lesson, to ask questions so they can understand what's being taught and even to learn enough to be their teacher at home (this is something i recommend that every parent take advantage of).

your child of 6, 8 or 10 may not understand the importance of practice but you can and can be their cheer leader at home to help them eat a good serving of piano everyday.

when buying a piano or keyboard

when you're in the market for a keyboard or piano there are several things you need to keep in mind.

i always advise parents who are getting their children into piano lessons not to invest a lot of money into it straight away, the last thing you want is a $5000 piano that's going to sit in your living room and not be played, however, pianos do make nice pieces of furniture.

first off i loosely recommend a keyboard that is in the $100 to $200 range to get them started and to go easy on your bank account. at the very least it should be touch sensitive meaning the harder you play the keys the louder it gets likewise the softer you play the softer the sound. this is an ok place to start when trying to get started but not a good place to stop. you don't want them to develop a bad technique which they will by spending to long on a imitation instrument, once they are showing adequate interest in piano lessons and they're going to keep at it, it's time to invest in an upgrade. if possible skip the keyboard and move straight to a digital piano.

the next step up is a keyboard with weighted keys. this means that the keys feel heavier to play mimicking the action of a real piano. on an acoustic piano when you press a key it moves a hammer and strikes the string/s, because of the mechanics, it gives the key a weighted feel. now days keyboards are fairly close to getting the 'feel' right but in my opinion nothing plays the same as an acoustic piano. when you buy weighted keys it will always be touch sensitive.

when purchasing weighted keys you're more than likely buying a 'digital piano'. these are cool because they usually come in a frame with pedals and the appearance of a real piano for about $1000 give or take depending brand and other features. this is a good place to stop and sit for a while if you don't want to jump up to an acoustic piano. the other advantages to a digital piano is that they're easier to move, they never have to be tuned and they have volume control if you need to be quiet. the disadvantage to a student who may be easily distracted is that they come with all these other sounds and additional features which can eat up practice time by playing around if not under the close watch or ear of a parent.

lastly you can buy an acoustic piano, the differences are upright or grand. on an upright the strings inside are sitting vertical meanwhile on a grand the stings are sitting horizontal. up to a certain height on an upright the string length will match a small baby grand but after 5 feet or so the length of the strings on a grand will exceed that of an upright piano.

why is string length important? the longer the strings the more rich and deeper the sound but not necessary rather a luxury.

my last note on buying a piano is don't always think brand new. pianos (depending on the brand) are built to last, it's not uncommon to have a piano that is 30 years old that looks and plays like new after being refurbished by a piano store (not everyone who sells pianos refurbishes them). pianos, even though they may be old may not have seen a lot of playing time and may still be in great shape especially when fixed up by a pro.

when in the market check out rick jones pianos, when you purchase a piano they'll trade in your old piano for what you paid for it towards an upgrade.

for my needs, space and financial limitations as a piano teacher i teach on a 50" Yamaha U2 upright piano. before purchasing an instrument on any level do you homework and talk to a professional (not necessarily the guy trying to sell it to you). piano tuners are a good source because they're the guy's that fix them also you trustworthy piano teacher may have a few ideas :)