Podcasts..

While electronic pianos have made great leaps with sound quality and weighted keys to match the feel and experience of an acoustic piano, acoustic pianos are always preferred for the best learning experience. For most new players, electronic pianos are much more budget friendly costing only around $1000, whereas the most affordable upright acoustic pianos will begin around $3000. Listen to the entire podcast for a more detailed discussion on the intracacies of these differences as well as some brand recommendations for each type.

Whether it's summertime and your child is out of their regular routine or if they are away from their piano for any reason (like a vacation), there are always great ways to keep them engaged with their learning. The most important thing is to stay consistent and not interrupt their progress towards becoming a piano prodigy! Natalia discusses several methods to keep your child in the right mindset during these periods, like watching performances of any kind to motivate them to use their summers to improve and practice.

Classical and Jazz pianist and instructor Sam Bachelor started learning piano as a Jazz musician. After attending NYU, he met an amazing classical teacher who he could not pass the opportunity to learn from. Natalia chats with Sam about the major differences between the musical styles as well as how the pianist must transition their thinking to adapt. They talk about the emphasis on listening to recorded jazz tracks versus hearing live Classical piano performances, and much more!

Musician and performer, Laura Ryan chats with Natalia Huang about performing in Europe. With a busy schedule, including being a mom, Laura talks juggling it all while creating new music for her tours. She discusses an upcoming multi-country tour with her band throughout Europe and the trials and rigors of moving on a tour bus with her keyboard. With a unique perspective on a performing career in music, Laura opens up on the joy and privilege of being able to do something she loves professionally. You'll never know how you'll end up using your piano skills, and this podcast is a great listen!

Natalia talks to Mickie Chow about her experiences supporting two young children as they learned to play the piano. Mickie discusses the effect that her kids learning piano has on her, and the joy that it fills her with. Beyond developing a beautiful skill, kids gain a multitude of life skills and parents are able to notice those skills and use their overall learning experience as teachable moments. Listen in to hear how she motivated them as a parent and the effect that years of piano training had on the development of her boys.