PPP045: Piano Lessons are about so much more than piano with Corissa Caccitolo, parent

05Jun 2017 by Shelly Davis

Corissa Caccitolo is the mom of three children, all of whom study piano in my own studio in Whitehouse, Texas.

Corissa wanted to foster a love of music and piano is a great instrument to get started on. Even small children are able to press the keys and make a sound.

“There is nothing very wonderful about it; you have only to hit the right notes at the right moment and the instrument does the rest.” ~ Johann Sebastian Bach

How do you schedule practice at home?

Having three kids who are busy with other activities as well as piano makes home practice a bit of a struggle. Corissa treats piano practice essentially the same as school homework. They just know practice is something they have to do.

How do you assist your child during home practice?

Corissa helped her children more when they first started piano lessons. They were preschool aged and not quite reading yet. She also encouraged them to try to remember what they had been told in the lesson and try to do it themselves.

Corissa attended the piano lessons when her children were younger. This allowed her to help them when they practiced at home.

What motivates your piano kid regarding piano practice?

Corissa’s children enjoy making music. Going to lessons has never been a struggle for them. I try to maintain a positive environment and individualize their lessons to help keep them interested in studying the piano.

What struggles have your piano kids overcome through piano study?

Preparing for theory exams is always a struggle for students. Working through difficult pieces can be challenging. You can see in their face that they are proud of their hard work. One of the great things about piano lessons is that students learn to persevere and to continue even when things are challenging.

Mountaintop Experiences through piano study –

The achievement of being able to play for a family member or for their classmates at school is a mountaintop experience for the Caccitolo children.

There is so much more that you can take from music besides learning to play an instrument.

Success with piano, for Corissa, means that her children will enjoy music and have the confidence to play for others. They are listeners of music, players of music and they have been able to transfer those skills to other instruments.