Kinderbach Review

I have taken years of piano lessons. Eleven years, to be exact. My husband is an excellent pianist. You would think between the two of us, we would be able to handle teaching our bright three year old to play the piano. I taught her a few things... glissandos, octaves, middle c, fingering... you know, the basics. I wanted piano lessons to be fun, and at the time they were very short, sweet, and to the point. What I found that my approach to teaching her piano wasn't as structured or captivating as I wanted. I started doing some research online about different teaching methods and came across KinderBach, a site dedicated to teaching piano lessons to young children. I immediately signed up for the emails and after only a few days I was hooked! I just had to learn more! And I did something that I have never done before... I approached Karri about reviewing her product. And she was kind enough to send me a free DVD and allow me the opportunity to share with you all about her incredible, educational piano program!!

When my daughter and I sat down to start our first Kinderbach piano lesson, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I knew beforehand that this would be geared towards young children, but I didn't know how engaging a music lesson could actually be!

My daughter geared up for a KinderBach music lesson

What I love:

• Teaches rhythm and basic counting practice. And while I knew my daughter could do this, I realized how FUN it was for her and I should allow her the opportunity to have fun with rhythm instruments.
Playing rhythm instruments with sheet music


• Engaging...even for my overly active daughter. Our piano lessons using my slopped together technique lasted about 5 minutes. Now she can easily sit through a 20 minute lesson. And she loves it!
Now that's captivation! Remember this girl is always on the go!!


• This may sound crazy, but I love that I don't have to spend time trying to create my own piano program. This is already done and it's SO darling!
• There are hands on activities while watching the lessons. One minute you are circling black keys on an activity page, the next you are tapping on rhythm instruments or locating keys on the piano. The activities are so varied that it holds my daughter's attention span. The instruction comes with the activity pages divided into lessons, and even my daughter who doesn't typically like coloring gets involved with these pages.
Listening to piano instructor Karri and determining if sounds are loud or quiet.

Coloring her activity pages while watching the instructional DVD


• As a classroom teacher, I always believed that the interest and excitement of the teacher played an important role in helping students to learn. Karri is an energetic, entertaining, knowledgeable teacher who makes it easy to learn! My daughter just LOVES her!
• We can enjoy a piano lesson again and again... even in our jammies! I love that I can replay a section of the lesson that was thrilling for my daughter, or replay a section that she struggled with for extra practice.
  Our favorite activity so far... a creative approach to teaching the location of piano keys.

We finished the first lesson begging for more...so we watched it twice! And we just completed the second lesson and my daughter was laughing and having so much fun. And isn't that what learning is all about at this age? I highly recommend this product to anyone who wants to teach their child how to play the piano! There is a free online trial... so throw your fears and intimidation of teaching your child how to play the piano aside and give this program a try! I am confident your preschooler will love it!

Happy piano TEACHing!

Mothers and Infertility in the Scriptures

Hello blogging world! I hope all you moms had a wonderful mother's day. My daughter, husband, and I talked in sacrament meeting. 3 years ago we adopted our girl and were sealed to her in the Salt Lake Temple. It was so heartwarming to hear my three year old talk and sing "Families Can Be Together Forever." I am very grateful to have the knowledge that we can be a forever family!
I want to share some excerpts from my talk... Maybe it will help someone out there who is struggling with infertility.

"My husband and I were married almost 12 years ago in the Salt Lake Temple. Through years of countless tests, endless amounts of praying and fasting, about 6 years ago we received the devastating news that we would most likely never have biological children. Several years of hoping and believing if we just had enough faith crashed down on my weary heart.

Like many mothers in the scriptures we were given the trial of infertility. In the first chapter of Luke we read about Zacharias and Elisabeth and how they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren and they were both well stricken in years. An angel appeared to Zacharias and told him that his prayer was heard and he would have a son, and his name would be John. An angel later appeared to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and told her about her cousin Elisabeth’s pregnancy despite her age and boldly declared “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” That scripture has come to mean a lot to me. John, as we know, was the one who baptized Jesus Christ.

We can also look at Sarah, the wife of Abraham. In Genesis chapter 18 we read that Abraham was visited by 3 holy men who told him that Sarah would have a son. In verses 11-14 we read :

“Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age....

Therefore Sarah laughed within herself....

And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Abraham and Sarah did have a son, which they named Isaac. This very Isaac’s wife Rebekah struggled with infertility. In Genesis 25 verse 21 we read

“And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.”

Rebekah later had twins- Esau and Jacob. Jacob’s wife Rachel was also barren and watched as Leah had many children. In chapter 30 of Genesis we read in verse 1:

And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

and in verse 22:

And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Joseph”

Hannah, who, before she had Samuel, had a grieving heart, and she wept and prayed and poured out her soul before the Lord for the opportunity to be a mother.

These mighty men- John the Baptist, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Samuel had mothers who waited and prayed and struggled with the trial of barrenness.

Jeffrey R. Holland has beautifully said “ Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”

In the words of Maureen Hawkins:
Before you were conceived, I wanted you
Before you were born, I loved you
And before you were here an hour
I would have sacrificed everything for you.

If you were to ask me today about my definition of the word motherhood, I would be able to sum it up in just one word....joy.

(2 nephi 2:22, 23, 25)

And now behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen,

but he would have remained in the garden of Eden.

And they would have no children, wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy

Adam fell that men might be, and men are, that they might have joy.

It is my prayer that we can celebrate the joy in our lives."

Take a few minutes to hug those little miracles. Motherhood is truly a sacred blessing and privilege!
Happy TEACHing!