{"id":17223,"date":"2024-05-11T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-11T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=17223"},"modified":"2024-05-15T14:57:17","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T21:57:17","slug":"lisa-witt-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/lisa-witt-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Lisa Witt Interview!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>She burst into the online music learning space some years ago, and today, Lisa Witt is the face of Pianote and an icon in the piano learning community. She inspires hundreds (if not thousands, if not millions!) of aspiring musicians, teaching them that they <em>can<\/em> play piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lisa was recently promoted to Vice President of the Pianote brand. Today (May 11) is also her birthday! So we\u2019re celebrating with a deep dive interview. The following is an edited and condensed conversation between Lisa Witt and Charmaine Li, the editor of this blog. It\u2019s a pretty long chat so we\u2019ve broken it up into six parts. Sit back, relax, and join us on Lisa\u2019s journey!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#musical-family-traditions\">Musical Family Traditions<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-a-ha-moment\">The &#8220;A-ha!&#8221; Moment<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#adventures-in-music-therapy\">Adventures in Music Therapy<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#crossing-paths-with-pianote\">Crossing Paths With Pianote<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#lisas-vision-for-pianote\">Lisa&#8217;s Vision for Pianote<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-lisa-takes-care-of-lisa\">How Lisa Takes Care of Lisa<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Get exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><small><i>By signing up you\u2019ll also receive our ongoing free lessons and special offers. Don\u2019t worry, we value your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.<\/i><\/small><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"musical-family-traditions\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Musical Family Traditions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"can-you-describe-your-musical-background-before-pianote-how-did-you-get-into-music\"><strong>Can you describe your musical background before Pianote? How did you get into music?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I probably didn\u2019t stand a chance at not being drawn to music. Music was just part of the family experience. When we went to my grandparents\u2019 house, before we ate, we didn\u2019t speak our prayers\u2014we sang our prayers. And we\u2019d often sing it like a round, or there\u2019d be a harmony we\u2019d have to find. Or Grandpa would get on the piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can remember mashing the keys on the piano my grandparents had against the wall and being told to stop\u2014it\u2019s one of my earliest memories. That and hearing my grandpa play made me want to learn, so I started asking for piano lessons when I was five or six. Then, around the time I turned eight or nine, my grandparents showed up with a piano in the back of their truck and unloaded it into our house! And I got signed up for piano lessons three doors down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can remember walking with my little books down the road and feeling so nervous because I was a really shy child. I honestly hated the lessons within a couple of months, but my parents would not let me quit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09152333\/2023-05-03-Pianote-Lisa-Chord-Hacks-110-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Woman with short platinum hair smiling with elbows on a keyboard and chin in hands.\" class=\"wp-image-17225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09152333\/2023-05-03-Pianote-Lisa-Chord-Hacks-110-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09152333\/2023-05-03-Pianote-Lisa-Chord-Hacks-110-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09152333\/2023-05-03-Pianote-Lisa-Chord-Hacks-110-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09152333\/2023-05-03-Pianote-Lisa-Chord-Hacks-110-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09152333\/2023-05-03-Pianote-Lisa-Chord-Hacks-110-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"what-did-you-not-like-about-the-lessons\"><strong>What did you not like about the lessons?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, first and foremost, learning something is work!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When we experience music, it looks so easy. Because music is painted to be so positive (and it is), we expect that <em>learning<\/em> to create music will be all positive. But I don\u2019t think that\u2019s realistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also didn\u2019t want to play pieces that I didn\u2019t emotionally connect with. And my teachers didn\u2019t encourage me to use my ear or learn to improvise. It wasn\u2019t because they were bad teachers; they just didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would play something incorrectly (because I avoided reading notes whenever possible!) and be like, \u201cOh, this sounds right.\u201d But it wasn\u2019t. And my response was always: \u201cBut it sounds better!\u201d It would have been amazing if my teacher had said, \u201cOh, you seem to have a great ear for creativity or composition. If you could rewrite this piece, what would it sound like?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think that would have unlocked the piano for me in a different and more meaningful way. But it didn&#8217;t happen at that part of my journey and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-a-ha-moment\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>The &#8220;A-ha!&#8221; Moment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"so-when-did-that-part-of-the-journey-happen-for-you\"><strong>So when did that part of the journey happen for you?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That happened with the internet! This was pre Ultimate Guitar, but you could find lyrics with chords over them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was playing at church in a youth band, and the guitarist was like: you just play chords like this. I put the pieces together and I started to plunk down chords, sing, and play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I went, \u201cOh my gosh, THIS is how they do it.\u201d Like, this is how <em>all <\/em>the people I\u2019ve been admiring\u2014all the songwriters, all these musicians\u2014<em>this<\/em> is how they\u2019re approaching the instrument!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was pretty hooked from there. And I was thankful for all the work I put into practicing my triad <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-chord-inversions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inversions<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/what-is-an-arpeggio-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arpeggios<\/a>. Because suddenly, they had a purpose.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09153523\/2024-02-09-Pianote-Awards-Shoot-153-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Woman with short platinum hair in white airy blouse leaning casually on a vertical red keyboard.\" class=\"wp-image-17226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09153523\/2024-02-09-Pianote-Awards-Shoot-153-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09153523\/2024-02-09-Pianote-Awards-Shoot-153-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09153523\/2024-02-09-Pianote-Awards-Shoot-153-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09153523\/2024-02-09-Pianote-Awards-Shoot-153-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09153523\/2024-02-09-Pianote-Awards-Shoot-153-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09153523\/2024-02-09-Pianote-Awards-Shoot-153-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"so-it-was-the-church-band-environment-that-did-it-for-you\"><strong>So it was the church band environment that did it for you.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. I grew up in the church and it was just what you did. It was a part of my experience in a very different way than RCM. It also provided that means to an end: if you\u2019re playing on Sunday, you have to show up to practice on Thursday. So, there were checkpoints where I had a specific thing I had to do, and my skills developed because of those little goalposts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"i-think-thats-such-a-great-environment-to-learn-music-theres-also-an-absence-of-ego-because-everyone-knows-youre-not-supposed-to-play-to-show-off-you-play-in-service-of-the-church\"><strong>I think that\u2019s such a great environment to learn music. There\u2019s also an absence of ego because everyone knows you\u2019re not supposed to play to show off; you play in service of the church.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Exactly. And nobody was a professional musician!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"adventures-in-music-therapy\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Adventures in Music Therapy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"so-that-was-when-you-were-a-teenager-after-that-if-i-recall-correctly-you-started-working-in-music-therapy-right\"><strong>So that was when you were a teenager. After that, if I recall correctly, you started working in music therapy, right?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I think I started teaching when I was 16, maybe 17. Just casually here and there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I graduated, and I was really fascinated with the brain and psychology. I was like, I\u2019m gonna go to school and become a psychologist! So I went to my first semester and taught on the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there was this moment when I realized I really hate school! And that I\u2019ll probably make less money with my degree than I\u2019m currently making teaching piano lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I made the decision to dig into early childhood music education. There are these classes called Music for Young Children (MYC). I was really intrigued by them because my baby sister (who\u2019s 13 years younger than me) was taking these lessons. She was four or five and this kid could recognize <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-intervals-music-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">intervals<\/a> and play sheet music!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I took the teacher training. These kids were being taught music through movement\u2014they would be sitting, standing, be at their keyboards, making crafts\u2026 It was so holistic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I learned that sight reading could be done <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-read-piano-notes\/#shapes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">through patterns<\/a>. I loved it, and I got my teacher certification and started group classes. I also taught private lessons for bigger kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"for-piano-players-by-piano-players\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>For Piano Players, By Piano Players<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Loving this content? Subscribe to\u00a0<em>The Note<\/em>\u00a0for more quick tips, cheat sheets, explainers, and other stuff piano players love. Delivered to your inbox for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, I was contacted by a family who had\u2026I think 23 children? They had adopted and foster kids and they wanted me to come teach at their house. Many of these kids came from trauma or had developmental, physical, all kinds of disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I began to see what happens when a child finds their voice. Long story short, I connected with the Ministry of Children and Family Development to run a music therapy program for kids under four who were in foster care, who had experienced trauma. We used singing, dance, movement, rhythm, and all kinds of modalities in this group class with the child\u2019s caregiver.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was some brain mapping involved, and we noticed that these kids were developing a way healthier level of attachment with the person they were in that musical experience with. They were sleeping better and, in cases where we had nonverbal children, they were adding words to their vocabulary.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we ran this program for a little while, and if I wasn\u2019t already a believer in the power of music\u2026 There\u2019s magic here that we haven\u2019t even tapped into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"crossing-paths-with-pianote\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Crossing Paths With Pianote<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"so-lets-fast-forward-a-bit-how-did-you-cross-paths-with-pianote\"><strong>So let\u2019s fast forward a bit\u2026 How did you cross paths with Pianote?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It was around the time when more people were creating YouTube channels. Influencers hadn\u2019t really become a thing yet, but online learning was starting to. And so, I had been considering finding a way to share what I knew\u2014creating a YouTube channel or something like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jame, who is our CEO now, was the bass player at our church. We were talking after practice one night and he was like, \u201cHey, would you be interested in coming in and filming some lessons? My brother and I, we\u2019re starting piano lessons online.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So they brought me in and I sat in Studio A and played our iconic Roland V-Grand. I remember seeing it in the studio and being like, THIS is my dream instrument! I was just delighted and enamored with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I filmed some lessons for the first Foundations. I had no idea what I was doing\u2026but I did it! And then they had me back and I was like, I have this idea: I want to teach people how to do chords. So we ended up creating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/chord-hacks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chord Hacks<\/a>, which is still one of our most popular free things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the rest is kinda history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09155900\/2021-03-26-LISA-WITT-Foundations-131-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09155900\/2021-03-26-LISA-WITT-Foundations-131-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09155900\/2021-03-26-LISA-WITT-Foundations-131-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09155900\/2021-03-26-LISA-WITT-Foundations-131-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09155900\/2021-03-26-LISA-WITT-Foundations-131-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09155900\/2021-03-26-LISA-WITT-Foundations-131-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa in our studio with the Foundations books and the Roland V-Grand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"was-the-kick-off-point-create-emotion-with-3-notes\"><strong>Was the kick-off point &#8220;Create Emotion With 3 Notes&#8221;?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That came a little bit later. It\u2019s such a beautiful memory when I think about those early days because I had no clue what I was doing. I wasn\u2019t in the future and I wasn\u2019t in the past. With this role I was very much like: \u201cWhat do I want to share today?\u201d I wasn\u2019t thinking about getting a million views. And that\u2019s where &#8220;Create Emotion&#8221; sort of happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scott (Pianote\u2019s Marketing Director) had come on and he was like, \u201cIt&#8217;d be cool to do a video on these notes, this is a really pretty sound.\u201d And I was like, \u201cOh\u2026 Let\u2019s do a lesson!\u201d And next thing you know, cameras are on and our first big video ends up happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Create Emotion With Just 3 Notes (Piano Lesson)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TZteV8UW3ds?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Create Emotion With 3 Notes&#8221; is one of our most popular videos to date!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn\u2019t anything other than: here\u2019s something beautiful anybody can go play. And now, as a result of that, all these people\u2014millions of people\u2014have had this experience that made them feel like they can actually create something beautiful. That there isn\u2019t a barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"lisas-vision-for-pianote\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Lisa&#8217;s Vision for Pianote<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"i-feel-like-pianote-has-grown-into-this-huge-thing-over-the-years-now-that-youre-vp-whats-your-vision-going-forward\"><strong>I feel like Pianote has grown into this huge thing over the years. Now that you\u2019re VP, what\u2019s your vision going forward?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I think\u2026if my dreams were to come true, then when people think about the piano in general, that Pianote is part of their \u201cthought bubble.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think we\u2019re at this really important moment in music education, especially as it relates to the piano. The traditional ways of learning are still incredible and serve a purpose, but they\u2019re no longer the only way. As a result of that, there\u2019s this big opening for a culture around the piano and what it actually means to be a pianist, keyboard player, or whatever you want to call yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09161414\/2023-04-03-Lawrence-Gowan-Day-1-148-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09161414\/2023-04-03-Lawrence-Gowan-Day-1-148-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09161414\/2023-04-03-Lawrence-Gowan-Day-1-148-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09161414\/2023-04-03-Lawrence-Gowan-Day-1-148-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09161414\/2023-04-03-Lawrence-Gowan-Day-1-148-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09161414\/2023-04-03-Lawrence-Gowan-Day-1-148-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hanging out with rockstars: Lisa with Lawrence Gowan of Styx.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I would like people to look at the instrument as a means to express themselves. And I want Pianote to be the thing that makes them think, \u201cOh, piano is pretty cool. I wish I could play like that.\u201d And I want their next thought to be: \u201cOh, I want to learn to do that. And I can because Pianote is able to support me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that\u2019s my big vision: that Pianote becomes what inspires people to play the instrument and what they think about when they\u2019re ready to take that first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right now, if you\u2019ve had the experience of being in the Membership, you know that Pianote is friendly. It\u2019s human in a world that is sort of feeling less human. The thing I <em>always, always, always <\/em>want to keep is that sense of yes, we\u2019ll provide you with technology and shiny things\u2014and it\u2019s gonna be awesome\u2014but also, we are real people. We are imperfect. We are honest about being imperfect. And we\u2019re going to have conversations with you about this journey that are human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09160144\/2023-07-20-Lisa-And-Jordan-Rudess-100-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09160144\/2023-07-20-Lisa-And-Jordan-Rudess-100-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09160144\/2023-07-20-Lisa-And-Jordan-Rudess-100-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09160144\/2023-07-20-Lisa-And-Jordan-Rudess-100-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09160144\/2023-07-20-Lisa-And-Jordan-Rudess-100-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09160144\/2023-07-20-Lisa-And-Jordan-Rudess-100-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">More rockstar moments: Lisa with Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"i-love-that-but-going-back-to-how-this-all-started-was-there-a-moment-when-it-hit-you-that-you-had-become-this-iconic-face-of-a-company\"><strong>I love that\u2026 But going back to how this all started, was there a moment when it hit you that you had become this iconic face of a company?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Shakes head vigorously.<\/em> No! That still doesn\u2019t feel real to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t even think I would call it imposter syndrome at this point\u2026though that\u2019s still part of my story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I feel like there\u2019s nothing else that I could or should be doing. And that I\u2019m so in the experience of a student. I don\u2019t feel connected to being anything other than this clumsy human who\u2019s just trying so hard to keep it together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t have an answer to this question!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"i-think-thats-enough-of-an-answer-that-tells-me-everything-honestly\"><strong>I think that\u2019s enough of an answer! That tells me everything, honestly.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I like piano. It has helped me. I\u2019m not exceptionally good at it. I&#8217;m not even very good at it! I just like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s never come easily and I\u2019ve never felt like I fit into the club of piano players. But what I do know is that I can figure things out in a way that\u2019s maybe a little different, that gives me confidence. So, if I can help other people find that\u2014that bit of confidence\u2014and just accept themselves\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I can do that, then that\u2019s my \u201cwhy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">How do you go from being a homeschooled kid who didn&#8217;t get any post secondary education to being a VP of something? I think the answer to that is caring the most. Every time we make a video, I care so hard about how it&#8217;s presented, who it&#8217;s going to help, the messaging of the video&#8230; But I also care deeply about the people that are creating that with me. I just care about everything, and when you look at climbing the quote unquote [corporate] ladder&#8230;I didn&#8217;t do it the conventional way. And that&#8217;s something I&#8217;m really proud of. I got there because I cared really, really hard.<\/p>\n<cite>Lisa Witt<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-lisa-takes-care-of-lisa\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How Lisa Takes Care of Lisa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"with-that-dissonance-and-the-obvious-stress-of-this-job-youre-everywhere-all-the-time-and-i-dont-know-when-you-sleep-how-do-you-draw-your-boundaries-and-what-are-your-self-care-techniques-how-does-lisa-take-care-of-lisa\"><strong>You\u2019re everywhere all the time and I don\u2019t know when you sleep! How do you draw your boundaries and what are your self-care techniques? How does Lisa take care of Lisa?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow does Lisa take care of Lisa?\u201d That\u2019s a good question\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"horsies\"><strong>Horsies?<\/strong> \ud83d\udc34<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Definitely my horse. My horse is a big part of it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I do a lot. I\u2019m not just showing up on camera and doing lessons. I\u2019m trying to nurture a brand and build something and there are a lot of moving parts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And some of the things that got me here have been\u2026maybe unhealthy. Part of my grit, drive, and motivation has come from a place of wanting to prove that I am good enough or worthy. And there have been periods of time when that has not been healthy. And despite all of the self-care\u2014I can talk about riding horses and journaling and doing yoga and those things are so critical\u2014it\u2019s been difficult to keep things in perspective at times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163059\/2021-06-08-Lake-Go-Keys-100-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163059\/2021-06-08-Lake-Go-Keys-100-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163059\/2021-06-08-Lake-Go-Keys-100-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163059\/2021-06-08-Lake-Go-Keys-100-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163059\/2021-06-08-Lake-Go-Keys-100-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163059\/2021-06-08-Lake-Go-Keys-100-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa in her element: the great outdoors!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But what\u2019s made it feel possible is\u2026I know I\u2019m doing something important. And when I read comments below videos where people are sharing their stories or that this helped them in some way, it gives me back a lot of energy. So, staying connected to the core reason why I\u2019m doing this has been super central to my ability to continue to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve also found that, because of the way I am, I always need something different. This job is not just teaching piano lessons. I\u2019m learning about algorithms. I\u2019m learning about leadership and building a team. There are so many different parts of my brain that get to develop and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Musora<\/a> is what it is\u2014it\u2019s a place that celebrates individuality, at least in my experience\u2014I feel like I get to develop into that person in my own way. So, if I\u2019m in my office lying on the floor because I\u2019ve just had a complete creative burnout, and somebody walks in, they\u2019re not like: \u201cWhat the heck? You\u2019re fired!\u201d Instead, they\u2019re like: \u201cOh hey, you\u2019re having some creative rest. I\u2019ll come back.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I get to be me. And in a world where we\u2019re all trying to be something that\u2019s not ourselves\u2026that\u2019s a <em>gift.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, to be able to work and be myself and not be told I have to be different: that\u2019s self-care. That is what has kept me very grounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026It also serves as escapism from my life. I get to be a workaholic and not deal with my own problems\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"i-relate\"><strong>I relate!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Right?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163625\/2023-01-24-Understanding-Music-Theory-In-_-Minutes-104-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163625\/2023-01-24-Understanding-Music-Theory-In-_-Minutes-104-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163625\/2023-01-24-Understanding-Music-Theory-In-_-Minutes-104-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163625\/2023-01-24-Understanding-Music-Theory-In-_-Minutes-104-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163625\/2023-01-24-Understanding-Music-Theory-In-_-Minutes-104-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/09163625\/2023-01-24-Understanding-Music-Theory-In-_-Minutes-104-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hanging out in the studio with fellow Pianote ambassador Kevin Castro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"can-you-briefly-describe-who-lisa-is-outside-of-pianote\"><strong>Can you briefly describe who Lisa is outside of Pianote?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>People always think I\u2019m really extraverted. But I\u2019m actually such an introvert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love to be alone with my thoughts. I get overstimulated by sounds, smells, and noise. I love to be in nature and to do my yoga. I\u2019m a bit of a woo-woo hippie type in that I <em>will<\/em> have a conversation with a tree. Or a crow. I need to just sit in silence for three hours and ponder the meaning of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also love to write. I do sit down at the piano by choice almost every day because I love to be in that space. I really do love yoga, feeling my body, and intentional breathing. I think I\u2019m a very spiritual person; I experience energy and I\u2019m just curious about it. I\u2019m curious about life outside of things we see, I guess. That would be very core to who I am as a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"any-future-projects-youre-excited-about\"><strong>Any future projects you\u2019re excited about?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Oooh. I mean, Pianote is my life right now. So that is my future project, whatever that becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I still would absolutely like to write, develop, and record my own music at some point. That was always the first dream before I became what I am now. It\u2019s something that\u2019s there and I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll get to it in the future. But I do write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Thanks, Lisa! And happy birthday!<\/em><\/strong> \ud83e\udd73 \ud83e\udd84<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Learn Piano With Real Teachers<\/b><\/h2><p>The best way to learn piano is with real teachers, but not everyone has the time and money for a private instructor. At Pianote, you can get real feedback from real experts\u2026all from the comfort of your own home. Explore our Method and community yourself with a free 7-day trial.<\/p><p><\/p><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS<\/a><\/center><p><\/p><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everything you wanted to know about Lisa Witt, the face of Pianote and an icon in online music learning who has inspired thousands to learn piano.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":17224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1132],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17223"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17307,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17223\/revisions\/17307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}