{"id":5946,"date":"2021-11-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=5946"},"modified":"2023-01-16T14:37:43","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T22:37:43","slug":"lisa-witt-interview-podcast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/lisa-witt-interview-podcast\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A with Lisa Witt (Pianote Podcast #18)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hello and welcome to the Pianote podcast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve got a special show for you today because this is our very first Q&A episode. We sent out a questionnaire to all our members. Today, I\u2019ll be reading through some of these questions and answering them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a lightly edited transcript of the Q&A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: You were forced into piano lessons as a kid and, at your admission, hated them. What helped you fall in love with music again?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A: Initially, I wanted piano lessons. And I had asked for them because I loved music. So, the love for music was always there. It was the learning and work that I hated! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Sam
Sam teaches me weird theory rules (original lesson<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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It was also partly, I think, not being understood in my learning style and my needs as a learner. I did not enjoy piano lessons \u2014 I would say probably 75% of the time, I REALLY didn\u2019t enjoy them. But I loved music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was always something I could do in my piano lessons to make them my own, whether that was memorizing music and not reading the notes, or improvising, or figuring out how to play chords and my own songs. So, I learned how to make it work for myself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Then later, once I developed that foundation and no longer had <\/em>to take piano lessons, the craziest thing happened: I decided that I would stay in piano lessons and pay for them myself. My parents said, \u201cYou\u2019re done, you got your Grade 8, it\u2019s over,\u201d and I said, \u201cI\u2019d like to continue.\u201d And so I paid for my own lessons; it was crazy! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I think a part of it is maturity too. As you get older, you realize that, yeah, work actually yields a result. It\u2019s worth the time and effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: How are you always so upbeat and positive? How do you do it?!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Haha! I would say the alternative of being upbeat and positive \u2014 for me, anyway, and I think I work in extremes\u2014is being very miserable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lisa
Mental health is very important to me (original lesson<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a conscious choice, I think, to bring that positivity. And I\u2019m always sensitive to energy; when I walk into a room, I can generally get a feel for how everybody\u2019s doing. And I feel responsible, in part, for keeping myself upbeat and influencing the positivity of a space. Because once you lift the mood and everybody\u2019s happier, you feel better. And I really believe that positivity is a choice.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, things can be really difficult and you can still choose to embrace that there\u2019s always something to be thankful for. That\u2019s part of it \u2014 I work really hard at cultivating gratitude. I still get mad and I swear, I\u2019m often totally rotten!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: As a mother and a music teacher, do you force your children to play the piano or any other musical instrument? Why or why not?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This is a fun question because I don\u2019t! I have two sons. I tried with one of them and he was like NOPE, nuh-uh, not happening! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other one asks me sometimes, \u201cMommy, can I please have a piano lesson?\u201d So I\u2019ve been sitting down with him a little bit. And he recently told me he needs to quit school (he\u2019s in Grade 1) so he can have enough time to practice! So, I\u2019m not really sure what to do with him\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As a parent and as a music teacher, I know the importance of music and how good it is for children, their brains, and their development. But I also think that kids will have their own natural bents and tendencies. I loved music \u2014 I danced, I sang, I played on the piano. Not necessarily in a lesson, just at home. And if I saw those things in my kids, I would be, like, yup we\u2019re doing this and we\u2019ll find a way to make it work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Lisa
Kids can make scheduling piano practice…interesting (original lesson<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t believe in forcing kids to learn something, but I also know the value of making non-negotiables. For me, my mom was like, okay, you love this, I see the potential and you\u2019re asking for lessons<\/em>. And when I started them, she would not let me quit. So the lesson was, you don\u2019t quit. <\/em>So, yes, you can say I was forced. And if I had a child who started, and I saw the potential, and they wanted to quit, I would probably be like no, you\u2019re not quitting<\/em>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And to be perfectly transparent, if my mom had let me quit, I would not be here today. Because it\u2019s completely natural and normal for human beings to get tired, busy, and overwhelmed. There\u2019s a lot going on. Practicing and learning something, no matter how we frame it, is still work<\/em>. And no one really likes to work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lisa<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, it\u2019s about learning the skills to stick with something. And I think that\u2019s really, really valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s tricky. It\u2019s a really, really tricky decision to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: Do you try to play every day? And what do you do when on holiday or away from home to maintain piano focus?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A: I wish the answer was that I play every day or even that I try<\/em> to play every day! But in recent years, I\u2019ve kind of dropped that expectation on myself. If I had a specific goal, then I create a plan and make sure that I build consistency into it. But right now, I\u2019m just enjoying the piano. So for me, it\u2019s asking the question of, hey, if I sit down at the piano for 10 minutes, will I feel better? And that\u2019s what brings me back to the piano more often than not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I go away on holiday, I just go on holiday! I just let my brain check out. It\u2019s amazing. I haven\u2019t taken a deep dive into the research but there is something to be said about working hard to learn something and then taking a step back. If you\u2019re learning a new skill on the piano, and you go to sleep because you can\u2019t do it, the next day you might wake up, sit down, and have it work! Your brain does things when you\u2019re sleeping and when you take breaks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lisa<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And you need to understand that there\u2019s a time and space for that. You won\u2019t slide backwards because you took two weeks off. You\u2019ll only slide backwards if you take two weeks off every two weeks for a long time! Even then, I\u2019ve taken a year or two off and I\u2019ve come back thinking I\u2019ve forgotten how to do this; but slowly, surely, and steadily, my skills came back! So it can happen. You can lose some of your skills, but the muscle memory kicks in, and you\u2019ll take those skills back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I guess the moral is: just take a break \u2014 it\u2019s okay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: When a song (or practice session) won\u2019t come together, how do you stay enthusiastic?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A: You know, part of this is just understanding that there will be good days and difficult days. Not every day that you show up at the piano is going to be the same. And there\u2019s really no way to control that. You can have the best attitude possible, but sometimes your brain and your hands won\u2019t cooperate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, I focus on just showing up. That\u2019s the biggest challenge \u2014 showing up! And if I practice and it\u2019s not working, and I\u2019m frustrated, I have this list of things to do in my practice time. I\u2019ll do them (tick, tick, tick!<\/em>), even if I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a song isn\u2019t coming together, you have to think about it differently. I might go listen to the song, because usually my ears help me more than I give them credit for. If it\u2019s a coordination issue, I take it apart and I go back to practicing hands separately. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Lisa<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

If I\u2019m just stuck and it\u2019s just too hard, I\u2019ll go pick another measure. I think one of the biggest mistakes we make is believing that we must learn songs \u201cin order.\u201d But you can learn the first four bars, then go to the end of the song to do some of those <\/em>bars. You don\u2019t have to do it all lined up! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when you bring curiosity into your practice, you\u2019ll find moments in songs where the combination of notes, how they sound, and how they feel under your fingers \u2014 it\u2019s just great! I love this! So go find that. Spend some time in the parts of a song that feel good to you<\/em>. That will often respark the enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then, like I said, sleeping! Take a break. Go sleep. It\u2019ll still be there for you tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: What piece do you aspire to master on the piano?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A: Oh, that\u2019s a great question! You know, it\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve been, like, I want to master this song on the piano <\/em>because I usually just sit down and play for enjoyment. But I recently started back on some pieces by Chopin. There is definitely a nocturne and a waltz that I want to NAIL DOWN so I can just sit down and play them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lisa<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And the reason I want to do this is because I actually love those songs. Not because Chopin is this lofty goal \u2014 it\u2019s quite an accomplishment to play a piece by him \u2014 but because I genuinely love the song. I love how it sounds, how it feels under my fingers. I love the nuance and the complexity of the piece. So when I think about that, it\u2019s not like okay, I\u2019m going to MASTER this song<\/em>. It\u2019s more: okay, this song might take me four years based on how often I\u2019m practicing to master. But every time I sit down and work on it, I feel really good about it.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So yeah, I\u2019ll definitely say there are a couple of pieces by Chopin where I\u2019m like, yes! I\u2019m gonna get this! Which leads us to the next question\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: What are your go-to piano pieces that you play at home for your own enjoyment?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There are two things that I do when I sit down to play piano. One of them is that I\u2019ll pull up a chord chart from Ultimate Guitar and then sit down, play, and sing. I love playing songs that I can be creative with, so maybe I\u2019ll pick something upbeat and make it sad. Chill it out a bit. Or maybe I\u2019ll do the reverse. That\u2019s my sing-and-play time and I love it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I have all these Royal Conservatory books from when I had to take classical lessons, and I love opening those up for a few reasons. So for Royal Conservatory, I used to learn three or four songs, representing different eras, and those were your songs for the year. (It wasn\u2019t like you got to learn a new song every week.) So I played those songs so many times and now, more years than I care to admit later, when I look at them, I go, \u201cOh, I think I may have played this before!\u201d And the weirdest thing happens. It\u2019s like my fingers start to remember. And it feels so good to have that muscle memory kick in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Lisa<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The other thing is I LOVE playing Bach. It\u2019s crazy, but my brain is always go, go, go<\/em> thinking about a million things. But when I play Bach, there are usually a few melodies happening in different directions at the same time. You can\u2019t be thinking about your problems when you\u2019re playing Bach, so it\u2019s VERY therapeutic to sit down and work through one of his pieces. I always refer to it as a brain massage. So that\u2019s what I work on when I\u2019m at home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Q: How do you keep a balance in your life? (Ie. boundaries between professional and personal.) Especially since music is such a personal experience but it\u2019s also your profession.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A: It\u2019s very challenging. And I think there\u2019s an element of vulnerability and transparency that I\u2019ve just had to accept because I\u2019m sharing music, my journey with music, how I learn music, the things I\u2019m good at, and being honest about the things that I\u2019m not good at. So, it\u2019s less about boundaries when it comes to this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boundaries come into play when I have so many things I want to do (so much \u201cwork\u201d to do), that it\u2019s difficult to turn that off at the end of the day and focus on family and myself. And that\u2019s a matter of making a choice: you need to have discipline to learn music the way you need to have discipline in having boundaries and balance in your life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lisa
I love finding new places and beautiful spots! (original lesson<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to being a musician and sharing that part of myself, I remember that it\u2019s not about perfection, it\u2019s about why I do it. Why do I play piano, write songs, and sing? And it\u2019s because it\u2019s where I belong: in those moments. So, I feel like my mission is to create safety for people to share what they love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, it\u2019s not about putting something perfect into the world. It\u2019s about sharing that you\u2019re working on something, that you\u2019re enjoying music because it feeds your soul. That\u2019s what I try to bring to it. There doesn\u2019t really need to be a boundary \u2014 it\u2019s just who I am and it\u2019s how I show up in the world. It then becomes easy to share those personal experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: What are your hobbies outside of music and work? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A: Outside of music, I love to ride horses. And I\u2019m usually at the barn three or four times a week! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I traded my TV time for horse time. I used to, at the end of the day, make dinner, take care of the kids, and then be like, I\u2019m just gonna watch a show for an hour or two. Then I thought, well, why don\u2019t I spend that hour doing something that fills me up instead of something that just offers nothing? I realized that I loved horses and it\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve spent time there. So that\u2019s what I do. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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