Learn Piano: A Personal Practice

Cynthia Ali

This podcast is about learning to play the piano. The focus is on how to help you develop a personal practice that you love. Piano playing can bring so much enjoyment into your life.

  1. 3 days ago

    🎹🎙️Faith, Music and the Artist's Journey

    In this episode, I reflect on a day that moved from quiet nostalgia to an electric evening concert with musician Jeremy Camp. After the stillness of a historic church, wooden pews, natural light, and a pump organ, the flashing lights, drums, electric guitars, and joyful worship of the evening created a powerful contrast. Jeremy’s story about beginning the song “This Man” at age sixteen, but needing to live through suffering before he could finish it, opened a deeper reflection on creativity and the artist’s journey. Sometimes a song, story, or work of art must wait until life gives us the experience to express it truthfully. From a nineteenth-century hymn to modern worship music, the day revealed how instruments, settings, and personal hardship shape creative expression and how music continues to carry hope across generations. For more info: https://www.cynthiaalistudios.com/ Copyright © 2026 Cynthia Ali Studios LLC. All rights reserved. The music in this podcast is either public domain, original, or used under Fair Use for educational purposes. Any third-party content is used for commentary, criticism, or education and does not infringe upon original creators' rights. (contact@cynthiaalistudios.com) The views expressed are those of the host(s) and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cynthia Ali Studios LLC.

  2. 28 Jul

    🎹🎙️ SS2: E6 The Music Inside the Little White Church

    In this episode, I visited my college reunion and finally stepped inside a small historic white church on campus that I had walked past for years but had never entered. Inside, I discovered a beautiful connection between Swedish immigrant history, old hymnals, diaries, artifacts, and music. One of the most memorable moments was hearing “Children of the Heavenly Father” played on an old pump organ. The song also held deep personal meaning for me, as my Swedish grandfather used to sing it in Swedish near the end of his life. What began as a simple campus visit became a moving reflection on history, family memory, and the way music can carry comfort across generations. For more info: https://www.cynthiaalistudios.com/ Copyright © 2026 Cynthia Ali Studios LLC. All rights reserved. The music in this podcast is either public domain,original, or used under Fair Use for educational purposes. Any third-party content is used for commentary, criticism, or education and does not infringe upon original creators' rights. (contact@cynthiaalistudios.com) The views expressed are those of the host(s) and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cynthia Ali Studios LLC.

  3. 20 Jul

    🎹🎙️ SS2: E5 Frankenstein Reflections: Art, Music, and Atmosphere

    In this episode, I reflect on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein through the intertwined worlds of art, music, history, and atmosphere. My son and I have long loved del Toro’s richly imaginative films, and seeing his At Home with Monsters exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art gave us a deeper appreciation for the way he blends beauty, darkness, grief, and wonder. Watching Frankenstein, I was especially drawn to the ornate Rococo-style piano and the use of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue No. 17, both of which bring refinement, order, and humanity into the film’s Gothic world. From Georgian salons to Victorian parlors, the piano has long represented culture, creativity, and emotional expression. This episode explores how one beautiful instrument can connect a cinematic story of creation and identity to centuries of musical history—and remind us why the piano always seems to find its way into the heart of the story. More info: www.cynthiaalistudios.com Copyright © 2026 Cynthia Ali Studios LLC. All rights reserved. The music in this podcast is either public domain,original, or used under Fair Use for educational purposes. Any third-party content is used for commentary, criticism, or education and does not infringe upon original creators' rights. (contact@cynthiaalistudios.com) The views expressed are those of the host(s) and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cynthia Ali Studios LLC.

  4. 14 Jul

    🎹🎙️SS: E4 A Day of Piano - Debussy, Fireworks, and a Fuchsia Rose

    In this episode, I share the story of a day that felt filled with unexpected beauty, music, and joy. It began with a warm 150th-anniversary piano association lunch at the Saint Paul Grill, complete with salmon, conversation, a surprise flourless chocolate cake, and one vivid fuchsia rose still blooming outside in the November cold. From there, we walked to the Landmark Center for Dr. Nicholas Susi’s recital, which included left-hand works by Scriabin and Bach followed by Debussy’s Preludes, Book II. Sitting in the front row, I was able to watch the physical artistry of the performance up close, from delicate colors and blurred hand movements to dramatic glissandos and thunderous bass effects. The music moved from misty landscapes to humor, mystery, ancient stillness, and finally the dazzling brilliance of Feux d’artifice, which felt like fireworks exploding from inside the piano itself. This episode reflects on how joy can arrive through friendship, beauty, shared listening, and small luminous moments, like a rose blooming at the edge of winter. Find out more: www.cynthiaalistudios.com opyright © 2026 Cynthia Ali Studios LLC. All rights reserved. The music in this podcast is either public domain,original, or used under Fair Use for educational purposes. Any third-party content is used for commentary, criticism, or education and does not infringe upon original creators' rights. (contact@cynthiaalistudios.com) The views expressed are those of the host(s) and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cynthia Ali Studios LLC.

  5. 7 Jul

    🎹🎙️SS2: E3 Flute Choir, Maple Leaf Rag & Piano

    In this episode of Learn Piano: A Personal Practice, I continue the summer series by stepping out into the sunlit world of music and reflecting on a flute choir showcase where the piano made an unexpected appearance. During the concert, a pianist joined the ensemble for Scott Joplin’s lively Maple Leaf Rag, bringing ragtime energy, rhythm, and charm into a flute-centered setting. The experience reminded me that piano is not only a solo instrument for practicing at home, but also a powerful collaborative instrument that can accompany singers, instrumentalists, choirs, ensembles, and community events of all kinds. This episode explores how learning piano opens doors into the wider world of music and how even a simple musical outing can remind us that the piano can take us almost anywhere.More info: www.cynthiaalistudios.com Copyright © 2026 Cynthia Ali Studios LLC. All rights reserved. The music in this podcast is either public domain,original, or used under Fair Use for educational purposes. Any third-party content is used for commentary, criticism, or education and does not infringe upon original creators' rights. (contact@cynthiaalistudios.com) The views expressed are those of the host(s) and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cynthia Ali Studios LLC.

  6. 30 Jun

    🎹🎙️SS2: E2 - The People Who Inspire Us to Play Piano: Amy Grant

    In this episode of Learn Piano: A Personal Practice, I continue the summer series by stepping out into the sunlit world of music and reflecting on the people who inspire us to play. I share the story of meeting Amy Grant at a small event at the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis after following her music since eighth grade, when I first played through her Age to Age songbook at the piano. Hearing her perform new songs and briefly meeting her afterward brought together my childhood musical memories and my adult life as a piano teacher. This episode invites listeners to think about their own musical influences, whether from childhood or later in life, and to consider how those early inspirations can become part of a meaningful personal piano practice today. For more info: www.cynthiaalistudios.com Copyright © 2026 Cynthia Ali Studios LLC. All rights reserved. The music in this podcast is either public domain,original, or used under Fair Use for educational purposes. Any third-party content is used for commentary, criticism, or education and does not infringe upon original creators' rights. (contact@cynthiaalistudios.com) The views expressed are those of the host(s) and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cynthia Ali Studios LLC.

  7. 23 Jun

    🎹🎙️SS2: E1 - Out and About in the Sunlit World of Music

    In this episode, you get a preview of the Summer Series Season 2, where we’ll explore music in unexpected places, including a little white church with a pump organ, a Jeremy Camp concert, an Amy Grant event, a Debussy recital, a flute choir performance with Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag, and more. We also look back at last summer’s first “Out and About in the Sunlit World of Music” series and invite listeners to revisit the episodes they may have missed. Season 1 included a book review of The Little Chronicle of Magdalena Bach, a visit to the Schubert Club Museum at the Landmark Center, a piano concerto outing, a Piano Lounge conversation with guest Jim Freschi, reflections on a day in the life of a pianist, an unboxing of music from one of my outings, and a final reflection on what music filled the summer. It’s an invitation to step away from the piano bench and discover music out in the wider world. For more info: www.cynthiaalistudios.com Copyright © 2026 Cynthia Ali Studios LLC. All rights reserved. The music in this podcast is either public domain,original, or used under Fair Use for educational purposes. Any third-party content is used for commentary, criticism, or education and does not infringe upon original creators' rights. (contact@cynthiaalistudios.com) The views expressed are those of the host(s) and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cynthia Ali Studios LLC.

  8. 21 Apr

    S5: E12 - Finale - Musical Artistry

    As we close Season 5, we come back to the heart of musical artistry, not as something you force, but something you discover through listening, curiosity, and experience, where history, emotion, story, technique, and personal voice all come together to bring music to life; thank you for being part of this journey, and if you missed any episodes, I invite you to go back and explore them. As we move closer into summer, you can look forward to a special 6-week series, starting Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 where we step away from the piano bench and into the sunlight world of music, exploring fresh topics beyond the keys, just like last year, before returning in the fall with Season 6 on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026. For more information: https://www.cynthiaalistudios.com/pianocommunity Copyright © 2026 Cynthia Ali Studios LLC. All rights reserved. The music in this podcast is either public domain,original, or used under Fair Use for educational purposes. Any third-party content is used for commentary, criticism, or education and does not infringe upon original creators' rights. (contact@cynthiaalistudios.com) The views expressed are those of the host(s) and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cynthia Ali Studios LLC.

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This podcast is about learning to play the piano. The focus is on how to help you develop a personal practice that you love. Piano playing can bring so much enjoyment into your life.

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