Paella on the terrace with amazing RLP kitchen staff
Deborah Szekely
bougainvillea
activity pool
poolside
a sweet bench
Kathy and Laura
beautiful views everywhere!
inspiring place to journal
daily quote board
piano concert in Oak Tree Pavillion
My latest visit to Rancho La Puerta, a world-renowned health and wellness resort in Tecate, Mexico, marked my 17th year as a musical guest at the Ranch. With 40 miles of hiking trails, delicious vegetarian food, stunning gardens, meandering brick paths, swimming pools, fitness classes, and, of course, a gorgeous Steinway B piano and dreamy performance space, the Ranch is my idea of heaven on earth.
While there, I presented two singing classes and a piano concert. My day included early morning practicing from 6–8 a.m. followed by swimming, soaking, yoga, and long walks. I brought my dear friend Kathy Lee as a guest, and she delighted in attending a variety of fitness classes, morning hikes, tennis, pickleball, Pilates, and lectures on diet and brain health.
One of the highlights of my week, in addition to seeing old friends from past visits, was a dinner for the presenters hosted by the Ranch’s co-founder, Deborah Szekely, who will turn 104 in May. During the dinner, she offered sage advice on living a long and healthy life: stay curious, follow the Ranch diet, and remain positive. Her mind is sharp, her stories engaging, and she continues inspiring others toward leading healthy, vibrant, and impactful lives. At the dinner she asked me to lead the group in a song, I chose a simple old camp tune that seems perfect for the tranquil Ranch atmosphere: “I’ve Got Peace like a River.”
Stay curious! Consider learning to play the piano- a wonderful way to engage your brain while adding artistic beauty and joy to your daily life. Play Piano Today with Laura Dean
Finding Joy in Difficult Times “We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” — Maya Angelou
Many things in our world are out of our control, and sometimes the daily news cycle is enough to make us want to stay in bed with the covers pulled up over our heads. Rather than dwelling on what we can’t change, let’s turn our attention to the loved ones, activities, and rituals that add peace and light to our days.
Last Saturday, I attended the Barry Manilow concert at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. My memories of Barry go way back to the ’70s, when my mom would play his records while cleaning the house on Saturday mornings. I love playing his ballads on the piano, and I still remember the words to his greatest hits. I gleefully sang along with my fellow Fanilows to all the songs, which just kept coming all night—Mandy, Weekend in New England, Looks Like We Made It, American Bandstand, and many more, ending, of course, with the grand finale: Copacabana.
Throughout the evening, Barry—who is 82 years old, by the way—sang, played the piano, danced, changed costumes, and told stories about growing up as the child of a single mother in Brooklyn. In particular, he highlighted his special relationship with his grandfather, who encouraged Barry’s musical talent.
What a delight and inspiration to see this American treasure—a consummate professional—deliver such a joyful and entertaining concert packed with pizzazz, authenticity, musicality, warmth, gratitude, grace, energy, and compassion. For the hour and a half that he performed, we all forgot about what was going on outside the performance hall and enjoyed the “True Blue Spectacle” that is Barry Manilow.
In addition to his stellar performances, Barry’s legacy project is The Manilow Music Project, which, according to the website, “empowers underfunded school music programs to provide quality music education. By donating instruments and equipment and providing scholarships nationwide, the project gives disadvantaged young people the opportunity to experience community, passion, and creativity through the gift of music.” To date, the Manilow Music Project has given away approximately ten million dollars in instruments and scholarships.
At our Seattle concert, Barry honored Ethan Thomas, a music teacher at West Seattle High School. Barry had Ethan stand up and announced that he would be receiving $10,000 for the school’s music program! Bravo! In his tribute to Ethan, Barry commented, “Music will change a young person’s life.” Indeed!
Bird of Paradise outside the administration building at Rancho La Puerta
Cardio funk classes with Milo Levell, nutritional talks with Sohailla Digsby RD, wellness talks by medical adventurerDr. Brandee Waite, a mountain hike with friend and life coach, Emily Boorstein, time with my daughter, Ruby, swimming, visiting with old friends, and forging new friendships were some of the many highlights of my recent 2025 Rancho La Puerta trip. Rancho la Puerta, on the outskirts of Tecate, Mexico, is an expansive wellness resort that includes 4000 acres of hiking trails, gardens, gyms, yoga and dance studios, spas, swimming pools, a cooking school, an organic garden, and more. I first visited the Ranch in 2009 as a musical guest presenting a piano concert and singing classes, and have returned in the same capacity over a dozen times through the years. In fact, it is where I met my better half, Joe, who was a fitness instructor at the Ranch for some 30 years (that’s another story for another time).
Siempre Mejor, which translates to Always Better, is the motto of the Ranch. Indeed! Each visit provides opportunities for personal renewal and growth. At the end of the week, I ALWAYS leave with a feeling of gratitude and resolve that I am on the right path. My path includes the magic bullet of diet and exercise, self care, friendships, continuing education, travel, and meaningful work: teaching, studying, and performing music. As always, it’s good to return home, and as I look forward to a busy month ahead, which I refer to as “March Musical Madness.” In the next few weeks, I’ll work my own students in my studio as well as take to the road for work with a variety of students and teachers in the Western Washington region. As I step into March, I’m filled with energy, and a sense of calmness, ready to tackle what lies ahead. Siempre Mejor!
The Piano Concert in the Oak TreeLaura and Rubyveggie entreThe activity pool for lap swimmingOn the edge of the RanchHiking with Pal, Emily
I just submitted this article to the Clarion, the bi-monthly publication of the Washington State Music Teacher’s Association, and I thought my readers may find it interesting. By the way, this is the first article I have written with the help of openAI.
Have any of you dipped your toe into the world of Artificial Intelligence, also known as AI? I have. I have used AI to generate a set list for a Gen Z couple who hired me to play for their wedding ceremony and the cocktail hour. I’ve used it to create a short narrative about the major musical time periods for a concert that I’ve given featuring composers from the Baroque to the 21st Century. I’ve use it to find weekly music riddles for my students that I write on a white board at the entrance of my studio. I have embraced ChatGPT as a personal administrative and research assistant who is available to answer my requests 24/7. AI has saved me hours of time and energy, and I think we can all agree that time and energy are among our greatest resources.
AI is rapidly becoming a valuable tool for independent music teachers. While some educators may feel hesitant to embrace technology, AI can simplify many aspects of studio management and instruction. Here are a few practical ways AI can enhance your work life while saving hours of labor.
1. Music Theory Assistance
AI-powered chat tools like ChatGPT can generate explanations, exercises, and quizzes tailored to your students’ needs. If a student is struggling with key signatures, AI can instantly create customized drills or explain concepts in new ways.
2. Music History Insights
Need a quick historical background on a composer or musical style? AI can summarize key information, suggest repertoire based on a student’s interests, or even help craft engaging storytelling for lessons.
3. Organizing Your Busy Schedule
AI can help structure your week by generating lesson plans, reminders, and task lists. Tools like Google Calendar’s AI scheduling suggestions or Notion AI can assist in balancing teaching, practice time, and administrative tasks. AI-generated to-do lists can prioritize important tasks, for example, aiding in recital planning, student follow-ups, and lesson prep.
4. Project & Recital Planning
AI can assist in creating structured project plans, timelines, and even recital programs. Tools like Notion AI or ChatGPT can generate theme ideas, student progress checklists, and repertoire suggestions based on difficulty level and performance goals.
5. Marketing & Social Media
For teachers looking to grow their studios, AI can help generate website content, write engaging social media posts, or draft newsletters. Canva’s Magic Write and ChatGPT can quickly create compelling descriptions for lessons, events, or studio promotions.
Getting Started with AI
OpenAI’s ChatGPT is available for free at https://chat.openai.com, with enhanced features available through a paid subscription. Other AI tools, such as Google’s Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, offer similar capabilities.
Embracing AI doesn’t mean replacing the human touch in teaching—it simply enhances our ability to be more efficient, creative, and responsive to students’ needs. By incorporating AI thoughtfully, independent music teachers can spend less time on administrative tasks and more time focusing on what truly matters: making music.
Now excuse me, what with all the time that I saved co-writing this article with ChatGPT, I’m stepping out for a long leisurely walk.
By the way, is 2025 the year that you’ve promised yourself that you are going to learn how to play the piano? You may be interested in checking out my online beginning piano course:
More news…I have a newish Youtube channel, and here you can find weekly videos including piano performances and piano tutorials. Be sure to subscribe on the Youtube site! I release a new video each week! https://www.youtube.com/@lauramusicstudio
Though we usually think of an intermezzo as a short piece of music, or a musical break between two acts, another definition according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: a usually brief interlude or diversion. I just returned from a SwimTrek Vacation in Baja California Sur to the protected island sanctuary and Unesco World Heritage site of la Isla Espiritu Santo located about an hour’s boat ride from La Paz nestled in the Gulf of California. This was my first, of what I hope will be many trips with SwimTrek. My companions and newfound friends were 11 other swimmers from the U.S., Canada, The Netherlands, England, and Germany. We were accompanied by three swim guides, 2 boat captains, and 4 other staff members who cooked delicious food, and kept our camp sight beautiful and welcoming. The vacation included spectacular open water swimming (around 5 kilometers a day), a swim with sea lions, views of a magnificent frigatebird colony, diving brown pelicans, technicolor sunsets, delicious food, spectacular night skies and a beautiful beach and swimming cove literally a few yards away from our tents. Eat, Swim, Sleep, Rinse and Repeat!
A SWIMTREK DIARY
Day 1: I took a red eye flight from Seattle to La Paz (with a stop over in Guadalajara) with Volaris Airlines.
Approaching La Paz on Volaris Airlines Photo taken by Laura Dean
Day 2: Arrived midday at Hotel Catedral in La Paz after a short taxi ride from the airport. Explored the tranquil streets of La Paz on foot and ambled along the Melecon (a sidewalk that skirts the beach and coastline along the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez).
A tranquil street in La Paz with a view of the water. Photo by Laura Dean
Day 3: Visited the Art Museum of La Paz and met my fellow swim trekkers and swim guides for an orientation and safety meeting in the late afternoon. Early to bed as the next day we will load our two pangas (small boats) and sail to the protected island of Espiritu Santo where our camp will be set up for us.
Mural in the La Paz Art Museum depicting the history of the region. Photo taken by Laura Dean
Day 4: Adios La Paz. After breakfast at the hotel, we load the boats along with our duffle bags and head toward our camp on Espiritu Santo. We stop along the way for our first swim. I’m blown away by the abundant undersea life including colorful tropical fish and beautiful coral reefs. We are separated into our swim groups and given colorful swim caps so the swim guides can easily identify our groups. I am in the pink group which we nickname the Barbies! On our very first swim, we encounter jelly fish and sea lice which are invisible baby jelly fish that sting like crazy. From then on, I decide to wear my wet suit. Luckily, I threw it into my duffle bag at the last minute. We all have a great time getting to know each other during our boat commute. After our first big swim, we head to our campsite for lunch and to unpack our belongings in our tents. The staff has thought of everything, including cozy tent accommodations, an impressive pair of compostable toilets, hand washing stations, a solar shower, a solar powered charging station for cameras and phones (there is no wifi on the island), a dining area, and a kitchen where the staff churns out one delicious meal after another. In the afternoon, after a short siesta, we head out into the bay for a shorter swim before happy hour and dinner.
My swim group before boarding the boats for our ride to Espiritu Santo.
Day 5: Slept like a rock on the first night at the campsite. Breakfast, then we load up the pongas for zipping off to a new swim site. Swim. Back to the campsite for lunch and siesta followed by more swimming. We have the usual happy hour accompanied by spectacular sunset viewing followed by dinner, and most of us are in bed by 8:00 which is called the Baja Midnight. As there is no electricity on the beach and in our campsite, we experience a peaceful early bedtime. I read for an hour before drifting off to sleep while the waves gently roll onto the beach outside of the tent. I am in swimming heaven!
Day 6: Breakfast, trip to swim with sea lions, lunch, siesta, more swimming, dinner, and we entertain ourselves with improv games. A favorite was the three-headed guru! We stay awake past 8:00 pm so that Said, our trusty swim guide, who resides in La Paz, can give us an astronomy lecture. He outlines the twinkling constellations with his powerful laser pointer, and tells us stories about Orion and Cassiopeia. After the star lecture, we head back to our tents for a night of celestial sleep. I hear a scratch at my tent thinking that something is scraping the nylon walls from the outside, but then the scratching becomes more persistent and louder and after turning on my headlamp, I realize a ring tailed cat, known in the Baja as babisuri, is peering at me from a corner of my tent, looking very cute, but very wild. Scott and Said, two of the swim guides, are nearby and help me usher the visitor out of my tent. A couple hours later, Hannah and Jules have two babisuris in their tent which they manage to get out on their own with a lot of giggling!
Babisuri from analisisbcs.com
Our camp staff along with Said. They put their heart and soul into the cooking, driving the boats, and taking care of the camp site!
Day 7: Thanksgiving. After breakfast and our morning swim meeting, our trusty head swim guide, Jamie, informs us that rather than running a Turkey Trot (as we’re swimmers, not runners), we will be swimming a 5k. Ok! sounds good to us, we load up the pangas and head to a beautiful series of coves where we swim in, out and around and eventually make our way back to camp via the water highway. Our guides coax us on from their kayaks with water breaks and giving us some gummy bear candies along the way. In the evening, we share our final meal, and we recognize the amazing staff for all of their hard work!
Brown Pelican diving for fish at sunset, video taken by Laura Dean
Day 8: Sadly, we pack up our duffle bags, eat breakfast and head out on the pangas. We make our way back to La Paz with two swims along the way. Back in La Paz, we have ice cream and head back to the hotel where we have our first shower in several days. We meet up in the evening for a family style meal at a lovely restaurant in La Paz. We say our good byes and head back to our hotel. Good bye friends!
Day 9: I fly from La Paz to Guadalajara to Seattle. Home sweet home. I’m already dreaming of my next SwimTrek Vacation which I hope will be an annual event.
The following essay recently appeared in the Clarion which is the WSMTA (Washington State Music Teachers) newsletter. I currently serve as the chair of the Independent Music Teachers Forum. One of my duties is writing an article for the Clarion every couple of months. I thought this one might give my readers an insight into the daily life of an independent music teacher.
Back in the early 90’s when I graduated from college, I entertained the thought of becoming a flight attendant. The job appealed to me because it seemed glamorous, interesting, and provided an abundance of travel opportunities. I never became a flight attendant, but I did end up working on cruise ships, which is a story for another time. Along the lines of the flight attendant memory, I’ve been recently thinking about our careers as independent music teachers, and how we might compare a long teaching afternoon to an international or cross-country flight. After all, it takes 6 hours and 15 minutes to fly from New York to London. It takes just over 5 hours to fly from Seattle to Florida. Some of us may spend that amount of time teaching in our studios daily. Let’s consider the parallels of an afternoon of teaching to a long flight.
As teachers, we serve in many roles. We are the ground crew making sure all is well with our instruments and our studio environments. We are also the gate agents , the information desk, the pilot, and the cabin crew all rolled into one. The best that we can hope for is a smooth flight. This would be a teaching day where our students are prepared, they have all their materials with them, they have practiced, they are in good spirits and cooperative, and the schedule runs smoothly from take¬-off (the first lesson of the day) to landing (the last lesson of the day). On some of our musical flights, there is no turbulence, no emergencies, and we thoroughly enjoy a productive and pleasant teaching day – smoothly moving from one student to the next. There is no lost luggage, no one forgets their books at home, no one leaves a coat at the lesson, no one is dissatisfied, and thus, our flight concludes without a hitch.
However, some days the flight is bumpy. The first student may cancel at the last minute with a sore throat, another might forget a critical book, another had no time for practice because of a three-day soccer tournament over the past weekend. Another student may be argumentative and uninterested in anything that we have planned for that day. There might even be an emergency! Just a few weeks ago, a student of mine fainted in my studio because she had absentmindedly not eaten enough that day.
As we go about our days, it’s best to remember that one thing is certain, just as in flying, as in our teaching, there may be bumps in the road, schedule changes, difficult situations, and disappointments. However, there may also be days and days of smooth flights, uplifting interactions, inspired students, agreeable parents, and above all, fabulous music making. The best that we can do is be professional, put on a smile, open that door, welcome our student in, and remember that, in the words of the late Thubten Yeshe, a Tibetan Lama, “If you expect your life to be full of ups and downs, then your mind will be much more peaceful.”
The Fisk Jubilee singers were a group of talented and courageous students from Fisk University of Tennessee, who first toured their musical show across the United States in 1871 while raising money for Fisk University which, at the time, was severely underfunded. I recently saw the world premier of Jubilee presented by the Seattle Opera at the beautiful McCaw Hall. Jubilee was created and directed by Tazewell Thompson with vocal arrangements by Dianne Adams McDowell, and orchestration by Michael Ellis Ingram.
In some 40 spirituals (and one classic aria), the opera tells the story of the often difficult journey of the original Jubilee singers and also highlights their personal victories and struggles. The Seattle Opera program reminds us, “These traditional songs, created, refined, and shared anonymously by enslaved Americans, are the foundation on which all American music has been built.”
The Fisk Jubilee Singers from 1882 photo wiki-media
In particular, I enjoyed the humorous scene and performance of “Ezekiel Saw the Wheel,” the uplifting “There’s a Meetin’ Here Tonight,” and the emotional “Wade in the Water.” If you aren’t able to make it to the Seattle Opera for the production, you can listen to 10 selected pieces on Soundcloud. For a modern recording of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Celebrating Fisk (The 150th Anniversary Album) is available on Spotify.
It’s Music Artistry season in Washington State. What is that, you ask? Throughout the month of March, Washington State Music Teacher Chapters invite visiting artists to their neck of the woods to listen to students, write comments, and work with each student for a few minutes on two pieces that the teachers and students have painstakingly prepared for performance. (Phew!) A visiting artist may be at a location from one day to one week. Sometimes these locations are private studios, but most often times, they are in churches, as some churches have wonderful grand pianos – perfect for such an event.
I have been on both sides of the Music Artistry Program (MAP), my students annually play in the Seattle Music Teacher Chapter’s MAP, and I have been a visiting artist myself for the past four years. In that time, I’ve worked with students in the Snohomish, Olympia, Edmonds, and most recently, The Kitsap Peninsula. At the end of the month, I’ll be flying to Wenatchee, renting a car, and then driving north to visit the Okanogan Chapter in the north eastern part of Washington state.
As a visiting artists, some things that we watch for in performances are stage presence, posture at the piano, hand position, and ease of movement while playing. We listen for beautiful phrasing, smooth legato passages, crisp staccatos, and expressive playing that uses a wide variety of dynamics. We check that the performer accurately interprets the score including rhythm, tempo, notes, fingerings, clean passages, and articulations. We listen for beautiful tone production and balance between the hands. Is the melody coming through over the accompaniment? Do the phrases end gracefully? Does the music breathe? Does the student understand and express the mood of the pieces?
Here’s a video of an early intermediate piece demonstrating attention to details as indicted in the score. This piece, “Fantasie,” by George Philipp Telemann, is an early intermediate piece from the Baroque Era, it is found in The Festival Collection, Book 3, edited by Helen Marlais.
If you are interested in learning the piano in a traditional style, that is learning: how to play musically with ease, how to read a musical score, how to practice a piece, and how to add all of the details that will make your music sing, consider taking my online, on-demand piano course. Visit my teachable page for sample lessons and for a complete outline of the course.
Commuting from Seattle to the Kitsap Peninsula by ferry. I boarded the Seattle/Bainbridge ferry with my beloved electric Nissan Leaf. I spent an afternoon teaching near Poulsbo and drove south on the Kitsap Peninsula to Bremerton where I spent the night, recharged the Leaf, taught the next day, and then took the Bremerton/Seattle ferry home. It was a musical adventure in my own back yard. In all, I worked with about 25 students and 5 teachers.A typical set up at a Music Artistry event. This was at a Methodist Church in Bremerton. The piano was a beautiful, older model Steinway.
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The grand finale of the new bio pic, Bob Marley One Love, showcases his historic 1978 ‘One Love Concert’ in Kingston, Jamaica. During the concert, Marley stood on stage and locked hands with two opposing political leaders in a gesture of peace. This scene is a powerful illustration of the power of music to unite people, offer hope, and lift people up – even in a divisive political climate – even if it is just for a moment. For more about this concert event and the complicated history of Jamaica, I encourage you to visit this article on history.com.
I enjoyed every minute of the movie, including the Jamaican accents, the flashy and funky 70’s clothing, the scenes of Jamaica and London – London is where Bob Marley and the Wailers recorded the historic album, Exodus, which Time Magazine called “The Best Album of the 20th Century.” Most of all, I enjoyed the music: “Three Little Birds,” “One Love,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “No Woman No Cry,” and so many more songs.
An intimate scene depicts Bob, and his wife Rita – Bob is sitting in a simple room on a sofa, strumming and singing, “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” while the soulful, smart, and beautiful Rita lovingly listens and comments that she has always enjoyed his love songs. What a beautiful scene, and what a gorgeous song! When I got home, I immediately purchased the sheet music from Musicnotes.com.
A reminder, if you’re interested in piano lessons, try my online piano course. With my course, in your own time, on your own schedule, you can learn beginning piano and music reading skills. You too, could be playing music that touches your heart and lifts your spirit!
