Tag: live music

Rancho La Puerta 2026

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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

Simple Ways to Bring Peace add Light Into Your Life

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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.


Here are some of the things that are within my control—bringing me peace and joy this month:
* Long walks in the crisp fall air and beautiful fall color.
* Early morning swim workouts outside in the crisp fall air.
* Attending arts events such as the latest Seattle Opera Production—The Pirates of Penzance
* Purchasing tickets and making plans with family and friends for December Arts Events including: The Jazz Nutrcracker at Roosevelt High School, and Lessons in Carols with the Northwest Boychoir at Benaroya.
* Spending time with my daughter, Ruby.
* Outings and visits with friends.
* Cooking amazing healthy plant-based food to fuel my busy days and my new favorite cookbook-A Grain, a Bean, and a Green! by Gena Hamshaw
* Working on my old house- cleaning up the summer garden and winterizing the outside for the rains, wind, and cold weather to come.
*  Eating tofu and veggie Pho at our new new neighborhood restaurant, Am Nam Pho
* Reading poetry by Mary Oliver.
* Watching videos and dancing to the happy music of Benson Boone, singer and back flipper extraordinaire.
* Teaching and practicing in my studio.
* Preparing for upcoming concerts and gigs.
* Reintroducing my Play Piano Today- learn on your own time- piano course on the newly updated Teachable website. (Playing a musical instrument is an excellent way to bring peace and joy into your life!)

What will you do today to add some joy to your November?

How Did It End? a scene, a goodbye, and a song

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Carrie Bradshaw Stories ...
How Did It End by Taylor Swift, played by Laura Dean

In a recent episode of And Just Like That (Season 3, Episode 9), Carrie Bradshaw—wearing a knockout “I just threw this on” kind of outfit—sat at a café table facing her longtime paramour, Aidan. And just like that….. their romance came to an end—in a swift heartbreaking scene.

After a short conversation about their insurmountable obstacles, Carrie and Aidan come to the conclusion: it’s over! After a goodbye embrace, Carrie turns on her heel and struts down the sidewalk (in her sky-high pumps, of course), away from Aidan, and into the next chapter of her life. Cue the Taylor Swift deep-cut slow burn, “How Did It End,” from her album, The Tortured Poets Department.

I’m a huge fan of And Just Like That, the sequel to Sex and the City. Decades removed from the original debut, the SATC characters—now in middle age, still in their fantasy footwear and otherworldly wardrobes—navigate real-life situations many of us “of a certain age” can relate to: aging bodies, adult children, career challenges, complicated relationships, and above all, the enduring power of friendship.

Haunted with the scene and the song, the next day, I watched the scene again and located the sheet music to “How Did It End” on Musicnotes.com. One of my favorite things about being a musician is the ability to get my hands on the sheet music and play something that resonates on a personal level. In this case, the inspiration was the perfect storm: a relatable story, a beautifully crafted scene, and an emotional song.

Taylor Swift’s lyrics for the first verse and chorus of “How Did It End”:

Come one, come all
It’s happenin’ again
The empathetic hunger descends
We’ll tell no one
Except all of our friends
We must know
How did it end?

We hereby conduct this post-mortem
He was a hothouse flower to my outdoorsman
Our maladies were such we could not cure them
And so a touch that was my birthright became foreign

If you’d like to explore the possibility of playing music that moves you—just like I did with “How Did It End”—consider signing up for my beginning piano course here.

Or perhaps you’re looking for elegant and timeless music for a special event or wedding. I’d love to be part of it.

Wild about Barry

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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!

Evan Visits Seattle

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Evan, my thirteen year old nephew, flew from Bozeman, Montana out to Seattle (on his own) to visit me during spring break. This was his first time on an airplane and his first time in Seattle. What a delight to show him around this beautiful city and to see it all through his eyes.

We used the light rail and our feet as our main sources of transportation for our iconic adventures. Our first full day together included a trip to Pike Place Market where we explored the flower stalls, fish counters, a gelato shop, and the corridor of shops that are nestled below the main market where we rummaged through vintage photographs and records.

From the market we made our way down to the Seattle waterfront where we hopped on the Bainbridge Ferry. During the crossing, we enjoyed our picnic lunch while taking in the sparkling views of Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline.

On our second day, we headed to the Seattle Center where we spent a good chunk of time at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop). Highlights at MoPop for Evan included the video game room, the Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix exhibits, and most of all, the hands on musical experience of playing guitars, drums, and keyboards in small practice rooms. Evan is very musical and he tried all of the instruments and he even let me jam with him. What a thrill to play music with my nephew!

MoPop
Pike Place Market
Bainbridge Ferry
Jam Room
Jamming at home
Aunt Laura’s Homemade Pizza

In the late afternoons and evenings, exhausted from our big adventures, we relaxed at home with games, tasty meals, and we played even more music together in the Yellow House Experience Music Venue.

On the final day, I drove Evan to the airport and accompanied him to the gate. I was sorry to see him go, but I know he’ll be back. It’s a reminder that connecting with family and spending quality time with those we love is truly priceless.

Here’s a piano version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana – played by Aunt Laura for Evan, who loves Nirvana.

Rancho La Puerta 2025

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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 adventurer Dr. 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 Tree
Laura and Ruby
veggie entre
The activity pool for lap swimming
On the edge of the Ranch
Hiking with Emily
Hiking with Pal, Emily

Are you ready to study piano in 2025? Check out my online, and on your own music course.

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A Musical Note From Lady Whistledown

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Dearest Gentle Readers,

This past Friday evening, several fine people were at the Seattle Town Hall for a special Fever musical event: The Best of Bridgerton on Strings. I attended with my daughter, Ruby. We all enjoyed a pleasant hour of music played by the talented and engaging Seattle String Quartet. The stage held a resplendent display of candles and flowers which surrounded the musicians with soft lighting and bathed the audience in a warm glow. The setting perfectly complimented the evening’s repertoire which featured pieces from the three seasons of the Netflix series, Bridgerton. And, oh, aren’t we excited for season 4 which is in the works for a possible release in 2026!

As you may know, gentle readers, the music of Bridgerton is a mixture of covers of contemporary pop songs and original music written by composer Kris Bowers. Inspired by the candlelight Bridgerton concert, I’ve included a piano cover of “Wrecking Ball” from Season Two, Episode 8 which features the love story of Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma – “The Viscount Who Loved Me.”

I am told these string quartet candlelight concerts are available in many large cities, and feature thematic concerts such as the music from Metallica, Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Adele, Fleetwood Mac and more. If you get the chance, I hope you will attend one of these relaxing concerts!

Sincerely, Lady Whistledown

To watch the video of “Wrecking Ball” played by Laura Dean click below.

For online, at-your-own-pace beginning piano instruction, visit me on Teachable.
Use the coupon code: HOLIDAY for a 25% discount off of my beginning piano course good through January 1, 2025.

Give the gift of music for the holidays! The piano course makes a great gift!

Jubilee presented by Seattle Opera

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Jubilee
Seattle Opera Image

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.”

File:Fisk Jubilee Singers 1882.jpg
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.

Spring Recital 2024

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We just completed our Spring Recital 2024. This year’s theme was “Rock, Pop, and More!” Most students played piano arrangements of popular songs while some played and sang their pieces! We had songs by Freddie Mercury, The Beatles, Laufey, Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Cold Play, Brandi Carlile, Randy Newman, Claude Debussy, and of course, Taylor Swift! In all we had 27 performers and about 75 people in the audience. It was a fabulous event! Thanks to Weili Ge who captured this group photo at the end of the recital.

This year marks my 30th anniversary as a private music teacher in Seattle. The time has flown by in a flurry of practice, recitals, concerts, events, laughter, tears, hellos and goodbyes, ups and downs. Mostly, I’m feeling inspired, grateful and humbled by the many students, present and past, who have chosen to play music with me. My hope and dream is another 30 years of music teaching and making my little corner of the world a more joyful place through the magic of music.

I opened the show with a cover of Carole King’s, “So Far Away.” With the excitement of the recital, I didn’t video the performance, instead, I recorded the song today in my studio. Click on the link below to view on YouTube. Thanks for 30 years of music making to my colleagues, family, friends and students!

Watch Her: So Far Away by Carole King played by Laura Dean