Wherever you are on your life journey after 50, you’re in good hands as Jill gently guides you through the realities and challenges while opening the door to new creative possibilities. This book is for anyone who wants to awaken their creativity and ride that Third Wave with passion, presence, and meaning.
“Variations on Life After 50 is a siren’s call to those of us who are entering our ‘Third Wave’ and wondering, what now? This profound book, brimming with inspirational real-life stories, powerful metaphors, and practical advice, offers a field guide for how we can reach our full creative potential. In this truly transcendent work, Timmons offers a magical and timely gift to creatives everywhere who are seeking meaning, purpose, and an enduring legacy!”—Laura Dean, author of Music in the Westward Expansion
See my latest YouTube episode below: Gavotte and Variations by Rameau, inspired by The Hierophant.
Keith Urban’s new album, Flow State, leans into the yacht-rock vibe with smooth melodies, excellent production, and feel-good energy. I’ve been loving the album— particularly, the songs: “Summer Breeze,” “We Go Back,” featuring Michael McDonald, and “Guitar Man,” featuring John Mayer.
Go ahead—put on the album, throw open the windows, arrange some fresh-cut flowers, and dance around your living room. You’ll feel lighter. You’ll feel fine!
I’ve always loved “Summer Breeze,” the iconic 1970s classic created and recorded by Seals and Crofts. The song premiered in 1972 and reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard chart.
For this piano cover of “Summer Breeze,” I cut some jasmine from the garden and donned my latest thrift store find- a beautiful summer blouse—fully embracing that summer flow state.
See the curtains hangin’ in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin’ through the window
Lets me know everything’s all right
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind
I’m posting two weekly videos on YouTube, if you’re interested, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel– click the watch on Youtube on the videos below to find me. Thanks!
If you missed it, here’s my latest installment of the Piano and Tarot project: The Empress in an Old Garden.
East West Books and Gifts has been part of the Seattle area for some thirty years. As its website explains, “the store is a destination for spiritual awakening through metaphysical books, uplifting events, and conscious gifts.” Its newest location is in Edmonds, Washington, just a few miles up the road from where I live.
I’ve been a frequent customer of East West Books through the years and have found many goodies there, including inspirational books, journals, affirmation cards, jewelry, CDs, and my most recent purchase: The Radiant Tarot: Pathway to Creativity, with illustrations by Alexandra Eldridge and text by Tony Barnstone.
A few months ago, I visited the store looking for inspiration—and wow, did I find it in this wonderful box of magic! It includes a Tarot deck filled with colorful, imaginative, and inspiring images, along with a guidebook. The text thoughtfully explores each of the 78 cards through the lenses of prose, meaning, musings, hands-on creative practice, and an astrological note. I’ve been using the Radiant Tarot as a tool in my own creative work as a teacher, musician, and writer. As my daughter would say, “I’m lit.”
Most recently, I’ve started a YouTube series based on the first 22 cards of the tarot known as the Major Arcana. These are the juicy cards that represent the main archetypes we all encounter in our lives—beginnings, challenges, choices, teachers, disappointments, epiphanies, life cycles, seasons, creativity, relationships, struggles, joy, uncertainty, and rebirth, to name a few.
Alexandra Eldridge and Tony Barnstone have granted me permission to feature their cards on my YouTube channel, which is a true gift because the cards are so beautiful. I encourage you to pick up your own Radiant Tarot if you are at all curious about tapping into your creative side in a visual, playful, intuitive, and imaginative way. You can purchase the deck at East West Books and Gifts in Edmonds or online through Weiser Books or Amazon.
My latest video in the Tarot series features the High Priestess and explores intuition and listening to your wiser self. What has experience taught you? When you know, you know.
If you view the video on YouTube, please consider giving it a like and subscribing. It helps to build my channel! Here is the complete tarot playlist new episodes added each week: Piano for the Journey with Laura Dean.(you may have to click on the playlist: Piano and Tarot)
You know the scene in Cinderella when the Fairy Godmother waves her wand and transforms a pumpkin into an elegant coach, mice into high-stepping horses, a horse into a coachman, and Cinderella’s tattered dress into a magnificent ball gown? If only bringing our wildest dreams to life were as easy as waving a magic wand.
In reality, manifesting our dreams involves a vision, a plan, and some heavy lifting. We may have magnificent ideas, and many of us have no problem coming up with a step-by-step plan for how we might approach something. But… where we may fall short is in doing the arduous daily work, believing in ourselves, investing the time and effort, and remaining disciplined enough to carry the dream out of our imaginations and into the real world. There’s no way around it. While the journey can be every bit as thrilling as the finished product, the path sometimes feels like a never-ending grind.
Take Serena Williams, for example. The tennis GOAT said, “Everything requires discipline, hard work and dedication, and, most importantly, self-belief.” Diana Nyad attempted to swim from Cuba to Florida five times over a 35-year span before finally succeeding at the age of 64. Talk about dedication—and the courage to keep believing when the dream still seems impossibly far away!
Through the years, people have often commented that I’m lucky to have a life in music. Indeed, I’m grateful every day for this 30-plus-year career, but luck has had very little to do with sustaining it. There’s daily practice, teaching, playing gigs, traveling, crafting programs, the never-ending hustle, administrative tasks, professional development, and, more often than not, seven-day workweeks. In other words, this vision of mine—to live a life in music—and the dreams I’ve brought into reality didn’t simply take flight on their own. There has been plenty of blood, sweat, and tears involved, along with faith, resilience, and a little creative magic.
Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY.
For another take on the magic of bringing our dreams into the real world, I invite you to follow along with my current project, Piano for the Journey. Each week, I pair a piece of music with one Major Arcana card from the tarot as a way of exploring the universal archetypes, challenges, and possibilities that shape our lives.
You can watch The Magician video here and explore more videos in the series by clicking on the YouTube video below. And if the project speaks to you, please help me sprinkle a little more magic by liking the video and subscribing to the channel.
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.
Liam at the Yellowstone RiverBowlingwindyTrain DepotLaura Loving LivingstonOh Deerall dressed upCan’t Think of Anyone Else to Blame by David RathmanArt walk TrioDowntown Livingstonhey sunflowerBig Sky CountryScott, Gail, and Laura Dean Scott and Laura
My nephew Liam and I recently spent a couple of days and nights in Livingston, Montana. Livingston is a historic railroad town near the North Entrance of Yellowstone Park. Many of the original buildings remain intact or have been painstakingly restored. The charming downtown area welcomes visitors with eclectic shops, bright flower baskets, and an artsy vibe. Liam and I visited the Railway Station Museum, bowled at the local bowling alley, walked along the Yellowstone River, strolled through Sacajawea Park, dined out, and explored many of the wonderful thrift stores and boutiques. We also joined an evening art walk where we saw several works by the artist David Rathman, who is originally from my hometown of Choteau, Montana.
After our Livingston segment, my brother and I drove from his home in Clyde Park (near Livingston) to Great Falls to visit my mom. The original Dean trio had a great time visiting the former homes of our beloved grandparents, reminiscing about our childhood, sipping afternoon coffee at the Buffalo Blanc coffee shop across from Central High, cooking dinner together, and swimming at my mom’s condo.
Liam loves music, records, and vintage finds. He introduced me to a song by the progressive rock band from the 1970s called England, and in particular, the song —“All Alone” from their album —Garden Shed. Liam asked me if I could play the piece. I failed to find the sheet music for this obscure track, but I composed something inspired by it…
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.
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
