Ashlee Young Piano Studio

My old student Jamie was one of the best at applying what I asked of him.

For a while, he was making incredible progress.

And then… he plateaued.

I asked how he was practicing and he told me:

“I just play through my piece, then go back and fix the mistakes.”

And instantly, I knew why he was stuck.

Jamie was practicing reactively.

Like watching 100 little fires pop up on your piano…

And running around frantically trying to put them all out.

What he needed was to practice proactively.

To go straight to the difficult sections.

To prevent mistakes before they even happened.

Because proactive practice doesn’t just save time…

…it builds confidence and prevents frustration before it even begins.

It’s such a simple concept.

But most piano players don’t realize it…

So they waste years playing reactively.

So instead of wasting years practicing reactively, you can start practicing proactively today.

I talk about this and SO MANY OTHER important topics (that you need to know as a piano player in order to practice effectively and play with confidence) inside my favorite piano lesson bundle. 

Comment "BUNDLE" and I'll send you the link to grab it!

14 hours ago | [YT] | 1

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

One of the biggest things that holds piano players back from playing with ease and flow?

A stiff wrist.

Most players don’t even realize it’s the reason moving around the keyboard feels so awkward.

It’s a sneaky problem.

And here’s the wild part:

People spend years struggling with tension…

…but the fix takes just 30 seconds a day.

There’s a ridiculously simple exercise I teach (instead of Hanon)…

That loosens your wrist and transforms your playing almost instantly.

It's inside a bundle of other videos that will help you with every element of technique that you need to know.

Comment "TECHNIQUE" and I'll send you the link!

1 day ago | [YT] | 8

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

We are so close to hitting 10,000 followers over on Instagram….and when we do we’re dropping something insane.

If you are not already following, head over and do it now - you won’t want to miss this!

Just click here and follow: www.instagram.com/ashleeyoungmusicstudio?igsh=Y3cw…

(Then comment below and tell me you did)!

2 days ago | [YT] | 36

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

When I was 17, I cried on stage in front of an audience.

I was in a piano competition and started confidently…

But when I got to measure two, my brain went blank.

So I tried again.
Blank.
Again.
Blank.

This happened 8 times before I finally pushed through.

By then, my hands were shaking, I was panicking, and I was crying…

Out of embarrassment, shame, and pure frustration.

Because I had practiced my butt off.

And I couldn’t believe my own brain and hands were betraying me.

If you’ve ever blanked during a performance…

Or felt your hands tremble the moment someone was listening…

You know exactly the panic I’m talking about.

When I got to college and learned I’d have to perform twice a week for my degree, I had no idea how I’d survive it.

I loved music, but I was terrified I’d end up crying on stage again.

Then my teacher gave me the most freeing truth:

There are actual strategies for performance anxiety.

Not “think positive.”

Not “pretend the audience isn’t there.”

But real, practical steps I could use daily to retrain my nervous system and focus under pressure.

I had no idea that what I did in the hours, minutes, and seconds leading up to the performance could have such an impact on how the performance went.

That’s when I realized: performance anxiety isn’t something you just suffer through.

It’s something you can practice through.

I put together 30 of the simplest, most practical directions you can follow to overcome performance anxiety.

These tangible and simple strategies are helping my students go from shaky and nervous to clear, confident and calm whether they’re playing for a friend, their teacher or recording a video.

Comment “30x” below and I’ll send you the link to grab them now!

2 days ago | [YT] | 12

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

I’ve spent 20,000+ hours at the piano (and coached thousands of students), and I can tell you this: Most Piano Players Think More Practice = Better Playing… But That’s a LIE. More practice time usually isn’t the answer. Learning how to practice the right way is. I put together 10 powerful (but simple) shifts that will cut your practice time in HALF—while making you a more confident, effortless player. These shifts will help you nix mistakes faster than ever, stop overthinking & second-guessing and play with ease, flow, and musicality Want it? Comment “DOUBLE” below, and I’ll send it straight to you!

3 days ago | [YT] | 46

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

🌑♍️ The Virgo new moon is here…

And Virgo energy LOVES structure, routine, and details.

Which makes this the perfect moment to reflect on your piano practice.

Ask yourself:
👉 What’s my current practice routine?
👉 Is it structured and intentional… or am I just winging it?
👉 What small change could I make that would bring more clarity and progress?

Because just like Virgo knows…

Messy routines lead to messy results.

But structured routines? That’s where the confidence comes from.

✨ In the spirit of the new moon, I’d love to know:

What intention are you setting for your piano practice routine this month?

Drop it in the comments 👇🏻

4 days ago | [YT] | 10

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

5 days ago | [YT] | 29

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

During my undergrad and grad school days, I spent a lot of time traveling for competitions and performances.

And that meant staying with host families.

They were always so kind, and always had a piano so that I could practice.

But there’s something that always happened that made me panic a little inside:

“We’re so excited to drink our coffee and listen to you practice all day!”

Cue internal meltdown.

Because here’s the thing…

They were expecting something like this:

Chopin floating through the air
The emotional swells of Mozart
The magic of Bach filling their home

But what they actually got was:

Me repeating one measure for 30 minutes
Rhythmic drills that made the music sound like nonsense
Clapping, counting out loud, using a metronome on full blast

🫠

It was the real deal. But it wasn’t pretty.

And I’d always have to sit down and explain that real practice doesn’t sound like a concert.

It’s methodical. Strategic. Slow.

And honestly?

It took me 20,000 hours of practice (and a $70,000 graduate degree) to even learn how to practice the right way.

Things like:

✅ Planning my routine so I wasn’t just winging it
✅ Fixing my mindset so I wasn’t derailing progress
✅ Focusing on rhythm so things stayed consistent
✅ Using revolutionary practice methods to actually lock in the muscle memory
✅ And learning how to make music… instead of just playing notes

So if you ever feel like your practice doesn’t sound “beautiful”…

…you’re probably doing it right. 😉

And if you’ve ever wished someone could just show you exactly what to do…

So you’re not wasting time or reinforcing mistakes…

Here’s your shortcut:

Real strategies and straightforward lessons that helped me win competitions and perform at Carnegie Hall, all designed to save you hundreds (if not thousands) of hours and dollars.

Because I know you could spend 20,000 hours figuring this out yourself…

But why would you?

This bundle will save you years.

Comment “50” below and I’ll send you the link!

5 days ago | [YT] | 31

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

When you look at this picture, do you see individual notes?

Or do you see an interval pattern?

And if you see the interval…

Can your hands predict what it would feel like to play this interval on your piano?

In order to read music as fast as a profession, you have to be able to do two things:

First: See the music on the page as a series of patterns (not just individual notes)

Second: predict how it will feel to play those patterns with your hands on the keys (instead of just logically knowing the patterns)

If you can do these two things, you will be able to read music 10x as fast.

If you can’t do this, it’s likely you’re reading, learning, and playing feel a lot slower than they need to….

And it’s because your brain is actively processing too much information.

In order to make that process feel more automatic, first you need to see the patterns.

I put together a series of videos that helps you learn the most common patterns and teaches you exactly how to recognize them on sight - quickly.

If you want them, comment READ FASTER below and I’ll send them along!

6 days ago | [YT] | 21

Ashlee Young Piano Studio

In order to read music as fast as a profession, you have to be able to do two things:

First: See the music on the page as a series of patterns (not just individual notes)

Second: predict how it will feel to play those patterns with your hands on the keys (instead of just logically knowing the patterns)

If you can do these two things, you will be able to read music 10x as fast.

If you can’t do this, it’s likely you’re reading, learning, and playing feel a lot slower than they need to….

And it’s because your brain is actively processing too much information.

In order to make that process feel more automatic, first you need to see the patterns.

I put together a series of videos that helps you learn the most common patterns and teaches you exactly how to recognize them on sight - quickly.

If you want them, comment READ FASTER below and I’ll send them along!

1 week ago | [YT] | 39