How I became the "Heart & Soul" of a party

June 1 2017

When I was five, my older sisters had a slumber party and I was too young to join them. From my room I heard their friends play “Heart and Soul” on our piano. The next morning I woke up and played the song by ear. It was the first song that I had ever played and was the defining moment that catapulted my music education and my love for piano playing. Soon I realized that playing “Heart and Soul” was a wonderful ice breaker at any party or camp where there was a piano.

I remember watching a video of an older couple at the Mayo Clinic playing a duet on the piano in the atrium of the Center. Their delight and free spirit was contagious to watch. You can only imagine how many times they played their song together and now they were sharing their fun with others, and in a place where people came for medical attention. What a gift!

Even if you don’t want to become a professional musician, playing music is a wonderful outlet to bring people together, entertain, and a way to relax and decompress from the day. If I need to “complain”, what better way to express myself safely than to make up a song or Rap to a 12 bar blues.

Studies like the “Mozart Effect” prove that playing music before you study helps you to retain information. Memorization is easier when you sing a rhythm or pattern, proven in how many of us learned our ABC’s!

As a performer, Musical Director, Vocal and Acting Coach, Arranger for Children and Adult Musical Theater productions and a credentialed California Music Teacher, I love teaching my students how to play music, feel more comfortable performing in front of an audience, learn proper vocal and breath techniques to speak and sing with more confidence, and help them find their own love for music.

Caylia Chaiken has been involved with music since she was 5 years old. She has performed, written musicals, taught musicians, and produced and directed shows. Her special love is to help you uncover your hidden talents so that you can WOW the world!