Upper Hands Piano: A Method for Adults 50+ to SPARK the Mind, Heart and Soul: Book 1 (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781470151799)

A veteran piano teacher of 30 years, Gaili Schoen fell in love with teaching older adults in 2002, when she obtained her first student over 90! She coined the term Piano Geragogy to distinguish her pioneering study of how piano teachers can best support older adults in learning and retaining new musical concepts and piano skills. Gaili created Upper Hands Piano because none of the existing adult methods addressed the particular needs and desires of her older adult students, and she had become fascinated with the idea of students learning the art of piano playing while increasing their brain power. Since then, Gaili has carried on a decade of passionate research into ways that piano lessons can advance neuroplasticity (the brain's capacity to generate new neural cells and pathways), improve memory, alleviate stress, and bring joy into the hearts and souls of piano students 50+. In addition to teaching, Gaili is also a professional jazz pianist, and composes and orchestrates music for film and documentaries. She is best known for her scores for the director Henry Jaglom's art films, Festival in Cannes and Déjà Vu, and for the PBS documentary Annie Leibovitz: A Life Through a Lens.