History of Play Piano Chords Today Method
In 2004 Linda, with her husband Dave Paulson, owned 3 Yamaha piano stores (complete with music schools) on beautiful Vancouver Island. PBS started to run Play Piano In A Flash shows which created a demand from customers for a chording course. As none existed at a beginner level and demand was high, Linda put together an 8 - 16 week piano course for adults. A binder full of loose sheets evolved into a professionally bound course and was soon followed by a Level 2 book. Several teachers attended a Play Piano Today workshop and began to teach the course privately and semi-privately with great success. It was then Linda realized that classically trained teachers could teach chording successfully by following the detailed instructions in the method books. They also added to their own enjoyment of music by looking at chords through new eyes. They learn to think like a chord player! Recently online videos were added for an even better experience.
A newspaper article ran in the Victoria Times Colonist in 2007 and the phones at the piano store and at the Victoria Conservatory of Music rang off the hook! So many people called that an emergency meeting was called to deal with the demand. We learned first-hand that adults want to play the piano and they loved playing with piano chords!
During the 2020/2021 pandemic I finally found the time to create the online courses I have always wanted to create. Music is a language and best learned watching someone else and mimicking. Piano lessons give us wonderful instruction and guidance. During the other 6 days wouldn't it be great to play along with an expert?
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The Dragonfly Sisters
Sue and Linda Gould
Linda Gould
ARCT (perf), BMus (perf w distinction), BCRMT
Linda is a pianist, author, educator, mom, grandmother and businesswoman. Originally from Calgary, Canada, Linda made her musical debut at the age of eleven, performing with the Mount Royal College orchestra under the baton of J.S. Bach, the great-great-etc grandnephew of the legendary composer.
Linda is the author of Play Piano Chords Today. PPCT is a piano method for teens and adults who want to play current music and learn it quickly (less notes... more music). She loves teaching private and group piano, conducting workshops and classes for teachers, and inspiring students to share their joy of music by playing for each other at her famous Musical Matinees. Over the decades Linda has been on faculty as a piano teacher at Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta and the Victoria Conservatory of Music in Victoria, B.C.
Linda studied under a number of highly acclaimed teachers in both classical and jazz music, including Robin Wood, Peter Turner, Randy Halberstadt, Georgy Sebok, Karel Roessingh, and Lynne McNeil. In 2015, she received the prestigious Tech Teacher of the Year award at the national CFMTA conference in Vancouver.
Over the past 40 years Linda has enjoyed performing and teaching all over the world in addition to being a businesswoman. She was the founder and owner of Walk In Comfort Shoes on Vancouver Island, the co-owner of Island Piano Stores on Vancouver Island (formerly Dave's Piano and Keyboards) and CEO of The Tall Girl Shop international clothing chain.
Her musical performances include solo piano, concertos with orchestras, chamber music, jazz combos and 2-piano concerts with husband, Dave Paulson and with her Dragonfly Sister, Sue Gould. Most recently, in 2022, she was invited to perform in the International Stretto Piano Festival with her new narrow digital piano keys!
Linda's current goals are to launch the NK 5.5 keyboard with her partner Kathy Strauch and, with her Dragonfly Sister, Sue, work with and as many teachers as possible to spread the style of teaching that supports creativity and current music.
Linda with her husband, Dave Paulson