076: Leading Your Business and Teaching from Your Authentic Self with Kristina Lee

Leading a business and teaching from a place of authenticity can be challenging, but it’s exactly what Kristina Lee embraces in her work. As the founder of Live Love Piano, Kristina combines her background in performance, intercultural studies, and decades of teaching experience to create an online space for adult learners. In this episode, she shares how authenticity plays a crucial role in both her teaching approach and her business, helping students reconnect with their creativity, build solid technique, and experience the joy of playing piano at any stage of life.

1. Kristina shared a brief overview of her background and her music studio in Bellevue, Washington.
2. Her story of immigrating from Korea and how piano became a way for her to communicate in a new country.
3. Her shift from a performance career to teaching and coaching after a personal loss at age 40.
4. Running both a physical studio and an online space for adult piano learners called Live Love Piano.
5. Belief in teaching from a place of authenticity and embracing life experiences to shape her teaching.
6. Why making space for rest & self-reflection is crucial for finding authenticity in both life & teaching.
7. Using journaling and asking yourself deep questions to reconnect with your authentic self.
8. How she uses a mix of coaching and piano teaching to help students align with their goals.
9. Importance of not letting fear or comparison dictate decisions, especially in business and teaching.
10. She introduced her online course Simple and Beautiful Piano for Adult Beginners.

Links Mentioned

1. Kristina's website: Live Love Piano by Kristina Lee
2. Follow Kristina on Instagram: @kristinaleemusic
3. Kristina's Article: How I Traded in my Mercedes for a Hyundai - A Piano Story
4. Visit her YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@kristinaleemusic

Today's Guest

Kristina Lee is a pianist, educator, and founder of Live Love Piano, where she creates online courses designed especially for adult learners. With a background in performance, intercultural studies, and decades of teaching experience, Kristina brings a soulful and thoughtful approach to music education. She’s passionate about helping students reconnect with their creativity, develop solid technique, and experience the joy of playing piano — no matter their age or background.

About Rachel Ehring

Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda.

1. Visit her website at RachelEhring.com
2. Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring
3. Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694
4. Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music

Thank you for tuning in!

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