Gaili Schoen

A veteran piano teacher of 34 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 the UPPER HANDS PIANO Method Books because none of the existing adult methods addressed the particular needs and desires of her older adult students; Many of her students over 50 expressed the desire to learn the art of piano playing while increasing their brain power. Since then, Gaili has carried on her 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 2014 Gaili created the companion UPPER HANDS PIANO: SONGS OF THE SEASONS series which is a collection of fun, easy arrangements of favorite seasonal songs and pieces.

In 2021 Gaili launched a series called THE MUSIC REMEDY, with the following titles: THE MUSIC REMEDY NO. 2 - 12 PASSIONATE PIECES TO MOVE YOU FROM LOSS TO LOVE, and THE MUSIC REMEDY NO. 2 - 12 PASSIONATE PIECES TO MOVE YOU FROM ANXIETY TO CALM. The Music Remedy is a collection of beautiful, melodic songs and pieces for intermediate Piano/Guitar/Vocals that use the healing power of music to help restore your emotional balance. Because playing music can be the best medicine.

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.