When eight-year-old George Winney sits down at the family piano in his Dover living room, the room fills quickly, not just with music, but with energy.  His passion and talent for playing and teaching the piano at such a young age is truly inspiring.

George began playing piano in kindergarten and quickly developed an ear for music. He loves both classical and jazz and practices whenever he can. While he is now learning to read music, he still enjoys sitting down and playing by ear.  He often teaches himself songs simply by listening carefully.  He currently takes weekly lessons at Newton Music Academy and is already looking ahead to fourth grade, when he hopes to join the Chickering Jazz Band.

In addition to piano, George has started playing clarinet, though he hasn’t yet had time to add formal lessons to his busy schedule. Between skiing lessons, swim team, and ice hockey, George’s days are full.

And somehow, he still finds time to teach.

George has even started an Instagram account where he shows other kids how to play piano by ear - sharing his enthusiasm and helping make music feel accessible and fun. At home, he loves teaching his brother and sister how to play, and Claudia loves to dance nearby as he performs.

George, a third grader at Chickering School, moved to Dover from Sarasota, Florida this past August with his parents Charlotte and Ross, both originally from England, and younger siblings, Hugo (7) and Claudia (4). While Florida gave him his start at the piano in kindergarten, New England has given him something new to fall in love with: snow.

“I love snow!,” George says with a grin. He has already tubed and skied down his driveway this winter -  fully embracing his first true New England season.

At Chickering, George says he loves his teacher, Ms. Welch, who has made his move to Dover a smooth transition. His best friends Jack and George keep him busy when he’s not at the piano - they love to head outside to enjoy the snow, or to play games and do indoor activities as well.  But George always squeezes in a little piano learning for his friends as well.

Whether he’s performing a classical piece, improvising jazz, or skiing through fresh Dover snow, George approaches everything with enthusiasm.

And if you happen to walk past the Winney family home and hear music floating out into the winter air, there’s a good chance it’s George - practicing, teaching, and playing simply because he loves it.