It’s recital season! It’s the perfect time to talk about stage fright and performances gone wrong. Chances are there are a certain number of performers and students right now that have just went through a rough performance and are feeling terrible. Even if this isn’t you right now, anyone that performs eventually has to deal with a moment where they’ve frozen on stage and have been unable to play something. Continue reading “Performances Gone Wrong: Understanding and Avoiding Them, And How to Recover From Stage Fright”
Playing by Ear vs. Playing by Reading Music
This one of the most common debates I see amongst musicians, teachers and hobbyists and one of the most common questions I get as a teacher. The question I get is usually, “Which is better?” I’ve noticed, however, that usually the asker is looking for confirmation of their already held position. Continue reading “Playing by Ear vs. Playing by Reading Music”
Why Hybrid Pianos Solve The Digital Vs. Acoustic Debate For Most Buyers
More Choices Than Ever
Hybrid pianos represent an exciting new option for piano buyers. The technology is still fairly new, but hybrid pianos give the best of both worlds when it comes to pianos and keyboards. There are still few models to choose from and they are still relatively expensive but I believe they are poised to take over the market as musicians and teachers discover and work with them. Continue reading “Why Hybrid Pianos Solve The Digital Vs. Acoustic Debate For Most Buyers”
How Do We Change Music Education To Be Effective For All Learners?
One-on-one lessons should have learning plans tailored to meet students goals and pace; not be a pre-packaged process where the teacher teaches everyone exactly the same way with the same music. Students are often taught in a way that is not only unexciting but isn’t designed give them the specific tools they’ll need to do what they want to do with music. Continue reading “How Do We Change Music Education To Be Effective For All Learners?”
Music and the Pursuit of Happiness
The ‘pursuit of happiness’ is the dreamy, American idea that if ordinary people work hard to improve their lives they will be happy. Our schools encourage us from the time we’re little to “follow our dreams”. We expect happiness will happen when those dreams are achieved but it turns out that maybe that it doesn’t. Continue reading “Music and the Pursuit of Happiness”
12 Reasons Why Students Quit Music Lessons
I have been teaching piano for over 20 years. I pay a lot of attention to how students (mine and others) feel about lessons and why they quit. The reason I care about this so much is really simple. I know that most people are capable of learning to play the piano really well if they keep at it a little at a time over a long span. Continue reading “12 Reasons Why Students Quit Music Lessons”
Top 6 Habits that Sabotage Piano Students Learning To Read Music
Many things that seem like a good strategy to get you or your child playing right away can actually hinder learning to read music. This is particularly true of piano music. Although beginning piano music has only one note at a time, unlike other instruments, piano parts rarely play just one note at a time. The piano can effectively be the whole orchestra, playing everyone’s parts at once. Continue reading “Top 6 Habits that Sabotage Piano Students Learning To Read Music”
Is Your Child Ready For Music Lessons?
The main factors in determining whether your child is ready for lessons are age, focus, interest, developmental stage and aptitude. This can vary from child to child, but in every case these are the traits we look for to determine readiness for music lessons. Continue reading “Is Your Child Ready For Music Lessons?”