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Since 2015 Musical U website dedicated to helping students to become more musical through a series of training modules and apps, as well as the supportive community they've created and continue to foster. They contacted me this past March asking for permission to link to an article of mine about sight reading versus playing by ear. That led to an opportunity to do a guest blog for them which is featured this month (May 23, 2018).Continue reading
Understanding the reasons why method books fail, how learning has changed and what strategies work are a crucial part in developing curriculum that works.Continue reading
As a private lesson teacher, this is a question that I hear a lot. Music education is an important part of a child's education. It is because of my conviction in this value that I am a musician and an educator. There are many important life lessons in learning music and having music be a part of your life, in addition to its therapeutic value and ability to add happiness. I'll go over reasons why this is true.Continue reading
Many teachers and musicians give discouraging answers to this kind of question. I think it's because they feel that it means students are looking easy success without doing work. They also may feel like it devalues their own work to say it doesn't take long. However, It's natural to as a student to want to know what kind of commitment you're making and when you will see results.Continue reading
Since I began teaching I’ve thought a lot about what my experiences (both good and bad) are as a learner. I've thought a lot about how the people you learn from and the environment they create can influence how you feel about the subject you're learningContinue reading
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”
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”
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?”
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”
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”