Author: csmusic

Welcome everyone! In my last post I talked about the “Mental Game” of practice, positive mental strategies to develop efficient practice habits. If you didn’t read it, I encourage you to go back and look at it because not only is it important for all musicians, but it also ties into this post quite a bit. Today I’m talking about the negative psychological factors of which we are all probably guilty....

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by Robert Fisher · robert@csminspires.com The start of the school year brings a flurry of activities. Whether your child is enrolling in new classes or participating in new after-school activities, the seemingly endless rat race has already started for many. In the hustle and bustle of family, work and life scheduling, it can unfortunately be easy for some to categorize music lessons and music study...

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When it comes to music lessons parental involvement is imperative. The younger a student is, the more important parental oversight becomes. When a student is high school aged, parents may not need to be a part of every lesson, but should be aware of how lessons are going, the direction the teacher is taking the student, and if that student is practicing enough at home....

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With the school year about to begin, it might be time to give students some new goals to motivate them and refresh their interest in music lessons. Here are a few skills to consider nurturing as school gets back in session: Build Your Sight-Reading Skills! Focusing in on sight reading practice is a great way to prepare for upcoming auditions – shake off the rust by setting aside practice time to...

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I have not met many students who love playing their scales. Scales are the green vegetables that are left on the plate and passed off to the dog under the dinner table. Here are some quick tips to help inspire your students to enjoy their scales: Change up the rhythm: If one of my students has trouble with the fingering of a scale, I like to...

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