Rehearsal is an important aspect (at least it should be!) to all musicians, performers and teachers. It’s something we have spent countless hours doing throughout our careers. Whether it’s with a band, orchestra, or solo in a quiet place, it takes practice to develop good rehearsal skills. Something I ask of my students often is to walk me through their home practice and rehearsal routines. How...
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Now that Fall is here, no doubt you are planning for your recital. The recital is probably the best marketing event you do all year. Everyone gets to see all your kids progress, they go home, and they tell their friends. Then they call you wanting to take lessons. Great! You can up your game by doing a few things to make it easier for possible...
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by Wayne Estes Just recently, I spent an entire weekend video recording and editing the videos for a few of my advanced students to submit for college auditions. We discovered a few things that I feel are worth sharing… It is never too early to start to record yourself performing and practicing with audio and video at home prior to your professional video recording date. Both audio...
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When the last school year started, I tried something I hadn't done before. I started prepping kids for the winter holiday recital in September. They thought I was crazy, but I knew it had to be a good idea! Some of you might be reading this thinking, "Duh! I do this every year!" But not everyone is hip to this idea. The reasons why it's so great...
Read MoreEvery once in awhile, a student will ask me a question that seems like it should be easy to answer but isn’t. Recently, I had a young vocalist ask me who my favorite singer is. The follow-up question: “Why are they the best?” got me thinking a little bit more. The student in question is young, and while it is flattering to think that she considers...
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