As the holiday season arrives, I find students are seizing extra opportunities to perform live – sometimes for the first time. Often, the last lesson preceding their event is spent discussing the finer points of stage presence, and its ability to boost a performance. Inexperienced performers are often overwhelmed by nerves leading up to and during a gig. Shaking hands, knees, racing heart, difficulty breathing:...
Read MoreFostering the habits of a successful music major I often meet students who have high hopes of pursuing music on a collegiate level. Sometimes these students are elementary school students just beginning their musical studies, and sometimes they’re in high school and much closer to their college career. No matter what age, there are habits that I believe set a student up for a better chance...
Read MoreDo your students have trouble playing in time? Years ago, when I first began teaching some part-time lessons to friend’s kids I did not have a home or studio to teach in, so I taught in each students home, driving from house to house. This gave me a bunch of great experience in seeing the family dynamic and it created some great stories, so I guess...
Read MorePicture this, a brand-new family is about to board your studio but they have no instrument at home to begin studies. Or a current student/family is attempting to purchase or upgrade to a newer (hopefully better) instrument (a piano, trumpet, guitar or violin) for lessons and as their teacher we are trying our best to get the student to commit to some serious practicing, study...
Read MoreAs the school year winds down, students are focusing on end-of-year grades and summer plans. Unfortunately, that often means an end to music lessons for the summer. That doesn’t have to happen! Students need something to do during their two months off – what a great opportunity to focus on making some serious progress on their instrument or picking up some new music skills. Consider talking...
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