By Sarah Haughton The majority of my students enjoy learning theory. They enjoy the process of learning about the sounds they hear. Occasionally, however, I encounter a student that couldn’t care less about the “why” behind the music they are hearing, they just want to make the sounds. The traditional theory workbook does little to excite this student. More often, this student becomes frustrated and shows...
Read MoreBy Jamey Mann A couple week ago in Alexandria, VA, I had the privilege of taking Suzuki Guitar books 2 and 3 with Andrea Cannon. At this year’s institute were many returning young students and some new faces. The student’s ages were 6 to 11 years old and they were playing in books 2 through 5. Most of our observation of master classes and theory lessons...
Read MoreEach teacher hopes to give the gift of music into the hands of every student. We typically share lots of knowledge about note reading, theory, improvisation, practice and performance with our students, but I want us to think for a moment about the student’s instrument. Specifically taking time to remind each student and their parents to spend some time researching how to care for that...
Read MoreBy Jennene Estes With the summer season upon us, it becomes routine for families to reschedule their child’s music lesson, often, from week to week. Don’t get me wrong, this is no indictment of families going on vacation. This is for the student that, no matter which season they find themselves in, are constantly swinging from one day to the other. So go enjoy your cruise...
Read MoreParental involvement is something I insist on for all my students regardless of age or ability. Older students in middle or high school may only need a reminder from parents to practice or for them to provide an audience during the week between lessons. Although the need for parental involvement may not be as in important with older students, I believe in 100% parental involvement...
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