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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by Robert Song Fisher (Catoctin School of Music) The sound of splashing water at the community pool, sun-filled days with the dusk light stretching late into the evening, beach escapes, camping trips with the family, summer camps galore – it’s summer! Unfortunately, daily structured practice time can become difficult to maintain and less enticing with each passing day for some young musicians. With the myriad of...
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by Jamey Mann One of the most important things when studying an instrument is consistency in both the teacher and student. Without consistency in a student’s studies and attendance of lessons a student’s ability will take a downward turn. The same is true for teachers who cancel lessons or rely on substitutes often to the detriment of their students. At certain times of the year we...
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Set aside time to practice this summer! Summer is a great time to make strides in your musical studies – give yourself a chance to grow as a musician by scheduling practice time along with all those other fun summer break activities! Here are some tips for making the most of your summer free time. Make Music the first activity of the morning Music practice is a great...
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As a student and performer of music, it’s crucial to put the physical time into practicing your craft. We’ve all heard the old adage “Practice makes perfect” and that in order to master something you have to practice it for 10,000 hours. Well, those sayings aren’t quite true. Practice alone doesn’t actually make you a perfect player and 10,000 hours of practice won’t make you...
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