By Sarah Haughton Nothing says New Year’s resolution like doing something you dislike (e.g. eating green leafy things, elevating your heartbeat past its resting rate, etc.). So why not stretch your taste in music? Here is my challenge to music teachers, students, and enthusiasts in the year 2016… Listen to a composer you have never heard of before. Here are a few composers that you should get to...
Read MoreBy Alyssa Cowell There’s no two ways about it, the year is winding down and we’re heading into the holiday season. While everyone knows that means Christmas songs will be on the radio imminently, I recently found myself wondering what kind of music the attendees of the first Thanksgiving might have enjoyed. To my disappointment, and admittedly, the small amount of research available, I find that the...
Read MoreWritten by Sarah Haughton I’m in the process of training for a half-marathon. During the final days leading up to the race, part of my training includes what I like to call “race simulation”. Simulation allows you to practice enduring fatigue, maintaining form, and regulating your body chemistry. All of these elements find their equivalents in performance preparation. The goal in race and performance simulation is not to...
Read Moreby Sarah Haughton The imitation of recordings has long been demonized in the music education community. Viewed as a form of creative impotence, teachers tend to discourage their students from copying recordings. To the contrary, I believe we should encourage our students to copy and imitate quality recordings as much as possible. I acknowledge there is some risk associated with having a student imitate someone else’s interpretation,...
Read MoreWe are fortunate here at CSM to have studio rooms that are large. This has allowed us to let our instructors bring their pets to lessons and so several of our staff members bring their dogs into work with them daily. This policy generates a terrific interest and conversation with the students and also creates a trust between the teachers, students and their families. Many...
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