By Alyssa Cowell We’ve all seen the reality TV shows – adoring fans cheering as their favorite contestant swaggers across the stage belting out the latest top-of-the-pop chart tune; poised, polished, trendy and undeniably cool. This sort of programming has captured the attention of audiences worldwide, and spawned a generation of young singers clamoring for their chance to make it big at next season’s auditions. Unfortunately, reality...
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I have long wanted to purchase recording equipment for my studio, but it has always been cost prohibitive. I have recently realized that I don’t need fancy recording equipment for some of the things that I’ve been hoping to do with my students.
I may be the last person in this country to purchase a smart phone, but a few months ago I took the plunge and bought an iPhone. The built-in video camera in the phone makes it easy for me to use a bit of recording as a teaching tool for my students.
It’s that time of year where parents and students alike are gearing up for summer. Vacations are being planned, plane tickets booked and everyone looks forward with great anticipation to relaxation and good times. What most people are not gearing up for are summer music lessons. I’ve heard many arguments both for and against summer lessons. For some, you’re just going against the grain/trying to reinvent the...
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A few years back, I was invited to join my local chapter of the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs. At first, I was completely intimidated. Most of the members had been teaching piano, voice, and other instruments for many years — some even longer than I’ve been alive! I was relatively new to teaching, since it was something I did in addition to providing music therapy.
But it was nice to be part of a group, and I’ve become more and more involved since joining. I’ve learned so much about music education from my fellow members, and yesterday, I had the opportunity to give back by presenting on a topic that is close to my heart: teaching music to children with special needs.
I am a huge believer in the power of community. How do you foster a sense of community in your studio? For me it is about providing opportunities for students to learn with each other and from each other. For parents to meet each other and have conversations that go beyond "hi, how are you". And for the whole studio to feel like we are...
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