It’s amazing what the human mind is capable of, when its resolve is strong enough. Sometimes playing accurately is just a matter of deciding not to play wrong notes. End of story. A number of my students are preparing duet repertoire to perform in our local association’s annual Multi-Piano Concert in a few weeks. I LOVE this event. The repertoire is always fun, and the community … Continue reading
Some beginning students are naturals at rhythm. As soon as they master the notes of a piece, more often than not, the rhythm just falls in place. For other students, playing with a steady pulse and correct rhythms presents more of a challenge. For a young student who struggles to feel rhythms, counting out loud or working with a metronome isn’t always the answer, at … Continue reading
Learning grand staff note names isn’t anyone’s favorite part of music lessons. It’s a long process that takes lots of repetition and patience… and a game or two along the way to spice that process up certainly never hurt! Here are some more game ideas to add to your note name-teaching bag of tricks: These game cards may look familiar to some of you who … Continue reading
Do your students need a little extra motivation this time of the year? Christmas (and Christmas break) is over, back to school means back to homework, the days are short and the weather is cold. That can all add up to a case of the “blahs”… and not much desire to practice with a lot of heart or effort! Whether you use a long-term incentive … Continue reading
Happy New Year! I hope all of you enjoyed some well-deserved time off over the holidays and are feeling re-energized and ready to start a new semester. If your studio calendar is anything like mine, spring time brings a variety of different audition, festival and recital opportunities. My students are already hard at work (or back at work, in most cases) preparing repertoire … Continue reading