I was teaching one of my students and noticed he had a habit of tensing up and making noise on his instrument every time he had made a mistake. Sometimes he would lose control in his playing, and he would respond by ultimately losing control of his temper! I used to do this myself at [...]
As stated in the classroom analogy, it is difficult to efficiently process multiple sources of information and consciously retain all of it. It is for this reason that we learn to split concepts and techniques in their practice. Aside from your normal routine of running through music and scales, take the time to skyrocket your [...]
Imagine that you are sitting in a classroom. What would it be like if your math teacher was up in front teaching you advanced algebra, your English teacher to your right was covering MLA format, your history teacher to your left was discussing the origin of religion, and your gym teacher behind you was whistling [...]
“I need more students!” Are you a beginning teacher? Perhaps you are a high school student just starting, or maybe already an experienced instructor looking for more students. This guide will help you, no matter what you teach! When I was in high school I began working at a local music store. One December evening, [...]
We have all grown up hearing the familiar phrase, “Practice makes perfect!” There is the idea that the more you practice, the better you’ll get. But does it really end there, or is there something that your parents missed? Practicing is really the process of creating a muscle memory, which is defined as “a phrase [...]
Several years ago I took an independent study class at my high school. Every day I had 90 minutes of practice time and had to prepare something for a recital at the end of the term. On the very first day of this particular class my orchestra director, always full of music wisdom, shared a great nugget with us.
“I always practiced, but I never really knew how to practice until I had gotten to college. Had I known and used this before- I could have excelled so much earlier and faster!” Not only did he tell us to keep a journal, but also how to keep a one in such a way that will really show us improvement. “Its important to structure and plan out your practice session in order to be the most productive with your time.”