Update to previous post

Wow. My student, who was nearly comatose last week (you know, end of semester…) played SO WELL today! She learned how to reliably produce the substantial variety of sounds required to play Debussy’s “Sunken Cathedral” ~ in ONE WEEK!

Which one is the student?

One of my students taught me a lesson last week. The lesson We had finished a piece by Kabalevsky, moving on to a waltz by Shostakovich. This was my student’s first lesson on the new piece. New piece Page 1 has no accidentals. But it does have tricky spots. I thought circling those places in [...]

NEWS FLASH: Pianists have lungs, too!

Do you play an instrument upon which you can produce sound without breathing? If you answered “Yes,” I beg to differ! Listen to the sound. Does it have life? Direction? A core? Does it mean something? Rationale Two students come to mind whose approaches to the piano are relevant to the subject of breath. One, [...]

Guest Post: What is the Suzuki Method?

Suzuki method art class ~ Image by Lee Fenner via Flickr Thanks to Brittany Lyons* of OnlinePhD.org for sharing this post. Introduction:  What is the Suzuki Method? Learning music can be a difficult process for many people to master. The different ways to learn music include gaining an understanding of musical theory on your own, [...]

Sticky fingers

What? Sticky fingers? On the piano?

How important is the way we listen?

The music we listen to, and the way we discuss listening with our students.

Student makes a breakthrough!

Fingering matters!

Must-read links: teaching music to disadvantaged children

In this week’s New York Times, 3 musicians receive the credit they deserve for bringing music to disadvantaged kids and taking them far beyond anything they thought possible:  Francisco J. Núñez, Marin Alsop, and Gustavo Dudamel.  To my mind, this is exactly what needs to happen with classical music in the 21st century. In addition, [...]

The best time to introduce your child to music

Even if your child is pre-verbal, this is the perfect time to to make music a part of his/her life!  So many classes, workshops, and events begin in September.  The weather is perfect, so you can enjoy music both outdoors and in. Don’t wait!  Drop by a music event!  Listen to a street musician!  Attend [...]

What Irene can teach us about learning music

How prepared were you for Hurricane Irene? How do you prepare for the unexpected when you practice?