I am a firm believer in having clear goals when it comes to music practice. Students must ALWAYS know what it is they are trying to achieve in any given practice session. Necessarily, they must first know what it is they need to work on. That is where the teacher provides the input about what
General
Academic Benefits of Music Lessons from a D.C./Baltimore Music Teacher
Many times, I am asked by parents about the academic benefits of having their children take music lessons. We hear all the time that learning music improves math scores and assists in other areas of academic performance, but why? My take on it is that music lessons and learning to read music are ‘brain exercises’
Denver’s Music Scene – Vanilla Ice – Guitar Lessons in Denver
My son takes guitar lessons here in Highlands Ranch. Last week his teacher, TJ, opened for Vanilla Ice. My son wasn’t really aware who Vanilla Ice was, but I sure remember him! The great thing about music, and lessons, is the continuity passed down, sometimes in very unexpected ways. Even though practicing was a little scarce
Music teachers don’t teach notes durning in-home lessons, they teach songs!
Don’t Judge a song by its notes! Have you ever heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? The same meaning of this phrase also can be used when looking at a new piece of music. Written music can be deceiving when first looking at a new song. What may look impossible on
Take a music lesson and hear better! in Denver or anywhere.
New research from Northwestern University shows that playing a musical instrument for even a brief period in childhood can improve actual hearing. Adults who had a least a couple years of music instruction in childhood heard fundamental frequency sound waves better than those who did not have music instruction. This is an aspect of hearing
The benefits of sibling competition – a piano teachers tool
I absolutely love teaching siblings. When I first started teaching, I thought siblings were a sensitive issue and that I should be careful not to stir up any competition between them but the more I grow and learn as a teacher, I realize that your younger sister or older brother can be the BEST practice
Drum Sets- Electronic Vs. Acoustic? Learning to Play Drums
As an experienced drum set teacher in Miami, FL, many parents ask me whether they should purchase a standard acoustic drum set or the increasingly popular electronic drum set for their young drum student. Either is fine, but there are definitely pros and cons with both. An electronic set may seem more practical on the
How often should my piano be tuned? – Piano lessons
As a piano teacher in Seattle, WA I am often asked by piano students and their parents, “how often should I tune my piano?” Pianos should be tuned twice a year on average. Pianos naturally go out of tune over time due to change in weather and humidity. However the more that a piano is
Small Goals Equal Big Results – In-home Music Lessons In Seattle Piano, Guitar, Drums, and More!
Practicing. It’s something that we all do wiether you are a student or teacher. Practicing your insturment is how we improve our musical skills. But what’s the best way to practice? *Find a time everyday that you can dedicate to practicing. *Plan out what you are going to practice and how many times you would
The Super Bowl of Muisc Lessons, Seattle, Atlanta, Washingtion DC, Denver, Baltimore, and Houston
Sometimes people look at me funny when they find out what a huge sports fan I am. They think musicians are a different type then “sports fans”. Not True! There are tons of aspects that make musicians and athletes alike (sounds like a future blog post to me:) This years NFL playoffs are particularly interesting