Guest Post: Teaching Students From Different Backgrounds, Neeki Bey
Those of you who know me, know that I am totally against, what my friend calls, "drive by arts experiences". These experiences can encompass a range of genres; the Chopin…
A Surge of Holiday Spirit
The past week has consisted of a myriad of small annoyances: a student tried to cover not practicing by saying she couldn't figure out notes she had been reading successfully…
Fun Is A Policy
My daughter and I were texting about important logistical stuff yesterday when I suddenly realized that I had to leave to go teach. “Gotta go teach!”, I typed. “Have fun!”,…
Lately, Some Things Have Made Me Smile
Hearing Emily tell me a passage of fingering in her Chopin Waltz was Stupid, tell me why, and give a crackerjack way to fix it. Listening to some awesome Beethoven from…
Ahhh… Parents, Parents, Parents: Redux
I recently came across a blog post by Dustin Sanders in which he responds to an article on : Why Your Children Shouldn't Take Formal Music Lessons (be sure and read the…
Bike Shifters and Octaves
My Townie came with a Shimano twist gearshift integrated into the right handgrip. This configuration caused my right hand to be supinated at an awkward angle (who thought that was…
Six Onions & 10,000 Hours: Redux
Recently, I came across a post on the blog Musical Resources which discussed the 10,000 hour principle as it applies to music, music teaching, and musical talent, a podcast from Music is…
Decisions Decisions
Years ago, we spent a day at the San Diego Wild Animal Park with our family. As we were leaving, we heard a man on the phone (a pay phone…