PA Shorts: Goals & Dreams
It's a new school year bright with possibilities. Yup, I start teaching tomorrow. I will have quite a mix of returning and transfer students this fall. Regardless of their age or…
Playing With Wolfgang: Random & Awkward Redeemed
I remember a feeling of complete frustration and incomprehension. It happened frequently during my undergraduate years. But two incidents really stand out from the rest. The music? Liszt’s Sonetto 104…
Vintage PA: Great Expectations
Last weekend I ended up in the ER and subsequently the hospital with serious anemia. With plenty of time to do nothing, I tried to brainstorm ideas for blog posts…
Great Finds: Notation, Jazz, & Virtual Faculty Lounge
Music Studio Teacher: the Faculty Lounge for the Private Music Teacher Saxophonist, Sean Murphy founded this site in April 2015 as an ongoing resource for private music teachers everywhere. Already there…
Vintage PA: Middle Parts & Orphans
“I’ve played piano for over 30 years and nobody has ever told me to start in the middle of a measure,” said one of my adult students one week. She…
Great Job!
Being specific with our praise phraseology isn't anything new. Social media is full of articles on parenting language. It helps if we as teachers also think carefully about our language. The student…
PA Shorts: Chord Functions & Floor Plans
While happily catching up on podcasts during my commute, something literally gave me goose bumps. I couldn’t wait to get back to my computer and share. So, here goes. That something happened during…
PA Shorts: Playing by Heart vs. Memory
I found this in my inbox last Saturday and it really did my heart good. You were right, memorization CAN happen in fifteen minutes. I am so excited about being…