When I first started teaching I knew nothing about operating a business, establishing professional policies, or setting personal boundaries to help maintain sanity and avoid burnout. That’s probably why I hated teaching. Thanks to the influence of many wise teachers who have mentored and advised me since then, I now have well-formulated policies that enable […]
Review and Giveaway of Tangy Tango by Wendy Stevens
Wendy Stevens’ latest piece of early elementary sheet music, Tangy Tango, has hit the shelves and you’re either going to love it or hate it. 🙂 If you’re a good teacher who carefully prepares students for challenging elements they will encounter in a new piece, you will love it. If you’re a bad teacher who […]
Monday Mailbag – Teaching Students to Play Beautifully
One of my families (I teach three of their children) has quite a different view on what is important in their musical education. They want to learn as many pieces as possible each week, without worrying too much about all the important details (dynamics, mood, rhythm, etc.). They also put technique down at the bottom […]
And the Winner Is…
…#5 – Rebekah Maxner! Rebekah will be receiving a copy of the Purple book by Dror Perl. Congratulations, Rebekah! Stay tuned for another exciting giveaway next Tuesday! UPDATE: Dror Perl has generously set up a coupon code that can be used by Music Matters Blog readers to receive 50% off their purchase of any of […]
The Perfect Game for Reinforcing Stem Placement
My students do a lot of notating, whether for compositions or for various games. One thing that always gets me is how much I have to remind them which direction the stems should go and on which side of the note they should be placed. It doesn’t seem like it should be that complicated, but […]
Effective Piano Performance Warm-Ups
Have you ever been judging at a piano event and when you tell the student that they can take a minute to warm-up before playing they tentatively depress the notes of a C-major chord and then quickly assure you that they are ready? I’ve had this happen on more than one occasion. Sadly, I’m sure […]
