There are basically two schools of thought on technique: Technique is in the music. Draw from the repertoire to learn the necessary skills in order to play it well. Technique is what you bring to the music. Develop fluency in various skills so that when you want to learn a new piece of music you […]
Monday Mailbag – Ear Training for Blind and Autistic Student
I’m looking around for a VERY basic ear training program for a new blind/autistic student. He has an excellent ear and is motivated to learn. Any ideas? Yikes! This is a hard question, so I’m hoping some others will have some helpful answers. I’ve taught a number of students with various learning disabilities and visual […]
EveryNote – the world’s largest digital music library…
…at least that’s what their website claims. Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I just came across this EveryNote website for the first time. One of my students was interested in finding a piano transcription of Vivald’s Four Seasons, and our online searching led us to this vast database of digital music downloads. […]
Fabulous Resource for Worship Song Chord Charts
While doing some searching around recently for some lyric and chord charts, I came across this wonderful website called Worship Archive. The site has a fabulous database of today’s most well-known and oft-sung praise and worship songs available for free download. I always have students who are working on keyboarding skills or who get asked […]
MeetUp in Milwaukee…
In just ten and a half weeks, the doors will open to Music Teachers National Association’s (MTNA) annual conference. This year’s event will be held in Milwaukee, WI – heralded as the “City of Festivals.” The 5-day conference will include: workshops, teaching demonstrations, recitals, new material showcases, competitions, and lots of opportunity for networking and […]
Review and Giveaway of Old MacDonald Had the Blues Piano Book by Rebekah Maxner
If student demand is any indication of quality, this music “re-telling” of classic folk songs is already destined for success! Shortly after receiving a copy of “Old MacDonald Had the Blues” from its composer, Rebekah Maxner, a student asked me what it was. I played him a sampling of some of the pieces and he’s […]
