Perhaps one of the most transformational moments of my music teaching career was attending a showcase by Forrest Kinney at the MTNA conference in 2010. It is not an exaggeration to say that my teaching has never been the same since! I began incorporating his ideas on improvisation into our lessons right away and was […]
Win a Free Circle of 5ths Wall Art Poster!
We are thoroughly enjoying and frequently utilizing the new Circle of 5ths Wall Art poster in our piano studio, so I thought it would be fun to give away a copy of this colorful poster for free to a special Music Matters Blog reader! Just leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing […]
2018 Kansas Music Teachers Association Conference
Last month I had the opportunity to travel to our state music teachers conference in Emporia, KS. What a wonderful weekend of inspiration and fellowship! If you aren’t already, I highly encourage you to consider joining a local and state music teachers association (by joining MTNA and selecting your local affiliate). I have learned SO […]
Group Class – Keeping it Simple
One of the greatest benefits of offering regular group classes in my piano studio is the camaraderie that develops between students. They love coming, playing games, performing music, and hanging out together. Sometimes the simplest activities prove to be the most fun! Such was the case at October’s group class. We began with a fun […]
Using Scale Blocks to Teach Common Tone Voicing in Chord Progressions
Having a functional understanding of music theory is extremely important to me as a piano teacher, so my students are continually learning scales, intervals, chords, etc. Our state Music Progressions curriculum has been invaluable to me in helping me establish an appropriate and systematic approach to teaching theory. And my indispensable teaching tool is a […]
Welcome to the All New Music Matters Blog!
Right on schedule, my amazing web designer, Tiffany, wrapped up the all new Music Matters Blog design! I am thrilled with how it turned out, and am excited to welcome you to our revamped home on the web. Created to capture the clean, colorful, and creative feel of our music studio, Music Matters Blog will […]
