As soon as I played through this hot-off-the-press piece from Hal Leonard, I thought of several students who would love it! Twister by Wendy Stevens is fast and it sounds flashy, but the patterns make it accessible for an ambitious elementary student. The quick left hand position changes add to the excitement, but could easily […]
Resource Reviews
Review of Reflections of My Childhood
From the moment I heard the first track on the CD, I was hooked! I don’t know a word of Armenian, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this “collection of traditional Armenian children’s songs, rhymes, and poetry” one bit. The beautiful book and accompanying CD were produced by Houry Yapoujian Schmeizl in an effort […]
Review of Teaching Musicians – A Photographer’s View
What makes a great musician? What makes a great teacher? You will find a panorama of answers to these questions in this beautiful book – Teaching Musicians: A Photographer’s View into the Art of Music Teaching by Diane Griliches (Bunker Hill Publishing). Every teacher is unique. Each one manifests his own philosophy in his approach […]
Review of Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, Vol. 4
Go to Review of: Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3 This latest volume of Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora that I’ve just finished reviewing definitely fits the Advanced designation it is given! Like each of the three previous volumes, this one begins with a short biographical sketch of each composer […]
Listen and Learn – Educational Songs
A couple of weeks ago I was alerted to this fantastic Listen and Learn Music Blog that is run by Rachel Rambach, a board-certified music therapist specializing in work with children who are diagnosed with autism. Rachel has a whole collection of educational songs on topics ranging from colors to instruments to technology. Each of […]
Interview with Stephen Battaglia
Today I am pleased to welcome Stephen Battaglia, author of the Mr. McSymphony book series, to Music Matters Blog for an exclusive interview. Music Matters Blog (MMB): What is your musical/education background? Stephen Battaglia (SB): Piano lessons for six years and violin lessons for two years. I now play the harmonica, mostly in schools. MMB: […]
