“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not you’ll find an excuse.” I’m still pondering the results of the Practice Survey I conducted in my studio last week. It’s interesting to see how many of my students selected the option, “I am too busy; my schedule doesn’t allow time for […]
Teaching
Check Out the New Music Theory Teaching Tips Videos from Ultimate Music Theory
The ever-energetic Glory St. Germain, of Ultimate Music Theory, has just started posting a series of Music Theory Teaching Tips videos. Check out this first one on how to teach landmark notes on the staff to your students: I don’t know about you, but I’ve never thought to approach note identification like this. I think […]
Monday Mailbag – Making Custom Student Worksheets
What program do you use to create your worksheets and publications? It may shock (or horrify!) some of you better designer-types to know this, but I create almost all of my worksheets and practice incentive materials in Microsoft Word. I’ve discovered that with the use of tables, you can accomplish just about anything in Word. […]
Teaching Tips from Snowboard School – Part Four: Build Confidence by Teaching Mastery of Fundamental Skills
Like every good beginning student, as soon as I had mastered the art of staying upright on my snowboard for more than three seconds, I was ready to make my first run down the slopes! But you know what our instructor did? He took us to a special small hill reserved for students and made […]
Practice Survey – Free Downloadable Form!
Last week as I was doing my Bible study one morning, I was especially struck by some verses in Isaiah 26: 9b-10: “For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he […]
Monday Mailbag – Practice Incentives and Rewards
Here are two similar questions that I’ll address this week: What sort of practice incentives do you use? And, do you tie certain goals for your students to a trophy or certificate at year end? I am getting pretty discouraged with the lack of practice in my students. Are you CONVINCED that incentives are worth […]
