After reading about the success of your incentive programs I decided to come up with my own for this fall. I’m still working on it, but it’s going to be about exploring the mystery of music. I’m wondering if you have any pieces that come to mind for recitals? (So far I have Agent X, […]
Teaching
The Cactus Cuties Sing the National Anthem
Wow! Just wow! HT: J.Pisano
Monday Mailbag – Lesson Games
You have a lot of games. Do you do them just with the student at their lesson or do you incorporate these games into group lessons? Do the students enjoy doing these games during their lessons? How do you do that? Yes to all of the above! 🙂 Ask any of my students and they’ll […]
Beginning Hymn Improvisation
When I was in my early teens, I distinctly remember wishing that I knew how to improvise so that I wasn’t stuck playing only what was printed on the page. But I had no idea how or where to start. In particular, I saw people playing from a hymnal, but adding all sorts of cool […]
A Revolutionary View of Dynamics
Okay, so maybe the term “revolutionary” is a bit over-the-top, but not by much. My whole understanding of dynamics was altered recently as I sat in on my brother’s cello lesson. His teacher explained that in each piece, my brother should utilize the full dynamic range of the instrument, executing each dynamic marking in relation […]
Monday Mailbag – Quick Easy Games to Start Off the Lesson
In reference to this post, one reader asks, “Do you have other ideas for the above listed categories that you put on popsicle sticks? What do you usually have ready to use?” There are tons of possibilities, but I’ll just give you one example for each category: 1. Chords – Hold a Chord Spelling Bee! […]
