This week, I received an e-mail from a mother looking for practice advice for her almost-5-year old son, who has been in Suzuki cello classes for about a year. She writes, “I know he likes to play, once he gets going and concentrates and is playing. However the practices are becoming a power struggle; he […]
Practice Incentives
Practicing Piano with a Deck of Cards
Here’s another new blog I just came across recently. Wow, I’m so excited at how many music education blogs are popping up these days! If you have such a blog or have a recommendation of one, please let me know! Check out this great practice idea called, Scramble. All it takes is a deck of […]
Go For The Gold!
The practice incentive I developed for last year – Go For The Gold! – is now compiled and available for purchase. In the spirit of the Olympics, I developed a practice incentive with an Olympic theme. One new thing I tried was assigning each student to a team and then basing the winners on the […]
31 Days to Better Practicing
Want some fresh ideas to jump-start the new school year for your students (or yourself!)? I suggest you head over to Chris Foley’s Collaborative Piano Blog for some great, practical ideas on practicing. Last year he wrote a series on 31 Days to Better Practicing and this year he’s put together a handy reader’s guide […]
Review of Practiceopedia: The Music Student’s Illustrated Guide to Practicing
The moment it arrived, I was captivated by this full-color mammoth guide to practicing – Practiceopedia:The Music Student’s Illustrated Guide to Practicing. The 376 pages are chock-full of creative ideas to help students learn to practice effectively and conquer those tough spots in their pieces. I found myself reading through page after page, unable to […]
Let’s Have A Ball! Practice Incentive
Now that my regular teaching year is over I can say without a doubt that this year’s theme was by far the favorite among my students! In determining a theme for each year I always contemplate whether there is any area in particular in which I think all my students need to improve. As I […]
