The holiday season is a time of wonder and joy, where we share memories and come together with friends and family after a long year. This year has been particularly difficult for everyone around the world. Families have been torn apart, our lives as we know it has changed permanently, and there has been much […]
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The history of musical instruments is a long and misty story. Often, the origins of an instrument are not clear but are based on folklore and unproven stories. Without a doubt, the oldest instrument in the world is either the human voice or an untuned percussion instrument like the drum. The voice is the only […]
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Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide... If you’re brave enough to step up to a karaoke mic, it’s just gotten real. Pick a winning karaoke song and you’ll have the crowd joining you in the melody, harmony, or even dancing if you’re lucky. A quick trip around the web […]
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We all dream that our child is going to leap out of bed in the morning and rush to the piano to practice without even being reminded. Of course, this does happen from time to time. But for the majority, no matter how keen our children are to progress on their instrument, motivating music students […]
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It's interesting how guitar got its modern form in the mid-20th century and it remains one of the most popular instruments among beginners or those who are looking to learn to play a second instrument. And, according to what we're seeing in the past few years or so, the instrument is here to stay for […]
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By Marilyn Floyd Being a piano teacher, I think most people expect me to love classical music. Generally, I do enjoy it, but it is not my “go-to” genre. The California Conservatory of Music, gives an excellent list of reasons why we study classical music: 1) Classical music is the basic building block for all […]
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By Beth Horton If you are anything like myself and the many teachers I get the privilege to speak with each week, one of the things we miss the most during this pandemic are the conferences. I have been swapping conference memories with my teaching colleagues lately and have heard incredible stories of previous conferences. […]
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By Marilyn Floyd Lesson plans can save stress for you, the teacher, and your student. If you know what’s coming next, you can relax, be in the moment and do what you do best - teach! And, because children don’t perceive time the way adults do, a reliable weekly lesson plan can help a younger […]
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By Grace Lee and Lou Ann Pope I’m continuously fascinated by the countless numbers of teachers all over the world making brave and creative transitions to keep music education going in people’s lives. What this past season has revealed to me, among many things, is that we need to be able to shift gears swiftly […]
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When you want to start taking music lessons, often the hardest part is trying to decide which teacher is right for you. As Thomas Edison said, “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.” And we’ve all heard the quote that “failing to plan is planning to fail.” So let’s talk about how […]
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