Do You Have a Relationship with Music?
I wanted to share a great little conversation I had recently with an adult student and a little bit of a follow-up about that conversation. This student was getting out his instrument and we were just talking about practicing and how it’s been going and he was mentioning that he really loves to play and […]
It’s About the Journey
You probably don’t have your kids in math class in hopes they will become an engineer or a mathematician, just like you probably don’t expect they will be the next Chuck Norris or Michael Jordan. Hopefully, you want to give them a foundation. You want them to learn discipline, to grow, to perhaps find something they really enjoy and love—but most likely you goal is more about them being a well-rounded individual. That’s what we want too!
It’s All About That Bass, but Please Read Treble
Playing the bass is about so much more than just playing the roots, outlining the chords, or playing a cool bass line. In this article, Millie T. Martin, professional and conservatory trained bassist and educator at our sister school Music 1st explains why it is so important for bass players to learn to read treble […]
Communicating Magic in Music
As students are preparing a wide array of music right now, I encourage each of you to keep that magic in mind. It can be tough if you feel like you barely even know what notes to play, but it’s never too early to find that spark. One of my favorite questions to ask myself as I practice is “what do I love when I listen to or play this piece, and how can I play it in such a way that communicates that to others?” That’s the mindset that Weir championed in her career, and connected her to audiences worldwide for decades. For us, I believe that practicing this way moves us ever closer to that magic we love about music, not to mention, it makes practicing more fun!
Finding an Oasis in Your Practice
Music is about who it serves, how it serves people, what it can do for people in bringing hope, comfort, peace, joy, release, an opportunity for expression, a means to bring people together! Everyone needs what this student was talking about, and the beauty is, really when you sit down at the piano, or with your guitar, violin, cello, or trumpet in those moments—you don’t just get what you need emotionally and as an individual, you also grow musically! It’s a win win situation.
Tiny Habit, Monumental Musical Development
I am always thinking about ways to encourage and challenge our students to develop new practice habits. I’m also committed to challenging myself and our team to do the same. This week I am just finishing up a great book called Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Truth be told it is not […]
Start Now While You Wait
We are so excited to work with you and can’t wait to meet you and get started! And we know you are probably wanting to get started right away. I promise you it will be worth it! Every one of you could benefit with the flash card work, and these ones I linked here are great. If you are unsure of which ones in the deck you should start with, drop us a line! Fingering work can be started with every instrument (and sticking with drums), again, reach out if you need help—we could do this over a brief FaceTime chat or something even. Need suggestions on some great musicians on your instrument to listen to? Drop us a line! But surely you probably already have some in mind!
What should my child’s practice routine look like?
What should my child’s practice routine look like?
Practicing with a Groove
A practice idea that I think your kids and you our adult students might enjoy and find as a way to shake things up a little and have fun while working on your scales and your timing, tempo, and feel. Practicing with a groove.
Practicing on a Holiday Break
Holiday break is a great time to take a step back, breathe, rest, and relax. I would encourage all music students to at least take 3-5 days off to just sort of unplug rest, and slow down. But music students and musicians, much like athletes, should generally not take much more time off in a row than that completely. After an initial rest period, I would challenge you to come up with a schedule for your practice over the break.