Re-blog from Jeffry on Metronomes
Here is an important and helpful word on metronomes from Jeffry. For those looking for some serious practice for more advanced metronome work, Sean Driscoll has some great tips here.
How to Develop a Practice Routine Continued, with Example Routine A
In my last post I offered some starting questions for developing a practice routine. Now I continue the discussion with some practical example suggestions. In this example routine I will be working from the idea that this is a working plan for a beginning level piano […]
How to Develop or Plan a Practice Routine
I have been asked from time to time how to develop or plan a practice routine. There are numerous ways to develop a practice routine of course, and they will vary for each individual student depending on where they are in their musical journey, how many days a week they practice, and how long they […]
The Music Student’s Notebook
This notebook has been around a while. I enrolled at Berklee College of Music in 1993, and in the fall semester I was assigned my first private trumpet teacher, Jeff Stout. As you can see, I still have the notebook! And there are all kinds of important notes, exercises, and musical pieces in there. I […]
Rhythm Practice
Friends, I wanted to send out a brief note of reminder that we are officially on break until July 5th. This means NO lessons or classes this coming week, or the next. Also, I wanted to continue offering some suggestions on summer practice. Early this week I sent this out on summer shedding (shedding is […]
Summer Shedding
The summer is a great time to practice! Students don’t usually have as many responsibilities and often can spend too much time bored, watching TV, playing video games—all kinds of things which are fine in moderation, but certainly not very productive. Especially for homeschool students that may only get music in class once a week, […]
My Musical Goals for 2016
As promised, some of my musical goals for 2016…. What do you want to sound like musically this year? I have a tendency to play with a lot of slurs, both in my interpretation and improvisation. This year I am making it a goal to be more intentional about utilizing tonguing as an essential component […]
New Year, New Goals
Do you have dreams of what you’d like to sound like, or what you’d like to be able to do musically? I hope you do! And I hope you will consider what baby steps you may be able to make towards meeting goals that may help that dream come to reality this year. Musical goals […]
Brass and Braces
Have you ever seen the James Bond film Moonraker? You know, the one with the giant ogre like villain with the hideous and scary looking mouth filled with jagged and piercing metal, Jaws they called him. That’s the image that comes to my mind when I think back to having braces. Extreme? Perhaps, but braces […]
Critical Components for Summer Shedding the Blues
Students in our new Eastside Elements ensemble are doing so great! They are just starting to click! And if you are a first year jazz student this may be helpful to you as well. Or maybe you’d like to get started. No time like the present! If you would, allow me to suggest a few […]