Year: 2009

Ah, nothing like alliteration to kick things off!  In this article, we'll be discussing the ins and outs of posture and its role in piano lessons.  It's often overlooked, and for good reason: it's just not that exciting.  But it is important and plays a vital role in playing comfortably and effectively through the years, so it's best to learn and apply these techniques early o...

If you're in voice lessons, you've probably had your teacher lead you through some stretches, tell you to keep your knees relaxed, etc.  Ever wonder why?  Body positioning plays a significant role in producing a strain-free, natural sound. Over the course of the day - especially if we're spending long hours sitting at a desk! - the shoulders and neck tend to hold tension and the brea...

As a beginner shopping for their first guitar, there are several categories to choose from.

First of all, where should you shop for your first guitar or other music gear? Sweetwater is our preferred musical instrument seller. They have a top-notch sales department, competitive p...

Learning an instrument takes consistent work, but it should also be fun and relaxing.  After playing a song, I've heard countless students remark that it "sounded better at home."  Lots of people - kids and adults - tend to get a little self-conscious in lessons, especially early on.  T...

Breathing is an essential part of being able to sing correctly.  You may be thinking, “How hard can it be?  I do it everyday of my life!”  Well, the truth is our breathing habits over the course of our lives sometimes get very out of whack and we develop bad habits that can hinder us from being able to sing freely. When we are born we have perfectly operating lungs and breath fu...

When students begin learning piano (or guitar, or any instrument for that matter!), there's a common starting point - learn to identify intervals, types of notes, and so forth.  With voice, the path is generally not as clearly laid out.  While music theory still applies, students beginning voice lessons have quite likely sung before at some point and have an idea in their head of how ...

As with any instrument, practice outside of lessons is very important for continued progress.  For most kids, parental encouragement and support is necessary to ensure practicing is done regularly throughout the week.  During the school year, aim to build practice sessions into your child's regular schedule - or into your own schedule!  During the summer, take extra measures to k...