Year: 2010

With the new school year upon us, this is a month of renewal for lots of us.  Take time this month to renew your passion for music by branching out and exploring exciting musical opportunities -- check out the ideas below to get started! Check out a new artist or style of music: Your teacher can probably suggest some new artists or styles to listen to.  The more we listen to music, t...

Dynamics: Say it louder!

Dynamics generally refer to volume in music - how loud or soft a note is played.  Dynamics originates from the Greek word 'dynamikos', which means powerful.  Used in music, the 'power' with which you sing a note or press a key will result in a certain dynamic level.  Because the musical language is Italian, we use Italian words to designa...

Got Rhythm?

Gershwin said it right in his jazz standard: "I Got Rhythm, I Got Music!"  The more attuned we are to the rhythm of a song, the more musical it begins to feel.  Notes become less choppy, our fingers and mind feel focused and relaxed and we begin to play more naturally.  Rhythm is a tricky aspect of learning any instrument -- but add in notes, hand coordinati...

This month we'll delve into some of the basics in reading sheet music -- even if you are in voice lessons, a solid foundation in reading music is very important!  Without further ado....

1. Measures: Songs are broken into small sections, called measures.  Measures are divided on either side by a bar line - a thin black line that helps us clearly see where when measure starts...

There are many reasons why we don't offer “every other week” lessons. Here are just a few:

1. From our experience in the past, 90% of students taking lessons scheduled ever other week will drop out of lessons (and stop learning) within a month or two.
2. When something comes up and you have to...

With our biannual student concert just around the corner, some tips to help combat stage fright are in order!  Ah, stage fright – that dreaded onslaught of fear so many of us experience before (and sometimes while) we perform.  The pulse quickens.  Breathing becomes short, shallow and unsupported.  Hands become sweaty and shaky.  Sound familiar?

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Occasional flu and cold symptoms are inevitable for most of us, especially during the colder months.  Added to the normal responsibilities of school and work, feeling under the weather can leave us with little energy leftover to practice music.  By all means, take a few days off of practice when you're sick.  But what should you do when you feel well enough to get back into the s...