Whether you are starting to learn an instrument or already have years of practice under your belt, you should know the importance of good habits and a good space to improve focus. Having a goal to work towards could look like anything, from the...
Read morePracticing with Purpose: It’s more than just run-throughs!
Ahh, the age-old tale of practicing. You’ll often hear us instructors repeat ourselves, almost like broken records, emphasizing the importance of effective practice. But what does effective practicing actually look like? In my studio, I have my...
Read moreIs Perfect Pitch Actually Perfect
Have you ever met someone who is able to identify a note being played without having any context to the music? Absolute pitch, commonly known as perfect pitch, is often found amongst musicians. I personally like to refer to “perfect pitch” as...
Read moreMethods to Help Write Music
Have you ever wanted to write your own music but don’t know where to start? It might seem overwhelming at first, but here are some methods that have been helpful to me over the course of my music journey, which might be useful to you as well. 1...
Read moreChallenging Musical Norms
Music is not only an art form but a source of endless fascination. The eccentric composer John Cage, who passed away in 1992, left behind a body of work that continues to captivate enthusiasts and intellectuals alike. His compositions are far from...
Read moreBalancing Passion and Persistence
Music has inspired people since the beginning of humanity. It fills us with joy, sorrow, and every emotion in between. It is the reason we choose to learn an instrument. For many, playing music is the primary way we express ourselves. We learn a...
Read moreThe Perfect Performance
We are not perfect beings, and there is no such thing as a perfect performance. As musicians, we judge other performances, and we are judged by others. What is far worse than the judgment of others is the judgment we place on ourselves. Throughout...
Read moreMemorizing Your Music
As a performer, teacher, and student, it took me a while to understand the benefits of memorizing music and trusting oneself. I don't mean to imply that musicians who perform with sheet music are less than those who play without it. Just like most...
Read moreJust Jam! The Benefits of Playing with Other Musicians
The first time I was asked to accompany a choir on the piano, I was only 14 years old. Even though I could play the songs quite well on my own, keeping up with the ensemble was a challenge I had not yet experienced. It tested my sense of time and...
Read moreCommon Problems and How to Fix Them
As a piano instructor, I have noticed that some of the most common problems students struggle with are rushing, missing notes or jumps, evenness, rapid position shifts, chords, and trills. The fixes below have helped many of my students, and I...
Read moreMusic Theory: It’s the recipe for music!
The term music theory is something that’s often thrown around a lot, especially when it comes to music education. But what is it and why should you care about it? Music Theory is the study of the language of music to better communicate and...
Read moreIt’s Just Intonation
3 Reasons You Should Practice With a Drone A drone is a continuous pitch or stack of pitches that plays for most or all of a musical piece. It is what the bagpipes do for Scottish anthems or what the tanpura does for Indian ragas. I have found a...
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