Your teacher is there to give you guidance and instruction on how to practice your instrument. What I wish to address is the importance of making the most of each of lesson. Chances are you simply have ONE 30-minute lesson a week. That is a very...
Read moreAre Music Lessons Right For You?
How do you know if music lessons are right for you or your student? This question doesn't answer itself quickly. How did my parents know that music was right for me?Well...they didn't. They really couldn't have. But why then did I end up...
Read moreHow to Prepare for a Recital
There are several steps a student must take in order to have a successful recital. Listed below are several things that will help the student become more confident and well prepared for their recital. No one thing is more important than the other...
Read morePracticing Blues
In our modern-day world of instant messaging, fast food and high-speed internet, we are beginning to lose an appreciation for things which take time, work and determination. A talent or ability is like a seed which can be planted and cultivated...
Read moreOn Listening
Can you become a great musician without listening? Probably not. As a developing pianist, I make a point to attend almost every piano concert available in San Antonio. A great benefit of this is hearing pieces you have never heard that you really...
Read moreLearn How to Count Properly
Music is math. Music is set to a meter, a predetermined count of time. This applies to all music. As a musician, each one of us controls time and space with sound. In order to play music properly, we all must have a rudimentary understanding of...
Read moreDealing with Performance Anxiety
As musicians, most of us at some point in our lives will have the opportunity to play his or her instrument onstage for an audience. This performance experience can be a rewarding one. Yet for many, this can be a very frightening thought. If you...
Read moreDo You Practice Effectively?
Many students do not practice effectively. When students learn to improve their practicing habits, they will make remarkable progress on a weekly basis. Below are practice techniques that can be used to increase the effectiveness of a student's...
Read moreOn Performing
Performing: some people love it. Some people hate it. The important thing to remember is that we all need to do it! Performing helps us become better musicians and gives us a goal to work toward when we practice.The main reason some students hate...
Read moreExpanding your Musical Library
Growing up, we tend to gravitate toward a particular style of music. While listening and learning one style can form a great foundation & love for music, it limits our musical library. Listening to other styles can have a profound effect on...
Read moreAlfredo Guzman on Listening
As long as I have been taking music lessons, one thing that my instructors have always stressed to me is the importance of LISTENING to music. There are two ways to listen to music; there is passive listening and intent listening. As musicians I...
Read more“Is My Child Making Progress?” – Jake Ramirez
As a teacher, throughout the year I tend to hear the same questions asked by many parents of young music students. One of them being, "Is my child making progress?" It makes me happy to see parents wanting their students to excel. It's safe to...
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