Figuring out when and how much to practice can be daunting, especially if you are learning a new instrument. New students tend to overwork themselves if they are passionate about succeeding. They often get frustrated at their lack of immediate...
Read moreJust Play
When taking lessons, it can be a bit challenging to keep up with everything you are learning as well as finding time to just noodle around on your instrument. However, I believe it’s important to find time to sit with your instrument and just...
Read moreMusic to Your Ears
One of the activities that impacted me the most during music school was not actually part of the curriculum. Mr. Patrick, my music theory professor, encouraged us to spend time listening to music. I spent countless hours in my school’s music...
Read moreGive Life to Your Music
How can our imagination help improve our performance in music? When I first began playing piano I never understood what my teacher meant by the phrase “bring your music to life." I realized that when I played music, I was playing like a robot. I...
Read moreTeaching Makes You a Better Musician
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein As a young teenager, I took private lessons at a private music school much like San Antonio Music Academy. I have a brother 5 years younger than me who was...
Read moreCritical Listening and Goal-Setting in Music Lessons
In my first lesson with any new student I think it’s important to establish a common ground by getting on the same page with things like previous music experience, expectations for lessons, and vocal goals. Since I’ve started teaching, I realized...
Read moreHow Does Music Work? (and Why Should We Play It?)
Music is something I have studied, thought about, and practiced most of my life and yet only understood little. I thought this might be a fun chance to peek into the science behind music and also think about some of the reasons we study it. The...
Read moreOrganizing Your Practice Time
With many students having more free time at home during this pandemic, I know each and every one of you is wondering how you can spend all of your extra time perfecting your musical instrument. Have no fear- I have compiled a list of some useful...
Read moreLooking Beyond the Notes: Techniques for Bringing Music to Life
Playing the piano is multifaceted. As pianists grow, the way that we play the piano should grow as well. In the beginning, we learn about note names, dynamics, and articulation. These are important factors in our success as pianists and...
Read moreA Comparison of Pandemics and the Effects on Music
Since the start of this pandemic, the experience of music has changed from being social and inclusive to that of an independent experience. But how does this differ from the treatment of music in 1918 during the Spanish Flu? During the 1900’s...
Read moreAdapting to the New Norm – Virtual Music Lessons
During this unforeseen pandemic, we have slowly been adapting to a new norm: distance learning. It is inevitably becoming an important schooling style for both teachers and students before resuming to the regular in-person classroom setting...
Read moreVirtual Learning Essentials for Musicians
With the start of the 2020-21 school year beginning with the vast majority of students starting the year learning online, the large number of SAMA students currently taking lessons online, and the SAMA Virtual Recital coming up, I thought would...
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