Ever since I can remember, I’ve always heard other teachers or fellow students say, “Play along with the song you are learning” or “learn that falseta [lick] and play along with the maestro.” If I was learning a piece from my classical repertoire, my teacher always said, “Record yourself and you will hear what can be improved.” I can’t forget hearing “You ALWAYS need a metronome!” The truth is that music is like learning a new language, just without being spoken, and recording yourself is one way to get instant feedback.

There are many benefits to playing with a track – whether you’re learning full-length songs or repertoire from your books. Along with getting an ear-training workout, playing along with a track will help you learn your material much faster. This is because you are trying to better match your playing to the track, which helps you learn it quickly. If something is too fast, I recommend breaking it down so you learn the notes first. Learning to play your part slowly before you speed it up is a great way to tell if you are ready. Slow practice will help your playing improve technically and, most importantly, give your music clarity. Patience and time will work with you. This brings me to my next step, which is using a metronome.

Metronome practice is another tool that will help your tempo and keep you from speeding up or dragging. It helps with accenting beats and defining the clarity of your subdivisions. After spending some time practicing with a metronome, bring your playing back to a track and see how close you can get to it. Remember, this may take some repetition before you start seeing results, and that’s okay.

This next step is probably the most exciting, because you get to hear what you sound like. Recording yourself can be scary at first, but you’ll see how much it can help you improve. When you start, you can simply use your phone’s recording app or another device or software, such as GarageBand. After recording yourself alongside the track you are working on, listen back to what you recorded, and you’ll hear the parts where you are strongest and the areas where you need improvement. Once you identify your weak and strong parts, I recommend approaching the weak points first, then the strong points of your playing. This is a great opportunity for you to improve as a young music student.

These practice methods can be applied to any instrument, style, or genre you wish to learn. This method helped me learn how to play Rock, Jazz, Flamenco, and Classical on the guitar—with the guidance of a good teacher.

Mark Salazar, B.M., Guitar Instructor

It’s finally my time—spooky season—and I’m about to make it everyone’s problem. Whether you’re enjoying a classic horror movie marathon with your family or having a slasher flick night with friends, there’s always some kind of sinister or unnerving music (or even just creepy sound effects) setting the mood. So what exactly makes this music sound scary? Let’s talk about it.

The Tritone – “The Devil’s Interval”

At the heart of many spooky melodies lies the tritone, an interval spanning three whole tones (e.g., C to F#). In medieval times, this unsettling sound was nicknamed diabolus in musica—“the devil in music”, which honestly sounds pretty metal. Its dissonant clash creates immediate tension, which composers love to use in horror scores and Halloween-themed music.

Dissonance and Clashing Harmonies

Unlike the pleasing and often jovial sounds of a major chord, horror music often leans into dissonance—notes that don’t quite “fit” together. It’s kind of like trying to jam in a puzzle piece that looks like it belongs but doesn’t quite click into place. Composers like Bernard Herrmann (think Psycho) and many modern artists use layers of clashing harmonies and avoid resolution, which creates that uneasy, unsettled feeling we associate with fear.

Unpredictable Rhythms and Uneven Meter

A good scare always comes from the unexpected! I got a taste of this myself when I worked as a scare actor in SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream, where keeping people off-balance was part of the fun. Horror music frequently uses strange time signatures (like 5/4 or 7/8) or irregular rhythms to keep listeners off-balance. Combine that with sudden dynamic shifts or jarring tempo changes, and you’ve got a feeling of musical unease.

Sound Design & Texture – Less Melody, More Atmosphere

In modern horror scores, composers often abandon traditional melodies in favor of texture. Think eerie string glissandos (sliding notes), whispering woodwinds, or electronic drones. These create a soundscape that feels more like creeping fog than a singable tune—perfect for building suspense. These atmospheric sounds and noises are enough to force attention elsewhere, and I guarantee any instrument is capable of producing them with plenty of experimenting.

The Minor Key is King

Finally, many Halloween favorites are written in minor keys, which naturally sound darker and more somber than their major counterparts. Try playing “In the Hall of the Mountain King” or The Addams Family theme in a major key—you’ll quickly realize why flats feel so much darker than sharps. The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack (or any Danny Elfman composition really) is a fun pit stop for spooky season shenanigans.

Try It Yourself!

You can challenge yourself this month to compose an 8-bar spooky piece. Use a minor key, experiment with tritones, and don’t be afraid of a little dissonance. You can and probably will drive your parents nuts (batty even), but hey—they can’t stop you because you’re learning!

Odelia Pena, Violin Instructor

Have you ever been about to walk on stage and suddenly felt that inexplicable fear of facing the audience? Maybe your breathing quickens, you start sweating more than usual, or your mind fills with thoughts of doubt and the fear of making a mistake.

If so, you are not alone. This is called stage fright, and it’s much more common than you might think.

In the world of music, theater, dance, and even film, this phenomenon is part of every performer’s journey. Great artists like Adele, Sia, or Axl Rose have experienced it at some point in their careers. The difference is that they learned how to live with it and transform it into a tool to enhance their performances.

Interestingly, stage fright is not always negative. In fact, it can be a sign that your body is alive, alert, and ready for something important. Fear is often connected to the idea of “mistakes”: the worry of slipping up in front of others. But the truth is, most of the time a mistake doesn’t ruin anything. The audience isn’t there to judge you; they are there to cheer you on and enjoy the moment with you. A wrong note or an insecure passage rarely matters if what you’re giving is passion, commitment, and connection.

As an opera singer, I’ve had the opportunity to perform on many stages around the world, and I’ve seen how this fear tries to take over both myself and my colleagues. Over time, I’ve discovered strategies that can help, and I’d like to share them with you:

Strategies to Manage Stage Fright

• Breathe consciously: It may sound obvious, but your breath is your best ally. Try inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 12, and exhaling for 8. This simple exercise calms your nervous system and shifts your focus away from fear.
• Use your imagination: Change the way you picture the stage. Imagine you’re in your practice room, at home, or in an empty hall. This mental shift can trick your brain into relaxing.
• Practice until you feel secure: Confidence comes from preparation. Don’t just aim to feel “100% ready”; strive for 200%. The more memorized and polished your piece is, the less room there is for fear. You can also practice in front of friends or family to accustom yourself to performing for others.
• Be kind to yourself: Your thoughts shape your experience. If you tell yourself, “I’m going to mess up,” you’re more likely to feel tense. Instead, remind yourself, “I’ve prepared, I’m capable, and my audience will enjoy what I share.” Your mind and body will respond positively.
• Turn adrenaline into energy: That nervous rush you feel can become your fuel. Imagine how dull a performance would be without emotion. That tingling before you go on stage can be transformed into the spark that makes your performance unique and unforgettable.

In summary, stage fright is not an enemy to eliminate, but rather an energy we can learn to channel. Every recital, concert, or audition is an opportunity to share music and reveal a little of who you are. So breathe, trust your preparation, be gentle with yourself, and above all, enjoy the stage.

“The audience wants to see you succeed, to cheer you on, and to be moved by your art. And you deserve the joy of sharing it.”

Andres Losada, M.M., Piano Instructor

The new school year is just around the corner which means making time for practice can be a bit challenging but is key to progressing in your lessons.  Whether it’s homework, sports, band, theater, MMA, or just work and family, carving out time for your lessons is important.  Everyone’s schedule is different but there is time, so find it. 

Figure out which day and time will work best.  It could be the same day as your lesson.  When I was taking lessons, I found that practicing before and after my lessons always helped me have a much better lesson.  Also, your lesson doesn’t count as practicing for the day.  

I tell my students to practice 4 – 5 days a week for 15-20 minutes a day if you’re a beginner and 30 minutes and up if you’ve been in lessons longer or you’re older.  Make it consistent.  Practicing is your homework so if you miss a day then you need to make it up. That might mean practicing on a day that you don’t normally practice, or waking up a little early to squeeze in a quick session.  I had one student that started to practice in the morning before she went to school and it really helped with her progress.  

I try to tell my students and parents if I was grading you for how much you practice it would look something like this.

A = 5 days of practice 

B = 4 days of practice 

C = 3 days of practice 

F = 2 days or fewer

Lastly, however many days that you do practice, make sure that it’s quality time.  Don’t just play through stuff you already know.  Also, make sure you don’t have any distractions around such as electronic devices or noise from the house such as a tv being on, siblings, or pets.  Try to find a quiet place to concentrate and focus on what you’re doing.  Make every minute count.  

Jacob Vallejo, B.M.E., Guitar Instructor

Along most people’s musical journeys, they get to a point where it seems that progress is very minimal and has maybe stopped in some way. This can often lead many to feel discouraged and maybe even give up on learning altogether. There’s an interesting theory called the “Dunning-Kruger Effect” that maps out what this can look like for most people trying to learn a new skill. It looks something like this:

On the X-Axis, we have wisdom; or how much you know about the skill on a scale from “know-nothing” to “guru”. On the Y-Axis, we have confidence in your ability to do said skill on a scale from low to high. 

The first milestone you reach as you’ve started the learning process is the “Peak of ‘Mt. Stupid’”. Very silly name, I know. Think of the phrase “ignorance is bliss”: you don’t know what you don’t know! Since you’ve started from ground zero and know very little about the subject; any progress you make is positive and seems to be quite a lot. Then you reach this peak and start to realize maybe you don’t know as much as you thought, or you see someone else who has been doing this thing for a while and so their knowledge and skills are incredible. This tends to make people fall into the “valley of despair” where things have now gotten more difficult, you start to realize more and more that there are so many layers to this new skill that you hadn’t even thought of. Many people at this point unfortunately give up, even though that’s the exact opposite of what you should do! 

If you soldier on through, keeping up with practicing and lessons, you’ll find yourself on a steady track on the “slope of enlightenment”, where you realize and accept the things you don’t know, but you also recognize the progress you’ve made so far! Finally you’ll reach the “plateau of sustainability” where you can easily teach yourself new pieces, enjoy your own playing and feel confident in the knowledge and abilities you now have with this new skill. So keep on going and don’t give up!

Hannah Petersen, B.A., Piano Instructor 

Playing in a band can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It forces you to think creatively, and you get to work alongside amazing people who will challenge you to make the best art you can create. So, how do you go about finding the right people and starting one?

The most important part of finding fellow musicians is to get involved in your local music scene! Find a show that’s part of the genre you’re interested in, go see the bands, and say hi to them! You’re obviously not going to instantly meet a musician who’s ready to join your band, but as you continue going to shows, you’ll make friends and meet a lot of really cool people.

Once you find people who are ready to play, start writing and jamming until you build up a setlist. From there, practice as much as you can, and keep going to local shows and open mic nights. You might be surprised at the number of people looking for bands to play a show with them.

Ultimately, there’s a lot of luck involved when it comes to making connections with musicians. Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time. But there’s a lot you can do to increase your odds! So if you go out there, make friends, find bands you love, and become a part of your community, you will absolutely find the people you want to start a band with.

Thad Humphrey, Drum Instructor 

Every morning starts with music. I am currently listening to an Indie Artist with a high-energy beat to wake me up. When I play with blocks with my daughter, we listen to The Battle of Helm’s Deep from The Lord of the Rings to make the blocks falling feel more epic. When I’m driving in crazy San Antonio traffic, I play calming music. But when I am doing chores, I listen to techno.

My kids do the same—my daughter listens to Disney sing-along playlists when playing by herself, and the Finding Nemo soundtrack helps her fall asleep. My son listens to War Thunder music while doing homework to keep himself engaged.

Finding music that inspires you in your everyday tasks can turn the mundane into something extraordinary. It also makes picking songs to perform much easier. I often ask my students what songs they’d like to play for recitals, and am often met with “I have never heard a song before in my life!” (Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but students often struggle to name a song they like.) We spend time listening to different genres, from classical to current, but in a world overflowing with songs, playlists, and recommendations, it can be difficult to find music that you enjoy. 

The more you incorporate music into your daily life, the easier it is for you to find what you love. I strongly encourage you to notice the music playing in the background of movies—see how it influences the story and your emotions. Notice how the latest pop song on the radio makes you feel. Think about how the lyrics resonate with you. Don’t be afraid to explore outside your usual genres. Sometimes, the most powerful inspiration comes from a video game or commercial. Exploring the artist behind the music can shed a new light on the songs themselves.

Once you find something that truly transforms you, it’s easy to live in a world filled with music that inspires.

Sarah Norrie, B.A., Piano Instructor 

Hey fellow music makers,  

Perseverance is the rhythm that keeps us going—through missed chords and sore fingers. It’s the grit to practice when your hands ache or to rewrite a song for the tenth time. Every musician knows the grind; it’s where passion meets discipline. Think of legends like Beethoven, deaf yet unstoppable, or modern artists grinding through rejection to hit the charts.  

But let’s talk limits. Time, skill, even inspiration—they’re real walls. You can’t master every scale overnight or force a melody when the muse is MIA. Accepting limits isn’t defeat; it’s strategy. Focus on your strengths, lean on your bandmates, and let constraints shape something raw and unique.  

So, keep playing. Push through the noise, respect the silence, and let perseverance tune your craft.  

Randy Naranjo, M.S. Guitar Instructor

As we enter the new year, many of us set ambitious goals in the form of New Year’s resolutions. For musicians, these goals might include practicing more frequently, improving efficiency, or dedicating time to mastering a new technique or skill that has long been on the back burner.

Using an incremental approach and understanding that progress may not be immediately visible are both keys to being able to work toward your goals sustainably and effectively. If you want to increase your weekly practice time, try setting a specific time of day, along with a clear objective for each practice session.

While it may be tempting to tackle multiple goals at once, focusing on one skill at a time will make your practice much more efficient. Additionally, resist the urge to drastically extend your practice sessions. Instead, start with your usual session length and gradually increase it by five-minute increments. Don’t forget to take breaks to keep your mind fresh.

Above all, remember: practice leads to progress, not perfection!

David Rueda, Violin Instructor

Alright, so you’ve been putting in the work in developing your craft. You’ve done all the exercises and warmups, improved your technique through hours and hours of intentional and tedious practice, and may have even been training in other related fields such as acting or dancing, and your progress is visible and encouraging. You’re doing all the ‘right things’ to get better, to get the lead or prove to yourself and others that you’re a skilled performer. And the opportunity finally comes- the audition for your favorite show with the possibility of landing your dream role. You have a successful audition, are proud of yourself and you anxiously await the release of the cast list….

Ensemble? Or better yet, not cast at all? You’re a little stumped and disappointed by these results, and that is normal. After all, you, your teachers, and supporters have seen your progress. You aren’t untalented, you don’t lack the skill, you have the stage presence. Maybe you even know and have worked with the casting directors before, making this feeling of rejection all the more personal. And while all of these feelings are natural and valid, I’d like to offer some perspective on the other side of the audition process and give you some points to consider.

It’s very easy, especially at the beginning of your performing experience to think “best performer” = lead role, “ok performer” = ensemble, and “not a good performer” = “not cast at all”. After all, a lot of other facets of our lives have clearly defined tiers, winners and losers and direct, objective feedback on how well we’re doing something (grades, sports, interviewing for a job, etc.). Most of us have a meritocratic view of the world because of this, meaning the best get rewarded for the better they do.

And while it might seem unfair or personal, auditions in an arts space don’t follow these rules. The directors’ creativity and vision plays as big a part as your skill level in determining casting. You could be the sweetest peach in the orchard, but the directors are looking to make an apple pie. You don’t have to do anything “wrong” to not be chosen for something. In many cases, a lot of things are completely out of your hands, such as how you slot together with your fellow auditionees. What good does it do if you could absolutely nail the big sister role if none of the boys auditioning would work as your little brother? I implore you to view each audition that comes your way as an opportunity, and if it doesn’t work, being able to move on to the next without it becoming a statement of your abilities. Bouncing back from rejection is half the game here. Rejection is not only inevitable in this space, but abundant, and it’s not an affirmation of your skill or worthiness.

Instead, turn your attention towards your intrinsic motivation and things you can control. It’s normal to want validation or reward for your hard work, but seek that affirmation from within. Sing, dance, act, not solely for being able to do it well and receive praise or reward, but because you love to do it and you can’t imagine your life without doing it. Build discipline when it comes to developing your skills, and enjoy your progress and way to express yourself. Nothing that is meant for you will ever miss you!

Khadijah Enriquez, B.M., Voice Instructor