Weekly music lessons are a valuable investment, and making the most of that time requires intention from students, parents, and instructors alike. Arriving prepared with tuned instruments, completed assignments, and questions ensures that each lesson builds forward instead of catching up.

Listening plays a central role: students must actively hear their own playing, their teacher’s guidance, and the nuances of tone, rhythm, and dynamics that shape musical growth. Practice should be varied and purposeful. Break sessions into small sections: warm-ups, technique, repertoire, and creative exploration. Slow practice, repetition, and even silent “mental practice” all contribute to steady improvement. Progress in music is rarely linear; some weeks feel like leaps, others like plateaus. Consistency, patience, and reflection help students move through both.

Preparing for performances teaches focus and confidence. Simulating performance conditions at home by playing through pieces without stopping can make a significant difference. Parents can support by creating a positive environment, celebrating effort, and encouraging regular practice without pressure.

Above all, genuine interest is the driving force behind lasting success. Whether music becomes a career, a trade, or a lifelong hobby, curiosity and enjoyment sustain motivation. When students are truly engaged, practice becomes meaningful, lessons become exciting, and progress becomes deeply rewarding.

Paul Dattner, A.M., Guitar Instructor

Since early civilizations thousands of years ago, humans have shared music together; some through carving flutes out of bones, drums out of wood, and joining their voices in song. In today’s world, taking music lessons provides a stepping stone toward creating music in your own community; learning the language of music opens a variety of opportunities, such as writing your own music, joining bands, and jamming with other talented musicians (just to name a few). Music in a community setting has also been scientifically proven to have positive impacts on our physical and mental well-being. While it can be easy to get stuck in the practice room, it’s important to remind yourself that music is an art, and sharing it can bring so much joy to you and your community.

One of the easiest ways to communicate musically with others is through a basic understanding of music theory. Learning note names, chords, scales, rhythms, etc., provides the terminology that many musicians understand and use for playing together. In the same way that you would use Duolingo to learn a new language and talk to people, taking music lessons allows you to understand and talk about music with other musicians. While understanding music theory is not necessary to play an instrument, it can offer a common vocabulary for exchanging ideas.

Music lessons also open the doors to creating your own music. Once you are proficient on an instrument, you can get creative and try your own combinations or patterns of notes and chords. Grab a fellow musician, tell them your ideas, and now you have a jam session!

With everything going on in the world today, it is easy to feel isolated. However, music has scientifically proven ways to help combat the global loneliness crisis. Shared musical experiences can synchronize heart rates and movements, enhancing feelings of connection even among strangers. Music can also increase levels of oxytocin, fostering trust and generosity while reducing stress and anxiety.

Taking music lessons is a great first step in fostering connection and community. Next steps can include finding local jams, supporting live music, or joining or creating a band. SAMA also offers opportunities to make music with others through our Student Band Program. You can also talk to your instructor about their own experiences with music outside of the practice room. The following are some famous quotes about music and its link to community and well-being:

“Music is a therapy. It is a communication far more powerful than words, far more immediate, far more efficient.”

– Yehudi Menuhin (American-British violinist and conductor)

“Music has a great power for bringing people together. With so many forces in this world acting to drive wedges between people, it’s important to preserve those things that help us experience our common humanity.”

– Ted Turner (American entrepreneur and television producer)

“The power of music to integrate and cure … is quite fundamental. It is the profoundest non-chemical medication.”

– Oliver Sacks (British neurologist)

“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”

– Billy Joel (American singer-songwriter and pianist)

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”

– Victor Hugo (French author)

“Music has touched the human soul across all boundaries of time, space, and genre. … Perhaps, in its vibratory nature, music opens us to a greater appreciation of our essential connectedness to the cosmos, our oneness with all that is.”

–  Balfour M. Mount (Canadian physician)

Learning music can be a portal to your creativity, community, and happiness. Now get out there and make some music!

Veronica Lizárraga, M.M., Piano Instructor

Verenice D’Santiago-Eastman, PhD
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Specialist in School Psychology

It is with heartfelt enthusiasm that I share our family’s musical journey. As both a parent and child psychologist, I’ve had front-row seats to the many ways music education and the dedicated instructors at SAMA have shaped my children’s growth. It’s not just about learning notes; it’s about resilience, emotional intelligence, and a sense of belonging that extends well beyond the stage. 

As you read and reflect on your own path, I hope you’ll see how these moments build into something truly remarkable, a transformation as uplifting as a well-played crescendo! 

Emotional Outlet and Regulation Music education has given my daughters a chance to practice emotional regulation and express feelings in healthy ways. In psychological terms, music is both a tool for affect modulation and a safe outlet for emotional expression. Learning an instrument isn’t just about scales, it’s a journey with high notes, low notes, and the occasional urge to dramatically flop onto the piano bench. For my daughter who feels deeply, playing music is her personal “emotional reset,” far more melodic for us as parents! Both girls have faced frustration, and I’ve watched them use strategies like deep breathing, mindful breaks, humming, and self-talk. Instead of avoiding discomfort, they’re learning to tolerate distress and persist. If there’s one lesson I hope sticks, it’s that they can do hard things, and sometimes, the best therapy is to let the music play!

Executive Functioning Recitals are a unique opportunity to focus, plan, and execute goals, nurturing self-efficacy and autonomy. For my youngest, preparing for a recital is a masterclass in time management, goal-setting, and motivation regulation. Research shows learning an instrument boosts executive functions like working memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility. At home, her attention span has gone from less than half a minute (blink and you’d miss it!) to sitting through entire lessons and daily practice, noisy interruptions and all. Even more exciting is seeing this discipline spill over into academics. She’s not just practicing music; she’s practicing focus, persistence, and sticking with challenges. The result? Academic growth and initiative: whether it’s a tricky piano piece or conquering a math skill for her own intrinsic value. 

Resiliency At home, the performance doesn’t stop when the curtain falls. The girls regularly stage living room “concerts” (complete with “showlights”), blending music, dance, and sibling negotiation. These moments of imaginative play are more than adorable, they’re building blocks for resilience, creativity, and social connection. Well-established studies show imaginative play fosters problem-solving, emotional flexibility, and adaptive coping, all essential for developing resiliency. Children who engage in pretend play are better equipped to navigate challenges and bounce back from setbacks, so every living room concert is not just entertainment, but rehearsal for life’s bigger stages. 

Accepting Feedback One of my favorite developments has been watching my daughters cultivate the superpower of handling constructive feedback. Thanks to music instructors skilled at delivering suggestions with encouragement and clarity, both girls have learned to view feedback not as criticism, but as an invitation to grow, a hallmark of the growth mindset. This shift nurtures the belief that abilities develop through effort and learning. I can almost see the gears turning as they start to interpret feedback as cooperation rather than critique. This year, I’ve become their student myself, and my daughters now face the fresh challenge of evolving into teachers. 

Managing Anxiety SAMA instructor, Andres Losada, recently wrote that stage fright is “not an enemy to eliminate, but something we can learn to channel.” As you can imagine, this was music to my ears! In anxiety psychoeducation, we call this “anxiety reappraisal,” transforming nervous energy into excitement and focus. My oldest has become a pro at “cognitive reframing,” she sees her butterflies not as impending doom, but as a sign that something important is about to happen. (I suspect her butterflies now wear tiny tuxedos holding batons!) From my seat, I spot her deep breathing and using grounding techniques, and after the final note, a triumphant gasp of relief. In that moment, she radiates confidence and accomplishment, and there’s a wonderful sense of camaraderie with fellow performers, all navigating their own pre-show jitters. This sense of belonging and connection is what every child needs. 

I’m grateful for the way music education builds my daughters, not just as budding musicians, but as growing humans learning to manage nerves, savor achievement, and share joy with others. Most importantly, it gives them another adult in their lives who believes in them. Every child deserves another champion in their community. Thank you, SAMA, from the bottom of our family’s heart. And if you ever need a ticket to the next living room show, I know a guy.

One of the most exciting parts of learning guitar is discovering how effects can transform your tone. Whether you choose to use individual guitar effect pedals or a multi-effect unit, guitar effects can help you shape your sound and unlock a world of new musical possibilities. Here is an overview of some of the most common types of guitar effects and what they sound like.

Overdrive and Distortion

Overdrive pedals simulate the sound of a tube amplifier being “pushed” hard (turned up really loud). Distortion pedals take this concept further, creating heavier and more aggressive sounds. These types of effects are usually placed first in the guitar signal chain.

How they sound:

• Overdrive: Warm, gritty, and dynamic. It responds to how hard you pick; soft playing stays clean, while harder playing breaks up into a crunchy tone. It is commonly used in blues, rock, and pop. Overdrives are also great for boosting your guitar’s volume during a solo.
• Distortion: Thicker, louder, and more compressed. Notes sustain longer and sound more aggressive, making it perfect for playing hard rock and metal.

Modulation Effects

Modulation effects slightly alter your signal over time, often by changing pitch, timing, or volume in a repeating pattern. Common types of modulation effects are Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Tremolo, and Vibrato. These types of effects are typically placed after the Overdrives and Distortions in the guitar signal chain.

How they sound:

• Chorus: Makes your guitar sound wider and fuller, like multiple guitars playing the same part. Often adds a shimmering quality to your sound.
• Phaser/Flanger: Swirling, swooshing sounds that move up and down in frequency.
• Tremolo: A rhythmic pulsing of volume.
• Vibrato: A gentle (or dramatic) wavering of pitch.

Time-Based Effects

These effects are based on time, creating echoes or simulating acoustic spaces. Common types of time-based effects are Delay and Reverb, and are usually placed at the end of the signal chain. 

How they sound:

• Delay: Repeats your notes back to you like an echo. Short delays add thickness, while long delays create rhythmic patterns or ambient sounds.
• Reverb: Simulates playing in a room, hall, or large space. It makes your guitar sound more natural, spacious, or dreamy.

Utility Pedals

Utility pedals don’t drastically change your tone, but they are essential for control and consistency and often make performing on stage much easier.

Common utility pedals are Tuners, Volume Pedals, EQs, and Noise Gates.

How they sound:

• Tuner: Mutes your guitar signal while helping you tune. Tuner pedals are essential for anybody playing in a band.
• Volume Pedal: Allows smooth control over loudness, swells, and fade-ins. Works like your guitar’s volume knob, but is controlled by a foot-controlled expression pedal.
• EQ: Shapes tone by boosting or cutting specific frequencies.
• Noise Gate: Reduces unwanted hum and hiss when you’re not playing, great for guitars with single coil pickups and noisy distortion effects.

Whether you’re adding a touch of reverb for depth or cranking up the overdrive for some grit, experimenting with effects is a fun and rewarding part of your guitar journey. Happy playing!

Jake Ramirez, M.M., Guitar Instructor

Nothing feels as good as making progress. Whether it’s getting an “A” on a difficult test or shaving a few seconds off your lap time, the feeling of seeing your hard work pay off is unparalleled. Finding that same feeling in music can be difficult. Music is a very individual discipline. Instead of practicing with a team, you’re sitting in a practice room by yourself. Instead of seeing a teacher for hours each week, you get 30-60 minutes once per week. Instead of weekly games, most of us get one or two recitals per year. Even the most talented and dedicated students can get frustrated and lose steam. But if you want to succeed, regardless of what level you want to reach, you need to give yourself 1 thing above all others: time.

Music requires physical proficiency, mental fortitude, and emotional stamina and each of these factors needs dedicated, focused time to develop. Your growth will not be linear. You will have periods of tremendous growth, then you will plateau. It is perfectly natural! That period of plateau is when your consistency becomes most important. So, here’s some advice to get through the plateau and on to the next breakthrough:

1. Choose YOUR goal. Not your parent’s goal, not your friend’s goal. Yours. What do you want to accomplish? It can be small, like learning how to find middle C, or huge, like wanting to become a working professional. Give yourself a plan to achieve that goal. Your teacher can help you!
2. Recognize what has improved. It can be easy to not see the small successes, as a species we tend to acknowledge only the big wins. Appreciate the little wins too, they’re moving you forward and will add up quickly.
3. Give yourself time. It’s said that true mastery takes 10,000 hours. Fit your practice into your daily schedule. Sixty, thirty, ten, or even five minutes of consistent practice each day will take you further than you’d think.
4. Find the practice flow that works for you. Maybe you’re not the “sit down and practice for two hours straight” type of person. Maybe you’re a “ten minutes here, ten minutes there” person. Even a mental rehearsal where you’re just looking at your music is practice. IPad games that help you learn your notes is practice!

Remember, we’re all climbing the mountain together! Lean on your community for support, take breaks when you get frustrated, but please don’t give up. You’re doing a great job!

Olivia Spencer, Piano Instructor

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