As a classically-trained violinist, I didn’t learn improvisation at all until just a few years ago when I decided to teach myself. Improv opened up a whole new world of music making to me; I learned that I’m capable of
Every music teacher has been there—you’re working with one section of your ensemble fixing a tricky passage and it goes a little longer than you expected it to. While you’re trying to get this done, the rest of the students
This year I wanted to try something different with my students. Instead of using practice records or playing tests to hold them accountable, I decided to experiment with accountability groups. While we’re only halfway through the year and still figuring
Our concert is less than a week away, but I’m ready to be done with this music. Normal rehearsals aren’t cutting it for me anymore. Honestly, I feel like we keep going over the same things and there’s not much
I have felt kind of stuck for the last couple of years. I get frustrated with myself and my students pretty frequently, and I’m tired of feeling mediocre all the time. This year I’m trying an experiment to see if
Do you feel like your students are just not very motivated, or does it seem like students are less motivated than they used to be? If so, you aren’t alone. Lack of motivation is one of the most common excuses
Left-hand skills are the ones generally covered in method books, so it’s likely you are already teaching most if not all of these skills in your classes. Still, left-hand technique covers a lot of ground, so it’s good to take
I’ve heard professors say on multiple occasions that students are often two years behind in right hand skills compared to left hand skills when they get to college. I don’t have any evidence to back that up, but I believe
Rhythm practice is a daily part of my orchestra classes at all levels. Rhythm is one of the most basic music concepts, yet I’ve found that it requires more practice than just about any other aspect of playing for my
You step up to your podium, facing a classroom full of students ready to start playing. You finish your tuning routine and then think “Now what?” Shouldn’t you do some sort of warmup before you jump into rehearsing the pieces?