Every ensemble has a mix of skill levels — and every teacher knows the challenge of helping struggling students without slowing the whole group down. Every year I get a few new students who aren’t as skilled or experienced as
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
This past week Drew Forde (aka ThatViolaKid) sent out a bold message: There is no money in classical music. His article is hard to argue with, and he makes a lot of really great points. I have no doubt he’s
January, February, and March are tough months to get through. We just finished all the fun December holidays and spring festivals, tours, and year-end events are still so far away. How do you get your students to stay strong and
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
What makes a school year successful? How do you know you’re a good teacher? Can we just talk about this for a minute? It’s the end of the school year and the last few weeks have been a rollercoaster of
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