Program Development

Since the very beginning, my studio’s target population has been school-aged children and teens. We offer voice, piano, and guitar lessons as well as music therapy, and have been very fortunate to fill every available time slot and maintain a sizable waiting list.

But as I’ve mentioned before, I always like to set challenges for myself and for my business. I have found that summer is a good time to try new things, so this month my studio launched two early childhood music classes.

It’s always a bit scary to go out on a limb, especially when that means marketing to a brand new demographic — babies and toddlers. We kept our marketing plan quite simple, advertising via social media and email only (no print ads or fliers).

By Marc Powell Examinations for music students are becoming more popular each year. These tests can be great to build confidence and give structure for students in their studies. ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall, Piano Guild, NFMC are all examples of organizations who provide assessments for all levels of study. These examinations are also helpful for college bound students, especially those thinking of pursuing a degree in music. The...

Read More

vision_highwaySummertime is just around the corner! What a wonderful time to examine where you are now and where you want to be, as well as take some needed time to relax, enjoy the weather and spend time with family and friends! As I wrap up the end of my teaching year, I am taking some time to reflect on the last year and envision the future of my studio.

Recently I read the book, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. This book is told from a dog’s perspective (Enzo), and is a lovely fictional tale with a message for living a rich life, sticking to ideals, and creating vision. Since I am a dog lover and my dog’s name is Enzo, a friend suggested that I read it. If you haven’t already read the book, I highly recommend it for your summer reading list!

One of the most poignant statements for me in the book was –

“That which you manifest is before you.”

by Jamey Mann I am the newest member of The Catoctin School of Music family. I am a classical guitarist with years of playing and teaching experience. Through my years of teaching I found that one of the most important things I can teach my students is how to practice efficiently and correctly. This is sometimes more important than any riff or technical exercise I can...

Read More

By Wayne Estes Through this blog, I hope to remind every musician and teacher of the one of the biggest reasons we all love and enjoy music…the sound. I believe every sound, note and voice has its own tone and texture which can invoke a rich feeling in us because of our previous experiences and interpretations of this mechanical energy that travels through the air. We...

Read More