When the last school year started, I tried something I hadn't done before. I started prepping kids for the winter holiday recital in September. They thought I was crazy, but I knew it had to be a good idea! Some of you might be reading this thinking, "Duh! I do this every year!" But not everyone is hip to this idea. The reasons why it's so great...
Read MoreEvery once in awhile, a student will ask me a question that seems like it should be easy to answer but isn’t. Recently, I had a young vocalist ask me who my favorite singer is. The follow-up question: “Why are they the best?” got me thinking a little bit more. The student in question is young, and while it is flattering to think that she considers...
Read MoreAn inevitable part of being a musician is performance anxiety. From accomplished performers and teachers to beginning students we all experience it to some degree. Even those who say they do not deal with it still have a physiological reaction when performing. It is important to have techniques ready to teach students how to deal with the anxiety they are experiencing. One of the first things...
Read MoreI love having new games in my studio, and I have to tell you this one's a keeper. It's called SCALE SCRAMBLE. It's basically a big deck of cards with multiples of every possible scale step, as well as cards marked as "Tonic" and "Guppy", which is like a wild card. I read the instructions, and I have to admit, I didn't get it. You're supposed...
Read MoreBy Wayne Estes Oftentimes I feel that I’ve gotten bogged down in my own practice with technical studies, reading, scale work and I see my teaching style starting to go in the same direction. But many of my students aren’t in grad school and studying to become a professional musician, so I must remind myself what they are coming to study with me for. I can...
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