by Jamey Mann, Catoctin School of Music Every musician comes to the point where they become very busy. A robust teaching schedule, consistent gigging, performance jobs, or continuing education can make finding time to practice difficult even for accomplished musicians (yes, we must still practice). This is true for adult students as well. In fact, it is more important for students still learning the instrument to...
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by Alyssa Cowell, Catoctin School of Music Every 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...
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by Jamey Mann, Catoctin School of Music What is your New Years resolution? This is a common question around this time of year. I often find it an annoying question as no one really takes their resolution(s) seriously and many give up within weeks to months of the new year. Although most of the time it is just part of conversation, it can be a lot...
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by Alyssa Cowell, Catoctin School of Music Today’s instrument is a little extra special because it is an instrument that the author designed and built from scratch! Let’s get to know CSM’s folk instruments – meet the Kalimba! CSM’s Kalimba was made during the pandemic lock-down by yours truly – it was a super fun learning experience that utilized some non-traditional, cutting-edge tech to create a traditional...
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by Alyssa Cowell, Catoctin School of Music I happen to love holiday and Christmas music, and it is not just that the melodies are so classic and they conjure up wonderful old memories of enjoyable times growing up with my family and church in a rural Virginia farming community. What I’ve discovered as a piano teacher is the power of one of those old melodies to...
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