Our music education
Blog
for parents and students.
Don’t set lofty goals without knowing how much work it will take to achieve them, that will only lead to disappointment. Instead, set weekly practice goals with your teacher, with long term goals in mind, such as performances, competitions, playing in an ensemble or with friends and family, or just a higher level of proficiency with your own instrument.
Have Musical Heroes! In the early stages, and in every stage, of your musical journey take advantage of learning from people who have mastered skills you are working on, who have meaningful careers in music, or who have incorporated music into their own life, into their family or community in ways that make a difference.
Are you new to the music scene and curious about how this all works? Are you eager to start exploring music, but o all those lines, dots, and squiggles on the page have your brain in a tailspin? Although learning to read music can seem like an overwhelming task at first, with the help of the right instructor, you’d be amazed at how quickly interpreting those hieroglyphs can become second nature.
Although the tried-and-true technique of “practice, practice, practice” is essential to promoting musical growth, sometimes a small dose of variety can bring new vitality to your practice routine. If you’re interested in finding some new ways to mix up your routine check out these 3 music apps and get practicing!
I have been asked many times by various students different versions of the same question: “How do I even start writing music?” This question is difficult to answer and varies for everyone, but I would like to talk to you about how I personally write music! This isn’t intended to be a theory breakdown about how to put different harmonies together or song forms but rather as a way to expand on your own ideas.
In our current society, listening is the root of all music-making. Have you ever watched a two-year-old sit at a piano and explore it by touching any key he or she chooses? If a musician had never been exposed to piano players that make great sounds and had no idea which keys made great sounds when pressed simultaneously, this musician may be no more talented than the two-year-old. By contextualizing what we attempt to create musically, it instantly becomes recognizable and pleasurable to the ear. So, where do we begin?
Even though I’m a drummer, this article has some gems for other instrumentalists. although I’ve been playing drums for over twenty years, I didn’t start using serious rhythm improvement techniques until…well, I’d rather not say. 😓 But if I had taken this article’s advice, I would have been WAY more prepared for auditions, performances and studio recording. I wouldn’t have spent so many years with the bad habit of speeding up my tempo, especially while playing fills! Truth be told, that habit STILL haunts my rhythm technique! 😵
