by April O'Keefe | Jan 28, 2018 | Teaching Tips
Teaching precise rhythm is a necessary evil in teaching music. We do not really want to teach rhythm! We want them just to be able to do it! Let’s instead get to the fun stuff: dynamics and music making!!! Okay, but hold on. They must understand where to place all of...
by April O'Keefe | Oct 23, 2017 | Inspiration, Motivation, Teaching Tips
Children are incredibly active. Honestly, too much. When competing with sports, academics, church, clubs, play dates, and all the other things, how does music fit into a well-balanced life for today’s youth? Here are eight ways to help you keep music on the schedule....
by April O'Keefe | Oct 8, 2017 | Inspiration, Motivation, Practice Strategies, Teaching Tips
We, as music teachers, believe that what we do is important to the development of young people. We look for those moments when the music suddenly grabs the student and they show glimmers of that passion we see in ourselves. Instead, we repeatedly see students whose...
by Carter McMullen | Sep 3, 2017 | Creativity, Teaching Tips
One of the biggest challenges of teaching music is finding ways to keep each student inspired and motivated to learn. But it can also be one of the most satisfying parts about teaching since there are so many possibilities to explore! Each student is different, and it...
by Chris Owenby | Jun 3, 2017 | Memorization, Teaching Tips
The following is one of the most efficient memorization techniques that I’ve taught my students. It’s common knowledge that students all around the globe practice too fast. And this produces poor results! Slow and steady wins the race. I always remind my...
by Chris Owenby | Apr 26, 2017 | Piano Lessons, Teaching Tips, Uncategorized
Rote piano teaching seems to be experiencing a resurgence. But what does it mean to teach by rote? Webster’s has two definitions for the word. “The use of memory usually with little intelligence.” “Mechanical or unthinking routine or...
