Balance for your life … Creativity for your studio.
We may take a “break” over the summer, but many teachers & studio owners also use this time to get ahead of the rush of a new semester. However, if you go, go, go all the time you run the risk of burning out before the rush even starts. How do you make the most…
No none wants to spend all of their vacation working on studio projects. But, no one wants to be flooded with work when they get back from vacation. So, what to do?
There are certain times of the year that keeping a balance between my studio & personal life seems almost impossible. Between registration, recital & end of year projects, creating balance is a challenge. Good thing I like a challenge.
Having a studio recital is a lot of work. And, it’s completely worth it. But, you may be thinking, “The recital is over … now what?” Maybe you are feeling burnt out or “burnt out adjacent” (the feeling of don’t-add-anything-more-because-I-am-JUST-barely-able-to-get-everything-done). Having some post-recital ideas to keep lessons engaging is a must.
What is the best type of recital to host in your studio? You may be tempted to think that this is limited to the venue or whether it’s online or in-person, but a recital is so much more than just a place. It’s also about the intent & the mood of a recital. And, that…
It’s that time of year & many studios are working towards one goal. Making sure students have their recital song mastered. Or, songs depending on the size of the studio. Sometimes I wonder who is more stressed before the recital: the teacher or the student. And, I think that it all depends on how soon…
Recital prep can be a stressful time for students & their families. The pressure to play things perfectly can lead to tears & parents wondering if it’s all worth it. NOT what we want on their mind around registration season. Instead, making recital prep fun & quirky for students leads to smiles, lots of practice…
Music theory & improvising. It’s important to have both in our teaching. But, what is the best way to teach music theory? To avoid the mistakes of the past, music theory should above all be done in a timely, hands-on manner that ensures students see the connection between theory & application. One of the best…
Whether it’s Pestalozzi, Mason, Suzuki or Gordon the idea of teaching aurally before getting students to read goes back hundreds of years. Yet many teachers tend to teach music from the notation first & aurally second. When it comes to a practical approach of teaching sound before sight it can feel a bit like the…
Unlike previous generations, the stigma of being a female composer is gone. So it could be easy to assume that contemporary female composers are not challenging the music industry’s status quo. This is far from the case! In fact, women today are challenging not only the music industry but societal expectations of women in general.