Ode to Music Students.

I had a parent approach me this week with some positive comments about their child’s progress. She was thrilled with how her little guy was able play and how it was so nice to hear actual music coming from the living room. “Practice really does work!” she said. We both laughed at that….I mean…of course…

My community had a scare recently. One of its’ children, one of my students – age 10- suffered a cardiac arrest while on the playground at school. She had a pre-existing heart condition and the arrest had been a looming possiblity, but having it actually happen was frightening for all who were connected to her in some way….

Watch this video and see how the human brain just “gets” music. World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

I love mazes…the big ones made out of shrubs or corn stalks or stone.  The ones that you enter into and wander through blindly, hoping each turn will bring you closer to the exit. Sometimes you hit a dead end and have to double back, sometimes you find yourself back at the beginning and have to…

Is your child having a hard time keeping a steady beat? When playing ensemble in class, are they struggling to stay in time? Difficulty in keeping a beat is relatively uncommon in my studio these days due to earlier exposure to formal music classes.  Most of my new keyboard students have attended one or more…