10. September 2018
Instruments: violin, viola, cello, & piano Level: beginner-early intermediate Used for: finger shape Buy here: https://amzn.to/2oW7M0I As addictive as bubble wrap (and way easier on the ears)! This is an incredible way to encourage a violin, viola, cello, or piano student to practice keeping their fingers nicely curved. It also helps with learning finger numbers and (later) with using multiple fingers at a time. Note: This is a tool just for fingers, not thumb, since none of the instruments...
27. July 2018
What is priority enrollment? Why does it happen more than a month in advance? Is it better to register now, or to wait and try to enroll the week before class starts?
08. July 2018
I am completely thrilled to introduce Crystal McDougall and Wild Heart Music, our first satellite studio! Wild Heart Music fits in perfectly with our studio's community-oriented mindset, big picture/whole musician approach, and emphasis on fostering a love of music above all else. Located in Rosland near Bayer Park & Gardens, Wild Heart Music will officially open its doors in September. Children respond instantly to Crystal's welcoming smile and knack for forging a personal connection with...
07. July 2018
Some of my analogies get used rarely, others often, but the one all of my string players without exception hear over and over is this: treat your instrument as you would a pet. Despite this warning, every year people forget and arrive in my studio with instruments that have undergone incredible stress due to temperature changes from being left in cars on hot or cold days. Usually the damage is limited to out of tune strings or stuck pegs, but the risk of cracks and open seams is ever looming...
24. April 2018
Teaching is an incredible way to learn! Knowledge shared is knowledge more deeply understood; the questions and challenges presented by a student provoke insight, broaden perspective, and never fail to make a lasting impact on their teacher. Like many skills, teaching is best embarked upon in an apprenticeship, learning the ropes from an established professional. Many pitfalls from trial and error can be avoided with the scaffolding of another's experience. I am delighted to introduce our...
20. April 2018
Most of the year we are firmly in chrysalis mode. Nestled cozily in a small, familiar class or private study, students are free to take risks, make mistakes, learn at their own pace, explore with curiosity, and grow tremendous amounts in the process without fully realizing it. Then concert time rolls around! Our spring concert, summer recital, and winter class performances are fun, informal affairs, hugely supportive of the student's development. Suddenly new students see their horizons...
06. March 2018
One of the great mysteries for new students (and sometimes even advanced musicians, too!) is practice -- how frequently, how long, and just HOW. To that end, this February I invited all of my students, from Fairy Lights up through adults, brand new beginners and advanced students alike, to participate in a studio-wide practice challenge! The first week was all about frequency, the foundation of good practice -- aiming for daily, because daily practice means each session counts. Missing an...
13. January 2018
Update: Guitar Twinklers is coming in September 2018! I am often asked if I offer guitar lessons or classes, especially once someone visits my home and realizes a guitar is in or visible from the majority of rooms! (Only two of them are mine; my husband plays guitar, too.) So do I? Nope -- not yet. I have, occasionally, in the past; twice to barter for Spanish lessons, and a few times, short-term, to help a student currently enrolled in private lessons with me on another instrument use a little...