To get the most out of the Suzuki Violin Method, check out what these parents are doing… The Suzuki Violin Method requires a huge commitment from parents, students, and teachers. We teachers are always struggling to get our students to practice, and to teach them how to practice properly. Parents are always struggling to fit it […]
Practice
5 Easy Music Lesson Games
How to Make Lessons Fun Without Spending Any Money! It is really easy to get in a teaching rut. Do you feel that way, too? Some weeks I just get into my routine, say the same things (bend your thumb, that’s sharp, blah, blah, blah), do the same activities, and even I get bored. And […]
5 Fun and Easy Violin Practice Games
5 Fun and Easy Violin Practice Games How to Avoid Music Practice Battles with Your Kids Guest Post by McKenzie Clawson Practicing sometimes feels like a dirty word. When I bring up the subject of practicing with my students they look away, shuffle their feet, and try to avoid the question. (Does this sound familiar?) […]
5 Things I’m Loving This Week–June 19, 2015
I have been really excited about the increased engagement in my studio. Before I went on my maternity leave in March, I was feeling really discouraged and hopeless. I felt like nothing I did ever made a difference, so why try? Well. Let me tell you, it does make a difference. I can already see […]
How to Boost Your Practice Time Productivity
Use this simple tool to keep yourself accountable and motivated to get things done! Image Credit Sometimes I have a hard time concentrating when I practice. A really hard time. I generally have issues concentrating, and those are exacerbated when I sit down to practice violin efficiently. (It truly is a miracle I’ve made it […]
Are You Forgetting this Important Music Teaching Tool?
How to rewire your music students’ brains in ten words or less… I enjoy folding my babies’ laundry. I love the teeny socks and sleepers. I love thinking about the kissable little feet that go in those socks, and the sweet cuddles from little ones in those sleepers. This was not always the case. […]
How I’m Keeping My Students Motivated this Summer
Who’s ready for the SUMMER THEORY CHALLENGE?? I don’t know about you, but I really struggle to keep my students’ interest in the summer time. They show up to lesson with their hair wet, faces flushed, straight from swimming lessons, and they are eager for the lesson to end so they can go play with […]
10 Cures For Stiff Bow Arms
Free up tension and let the bow sing! We all know that the most important ingredient for good tone is beautiful right arm technique, yet so many of our students saw away at the fiddle with locked wrists, elbows and shoulders. This has something I have struggled with time and time again. How can I […]
Memorize New Pieces in 3 Easy Steps
Fool-proof memorization for all! Our memories can be one of the most frustrating and unreliable of our music-making tools. Memory lapses in performance, or even memory catastrophes, are incredibly common. I know we have all heard the dreaded never-ending Martini Gavotte, or worse, Fiocco Allegro! As a young student, I was blessed with a fairly […]