Today, students have options to learn to sing or play an instrument. Before the internet, students primarily learned from a private music teacher. However, between videos on YouTube or apps, choosing how to learn can be confusing. Can a student learn to sing or play an instrument without a private teacher? We’ll delve into the pros and cons of learning from a video or app versus a private music teacher. Pros: Video/App It’s less expensive […]
You spend hours learning a song, but is there a difference in how you practice in the final stages before performing? The answer is yes! In my early years of performing, I never changed how I practiced before performing it. I continued to spot practice and fix errors, never playing the song as though I was performing it. Then I wondered why I was never happy with my performance! Here is the third part of
How a music student practices is more important than how much time a student practices. If students practice incorrectly, it won’t matter how long they practice; there will be no improvement. But, when practicing correctly, a student can make a huge difference in the shortest amount of time, time being a precious commodity we don’t have enough of. Most students think practicing means playing a song from start to finish…WRONG! That’s what I call a
What is the perfect amount of time for a beginner music student to practice? Clearly, the more practice a student does, the better they’ll get, but what is a reasonable practice for a beginner? In my many years of teaching, I’ve heard parents of young children tell me they set a timer for 30 minutes or more for their young child to practice. If there is a way to ensure a young student will hate
