Pierre Boulez died around 10:30 a.m. this morning (January 6, 2016) at the age of 90 years. There are many ways in which Pierre Boulez influenced and shaped art music in the twentieth century and beyond. As an innovative and even rebellious composer and conductor, he forced us all to look at music in a … Continue reading A Personal Tribute to Pierre Boulez
Music Education
A practical guide to planning, teaching, and assessing music instruction.
The Many Flavors of Auditions
Auditions are a way of life for the performing artist. Whether a musician wants to gain entrance to a music conservatory, be accepted into an ensemble, or perhaps be hired for a teaching position, musicians are required to audition as part of the hiring or entry process. This begins in middle school, when students audition … Continue reading The Many Flavors of Auditions
Getting Beyond the Associative Property of Music
Music is a highly associative experience. I'm always interested in what is going on the the minds f my students as they listen to music, particularly classical music. Of course I can't know for sure-- no one can see into the mind of another person--but through careful questioning I find it valuable to try to … Continue reading Getting Beyond the Associative Property of Music
What Is A Musical Scale?
Yesterday, I was reading an online music lesson that was on learning a scale on the piano. The author defined a scale as a series of notes that ascends and descends. While nothing in that definition is untrue, there are many series of notes that ascend and descend that are not scales; arpeggios or any … Continue reading What Is A Musical Scale?
An Antidote To Boredom
With the new year nearly upon us, many will make resolutions to do better in some area of their life. Many of these fade within a few weeks as our human tendency to settle back into the familiar and comfortable takes over. This is, I think, at least partly due to focusing on the action … Continue reading An Antidote To Boredom
Passing Along Your Musical Roots
Psychologists will tell you that you are a blend of "nature and nurture--" that you are what you are partly because of inherited traits, and partly because of what your interactions with your environment have been. Today, I am interested in the musical aspect of the environment in which we all matured from early childhood … Continue reading Passing Along Your Musical Roots
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Wesley's original verse for this beloved Christmas hymn is rich with poetry and theology. Many of these lines are all but unknown today, pushed aside in favor slightly lighter though no less excellent poetry. Conspicuous by its absence is the familiar refrain from which we derive the very title of the hymn. The refrain was … Continue reading Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Some Thought on Teaching Rhythm
For those of us who received most of our musical training within the context of classical music, we sometimes forget that music is not primarily a written art, like the literary masterworks of Shakespeare or Milton, but an auditory art. While this may seem obvious, it is not so obvious to those who observe or … Continue reading Some Thought on Teaching Rhythm
We Just Gave Our Concert, Now What?
There is always anticipation and excitement leading up to a concert, and then the high energy level of the concert itself. So many hours have gone into preparing a school concert, the performance is given and then there is the inevitable release when it is over. There may be a school assembly performance, but the … Continue reading We Just Gave Our Concert, Now What?
Where Do I Begin?
For most music teachers, organizing instruction into units makes a lot of sense. Typically, we see see students once or twice a week, or every day for a few weeks out of the school year. Teaching a series of lessons all grounded in a single topic helps reinforce important points from week to week, and … Continue reading Where Do I Begin?
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