Mon 23 Nov 2009
Tip of the Week #3–How to diaphragm breathe while singing phrases.
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Wed 18 Nov 2009
Part of My Teaching Philosophy
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When a new student first walks in my door, my goal is to get to know him/her. These are the three main questions:
1) What is your goal for piano/voice?
2) What kind of music do you like?
3) What kind of music do you dislike?
For many students who have taken lessons before, this is a new sort of concept to them. Normally, there isn’t a lot of say-so from the student as to what will be learned. The teacher usually goes by a certain method that has proved good results, and sticks to it. I have my favorite methods books (that make teaching a bit easier), but not every student learns alike, nor do they all enjoy the same things.
I’ve found that being open and willing to try and learn new things to accommodate students is one of the most helpful things for me to do as a teacher. It means a little more work and creativity from me, but usually, more learning and enjoyment from them. It can be hard to motivate a student if everything he or she is learning is disliked.
Of course, there are many times when a song must be learned in order to achieve a new technical skill or concept–and learning perseverance is also a good thing 🙂
In conclusion, allowing the student to set his or her own goals is a great way to focus and motivate. Every student is unique and gifted in many different ways; my philosophy is to make use of that.
Thu 29 Oct 2009
Tip of the Week #2–How to use your diaphragm to hit a high note
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Tue 20 Oct 2009
Singing When Sick
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This week, I find myself having a head-cold and still having to sing. Â What to do? Â If you’ve ever found yourself in this same quandary, you’ve probably been warned that “if you sing, you’ll ruin your voice.” Â That may not necessarily be true. Â Here are a few tips.
1) If your throat hurts, avoid singing. If you must sing, make it short and use a lozenge or a warm honey, lemon and tea combo beforehand.
2) If your voice feels more strained than normal, don’t push it.  Go easy or stop.  A runner doesn’t run a marathon on  a sprained ankle.
3) If your lower range hurts, but your upper is fine, use the one that doesn’t hurt.
4) Avoid speaking before performing as it can prematurely tire your voice.
5) For a sick person warm-up, humming while running a warm shower is helpful. Â Also, to loosen up any nasal passages, warm up on the letter “V” (Vah, Vah, Vah or Vvvvvvvvv)
6) If your high range is a fatality of your cold, practice your sultry jazz voice 😉
7) Figure out what’s smartest for you.
Do you have any tips that help you out when you’re sick?
Wed 7 Oct 2009
Tip of the Week#1–An introduction to using your Diaphragm
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Here’s my first “Tip of the Week.” Enjoy!
Fri 14 Aug 2009
New Times, Old Ideas
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Recently, a few people and I have gotten together to shed some new light on the old “Age of enlightenment.” Â Yes, it’s Renaissance music (I can’t believe I spelled that correctly!). Â We’re currently trying to come up with a shnazzy name for our little group. Â Names like the Romanticklers came up–no. Â How about Renais-saucy? Â Okay, so we’re musicians, not publicists. Â Any ideas?
Wed 3 Jun 2009
Too Bad You Can’t See The Zombie makeup
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This is the beginning/intermediate ensemble that I directed, playing a piece called “Curse of the Rosin Eating Zombies from Outer Space.”
Wed 3 Jun 2009
Reaching the Unreachable
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You know the look. It’s the one that usually comes from the back row and sneers, “I don’t care about music because it has nothing to do with me.†It isn’t the easiest undertaking to convince an apathetic 6th grader that Music theory really is important. It’s a bit easier, I suppose to convince them that Beethoven was a musical genius, or that music is used for it’s profound affect upon the human spirit.
This year, I had such a student–several, in fact.. I tried all year to bring about some sort of musical awakening, a new appreciation for the nitty-gritty of music-making. Then it struck me! I took piano for several years and did not enjoy it until I could truly make my own music. I wrote my own little ditty and have enjoyed music ever since. It came alive for me.
So, at the end of the year, the students put all of what they had learned to use. They wrote their own songs and were able to hear them played out. Two of the students that had before not seemed to care, began working diligently: putting much time and effort into their songs. As I played their songs, such pride showed on their faces. They had composed such beautiful songs. And they were beautiful.