Read all the latest news about the BHPS Band and Strings Program ..read more

Greatness in teaching is just as rare as greatness in any other profession. Although it’s impossible to offer a prescription of qualities in order to cultivate great music teachers, understanding these qualities can give all would-be teachers a standard of excellence to strive for, and guide schools and parents toward what they should look for in current and prospective teachers. Here are just a few characteristic traits that I believe all great music teachers have: Great teachers connect to their students on an emotional level. We all remember how teachers we really respected made us feel. We ..read more

CAN YOU IMAGINE LIVING YOUR LIFE WITHOUT MUSIC? IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO DO SO, AS MUSIC HAS BEEN HARD-WIRED INTO OUR VERY EXISTENCE AS HUMAN BEINGS. THE CHINESE PHILOSOPHER CONFUCIUS SAID LONG AGO THAT "MUSIC PRODUCES A KIND OF PLEASURE WHICH HUMAN NATURE CANNOT DO WITHOUT." PLAYING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT HAS MANY BENEFITS AND CAN BRING JOY TO YOU AND TO EVERYONE AROUND YOU. THIS ARTICLE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH 18 BENEFITS OF PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) AND WILL HOPEFULLY GIVE YOU A BETTER SENSE OF APPRECIATION AND PRIDE FOR MUSIC. The Benefits 1. Increases the capacity of you ..read more

It's 4pm on a Thursday, and your child is on the couch with the iPad. You need to leave for the weekly music lesson in half an hour. You can see dust has gathered on the piano (or the flute or the saxophone), and another week has passed with only infrequent and erratic attempts at practice. Your child claims to want lessons, but doesn't seem to put in the effort. The prospect of paying another term's tuition is the last straw. You order your child off the couch and direct them to their instrument. What ought to be a rewarding activity for your child has become a bone of contention between you ..read more

By: Tony Mazzocchi Article originally posted on The Music Parents’ Guide Hopefully your child will begin a musical instrument through their school music program. If so, when they bring home their instrument for the first time, it is more than just an exciting day… ...It is an opportunity... …Perhaps one of the greatest opportunities in your child’s life thus far. Photo: Victoria Chamberlin, victoriachamberlin.com If you are like me, you want your kid(s) to complete their K-12 education with far more than factual knowledge and an ability to score well on tests. You don’t believe that your chil ..read more

Music is one of the greatest joys on Earth. From those who play it to those who listen to it, it is a driving force and accompaniment for so many things in life. Many of us do not need scientific evidence to know it enhances our lives, but to learn of such evidence is surely important, especially for those who could benefit from it most. Previous research has already found that music can serve as medicine, capable of treating symptoms of schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. And now initial results of a five-year study by USC neuroscientists have found that music education can ..read more

This is a great article which explains simply how to read sheet music. Parents who have children who play music and have no idea how they can make sense of the lines, dots and squiggles on their music page, will find this article very useful. Worth a read. Explains it all very simply. A good and easy read. Surprise your child with how expert you are. Make a comment. Let us know if you found it useful. Author | Source: http://www.musicnotes.com/blog/2014/04/11/how-to-read-sheet-music/ How to Read Sheet Music: Channel Your Inner Musician with These Simple Steps! April 11, 2014 / Features Learni ..read more

The Difference Between Brass and Woodwind Instruments Source: http://thevault.musicarts.com/the-difference-between-brass-and-woodwind-instruments/ In musical orchestra and marching bands, the instruments are divided into different groups based on the sound they make and the voice they play in the band. In every marching band and orchestra there are two distinct groups of wind instruments: brass and woodwind. Although the two are similar in some aspects, there are many characteristics that differentiate the two. From material to playing technique, these are the core differences between brass a ..read more

The multimillion dollar brain training industry is under attack. In October 2014, a group of over 100 eminent neuroscientists and psychologists wrote an open letter warning that “claims promoting brain games are frequently exaggerated and at times misleading”. Earlier this year, industry giant Lumosity was fined $2m, and ordered to refund thousands of customers who were duped by false claims that the company’s products improve general mental abilities and slow the progression of age-related decline in mental abilities. And a recent review examining studies purporting to show the benefits of s ..read more

Is Practice a four letter word in your house? Are their frequent arguments over the lack of this essential part of learning an instrument? As a parent of 3 children, all of whom learnt an instrument at some point in their early years, I know all too well the frustration of trying to instil the necessity of a practice routine and even harder, enforcing it! In a blog post by Anastasia Tsioulcas on NPRmusic website, titled “Getting Kids to Practice- Without Tears or Tantrums, Anastasia also speaks from the perspective of being a parent of a young musician but also from having been a young practic ..read more