For so many of us, education boils down to fear. First we have fear on behalf of our children, and then, at the appropriate time, we transfer the fear to them while still retaining a measure for ourselves. We fear "not getting it." Not being good enough. We fear failing grades. We're afraid that we won't get into college, that we'll flunk out of college, that we'll choose the wrong major, that we won't get a job.  We compete with other individuals, amassing AP classes and extracurricular activities in an academic arms race. And as a nation, we're worried that we'll be left behind as other ..read more

I believe in shortcuts. I don't mean shortcuts that undermine what you're trying to do, like risking your life by rushing through a red light, or compromising your health by taking diet pills to lose weight, or never changing your strings so that your guitar sounds like broken windshield wipers.  I like shortcuts that result from drilling down to the core essence of what you're trying to accomplish, allowing you to get maximum results from minimum effort and time. Just get out and walk.Examples? Fill up on as many vegetables as you can possibly stand. Change your guitar strings frequ ..read more

Béla Bartók, the celebrated twentieth century Hungarian composer, wrote playful and interesting piano music for children in addition to his larger works for advanced musicians. Some of these pieces were based on Eastern European folk melodies, and some were wholly original. There were several that I absolutely loved as a child, and I love teaching them to my piano students. Mikrokosmos is a collection of études that progress from very simple to highly complex, which Bartók wrote to systematically address certain musical and technical challenges. While I love the concept, most of these (especi ..read more

So, I'm now teaching middle school. Following a calling is an incredible thing. I've found that it's best to not ask why I feel called to do something - I've just got to do it. Not that I'm impulsive, necessarily - I believe, as Rilke says in Letters to a Young Poet, that things grow within us without our awareness before they seem to spring up out of nowhere in our lives. The roots of this project go deep, even though a mere five months ago it was unknown even to me. Learning is a function of focused attention over time.In order to best serve my students, I prepared. I researched curricula. I ..read more

This week I got an interesting question from a guitarist friend on Google+. He wanted to know if there are any conventions with respect to orienting oneself to the keyboard. This is the picture he showed me: While there's nothing false here, it's not very useful for actually playing. After all, most of us have two hands instead of three. Here is another approach: As you can see from the image, there is a rough "zone" where the left hand plays and another for the right hand, although there are no hard and fast rules about this. Generally, the right hand will take the melody, and you'll harmoni ..read more

When I was an undergrad at the University of Maine, I had the good fortune to be in the Collegiate Chorale under the direction of Rob Westerberg, then working on his masters degree in choral conducting (studying with the wonderful Dr. Dennis Cox). We met around lunchtime a couple of days a week, a mix of college kids and actual adults, music majors and non, with varied levels of singing expertise. Rob could probably spin even this into something positive. At the very least, the image is reminiscent of the ones used in his infamous Collegiate Chorale recruiting posters.I'll never forget the fi ..read more

If you're a parent or teacher working with a guitar student under the age of ten, this video is for you! Here, I'll demonstrate some things to look out for in order to make sure that young guitarists are building the strongest possible technical foundation for their playing. Older students can sometimes fudge technique, but getting anywhere on the guitar is pretty much impossible for little kids who don't have solid skills. Quick Outline If you're unable to watch the video, here's the least you need to know: Sitting Make sure you have a music stand A stool is preferable to a chair No dangling ..read more

I am fortunate to be involved in the lives of many small people. Though I've never had a baby, I have friends, clients, and family members at every stage of the child-rearing game and am intimately familiar with its details. In particular, I am lucky to know many excellent mamas who treat their very young children with respect and dignity, allowing them to make age-appropriate decisions as often as possible. A mama of a little girl who has recently turned two shared a story that we can all learn from as we strive to accomplish great things in life. Great things such as weaning and potty-traini ..read more

Here's what I believe: Effort is more important than talent. Anyone can learn to play an instrument. Self-expression is for everyone. Music is not just to be played by professionals. Learning doesn't have to be hard. Every assertion you can make has its detractors. It's human nature, I suppose. I just don't understand why people would argue for a position which is disempowering, more limited, and less hopeful. Why imagine that your effort is not going to help you? That you may be the one who won't succeed? That maybe you just don't have what it takes? What benefit could there be in suggesting ..read more

"One man's ceiling is another man's floor." - Paul Simon When I was a kid, in those long moments when my mom would not! get off! the phone! to shower me with attention and answer whatever trivial and random question I had, I would lounge around and do the strange things kids do when they are bored. I developed a game in which I would lean my head upside down off the sofa or staircase and imagine an upside-down world where the ceiling was the floor and the floor was the ceiling. I visualized myself walking upon the sloping "floor" and passing by the chandeliers, floating upon their chains ..read more