Over the years I have taught in many different places and in many different types of situations, both at the high school and university levels.
T.R.I.A.D. – Using a Simple Acronym to Help Structure your Rehearsals
For inexperienced teachers (and often more experienced ones, too), choosing which elements to fix in a rehearsal can be difficult.
Modeling Strategies for Effective and Efficient Teaching
The Chinese proverb pictured above clearly illustrates that telling isn’t teaching. While engaging students through demonstration is far more effective than explaining, music teachers often do just the opposite, particularly in ensemble-based classes.
Tips For Your Jazz Band Guitarist
With very little background in playing guitar, and no background in jazz guitar pedagogy, many band directors find themselves at a loss on how to help their jazz band guitarist.
Instrumental Teachers in General Music: Teaching Outside Your Comfort Zone?
Let’s set the stage: you have an instrumental performance degree and a teaching degree in band or orchestra. After graduation, you find yourself working as a long-term substitute teaching band or orchestra.
SmartMusic and College Aural Skills: An Adventure in Ensuring Practice
One of the main goals of an aural skills class is audiation – or the ability to hear music in one’s head before performing the music.
From Methods to Madness: Ideas for a Sane Teaching Experience
We currently live in a crazy time for teachers. If you’re just starting out, your undergraduate methods classes and student teaching experience can’t begin to prepare you for all that is about to happen.
Good Enough Vs. Never Good Enough
Two opposing forces infect in our music ensembles. Known as the “Good Enough Syndrome” and the “Never Good Enough Syndrome,” their influence can cause students to either become lethargic (and just put in their time) or to set the bar for perfection so high that they are never satisfied with their results.
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Improving Brass Tone Production
As the school year is now in full swing, let’s turn our thoughts to brass tone production. No doubt, your students are all playing a lot right now and are probably working the muscles more than ever before.