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n my ten years of teaching it has always been (and for other teachers as well) a struggle to motivate certain students to study classical music. Classical music is certainly not the end-all to learning an instrument, but rather the most efficient gateway into proficiency in all musical genres. What one student can accomplish through…

In general and in the past few weeks, many parents and students are approaching me with various questions about all types of instruments. This article serves to be informative to any interested guitar beginners, and may even help to fill some gaps in education for intermediate and advanced guitar players as well. Although many amateurs…

With summer practically here, all students will be enjoying their break from school, if not from music lessons as well. With so much free time, summer is the perfect opportunity for students, parents and teachers to explore new and exciting aspects of music that they may have never experienced before. The next few months provide…

Every time I find myself buried underneath the Manhattan grid, navigating my way through the tunnels between trains, it is without fail that before I am able to reach the surface of the city streets, some out of tune acoustic guitarist bombards my ears. For all the musicians I have heard panning away in the…

It is now the time of year where the weather has finally begun to warm up and the first signs of summer of are upon us. While some families might be spending their weekends at the beach or the lake, many will be sitting inside nicely air conditioned performing arts halls listening to the beautiful…

Recitals can be the highlight of the season for many music students. It is your one shining moment to show all of your friends and family your mad skills as you rip through the ivories, shred the guitar, belt out some vibrato and move your bow effortlessly across the strings! But before you step out…

In a day where nothing is noteworthy unless it has gone “viral”, there has been a whole new meaning to the words “cover song.” Just type in your favorite artist on YouTube, and there is a good chance you will have to dig your way through dozens of acoustic guitar versions made by every kid…

Every Noise at Once The link above is a really cool interactive map of almost every musical Genre imaginable and the artist and bands that are known for each particular style. Just click on the link next to map and play around. If you click the genre you can hear an example of what each…

Why should I participate in NYSSMA? What could I possibly learn from being judged by a total stranger? How is NYSSMA going to make me a better musician? These are the type of questions I have been hearing a lot the past couple of months from students about whether or not they should participate in…

So, here is a good question for you this week: “What is the most important part of music”? Parents will often ask me “Is there a certain part of the song my child should be focusing on? Is every song different or should I make sure my child understands more about “rhythm, tempo, hand coordination,…