Blog Stories

It's late March and Spring is just around the corner!  As this school year winds down, it's time to consider what direction you would like your teaching to go in the future.  Spring and Summer months are the optimal time to plan ahead for the next school year.  Once...

Last Spring, I asked for a brief, 5 to 10 minute conference.  Students  students attended as well.  We discussed  to  future plans, how thie year went, and our future together.  I was amazed at just how unclear some parents were about expectations.  Some even thanked...

Most school's spring breaks a well into April this year (in our area, it focuses on the week before Easter).  This year, it is easy to run late with plans for the year end recital.  If you haven't already begun that final big plan for the end of the year rite of...

For years I taught students new to piano to read using method books, following along using their guide notes, and adding one or two notes at a time. Even with all the supplemental reading, and intervallic and directional aides, I felt my students were slow readers. I...

Background Perhaps it began with the "differentiae" of the psalm tones in the tenth century. Music historian Craig Cummings stated, The idea of variation is perhaps the longest-enduring concept in all of music history. From the earliest glimmers of the most...

There are many resources available in books, magazines, and online. Here are just a few to get you started. Good summer reading! Barkley, R (1990) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. New York, N.Y.:: Guildford Press. Skim...

Abby Whiteside on Piano Playing : Indispensables of Piano Playing - Mastering the Chopin Etudes and Other Essays It was a crisp November day in Manhattan as I stood in front of No. 8 East 83rd Street. The holiday hustle and bustle was no match for the anticipation of...