Category Archives: Uncategorized

Have you ever wondered what tune someone was playing, only to recognize it quite far into the piece when it should have been apparent much sooner? Let’s assume that rather than being arranged in a purposely obscure way, the player intends it to be recognizable, in which case the problem is not with the listenerContinue reading “What Is That Tune? (part 1)”

How nice it would be if we could automatically be good musicians, with little or no effort involved; just sit down and play brilliantly! Many people assume that’s what musicians do! I think what is largely responsible for that assumption is our culture’s misuse of the word talent. When someone picks up a new instrument,Continue reading “What is Talent, Really?”

“But you’re playing it wrong!” “That’s how I learned it from so-and-so.” “Well, it really goes like this.” How often have you heard that? Probably quite a lot. In classical music it is, of course, important to play a piece exactly as it was written. But in many other styles, “right” is much more flexible;Continue reading “The Folk Process – Embrace the Change!”

Below is a new blog post. In addition, you’ll notice that this site has a new look, and several new pages.  That’s because I’ve made it into a full website. It now contains  my online store, complete bio, testimonials, info on therapeutic music, and more. Why this new website? To better represent ALL of theContinue reading “New Posts and New Pages on this Site!”

Some research indicates that when we actively (rather than passively) listen to music  –  in other words, when we focus and pay attention to the music we hear  –  it is processed in the same area of the brain as language. The same is true when we learn music by ear. In all respects, musicContinue reading “Music is a Language”

The audience sits ready to hear the musician in concert, looking forward to an enjoyable performance. The musician stands backstage, ready to begin. He or she may feel quite confident, or may be scared to death. Chances are that if the performer has practiced adequately, he or she has some confidence that the concert willContinue reading “In Defense of Imperfection: Thoughts on Our Attitudes About Performance”

Making Your Music Your Own, Within the Style You Play  There are purists whose aim is to preserve every piece of traditional music in the exact form they find it. This preserves musical styles, but the folk process (the natural tendency of aurally-learned music to undergo change) is an essential part of our heritage, too.Continue reading “Styles – part 2”

Personal Style Whether you’re aware of it or not, you have a personal style of playing (in addition to the genre of music you play). Your personal style is not necessarily something you develop on purpose, and though many musicians do make conscious decisions in that realm, your life experiences in general seep into yourContinue reading “Styles – Regional, National and Personal”

(Part 4 of “The Teacher-Student Relationship”) What “qualifies” one to teach? Well, no one wrote a rule book on it, and in very real ways we are all teachers. So there’s no definitive way to answer the question. But if you’d like to be teaching and aren’t sure if you’re qualified, perhaps a few of theseContinue reading “How Do You Know When You’re Ready to Teach?”

First, many thanks to my readers for all your supportive comments! I’m glad you enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy writing them. I’d like to diverge from the current series on the teacher-student relationship (will resume with next post), to comment on the tempos at which we play our music. The tempoContinue reading “How Fast is Too Fast?”