Year: 2015

Musical Neurons

Musical Neurons A recent study at MIT shows that there may be specialized neurons in the brain for processing music. These “musical neurons” are different than similar ones used to

Music and Math: Three Concepts for Understanding Rhythm

Music and Math My job as a music teacher is to help students understand the basic elements of music. Rhythm is the most difficult of the “right-or-wrong” music elements (the others

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is a big problem for musicians. A musician’s most important sense is hearing. When musicians experience hearing loss, it can end a career. Hearing loss can occur from exposure to

Recital Update

Recital Update. The annual studio recital was this past weekend, and I am bursting with pride for all the students. I’ve been teaching for 20 years, but this was one of

Recital Preparation

The Studio Recital for my students is this week and we’ve been talking about recital preparation. Mental preparation in the two weeks leading up to a performance is critical. By this stage, you should

I love Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut is my hero. I’ve read nearly every one of Kurt Vonnegut’s books. I love his wry humor and oddball social commentary. So it goes. This Vonnegut quote was

Music and Healing

Music as Medicine: Healing Tunes. When I was an undergraduate at The Ohio State University, the flute studio was involved in a collaboration with the hospital. We worked with a researcher

Gigs

Gigs: The Fun and the Funny. Freelance musicians are dependent on gigs for their livelihood. Though it may seem like an easy way to make money, the truth is a

Memorization

What do marching bands, music competitions, and playing classical music in the dark have in common? Memorization. Performing musicians are asked to memorize music from time to time. Memorization is often required for

The physics of tuning

Tuning: A Physics Lesson It’s fascinating to study the mathematics of intonation. All musicians will benefit from a basic knowledge of how the musical scale is created. As a flute teacher,