Tag : Music practice

Eating Popcorn with Chopsticks: Novelty Is the Spice of Life

Popcorn, Chopsticks, Flute? A recent research study at The Ohio State University (my alma mater) recently caught my attention. I knew from the title that this was going to be

Grit for Musicians: Practicing and Parenting

Is Grit the Secret to Success In Music? I first heard about Angela Duckworth and her research on “grit” on a Freakonomics podcast. Duckworth talks about how persistence, not talent,

Bite Sized Pieces (Woodshedding technique)

BITE SIZE PIECES – technique exercise This blog post is part of a series on woodshedding. For more ideas on how to invigorate your practicing with new and creative ideas, check

Rhythm Spinner Game

The Rhythm Spinner Game is an excellent tool for woodshedding difficult passages. Like the Articulation Game, the Rhythm Spinner adds an element of chance to spice up your practicing. For

Practice: The journey is the destination.

Practice leads to harmony. This picture hangs beside the door to my music studio. No one can leave without seeing it, including me. The text reads “Never Forget the Pleasure of

Hearing vs. Listening

There is a big difference between hearing something and actually listening to it. In A Natural History of the Senses, Diane Ackerman observes “Sounds thicken the sensory stew of our lives,

Motivation: A Teacher’s Perspective

Far more time is spent in the practice room than the performance hall. I have been teaching private music lessons since 1995. One of my primary goals as a teacher

Research on Effective Practice Skills

I love to read about the intersection of science, music, and psychology. I encourage all musicians to read this article reviewing research on effective practice skills by Robert Duke at the

The first post

A blog about practice, for musicians and the people who love them. The first post. A couple of days ago a Facebook friend posted an article titled “Why Students Really Quit