I've been performing most of my life, and my body still does it — even now. The signs start early, too. Not in the wings — days out. A little hum under the skin when I think about the date. The heart doing a small extra something during the last run-throughs. The difference between meContinue reading "Stage Fright Is Normal: A Young Performer’s Guide to Nerves, Mistakes, and Actually Enjoying It"
How to Choose Your Child’s First Instrument (Without Overthinking It)
Here's the thing nobody tells you about choosing your child's first instrument: the stakes are lower than you think, and higher than you think, at the same time. Lower, because the first instrument isn't a marriage. Kids switch. Guitar kids discover drums. Piano kids find their voice — sometimes literally. Almost everything transfers: rhythm, listening,Continue reading "How to Choose Your Child’s First Instrument (Without Overthinking It)"
The Science of Practice: How Musicians Actually Build Skill
"Did you practice this week?" I've asked that question. I've been asked that question. And somewhere along the way — after years of teaching, and watching hundreds of students walk into my studio either proud or braced for a lecture — I realized I'd stopped believing in it. Because hiding inside that question is anContinue reading "The Science of Practice: How Musicians Actually Build Skill"
Making Practice Work at Home: A Parent’s Guide
You don't have to read music to be good at this part. I mean it — and I say it a lot, because I watch parents shrink at the studio door. I can't help her practice, I don't know anything about music. Here's what I know after years of teaching, and after raising two kidsContinue reading "Making Practice Work at Home: A Parent’s Guide"
What Music Students Actually Evolve Into (And Why the Cycle Never Ends)
The seventh and final letter of the ADVANCE method is Evolve — where the cycle begins again, and the student decides what they're becoming next.