Last week, a young student of mine made it all the way through Silent Night on piano. (Yes, Silent Night. In April. Don’t worry about it.) He’s a beginner. This was his first complete song — mostly memorized, both hands, all the way through. A real, honest-to-goodness “I just played a song” moment. And here’sContinueContinue reading “The Step Most Music Teachers Skip — Letting the Student Enjoy the Win”
Category Archives: Music
What “Ready for JAM Camp” Actually Means
Parents ask if their kid is ready for JAM Camp. Here’s the honest answer — and it’s almost never the answer they expect. The bar is lower than you think, the ceiling is higher than you think, and skill isn’t actually the thing that matters.
The Part of Teaching Most Studios Think Is the Whole Job
If you ask the average music teacher what teaching is, they’ll describe Acquire. The fourth letter of the ADVANCE method is the part most studios think is the whole job. The teacher introduces a new skill. The student works on it. The teacher gives feedback. The student practices. Eventually, the skill lands. That’s Acquire. TheContinueContinue reading “The Part of Teaching Most Studios Think Is the Whole Job”
Private Lessons + JAM Camp: Why We Tell Parents to Do Both
A parent emailed last spring asking if JAM Camp was worth it when her son was already in lessons. Here’s what I told her — and why “isn’t lessons enough?” is the wrong question.
The Step Most Music Teachers Skip — and Why We Refuse To
Remember the kid I told you about a few posts ago? The one who was “learning Riptide” and couldn’t tell me what it was teaching him? This is the post about what his teacher should have done instead. The third letter of the ADVANCE method is Validate. It’s the step that turns a song intoContinueContinue reading “The Step Most Music Teachers Skip — and Why We Refuse To”