Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning

<p >What does it look like to be a musician who is also an inventor—someone whose curiosity about how things work shapes the way he approaches his instrument? Pianist Josef Hofmann spent his entire career exploring...

<p >March in my studio means one thing: informance season. We spend 10 to 12 weeks getting ready—learning and analyzing music, practicing demonstrations, preparing to talk to the audience. And this year, I knew from the...

<p >At the end of January, we lost a wonderful musician, teacher, and pedagogue, Marvin Blickenstaff. You’ve probably heard me talk about Marvin on the podcast before—he had a profound impact on my teaching.</p><p >With...

<p >February is Black History Month—a time to honor and celebrate the contributions of African Americans. As a music teacher, this prompts me to pause and evaluate what I’m teaching, but also why. I ask questions...

<p >It’s my last week of teaching for the year, and I've been reflecting on the supplemental books that have been most successful with my elementary and early intermediate students this year. The new year can be a great...

<p >One of the things I love about teaching is that we can draw on many disciplines to make our work better—art, psychology, learning theories, and even neuroscience. Recently, I’ve been reading about what brain...

<p >This fall, I read two books about practicing: The first is Madeline Bruser’s, The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart. The second is Molly Gebrian’s 2024 release, Learn Faster, Perform Better...

<p >It was about this time last year when I got a panicked email from a parent: “Jack broke his left wrist this week. What does this mean for piano? He’s in a cast.”</p><p >Has this ever happened to you? Some parents...

<p >Learning to play the piano isn’t just about learning repertoire pieces. It’s about developing a set of keyboard skills that lets you make music anywhere, with anyone, in any style. Technique, performance, and...

<p >When I was in grad school, I took an elective class on Improvisation. I remember shuffling into the 3rd-floor classroom that first day, pulling a blue chair into the semicircle like everyone else, unfolding the desk...

<p >Earlier this month, I hosted my 14th studio piano recital. There’s always so much that goes into planning and preparing for an event like this:</p><p >Choosing repertoire<br>Booking the venue<br>Polishing...

<p >It starts simply. Two blocked jazz chords with I-V in the bass. And then the vocalist comes in:</p><p >“Twenty-four hours can go so fast. You look around, the day has passed…”</p><p >This is Leonard Bernstein’s song...

<p >Some of you may not know this about me, but I’m a musician and an artist.</p><p >I always loved art as a kid—from finger painting in my blue smock at my Little Tikes easel to coloring and tracing to the pastel class...

<p >March is Women’s History Month and by extension, Women in Music Month—an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate women’s contributions to our field.</p><p >As a teacher, I love finding ways to honor and celebrate...

<p >When you think about practicing, what do you picture?</p><p >Maybe you think about your instrument in the living room or your favorite practice room at school. Maybe you picture your studio with morning light...