From the category archives:

Getting the Most out of Your Lessons

Go Out and Play!

by Nate FoersterMarch 15, 2011

For many, learning an instrument can be therapeutic. I’ve used music as a way of expressing, venting and relaxing for most of my life and I value the personal time that I spend with my instruments. However, when I look back on my musical life, my experiences in group and public performance have had the [...]

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Music Theory: Your Friend!

by David McCormickSeptember 26, 2010

I’ve been teaching music for 16 years and I hear the same questions every day: How are you able to hear a song for the first time and immediately know how to play it? How do you keep so many songs in your head and never look at sheet music? How do you start to [...]

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Student jam sessions

by David McCormickJuly 5, 2009

We organize regular jam sessions for our students who are ready to play together in groups. Some are held here, others at students’ homes. Ask your teacher if you’d like to prepare to participate.

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Learning to play by ear

by Lia ZitoJune 5, 2009

Playing by ear is just another skill that has to be developed. I was terrible at it when I got out of high school (after 10 years of private violin lessons, Suzuki even!) and tried to play at the local jam. The first tune or two I learned from CDs were tortuous. The next few [...]

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So you’re left-handed…

by Lia ZitoMay 29, 2009

If you’re left-handed, should you learn to play an instrument left-handed? Well, no. And I’m a lefty. Being a violin teacher, I come across this idea pretty regularly, since the left & right hands do very different things on the violin (unlike, say, piano). Guitar players also will ask the left-handed question. It’s not quite [...]

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