How to Use the Metronome

It's a little soft, but here's a neat tutorial on how to use the metronome (you know, that ticking device your teacher tells you to use but everyone hates). More importantly, this guy talks about why we should use the metronome and why we should play steadily.

As a bonus, he talks about the history of metronome.

His hair's pretty wild, eh? Reminds me of another musician I know.

Learning Rock Grooves from Willie

Summertime is the perfect time to learn a few pop and rock grooves and licks! Even during the school year, I hop onto Youtube to listen to a few grooves for piano or cajón for choir. Here's a place I found recently.

Willie offers online lessons but he also has some free video tutorials on his website and his Youtube Channel.

Check out Rock Groove #2. It's pretty neat:

I like how he gives you ideas to vary the pattern.

Give it a try!  Have fun.

Playing Ensemble Music for Pleasure

You're all probably familiar with this image: cooped up in your practice room, staring at the clock and trying to decide just how unproductive you can be in your allotted practice time. Or this image: You're frantically racing to get your repertoire or technical exercises to a passable state for your upcoming exam or music festival.

Well, how about just playing for fun? With a friend? Or two or three? 

One of my music colleagues and fellow "tech teacher", Kevin Thompson of White Rock, BC, has a delightful collection of piano duets and trios on his Youtube Channel. There's a neat mix of different styles, from Baroque to Latin and from Classical to rock. It's worth checking out to get some ideas of music to play with friends and members of your family.

I leave you with Total Eclipse(which I think my students would love to play).

Learning New Grooves

Are you looking for some fun ways to practice this summer? Check out Jonathan Wilson's website, Groove Window. You can learn to play a useful blues licks and funk grooves, like this one that my brother and I performed last year:

Check out this Groove Starter tutorial:

Becoming an Inside In Musician

To the musician, ears are the mirror to the soul. "The most important things I say in my life may well be whispered," said conductor Carl St. Clair about musical innovation in a 2011 TED Talk. In this presentation, Maestro St. Clair also demonstrates the difference between an "outside out" conductor, "inside out" conductor and "inside in" conductor. The differences are astounding.

Special thanks to my Virtual Choir friend and teaching colleague, Tresa Gilman Davis of Studio Da Capo for showing me this inspiring talk.