Website Searches of Note

My marketing friend, Andrea Coutu, recommended a while back that I track visits to my website. There have been some interesting searches conducted which lead people to my site. Here are just a few of the more interesting or common searches done for Musings:

1. Piano pedagogy certificate program

2. Musikgarten

3. Musical ear

4. Piano Practice Excuses

5. APTA Festival + Calgary

6. RSI Iaido

7. Iaido Calgary

8. Creative Practicing

9. How to Cheat on RCM Exams

10. Benefits of Music

11. Summer pedagogy programs

12. Summer Piano Programs

Number 9 was a surprise. That particular blog had "rhythm cheat sheet" and a reference to my students taking an RCM examination. I know that students have tried time and time again to cheat on theory exams, employing similar techniques used for other school tests. However, cheating on a piano exam isn't heard of too often. There was an incident a couple of years back, in which three piano teachers and one RCM Examination Representative were suspended for obtaining and giving the actual sight reading and ear training exam questions to students in advance of their exams.

Here are some of the more colourful/common searches done for Musespeak(tm)'s site:

1. Lakeland Terrier

2. Music Background

3. Writing Background

4. Music images

5. RCM Exams

6. Music Lessons Calgary

7. Voice Lessons Calgary

8. Guitar Lessons Okotoks

9. Music Theory

10. Accompanying Policies

Who would have thought that Maestro would be searched for?

(c) 2006 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Friday Fun Link #26

Hi all, This week's fun link is theory related (a tribute to all theory students writing exams this weekend). It's Something's Fishy About These Scales. Enjoy!

(c) 2006 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Overcoming Stage Fright

Call it what you want - performance jitters, butterflies, stage fright - it all comes down to the same sickening feeling people get before performing. It doesn't happen all the time but when it does, it can be paralyzing. Here are some interesting articles on how to overcome stage fright (some are music related, some are general):

• Stage Fright

• Stage Fright - Music

• Overcoming Stage Fright

Also, I hear these books are very good:

• The Inner Game of Music by W. Timothy Gallwey

• The Young Musician's Survival Guide: Tips from Teens & Pros by Amy Nathan

Happy reading.

(c) 2006 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Site Feed Issue Resolved

Fiddling with the atom.xml file several times was an exercise in futility. The code kept reverting back to the outdated format and information (complete with errors) each time I opened the document. I decided to go another route. Subscribing has never been easier! Simply click on the subscription button on the side bar and you will get e-mail updates.

(c) 2006, by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Performing to Expectations

We're into high performance season for musicians. Some of my students have already begun their stint at the APTA Festival. I was delighted today to see the comments one of my students received. We're definitely on the right track. Just a few tiny things to improve on but nothing this student can't handle. I can only hope that the rest of my students do as well. Some students have recently memorized their exam and/or festival pieces so there may be some wobbly performances. As my brother once told me, "They'll perform as well as expected."

I can't wait to see how my students found the Technique Games and the Music is More than You See Workshop on embellishing. I especially can't wait to find out how two of my students will do in the pop class, where they are strongly encouraged to improvise and/or embellish. One is a good improvisor and should play well. The other? We'll see.

It's the same deal with next week's theory examinations. One student is postponing her exam, while the other four should perform as expected. I hope one squeaks by with a passing grade, but following instructions has been a challenge for this student. Writing a music theory exam is like taking an accounting test: If you get one step wrong, it will drastically affect the rest of your answer. Not following directions will adversely affect your grade. The other three will pass, if past performance is any indication.

This week, I'm asking my students to decide what they will perform at the studio recital at the end of the month. I suppose I should do the same. I know that I should perform by memory, but I don't know if I'll have time to memorize. Jeez, I can't even decide what to play, let alone whether I'll use the book. (c) 2006, Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.