On Surviving September

Ahhhhhh! Where did September go? The students and I are back into the swing of things. The days are long. I typically begin teaching at 3:30 and go till 9 pm. I do have a few day students on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. I've even managed to stay on top of reshelving the books used each day and getting some regular practicing in. My former teacher would be pleased that I've pulled out some senior repertoire to muck around with (mixed in with some jazz, improvising and JPop of course). With more intermediate and senior students this year, I need to stay on top of things.

Now if only I could get in the swing of things with my paperwork. I'm behind on my bookkeeping (surprise, surprise) and other admin related work.

I am so excited to have such a great bunch of students this year. Actually, I should say "families" since being able to have a good relationship with the family is fundamental to making the year go well. For the most part, the students are doing well with their practice journals, although a few haven't been keeping track as well as I'd like (or practicing as much as their parents and I would like them to). Overall though, the practice journals seem to be working. The kids are using the forms to ask insightful questions, share what they enjoyed most out of their homework and alert me to what they need help with.

Even Maestro is maturing into his role as "canine teaching assistant". He rests quietly in his "room" (his kennel) most of the time and hasn't tried to steal any stickers. Prizes though, are another story. He bonked his head on the prize drawer a couple of times while trying to steal a peek.

A few students have simply blown me away with their compositions. A few were inspired by a tune they heard, while others have come up with something unlike anything I've heard before.

Students, parents and fellow teachers, feel free to share your feelings on your year so far. As for me, I better go practice...

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

Fifth Honens International Piano Competition Begins in October

This is a special year for pianists and piano music lovers. It marks the Fifth Honens International Piano Competition. Held every three years, young pianists from around the world audition to qualify to compete What sets Honens apart from other competitions is the professional development assistance provided to the Honens Laureates. Honens presents over 50 concert, education and outreach events in Calgary and across Canada annually. This year's competition and musical celebration runs from October 19 - November 3. To find out more about the competition, the celebration concerts and student master classes, please visit the Honens website.

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

A New Study on the Benefits of Music Education

My next student is due any minute, so this is a short but sweet link. A friend sent me this article on the benefits of music study. It's stuff any music teacher will tell you - that music improves brain development and memory (among other things).


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

Encyclopedia of Music in Canada

Things have been rather hectic these past few days - reorganizing everything from the studio to the house and from my budget to ARMTA portfolios.

This week's useful link is the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. You can find out about Canadian classical, pop, jazz, rock music and more.

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

Making the Most of Music Practicing

"My head's exploding!" said one of my students as she walked into her lesson today. September is so exciting and hectic for students and their families. Back to school and back to their extracurricular activities. Homework and limited playtime. With any activity, establishing a regular routine is critical to ensure steady progress, growth and a sense of accomplishment. Set up a regular practice time in your child (or your own) schedule. Goal oriented practicing works well for many students, more than punching the clock, although general guidelines for practice times do exist. Do remember to warm-up, cool down and reflect upon what worked well in your session, what still needs work, what you enjoyed (or didn't) and what you need to ask the teacher at the next lesson.

Here a pretty good article on how to set up a good practice routine at home A Guide to Great Home Music Practice.

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