Here’s a little something that I’ve been working with in the studio this week! I have quite a few students who are fans of playing the blues. Since our weather has been so “blue” up here, I thought it might be fun to work...
Read moreWhy Are You Taking Voice Lessons?
This is one of the questions that I always ask potential voice students when they come to my studio. Why are you taking voice lessons? What do you want to get out of studying voice? Sometimes this question stumps a student at first, but most will...
Read moreWordless Wednesday
Piano Six-Hands and Eight-Hands
This is a follow-up post about a couple of group lessons we held two weeks ago. Between the winter weather and the cold/flu season, there were quite a few make-up lessons in queue. Rather than having individual lessons, I decided to hold group...
Read moreDIY Foam Keyboard
Here’s a little gem I made back in 2011. After making another music game, I had some white and black foam left over. The white foam piece was just about the size of piano keys, and so after seeing a few other examples of “Silent Keyboards,” I set to work. See below for directions.
Foam Keyboard Materials and Directions:
- White foam sheet
- Black sticky foam sheet
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Wooden craft discs
- Fine tip Sharpie Marker
- Patience and a calculator
Then and Now – 3.25 Years Later
I realize that 3.25 years is an odd number to celebrate. Still, it seemed appropriate with all the new advances in the studio lately. Let’s take a little “Then and Now” tour of Sara’s Music Studio: In 2010, I opened my...
Read moreSpeaking Like a Singer (or TEACHER!)
Do you have to speak a lot in your job? (Maybe you just like to gab!) Have you ever found yourself vocally exhausted at the end of a busy day? Do you have to clear your throat all the time? Is your throat sore? Voice gravely? Do you have...
Read moreWordless Wednesday
Piano six hands!
Read more"Go Play in the Snow!"
Over the weekend I held my very first group lessons. After a round of sickness and really bad weather, I had quite a few lessons to makeup. (Like many, I do not offer reimbursements for tuition, but I do offer makeup lessons if given at least 24...
Read moreFree Major and Minor Pentascale Warm-up Charts
Last week I shared a major pentascales chart and two major pentascale worksheets. As a followup, I created a minor pentascales chart as well. Why all these pentascale posts? One of my 2014 Studio Resolutions is to teach all of my vocalists...
Read moreHeart Challenge!
From now through Valentine’s Day, students are collecting stickers to decorate their hearts! They get stickers for every homework/theory assignment and piece that they complete. (And yes, there are prize incentives for those who collect...
Read more2014 Student and Teacher Goals
Like many teachers, my lessons focus on creating proper piano or vocal technique, establishing good practice habits, and the development of a well-rounded repertoire. In addition to those (sometimes lofty) goals, I like to keep things fun and...
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