Are you plagued by a persistent problem in your practicing or playing? 

Often I have harpists come to me with a particular concern. There seems to be one issue, one real stumbling block that is in their path no matter what they do. These harpists are usually the “good student” type, even if they aren’t taking regular lessons. They practice diligently; they love music and the harp. But this diffic...

It happened again. I looked up and the calendar said “November” at the top. The calendar year is winding down, even as the performances gear up for the holidays, and it’s time to plan for next year.

For me this is the golden time to plan what next year will look like. What do I want to fix or change? What new project do I want to start? What should my theme be for the new year?

Before the holida...

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How is your sense of rhythm? Are you not sure if you have one? rhythm Before we can decide whether you do or don’t, we should get our terms straight.

Let’s look at the building blocks of rhythm:

The Beat

The beat is the basic unit of time. It can be expressed by a particular note value, a quarter note for instance, but essentially it is a duration of time. We experience this time span as a beat...

Does one of these stories sound like yours?

1. You’re busy living the hectic modern life – teaching, performing, practicing, family – and you’re just not getting the emotional lift from your music that you used to.

2. You know what you want. You want to play music, and you’re doing all the things you’re supposed to, but you’re still not getting results. Your frustration level is mounting, and y...

It’s October, the time of year when upcoming college auditions are weighing heavily on the hearts of music students. It’s a stressful time with so many questions that seem impossible to answer and so much preparation to be done. I routinely give my students four points to remember to guide them through these rough waters with the least amount of turmoil possible. And even if you aren’t preparing f...

As the weeks rush toward the busy holiday season, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. So many performances, so much music to learn, so little time to relax. At times like this it’s easy to feel…well, grumpy.

But feeling grumpy does not help you make beautiful music.

So before the grumpiness takes hold, take action. Follow these seven steps, and enjoy the busy times!

First, a couple ...

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It’s October, the time of year when upcoming college auditions are weighing heavily on the hearts of music students. It’s a stressful time with so many questions that seem impossible to answer and so much preparation to be done. I routinely give my students four points to remember to guide them through these rough waters with the least amount of turmoi...

As the weeks rush toward the busy holiday season, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. So many performances, so much music to learn, so little time to relax. At times like this it’s easy to feel…well, grumpy.

But feeling grumpy does not help you make beautiful music.

So before the grumpiness takes hold, take action. Follow these seven steps, and enjoy the busy times!

First, a couple ...