Each of us is a product of our upbringing. That’s no less true in music than in a family. Our teachers have a profound effect on us. For those of us who go on to make music an important part of our lives, we realize the impact of our teachers in our work every day. We recognize the place we hold, the responsibility we have to continue traditions and walk further down the musical road.

My...

The big day has come – you are a pedal harpist at last! Pedals expand your musical horizons, free up your left hand, and give you two more limbs to coordinate.

Don’t get discouraged; the rewards far outweigh the inconvenience. And though you will hear pedal harpists complain about “the feet,” we wouldn’t want to give up playing the fabulous music that the pedals...

Wedding repertoire is usually predictable. Even with the occasional request for an unusual pop song or family favorite, most brides like to stick to the tried and true, the evergreen favorites.

So I am always delighted when a bride tells me to pick the selections myself. I usually ask her what sort of mood or atmosphere she envisions for her wedding. Does she prefer formal or romantic? Serene...

A keystone is the pivotal stone in an archway. There are wonderful architectural examples like the ancient arch in this picture that demonstrate how a keystone can create a strong and secure strong. The remarkable thing about a keystone is that it holds the arch together without any cement or other adhesive, but just by the pressure its unique shape exerts on the other stones.

A keystone habit...

Subdivision of beats is the number one way to keep your inner metronome even and accurate.

How often have you been told by a teacher or a conductor to subdivide the beats? I know I was told more than once when I was a student. Now as a teacher, I find myself giving the same reminder to my students.

What is subdivision, and why is it so necessary?

Each beat is really not the instant the...

There is a great article in Harp Column magazine this month by Nadia Pessoa. It’s all about survival skills and being prepared for musical emergencies. Not dealing with a broken string, but being prepared to play when you weren’t expecting it.

In the article, Erin Earl Wood mentions her teacher telling her to always have 20 minutes of music memorized, just in case. That’s...

It happens. We keep careful records and live by our calendars. But sometimes circumstances change, and we have to cancel performances we committed to. What is the best professional etiquette for those sticky situations?

There are two kinds of situations that require slightly different handling.

First is the emergency situation. It is last minute (the day of the performance or the day before)...

Most of us musicians will admit to a love/hate relationship with our metronome. Its relentless clicking, ticking or beeping reveals our failings. It has no mercy, and it never gets tired. Batteries even seem to last longer in a metronome than in any other electronic device.

So why has the metronome been an essential tool for generations of musicians?

Consider carefully what the metronome does.

Woodshedding (noun) a centuries old practice technique designed to produce correct and consistent performance through relentless repetition. Sound like fun? Not likely.

The legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker is often cited as a musician who owed his success to the woodshed. As Parker told the story, after some embarrassing performances as a young musician, he began...

Today we celebrate the 329th birthday of a musical giant: Johann Sebastian Bach.

I have always had an affinity for Bach’s music. It speaks to me in its order and its beauty, its complexity and its elegance.

And I love playing Bach’s music, although I remember struggling, as a young piano student, to play without using the pedal. (Ah, the irony – I’m stuck with seven...