Yearly Archives: 2020

Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade - San Francisco Symphony Orchestra 1942, Pierre Monteux conducting. Originally released by RCA Red Seal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e7C4DugjyI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmjRM3AziTY One of the first points the narrator makes is that the Beatles didn't read or write sheet music. The sheet music of their songs that you buy was all…

Blitzen's Boogie is a great introduction to blues, jazz and big band tonalities for kids. Just in time for the holidays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KbG1NEpKZw For non-classical musicians, the best predictor of whether…

https://www.newstatesman.com/music-and-performance/2013/09/deal-it-parents-violin-lessons-are-pointless Mark Oppenheimer's 2013 article proposes an informal test:  Go on Facebook and ask your friends to chime in if, when they were children, they took five years or more…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7bd1G8i9M The "piano scene" from the movie Ray, where young Ray Charles is taught how to improvise a solo using just three notes. This scene is based on a real…

A school in Singapore has an unconventional, but enlightened approach to teaching piano. This is a glimpse into the future of music education.

A response to a FaceBook post by Tom Marcellis I like to engage in thoughtful dialogue and debate with other music instructors, like myself. I welcome comments, and encourage discussion,…