The Fastest Way to Learn a Musical Instrument Guaranteed

Every day, musicians face a fork in the road: Do I practice or do I skip it today?  Each day, as you face this question, you are determining your future. One path leads to the ability to face challenges and meet them head on.  It is the path of success–whether in music or in any other [...]

Many musicians work on silencing their inner critic.  We all know that put-downs coming from our own minds can be damaging to mental health and to our performances.  Shutting down this negative inner dialogue is a key component to performing successfully. But, there’s another aspect of the inner voice that doesn’t get as much attention: [...]

Do you know what you want to get out of your music lessons?  The key to success is finding the right teacher for your needs.  You need a music teacher who will help you achieve your goals and who has experience with students of your age, ability, and mindset. If you know what you are [...]

To make music lessons successful, music teachers and music students need to truly understand each other.  They need to make sure their goals are in sync, and that a plan is in place to propel the student forward toward those goals. As a student, you need to have goals for your lessons, and you need [...]

How much do you remember about your practicing day to day?  If you’re like most musicians, the answer is: Not much. There are two crucial places you need to be writing notes to yourself: in your sheet music and in a practice diary. In your music, you can write out specific techniques that you know [...]

Music students must have a to-do list when they leave their music lessons.  It’s impossible for students to remember everything they’re supposed to be playing, and having a written list is best for most musicians. The practicing to-do list should have three main parts to be effective: 1.  What to practice:  This is the list [...]

Music teachers and music students will achieve more if they understand a truth about how the human brain is hard-wired: We are designed to forget things. That’s right.  Remembering is rare.  Forgetting is normal. Once you come to terms with this reality, everything changes for you.  You won’t be so hard on yourself for forgetting [...]

The Musician’s Practice Planner can be used as a motivational tool to keep musicians on the path of success.  By writing down two key pieces of information, you can use your Practice Planner to clearly guide your achievements. These two are: 1.  How many days you will practice this week. 2.  How long you will practice on each [...]

The Musician’s Practice Planner if often praised for its ability to organize practice sessions and keep music students focused.  There’s another use for this practice notebook that is even more vital: Inspiring musicians. When musicians feel inspired, they are much more likely to practice regularly and stay focused on their aspirations.  They stay calm in [...]

Handheld digital recorders are fast becoming a favorite item for musicians.  There are many musical uses for these handy devices, from recording your practicing to recording rehearsals and archiving your performances. In the age of Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, personal blogs, and band websites, many musicians are realizing the need to have video as part of [...]