One of the things I hear most often from parents is: “We know practice is important… we just can’t seem to make it happen consistently.” I understand. Life is busy. Between school, sports, homework, family dinners, and everything else, finding time to practice can feel overwhelming. But here’s what I’ve learned after more than 20 years of teaching: The families who are most successful aren’t the ones with the most free time, they’re the ones with the best routine. The good ne

One of the most common things I hear from students is: “I can play it fast… I just keep making mistakes.” So I ask them to do something that often surprises them. “Let’s play it slower.” Sometimes I get a puzzled look. “Won’t that take longer?” Ironically, slowing down is often the fastest way to improve. It may seem backwards, but after decades of teaching, I’ve seen it happen over and over again. The students who are willing to slow down usually progress the fastest. Your B

One of the first questions parents ask me is: “How can I get my child to practice without it becoming a daily battle?” After more than 22 years of teaching, I can tell you something that surprises many families. The students who make the most progress aren’t necessarily the most naturally talented. They’re the ones who have built a routine. Not a perfect routine. Not a two-hour practice schedule. Just a consistent habit. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years that

If you’ve ever found yourself loudly saying… “Go practice!” … only to be met with groans, excuses, or an argument, you’re certainly not alone. As a music teacher, I see this all the time (and remember the arguments from when I was a child) But the good news is this: Most practice struggles aren’t caused by children. It is caused by habits that can easily be changed. Parents want what’s best for their children. You want them to improve, enjoy music, and feel successful. Someti

“Sooooo, the week got away from you again.” School was busy. There were sports practices, homework, birthday parties, errands, and somehow Friday arrived before anyone had touched the piano. Now it’s Sunday afternoon. You look at the clock and think, “Okay, we need to get two hours of practice done before lessons this week.” What follows? Two hours of negotiating. Two hours of reminders. Maybe a few tears. Maybe a frustrated child. Maybe an even more frustrated parent. If tha

One of the questions I get asked every year is: “Should my child keep practicing over the summer?” My answer is always the same: Absolutely but summer practice should look different. Summer is one of the best opportunities for young musicians to get ahead because the pressure of school assignments, exams, and busy schedules is temporarily lifted. Instead of rushing from one activity to another, students have the chance to slow down, explore, and build skills that often don’t

My answer is: yes, sometimes we need them. When learning music, it can easily become a rigid exercise. I’ve worked with students who become frustrated and even frozen because they’re worried their crescendo isn’t quite right, their touch isn’t perfect, or they aren’t singing loudly enough. My dear friend, mentor, and voice teacher, Joseph (Joe) Shore (may he rest in peace), taught me something that changed my approach to music forever: stop thinking about music solely in an a

Why Starting Music Lessons at Age 3 Sets the Foundation for a Lifetime of Success When it comes to music education, one of the most common questions parents ask is: “Is my child too young to start?” The answer? Age 3 is actually a perfect age to begin. At this stage, children are naturally curious, highly receptive, and deeply connected to sound, movement, and imitation. Introducing both instrumental and voice-based learning early doesn’t just teach music, it shapes the way a

I was sitting in Starbucks waiting for my coffee the other day and couldn’t help but smile. At the table beside me, two moms were chatting about their sons’ piano lessons. One mom said, “Stevie’s teacher says he can go far, maybe even get his ARCT one day but my husband has to sit with him every day or he won’t practice.” And I wanted to lean over and whisper: Shhhhh… here’s a secret …. that’s completely normal. The truth is, almost no child naturally practices consistently o

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