171. Xunzi’s Wisdom

171. Xunzi’s Wisdom

Xun Kuang, also known as Xunzi, who lived from 300-230 B.C., wrote: “Not having heard something is not as good as having heard it; having heard it is not as good as having seen it; having seen it is not as good as knowing it; knowing it is not as good as putting it...
#170. Bring It To You

#170. Bring It To You

So often as I look out at students in an ensemble, I see lots of them doing one specific thing that causes many different problems. It can show itself with any instrument, and when it does, it can start a chain reaction of bad habits that may cause even more problems....
#169. A Life-Lesson Learned

#169. A Life-Lesson Learned

We have all witnessed ensembles do more than we thought possible or go farther than we imagined. When that happens, it is a reminder that so often the sum of the parts is so much greater than them individually. Call it teamwork, cooperation, synergy, or any number of...
#168. S.P.E.

#168. S.P.E.

Have you ever tried to memorize a list of things only to remember the beginning and the end, forgetting most – if not all – of the middle of that list? Me too, and sadly way too often. That phenomenon is called the Serial Position Effect. Quite simply, that the...
#167. Beauty

#167. Beauty

Of all the incredibly significant things we need to teach, or more importantly, help our students understand, learning the meaning of beauty – in music – must number near the top of the list. I know it is vital that each of my students come to understand what beauty...