Boonshaft’s Blog
#277. Today
Before school, write these words on the board. Just as you start a class or rehearsal, walk over to the board, tap on it, and point to the words. Then, just look at them and nod...
#276. What A Difference A Comma Can Make
Getting an ensemble to phrase where we tell them to is pretty simple. But getting them to really understand the concept of phrasing can be challenging. For them to truly make...
#275. What You Allow You Accept
I once heard my dear friend and renowned string educator, Bob Phillips, say five words that left me speechless with their simple, yet absolutely undeniable power. He said, “What...
#274. A Pail Or A Fire
I love quotes. And of all the quotes I have ever read or heard about teaching, these simple, yet profound words of William Butler Yeats always find their way to the top of my...
#273. Remove Randomness
I believe that students should mark every single breath they will take in every piece they play. I know that sounds crazy and a bit like busywork, but here’s why: To remove the...
#272. Habits
When I started teaching, I realized early on that I was very good at getting kids to break bad habits. Really good! But sadly, things didn’t get better, and often they got...
#271. The Difference
Sometimes the effectiveness of our teaching, and of our students’ learning, can rest in our ability to recognize the difference between compliance and understanding. When a...
#270. Practice Your Faces
Last week’s blog talked about how powerful facial communication can be. I hope I convinced you to give freely of your facial expressions and to work on further developing...
#269. The Face
Each of us spent years in college learning to better our conducting skills as a profound means of communication, and it is. We spent semester after semester honing our speaking...