Boonshaft’s Blog

#256. “Every day…”

#256. “Every day…”

On Tuesday, December 16, 2014, a contestant by the name of Alysha Rooks on the TV game show Jeopardy offered words that are at once stunningly true and remarkably empowering....

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#254. Spock Understood

#254. Spock Understood

The renowned actor Leonard Nimoy is best known for playing the Star Trek character Spock on television and in movies. The thoughtful, half-human, half-Vulcan Science Officer...

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#253. A Joy To Read

#253. A Joy To Read

I was recently asked to rattle off a list of some of my favorite books about education. Toward the top of my list, I mentioned “Teacher & Child” by Dr. Haim G. Ginott...

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#252. How Many Times?

#252. How Many Times?

Some years ago, while attending a holiday party, I had a conversation with a gentleman who worked in advertising. It was fascinating. The most interesting thing to me was hearing...

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#251. Confirmation Bias

#251. Confirmation Bias

One of my greatest worries when rehearsing an ensemble is whether I am hearing reality, or hearing what I want to hear. It is an extremely common problem we should all guard...

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#250. It’s An Attitude

#250. It’s An Attitude

Try walking into your classroom or rehearsal hall, and without saying a word to your students, write the following quote on the board.  Then just stare at it for a moment as you...

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#249. Grab Your Paintbrush

#249. Grab Your Paintbrush

On the list of extraordinarily important technical things we must teach our students to do and understand has to be holding long durations for their full length. Hearing whole...

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#248. Listen

#248. Listen

In the past, I have written about the necessity of us making the use of the word “listen” actionable. Simply instructing a group to “listen” is of little help. Telling them what...

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Dr. Boonshaft, Director of Education for KHS America, is the author of the critically acclaimed best-selling books Teaching Music with Passion, Teaching Music with Purpose, and Teaching Music with Promise. He was honored by the National Association for Music Education and Music For All as the first recipient of the “George M. Parks Award for Leadership in Music Education.” Dr. Boonshaft was selected for the Center for Scholarly Research and Academic Excellence at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, where he is Professor Emeritus of Music.