So often, I walk into a rehearsal and the ensemble is working on four pieces, each of which is at the outer limits of their collective technical ability. For many students, that...

“You must aim high, not in what you are going to do at some future date, but in what you are going to make yourself do today. Otherwise working is just a waste of time.” Those...

Why do students quit music? Well, I think we can all agree there are as many answers to that question as there are students who quit.  But I am confident that the bottom line is...

When it comes to recruiting and retention, all too often and unintentionally, I feel we practice what I call The Salmon Principle of Recruiting and Retention. We recruit as many...

I believe that a great part of our responsibility as educators is to explain what we teach, impart why it is important, promote the benefits of it, and show how it is rewarding...

When thinking about being an advocate for music education, I immediately go to wanting to spread the word about the facts, data, and statistics of how music impacts a student’s...

In last week’s blog, I offered some thoughts about common issues that arise when rehearsing a full orchestra. What follows are other problems that we often encounter when we...

Every band director is aware of the usual concerns when refining a wind band performance. Likewise, every string teacher is familiar with the stumbling blocks of producing a...

Most anything used once has an impact. But used too often, and that very same thing loses its intensity and power. Basically, the more we see or hear something, the more we tend...