Boonshaft’s Blog
#84. Digging
Are our students not listening to us, or are we not saying anything they want to hear? Though that sentence is grammatically a mess, it does pose a good...
#83. What You’re Made Of
Before your next rehearsal or class simply write this wonderful quote by an unknown author on the board: “The same boiling water that softens the potato...
#82. Roses In Winter
To paraphrase the words of James M. Barrie: We have the gift of memory so that we might have roses in the dead of winter. Though those profound words can...
#81. What Once Frustrated You…
There is a wonderful old adage that says you know you’re making progress when what once made you mad, now makes you laugh. What once frustrated you now...
#80. What Kind?
During rehearsals, do we determine the quality, productivity, atmosphere, or kind of rehearsal our students will have, or do our students determine the...
#79. Triple The Size Of Your Ensemble!
I bet that title caught your attention, and that you’re probably thinking what follows is an idea about recruiting. Nope. Have you ever worried that the...
#78. Doing Is Understanding
As you’re planning repertoire for your next concert, how about including a composition that features a narrator, and invite your school principal,...
#77. Why Did It Fall?
As Bernard Baruch so perfectly put it, “Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” Getting our students to wonder and question “why” something is...
#76. What Tiny Changes Can Do!
Before your next rehearsal, try a few things that will make all the difference in the world. Simply slide the first chair in the second row over so that...