by Peter Boonshaft | Mar 28, 2023 | Boonshaft's Blog
As I reflect on so many facets of being a music teacher, I am often reminded of the marvelous words of A. A. Milne, who had Winnie-the-Pooh state so profoundly, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” How lucky, indeed. On so...
by Peter Boonshaft | Mar 21, 2023 | Boonshaft's Blog
When one is bombarded with too much information all at once, it causes what is known as “Information Fatigue.” The result of this condition is a sense of apathy, indifference, disinterest, stress, and mental exhaustion. Basically, we “tune out”...
by Peter Boonshaft | Mar 14, 2023 | Boonshaft's Blog
In my previous blog, I mentioned how our intense concentration, or worrying about a problem, in rehearsals often causes us to forget about using what can be our most powerful means of communicating, our face. One need only watch the famed video of the legendary...
by Peter Boonshaft | Mar 7, 2023 | Boonshaft's Blog
When I think back to the greatest conductors I have played under or watched, there are many commonalities: they knew the score cold, they possessed the theoretical and historical knowledge to put the work into context, they brought forth wonderful interpretations of...
by Peter Boonshaft | Feb 28, 2023 | Boonshaft's Blog
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” When Benjamin Franklin stated those remarkable words, he encapsulated one of the gold standards of education: “experiential learning,” or what is often referred to as...
by Peter Boonshaft | Feb 14, 2023 | Boonshaft's Blog
Before class or rehearsal one day, write the following anonymous quote on the board: “Don’t wait until you’ve reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of yourself every step you take toward reaching that goal.” Don’t say...