by Donna Schwartz | Oct 30, 2015 | Motivating Students
What can we do to get our students to practice more? Here’s some ideas that I have used or have heard other well-known teachers implement. Some of these ideas will take time, but are worth it in the long run… Get to know each of your students. This is a...
by Anthony Mazzocchi | Sep 8, 2015 | Building Support / Advocacy, Motivating Students
It’s the beginning of another school year, and hundreds of thousands of school children around the country have chosen which instrument they want to play and have taken it home for the first time. It’s exciting, to say the least, and possibly the beginning of a...
by Anthony Mazzocchi | Aug 28, 2015 | Building Support / Advocacy, Motivating Students
As a parent, one of the best things that I can hope for is that my children have the wherewithal to make their way through life armed with a wide variety of skills and a “can-do” mindset. As a teacher, school leader, and professor, I have seen way too...
by Anthony Mazzocchi | Aug 18, 2015 | Motivating Students, Recruitment and Retention
Most parents and students start the summer with the best intentions as far as instrumental music practice is concerned. Some families choose to rent their instrument for the summer months and not return it to the store/school. Some even buy a new...
by Kaleen Hernandez | Aug 10, 2015 | Motivating Students
Imagine a world where students in beginning 6th grade don’t have to spend months being taught how to follow a conductor, read staff notation, or perform with good posture. Imagine middle school students being able to follow a musical roadmap, play with dynamics, and...
by Anthony Mazzocchi | Jul 31, 2015 | Motivating Students
I often observe that many parents hold some age-old assumption that musical talent is God-given or inherited, but let’s be clear: everyone possesses musical talent to some degree. I believe the high attrition rate of students between the first and second year of...