Vermont is now under a "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order due to COVID19. This minimizes all non-essential activities outside the home, and music lessons are not considered essential. Although I teach in my students' homes, for now it is my responsibility to stay home and transition all lessons to virtual/online lessons to help keep us all safe and healthy. 

All current students wishing to continue with lessons during this time of transition are encouraged to do so! We can…

I now offer online lessons for students in any location, as well as in-person students who may have weather- or illness-related cancellations. This allows us to keep progressing with music, even when the climate or immune systems don't want to cooperate! So what do you need for a successful online lesson?

While we could technically do a lesson with an iPhone, it's much better to use a tablet or laptop computer with a camera/videoconferencing capabilities. A phone screen is very small…

It's the statement parents and teachers often dread: "but I don't WANNA do it!" What happens when I've arrived for the lesson and that's the first thing we hear?

As noted in my previous post people most often want someone to listen to them. Often my first question will be, "Why not?" Maybe the student had a terrible day, they had a disagreement with a friend, they're hungry, they're tired...or they didn't practice much and are embarrassed to play. Asking first, instead of demanding they…

This is a question I'm asked by both new and seasoned students alike. New students and parents want to know what they're signing up for while more advanced students want to ensure their practice routines continue to benefit their musical journeys.  

In an ideal world, my students would practice each piece (or section of a piece) about 5 times per day, every day. That's it. No half-hour of daily practice, no two-hour marathon practice sessions on the weekend.  

Here's why: the brain actually makes the…

Prospective students and parents often ask me "What's the right age to start music lessons?" My answer is an enthusiastic "Any age!" Learning music is beneficial to students of all ages. I've taught lessons to students as young as three all the way up into retirement and I've seen growth and development at every age.  

Before three years old, a private music lesson is probably not the best choice, but group music classes such as Mommy and Me music, music and movement classes, Kindermusic, and others are a…

I've been teaching music for over a decade though, and I've been extremely fortunate that, during the course of that decade, technology has allowed me to continue teaching students, regardless of location! It's amazing to see some of my students grow up (I've now had students not only graduate high school, but graduate college, get married, and have kids of their own!!) and stay in touch with them. It's even more amazing to be able to play music together, even if it's been a few years since last time we saw…