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pianoteacherjulie
Aug 1, 20192 min read
Use It or Lose It
I've heard the expression "Use it or lose it" a lot in my life and have always been a bit confused by it. How can you lose a skill just...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jul 29, 20192 min read
Organizing Practice Stuff
As you can imagine, as a musician and music teacher, I have a fair amount of music books and teaching materials. I also happen to be a...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jul 25, 20192 min read
Songs My Students Chose
It's easy to get stuck in ruts as a music teacher. We have the songs we always teach because they are in the method book or they are the...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jul 22, 20191 min read
Ah, Summer
Summer is a weird time. In some ways, it's easier. With no school, there is time for lessons during the day, more practice time, and just...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jul 18, 20192 min read
Choosing Songs
Sometimes I let my students pick a song. It can be for a recital. It can be that there are a few songs that all accomplish the same...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jul 15, 20192 min read
Boredom Busters
What should you do if you are getting bored in your practice time? Seek out appropriate challenges! Ask your teacher for things that you...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jul 11, 20191 min read
Isolate, Drill, Expand
What is the practice technique I use most often? I call it "isolate, drill, expand." Basically, find what the trouble spot (ie where you...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jul 8, 20192 min read
Album for the Young
Over the course of my piano training, I have played a number of pieces from Shumann's Album for the Young. Of course, when I learning...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jul 1, 20192 min read
Memorization
Memorizing music has never been my strong point. I can do it with lots of effort, but I am never confident enough in my memorization to...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jun 27, 20191 min read
Practice Tips and Strategies
Some things about practice seem obvious. Practice every day. The more you practice the better you get. Don't multitask when practicing....
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pianoteacherjulie
Jun 24, 20191 min read
Correct vs Musical
First, let's define terms. Playing correctly means playing the right notes at the right time in the right way as indicated by the score....
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pianoteacherjulie
Jun 20, 20191 min read
Scale Variations
Are you getting board practicing scales? Here are a few variations that make it more interesting. 1) If you have a keyboard or digital...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jun 17, 20191 min read
Find the Patterns
When encountering a score for the first time, one of the first things to do is find the patterns. Get an overall picture of the piece by...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jun 13, 20192 min read
My Work Style
One thing that I love about being self employed is that I can use my own work style. So what is that work style and how I plan my...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jun 10, 20192 min read
The Answers Are on the Page!
In lessons, we spend a lot of time practicing reading notes, learning what different symbols mean, and sightreading music. There is a...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jun 6, 20192 min read
"You Can't Just Make Stuff Up"
"You can't just make stuff up. That's not how this works." I don't know how many times I've said that to certain students. It's always in...
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pianoteacherjulie
Jun 3, 20191 min read
Games to Reach Goals
In my studio, I have a checklist of skills that every student should be working toward/eventually have. It's everything from naming all...
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pianoteacherjulie
May 23, 20192 min read
Online vs. In Person Lessons
Over the last few months, I've added in a lot of online lessons, and today, I want to share with you the difference between online and in...
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pianoteacherjulie
May 20, 20192 min read
How I Chose My Digital Piano
I've mentioned before that one challenge that I've had is not having an actual piano to practice on at home. Apartment life did not allow...
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pianoteacherjulie
May 16, 20191 min read
How Online Lessons Work
The more I talk with people and mention that I teach piano both in person and online, the main question I get is how online lessons work....
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