Writing for the Alfred Music Blog, David Pope discusses the challenges presented to students, especially middle and high school students, in the age of instant gratification. He presents tips and strategies for engaging and keeping students motivated to persevere.

​Read the entire blog here. 

Do you use a metronome when you practice?
Are you afraid to use a metronome?
Do you know how to use a metronome?
Are you using the correct metronome for you?

Over the past 12 years I have been asked countless questions about how to use a metronome, what type to buy, etc.  I encourage students to try a variety of metronomes and to start with free metronome apps that are available on most smartphones and tablets.  Some students prefer a flashing light and in the case of percussion students they may need a flashing light.  Other students prefer to see the swinging pendulum in their peripheral vision.  Yet some students prefer a dog barking sound versus a click or beep!

When using a metronome for practice, I do not expect for a student to use it for every piece assigned every day.  Sometimes I have students only use it for their warm ups so they can practice steady beats.  Other times I have students use a metronome to keep a consistent tempo in a challenging piece.  I believe that it is important to play a piece correctly without a metronome as most performers do not perform with a metronome on stage.

Here is a terrific video on how to use the metronome correctly when practicing any instrument at home.  Included in this video are some tips of things to avoid when practicing with a metronome.  Enjoy the video and happy practicing!

http://www.pianoblog.com/the-biggest-mistake-with-metronome-piano-practice/  ​

Renee is the studio director of Note-worthy Experiences, the chair of the Sudbury Chapter of the National Piano Guild, and a private piano instructor. 

I'll let you in on a secret: I was absolutely one of these kids. Each week, my mom would drag me to my piano lesson, where my teacher would glare at me in disappointment because, again, I didn't practice. Maybe one song really spoke to me, and I got good at that one. But the scales, technique exercises, and that really challenging one? Often, no. 

I understand her approach; she had a disciplined method that worked for many of her students and she stuck by it. Unfortunately, I was just one of those kids with which it didn't really work. I needed a more emotional and creative approach;  I needed to first love the music I was playing.  I was not really a "10 minutes a day, every day" kind of kid; I did better with less structure. I would go days without practicing (worrying my mother endlessly), but then spend an hour listening, singing, and playing dress-up to all kinds of music in our CD collection. As much as it probably drove my parents crazy, I'm grateful they let me find my own way in piano through various creative expressions. It was through these processes I found the spark to love some of my songs in piano and want to play them. 

As you can guess, finding that spark in students can be a real challenge sometimes. My work in private teaching has shown me that the best way to help kids develop a healthy practice habit is to first identify what motivates them naturally.  This is where parents' input is invaluable to me. Does your student really enjoy movement? Singing? Patterns? Problem solving? Poetry? Composing? Something else? Let's find a way to build on those natural motivators in their music learning! Below are some ideas. 

Find your student's motivators! 

• Are they wiggly? Try playing the music in the recordings (download the "PA Player App" for Piano Adventures series books) and have them move, clap, or make up a dance routine to the song. 
• Do they enjoy math and/or patterns? Have them identify patterns on the piano and/or in the music (1. "Are there measures that repeat throughout the piece?" 2. "Where are all the "C's, or "A's in the song?")  
• Are they visual? Have them draw a picture of the music they are learning. Flip to a new song and ask them to identify 5 things they notice about the piece without even having played it before. Or, try these cool flashcards and add a few every day to your pile. Makes for a fun pre-dinner activity! 
• Do they love competition? Have them play their song with either a metronome or the PA Player App and increase the tempo each time to see if they can keep up!  
• Do they really like words? Have them listen to the recording and memorize the lyrics. See if they can learn to play and sing along together. Bonus points if they write their own lyrics!
• Do they noodle around on the piano a lot? Ask them to compose a song for you, or another family member. Grandparents especially love to get new compositions :) 
• Do they like to sing? In addition to learning the words to their piano song, encourage them to sing another song they enjoy. If there's one they can't get out of their head from the radio or a movie, let me know! I can look for a score online. 
• Do they love to perform? Consider having a weekly or monthly home "concert series" where they prepare a song or two from their lessons to share with you all. Dimming the house lights, printing small programs, or hanging a small curtain for a "stage" are totally encouraged! 

All of these motivators can help tap into your student's natural love for learning, which can translate into good piano practice habits. Knowing what makes your student 'tick' is a great first step. ​

Jessica is a voice and piano instructor for Note-worthy Experiences. To learn more about Jess, please visit her Teacher Page. 

Have you ever wondered why your instructor was first interested in music? How their musical voyage began? ? What kind of music they listen to on their spare time? 

You can now learn all about the Note-worthy instructors in the Teacher Feature section of our website! Every month, we feature a different teacher and learn all about their individual musical journey. Discover the unique styles and stories of the diverse Note-worthy team. 

As part of the studio’s dedication to providing a variety of teaching methods and opportunities for students of all ages and interests, Note-worthy Experiences is offering a wide selection of group classes and workshops this coming Fall. These classes cover material that may not be available to students during their regular music lessons. The studio has hosted many successful group classes in the past, including a Jazz workshop and Musical History class, and we are thrilled to introduce these new courses and to offer even more options for our students.

Please see the Group Classes page on our website for more information about the following courses.

Musical Theater in America: An Interactive History 
Through this course, students will become familiar with some of history's most important musical theater productions. Each 90-minute class is divided into two 45-minute sessions. During the first half, we will discuss the shows' plots, music, composers, actors, and the socio-political circumstances surrounding their premiers (including, for example, the Great Depression and Vietnam War). During the second half, students will have the opportunity to perform, as soloists or in groups, selections from any of the musicals discussed the previous week. Music will be available for students playing any instrument. These performances will be treated like master classes, where both the instructor and other students in the class will give helpful feedback to improve the performers' artistry. Musicals from Showboat to Hamilton will be covered and everything in between!
 
Our Music: Early Childhood Class 
Our Music is caregiver-and-me style class that explores the many wonders of the voice and aims to foster a lifelong love for music for everyone! Through its eight weekly sessions, Our Music introduces babies and pre-schoolers to timeless classics and lesser-known folk songs from all around the world. Children will learn to listen to, sing with, and play music with instruments in every class, and build a musical vocabulary along the way. Our Music is committed to giving children the gift of music, and even gives participants a chance to be budding composers themselves; each group within a course will create and record a brand-new song that will be recorded at the last session and that will be shared with all to keep for years! 

Rock/Jam Ensemble 
The series is for students who have already attained an intermediate level of skill on their instrument and are looking to engage in group playing and live performance opportunities, in addition to further developing their technique, repertoire, and improvisational abilities. While working towards live performances at Note-Worthy events, students will also learn about the stylistic and cultural conventions of many styles of music that have influenced the rock idiom, and play a wide variety of music from the 20th century. Students will also participate in writing original music with the ensemble to perform live.
 
Advanced Music Theory I 
This course will guide students through topics such as intervals, chords & keys; scales and chords; introduction to chordal analysis; cadences and non-chord tones; introduction to secondary dominate and Neapolitan chord.
 
Exploring Pop Music
Have you ever thought that you could be the next Taylor Swift? Justin Bieber? Shawn Mendes? Using their imagination and creativity, they have created some of the most popular music in history. How did they do this? They practiced and followed their instincts. This class will look at some of the popular music from the last few years and discuss, compare, and analyze them. Students will have the opportunity to create their own song over the duration of class. Each enrolled student will select 3 popular songs that the course will revolve around. 
 
Chamber Ensemble Sessions 
This Chamber Music series is for our wind and string students and especially great for students that don't have an instrumental program in school, are home schooled, or need a more motivating group experience. Students will receive music in September based on who has signed up and what instrumentation is available.  The goal is for the groups to perform at our upcoming events. 

Rachel Stroia is the Office Manager at Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio. In addition to working at Note-worthy, she is also a student at Suffolk University and enjoys reading and cooking.