Private Voice, Piano, Guitar, Lessons
As a concerned teacher, I was relieved when Studio K’s owner, Kalli Vandertop, announced in early March that the studio would close for everyone’s safety. All of us took to Zoom and scheduled online lessons with our students. In the same spirit, I ceased going into homes for music therapy and encouraged my clients to […]
Old Joe Clark Focus “Old Joe Clark” is a US folk tune dating back to the late-19th century. With about 90 stanzas of playful lyrics, it survived oral tradition for several decades before being written down in 1918. Subsequently, it grew in popularity, and is now one of the most commonly heard tunes at bluegrass, […]
Focus “Shecwendsa Bay” is a Canadian tune I once learned from a marvelous fiddle player, April Verch. Unfortunately, having learned it by ear nearly 15 years ago, I do not have original music or recording of the tune. This arrangement is my own based on my memory and adapted variations. As you rehearse, pay careful […]
Timing, Tone, and Intonation: Practice Technique for Musicians I had a fiddle teacher once who focused each lesson on what he called “The Three T’s”: Timing, Tone, and Intonation. These three aspects are important practice techniques for musicians to concentrate on while mastering any instrument from voice to violin. Let’s break them down. Timing Timing […]
I’ll never forget my earliest days of playing. It began when I found my grandmother’s ancient violin stored away under a dresser in a tattered case, and after prying open the rusted clasps, I was overwhelmed by joy and the smell of mothballs. Within the week, after a trip to the violin shop for an […]
