Okay, full disclosure – I stole this graphic from a political candidate who I admire. I’ve removed any of their identifying information to keep this blog non-partisan, but the text transcends politics and pretty much summarizes how I feel about my obligation to my students (and there’s to me and to themselves) and the roleContinue reading “Rules of the Studio”
Tag Archives: Mezzoid Voice Studio
Success – is it a TRICK?
My choir director at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen is a new daddy, and he’s been reading a lot about parenting. He just read about an author who has written a book called How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results, and the author boils her methods down to the acronym TRICK, which standsContinue reading “Success – is it a TRICK?”
It’s die-dee-die-dee-time!
Yes, it is time for my semi-annual (sometimes annual) pilgrimage to Milwaukee Irish Fest to dance jigs, drink beer (none of which will be green), listen to Celtic punk and traditional (die-dee-die-dee) music, eat deep-fried food, and celebrate what is not my heritage, but what speaks to me much more than anything in which IContinue reading “It’s die-dee-die-dee-time!”
Is your child READY for voice lessons?
Originally, I had this as “Is your child ready to sing?” but then my business mentor, the great and powerful Michelle Markwardt Deveaux (although she’s more authentic than the Wizard of Oz), pointed out that all children are ready to sing. Whether they’re ready for lessons is another story. I don’t usually teach students underContinue reading “Is your child READY for voice lessons?”
The Performing Teacher/Teaching Artist
The biggest reason I moved back to the east coast from Milwaukee was because I was not performing at all. Or hardly at all. On the up side, this allowed/forced me to focus on developing my teaching/business skills, and I discovered that I’m really good at this. But performing was important to me, both becauseContinue reading “The Performing Teacher/Teaching Artist”
Playing with Weekly Practice Forms
I’m exploring options for how to submit a record of your practice without having reams of paper to keep track of (I really hate paper). I’m hoping to do a Practice Challenge for fall, culminating in a prize to be given out before the holiday break (probably at the recital – date/place TBD). But howContinue reading “Playing with Weekly Practice Forms”
What’s Next? – It’s BIG
The other day I wrote a blog called A Year In Review about all the things that happened that were studio-related since about this time a year ago. Today I’m going to write about the things that I see on the horizon. This is what I’ve got planned for 2019-2020: Write articles for the Roland ParkContinue reading “What’s Next? – It’s BIG”
A Year in Review (I know, it’s only June)
This has been an exciting year, filled with lots of opportunities and development for both my students and myself. Things that I’ve done for the studio this year: June 2018: Attended the NATS Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada and learned a ton of stuff! June 2018: Bought an iPad Pro and downloaded ForScore to betterContinue reading “A Year in Review (I know, it’s only June)”
What If You Were Your Own Teacher….
I just read the phrase, “as if they were their own teacher” on a FB page of independent teachers, in regards to how a student would do self-evaluation, including: Finding three things they did well Finding a couple of things they’d like to fix Figuring out how to fix them This was based on theContinue reading “What If You Were Your Own Teacher….”
Stages of Grief (5? 7?) and Interpreting a Sad Song
I find that a lot of my students, both past and present, love to sing sad, heart-breaking songs of woe and loss. It goes with the emo-ness of youth, I think. Personally, I gravitate toward funny (some might say nigh-ridiculous) songs, especially in programming. People say comedy is hard. I think tragedy is hard. AtContinue reading “Stages of Grief (5? 7?) and Interpreting a Sad Song”