Here is a performance of Etude No. 16 in Bb major from the 30 Etudes for Double Bass written by Franz Simandl. Who Was Simandl?Simandl was an incredible bassist, teacher, and his influence is far reaching today. His book the New…
It can be challenging to keep warm up time engaging and meaningful to students. We have our routines and procedures for the beginning of class set, but sometimes we need to inject something new to keep our students interest and…
Developing a comfortable stance while playing the bass can take some practice for beginning bass students. Students can run into issues like resting the bass on their shoulder and finding a comfortable position with the bass. In this post, I’ll walk…
Each year we have an award ceremony at my school where we nominate students who have demonstrated leadership qualities. I have to say that every year this award causes me to stop, think, and ask some questions. What does leadership look like? How…
We recently celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. In delving into his legacy and the history of the Civil Rights Movement, the impact and role of music is undeniable. Music was integral to the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King…
There’s no doubt kids love to learn through games. There are so many resources now that provide teachers with valuable feedback while making the learning experience engaging for students. Tools like Kahoot, Nearpod, Gimkit, Socrative, and so many more combine formative…
I’m sure most school orchestras and music directors are in the midst of preparing music for a winter concert. Undoubtedly, we push and put so much energy and work into that winter performance. Following the performance, we might have a…
In last week’s post, we explored 6 simple tips for effective practice. In this week’s post, we will continue to talk about practice and share some helpful practice tips. These are in no particular order, but are some thoughts on…
In the past on the blog, I’ve written about how to develop an effective practice routine (more on that later in the post). In this post, we will cover 6 easy practice tips you can share with your students or…
This past summer I pursued an idea I have been ruminating about for a long time – a jazz string camp. I called it the String Improv Workshop. You can read more about it here. I had a small, but…