New Music!
I am so excited to tell you that a new book of mine has been published by Hal Leonard! American Portraits is a collection of six character pieces for piano. I was inspired to write this collection of pieces after reading […]
Cartoon Character Entries
I am posting the rest of my student entries for the Cartoon Motive Contest that we are currently having. These are the pictures of characters that did not win, but obviously were worthy of accolades! Congratulations to all my students
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TMTA Friends
Last week, I had the privilege to attend and present a Hal Leonard Showcase with Jennifer Linn at the TMTA convention. I wanted to say what a privilege it was to meet and make so many Texas friends!! As I told
The Power to Concentrate
Composer John Adams writes an interesting blog (Earbox.com) about many things relating to composing. In his latest post, he talks of the power to concentrate when composing: The power to concentrate is a gift. I believe that being able to sustain
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Cartoon Motive Contest: Winners
For all of my students, I am posting the winning cartoon characters that you chose today at your group lesson. Congratulations to Sarah and Michael for winning the art contest. I am so excited about posting the rest of the fabulous
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Hemiola Rhythm Drill Added
I think interesting rhythms are a great “hook” that composers can use in their music.  Hemiola just happens to be one of my favorite rhythmic tools. Several of my students have been studying rhythmic dictation in 6/8 timing and we have been
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Prima Music Sale through June 15th
Prima music is advertising that they will be having all kinds of sales this summer! These sales look as though they will be lasting about 2 weeks. Currently, these items are on sale through June 15th: Developing Artist Series 40-50%
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Writing Lyrics
Writing lyrics can be a tricky thing for composers. Recently, I found some great articles and presentations on writing lyrics. 8 Cures for Lyric Writer’s Block If you ever plan to write lyrics, you should make watching these next few
Online Samples of NFMC Pieces
If you do not have a large music store in your area, I know it can be difficult to choose music for your students when you cannot preview the music. Valerie, from Dollarhide Music Center (in Pensecola, Florida), has made a
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Copyrights and Music Teachers
T. Scott Gilligan, the general counsel for MTNA, has written a great article on copyrights for the independent music teacher. Included in the article is a discussion of what is legal to post on youtube, making arrangements for your students,
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