Kyle Shafer

Playing a musical instrument is a gift to all those who hear it. Does it really matter if you play a classical musical instrument or a contemporary musical instrument? It can. First and foremost, playing a musical instrument should be fun and rewarding. If it’s not, you are not likely to practice it at all […]

If the thought of your children’s development is music to your ears, you may want to share the joy of music with your kids–and it seems the sooner you do it, the better.Music is powerful and persuasive. It touches one’s emotion, motivation, creativity, and relaxation. It has a soothing effect that can calm our mental

We are surrounded by technology in our day to day lives and while technology can often be a distraction to our music practice routines it doesn’t always have to be! Here are a few examples of how certain apps, devices, and websites can actually help you improve more quickly and efficiently on your instrument. 1)

It is a universally known fact that when people do not enjoy doing an activity they will do everything in their power to avoid it. Several of us have had experience with this concept when we were taught musical instruments as children. We have memories about playing boring scales and being forced to practice endless

I’ve heard a million parents lament the fact that they didn’t get their children involved in music sooner. There are also hundreds of adults out there that wish they had learned how to play an instrument when they were younger. Studies actually support the idea that music stimulates certain brain connections and can actually help

Studies have shown that learning a musical instrument can have positive effects on brain development and motor skills. For example, studying a musical instrument has shown to increase the grey matter growth in areas of the brain associated with learning, memory, and emotions. Today I’d also like to discuss the benefits studying music can have

Yes, you read correctly: the dark. During a recent lesson, one of my students was having trouble getting jumps in the left hand of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words: “Venetian Boat Song.” The right hand contains the melody, and gets more complex over time, and though he assumed the right hand was the trouble, it was

There has always been a debate between teachers and students over the fingerings written in scores. Even Bach wrote fingerings out for his students to use! I constantly have to remind students to use the fingering written and they always counter with a whiny, “why can’t I just use my own fingering!” It’s very frustrating

In the past week of teaching, I’ve noticed a problem among most students learning new pieces or songs. All seem to have pauses or hesitations throughout their music–even if from memory–in transitional places. You know what I’m talking about. You hear someone play a song and things are going well, but when a different section

Students that take lessons with Zera Music Company have the opportunity to participate in music recitals several times per year. These recitals can be a great way to showcase the progress a student has made on their instrument and give them something big to practice for. Students that participate in these recitals will gain confidence