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
If your child wants to start learning to play the guitar you have to decide between purchasing them an electric or acoustic guitar. Which type of guitar is a better fit for your child depends on several factors, which I will cover here briefly. Most importantly, you want to pick the type of guitar that
Practicing is undoubtedly the most important part of advancing as a musician. However, many of us aren’t living up to our full practice potential. (I mentioned this in my article 4 Reasons Why You Should Be Practicing Backwards; check it out for some other tips on practice!). Practicing can be daunting and boring, especially for
Healthy Brain, Healthy Life We all enjoy listening to music for fun, but did you know that music also has the potential to positively affect your health? There have been many studies done at Johns Hopkins and other top tier universities that show the positive effects music has on your brain’s ability to learn, remember,
We’ve all heard the adage “practice makes perfect.” But there’s a better one out there to follow: “perfect practice makes perfect.” When you practice something enough, you really learn it…perfectly. But this can also include mistakes. That’s why it is important to practice perfectly. Unfortunately, there are many “wrong” ways to practice. And one of
As one who has grown up surrounded by music, I tend to think I’m biased. But then research is done, studies come out, and I pick up my phone to call my parents and thank them for my upbringing in music. From a personal standpoint, music has shaped how I view the world. It adds
