Musicians of all types are affected by long playing times, and can be subject to repetitive stress injuries. Ergonomics, the science of designing equipment for human use to reduce injury, can be applied to musicians as well as office workers. Continue reading “Repetitive Stress Injuries for Musicians”
Category: MTMS Blog Posts
Choosing Your Instrument
Did you wake up this morning and think, man, I really have to learn to play the mandolin. It rarely works that way for beginning students, so here are a few ideas to help you choose that first instrument. Continue reading “Choosing Your Instrument”
Gigs and MacGyver
What does MacGyver have to do with music performance? Everything. If you’ve ever had a gig, you know that nothing ever, ever goes right. You plug everything in to the amplifier or sound board, and for a reason that you can’t identify in the ten seconds you have before the gig is supposed to start, no sound comes out. Your keyboard stand breaks. Your cymbal hardware breaks. Even worse, your throne breaks while you’re drumming. (Ouch.) Continue reading “Gigs and MacGyver”
Getting the Most from Music Practice Time
Whatever the musical instrument you’re learning, whether it is piano, guitar, drums, your own vocal chords, or the kazoo, you can master it, regardless of your age or current skill level. But finely honing skill takes time, the guidance of a qualified instructor to teach good technique and discourage bad habits, and lots and lots of practice. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your practice time. Continue reading “Getting the Most from Music Practice Time”
OMTA and Music Performance
I was privileged to enjoy a luncheon with the Ohio Music Teachers Association yesterday. What a wonderful group of folks! You would think that the power of this organization is in networking with music education colleagues in the area, including others who teach private music lessons, and that’s certainly a benefit to the group. But they also organize a slew of events, including continuing education opportunities for music educators and music performance events for students. Continue reading “OMTA and Music Performance”