I have two pet peeves when it comes to listening assignments – wishy-washy journal-type listening assignments and even worse, listening assignments that are based on ‘the elements of music’. So today’s post is my attempt at preventing an onslaught of … Read More
Hi Everyone! As we all know, there has been an explosion of online learning, and I know some of us are less familiar with online platforms than others. Of course, Zoom is one of those platforms that people are scrambling … Read More
Tired of your reminding your students to fix their posture? Hold their instruments higher? Correct their bow holds? Whatever the problem, now’s the time to take advantage of the fresh start of a new year by having your students focus … Read More
What to do the day after the concert? Does your school hold multiple drives during the holiday season? Food drives, toy drives, personal care product drives, clothing drives…. It all can get overwhelming. It also happens during the busiest time … Read More
You know those students who really aren’t listening? The ones who never adjust their finger patterns from string to string? The ones who are totally unaware of how they actually sound? How do you motivate these students to play the … Read More
Last weekend’s Opus 100, the Ontario Music Educators’ Association annual conference, was so much fun! Two days of fantastic clinics and keynote speakers. One of the most memorable moments was the performance of the incredibly beautiful piece commissioned for … Read More
Are you attending the 100th anniversary Ontario Music Educators Association conference, Opus 100, on November 8th and 9th in Toronto? Smart Music Teacher will be there, and here are 8 great reasons to come and visit the booth! … Read More
The nice thing about teaching strings is, unlike band instruments, all the instruments are the same… almost! The double bass is somewhat of an oddball, being played standing, only able to play two notes per string, and tuned in fourths … Read More
It’s the beginning of the school year and there is so much to do. Did you know you can download a bunch of helpful free teaching materials at Smart Music Teacher?  Teach beginner tunes by ear. Download a note-reading reference … Read More
Looking for the perfect teacher planner? Tired of agendas that don’t meet your needs as a music teacher? Perhaps you are someone who ends up scribbling things in different notebooks or scraps of paper, or somewhere in your agenda only … Read More
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