The Summerglen Files » articles

Four New Articles for Your Reading Pleasure

summerglen — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:16:56 +0000

A very wise professor once told me, “If you want to be an ambassador for music, you must write well.” I couldn’t agree more! For me, playing is only one side of the story; I believe it’s important to educate people on how to bring more music into their lives, and to empower them to gain musical expertise. And it’s important for me to do it in words everyone can understand in a format that allows access to tons of people. Today’s project, articles.

Here are four articles on various music education-related topics for your reading pleasure. I’ll also post them on the resources for young musicians page on the Summerglen site. ENJOY!

Learning Music as an Adult – How to Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Music

Beginning Music as an Adult – Are Private Music Lessons Right For You?

Starting Band Successfully – Helping Your Child Succeed in Beginning Band

Win Music Auditions with Planning – Using a Practice Planner to Prepare Your Audition Piece

Fascinating Article on Creativity

summerglen — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:39:00 +0000

Here’s a great article from Scientific American Mind – How to Unleash Your Creativity. The article is an interview with three creativity experts: Psychologist John Houtz, Award-winning writer Julia Cameron, and Scholar/Writer Robert Epstein, who offer a wide array of insights on the challenges and processes of being creative.

I enjoyed learning about the skill sets involved in creativity, and checking out the experts’ ideas for helping the children in our lives maintain their imaginative qualities in a sometimes uncreative world. It was also great to see scientists celebrating their creativity, because the creative process is definitely not just for artists!

But what’s really fascinating about this article is how we might use the information. How can we incorporate Epstein’s creativity games into our lives, and more importantly, what can we do to show people that creativity is an orderly process that can be developed by anyone, not just the talented few? And how can we dispel the myths that society has about “crazy, broke” creative people, and invite everyone to enjoy the gift of creativity?

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

New Music Articles are Here!

summerglen — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 03:03:49 +0000

One of my favorite things to do with music is to share it with others. Whether the sharing is through playing a concert or just talking to someone on the bus, I enjoy helping others learn more about music.

A few months back, I stumbled upon several business blogs extolling the value of educational articles…because they allow you to advertise your services by sharing your expertise with others. Perfect! Advertising in the traditional sense has always made me feel a little slimy, but article-ing makes me feel like what I am, a teacher and a musician.

If you’d like to check them out, I’ve just added six shiny new articles to the Summerglen website. Some are on the wedding page, while the rest are on the educational resources page. Please let me know what you think, and pass them along to friends if you like.

Happy Saturday, my friends!