Paying Attention and Musical Learning

Louis Armstrong playing trumpet, with focused expression

I’m not sure when I first learned to pay attention—or, in fact, whether at age 83 I am truly paying attention to the extent I would like to. I certainly learned as a child that, if I wanted to play even a simple piece on the piano, it was important to be able to hear […]

What Music Educators Can Learn from Baseball Commentators

Harry Caray catches a foul ball in a net

I was ten years old when my father joined the Boston Symphony and I went to my first Red Sox game, a mile from Symphony Hall at Fenway Park. That game took place in the summer of 1946, when the Red Sox won the pennant and should have beaten the Cardinals in the World Series! […]

Who Should Study Music and Why?

Shinichi Suzuki (pictured left) helps a girl to learn violin

Most parents understand that it is a good thing for even very little children to study music, and for all sorts of reasons besides one day becoming a professional musician. Dalcroze Eurhythmics was developed early in the 20th century by Swiss musician and educator Émile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865-1950), teaching concepts of rhythm, structure, and musical expression, […]