Teaching kids music as a parent or an educator is not always easy! Every child is different, and learning how to read and play music can be hard. Music is like any other language; there are a lot of small parts to keep track of, not to mention short attention spans to manage.
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After a conversation with Christopher J. Hall, Principal Tuba of the MET Orchestra since 1996, it would seem that when it comes to becoming a professional musician there are certainly particular actions that students can take; but it can essentially be pared down to one basic principle. Be the best you can be.
We had the opportunity to ask percussionists of the MET Orchestra for their quick tips for students who are serious in their percussion studies. Read on for details.
“What advice would you give to students who are seriously invested in their future as a harpist?”
“Consistency. Commitment. Perseverance. Patience.
"Courage to keep going no matter what happens — and the courage to bounce back. Staying positive and motivated. Not being hard on oneself. Keep the spark and joy in music — and have fun. Enjoy and love the music that you’re playing in every moment.”
In this era of COVID-19, singing can be considered a dangerous act. Even after many months of living through this pandemic, it’s still a challenge to get my head wrapped around that concept. Many people I know who are passionate about singing have been hesitant to continue doing it. When things finally head back toward normal, singing will likely be one of the last activities to do so, due to the risk of transmitting the virus through aerosol droplets expelled from the mouth while singing.
What does it take to be a professional violist? We asked Principal Violist Milan Milisavljević and Désirée Elsevier, a member of the MET Orchestra since 1987, this question.
“If you want to be a musician you have to really want it. It requires a lot of hard work and a lot of concentration in ways that are entirely self-driven. No one is telling you to do it,”Désirée said. “You have to do it because you have to do it. It’s a tough ask in this economy.”
At the end of 2019, we at Lessonface made the decision to change our company's legal designation from Corporation to Public Benefit Corporation. The change was formalized legally in early April 2020 with adding our mission to our Articles of Incorporation.
An aspect of becoming a PBC is that at the end of each year we track how well we achieved our mission. Our mission, in key part, is: help students achieve their goals while treating teachers equitably.
So, really, two major aspects that we're exploring in this article, for which we'd like to ask your feedback:
As the year comes to a close, we are proud to present our 96 Teachers of the Year - one for each active lesson subject on Lessonface, from acoustic guitar to xylophone. Congratulations to this amazing group, and all the other talented experts on Lessonface as well! In this challenging year, your guidance and joy have been an inspiration to many.
