The Latest Music News in Downingtown, PA

 One muscle we could all do with working out as musicians is that of sight reading.  Reading music is truly like reading a foreign language.  In order to become fluent, you must understand the structure and patterns of syntax.  Total immersion begins with sight reading experiences.  Sound scary?  Follow these tips on how to sightread well and you will be fluent in no time! 1.  Put some time in each day to work on your sight reading skills. Practice makes ... read more

When singers and performers are evaluated, often one of the phrases that comes into the topic of conversation is that of stage presence. But what is stage presence and how can a performer develop it?  Oftentimes it is presumed to be something you either have or you don't.  But as with most things with voice and with performance, it can be groomed and developed.  For the purposes of this blog here today, I will define stage presence as the ability to perform with confidence and... read more

Ever wondered which voice part you are and which artists most sound like you?  Read on to find your vocal doppleganger! Finding your tessitura (comfortable singing range) is easy.  Your teacher will listen to your voice as your complete some ascending warmups on one pitch and listen for your passaggio (aka your "switch"), the place where you switch from more robust chest resonance which vibrates in the chest to lighter and airy head resonance which vibrates primarily in the skull.  The place... read more

The curtain rises, the lights brighten, your palms sweat and your heart races.  Suddenly you forget your words and your feet become frozen to the floor.  What do you do?  Below are some tips to prevent, control and recover from performance anxiety. Let go of stage fright for good and focus on enjoying your performance!   1.  PREPARE AHEAD The best way to tackle the on stage jitters is to get ahead of them with strategic preparation.  You want to be able to ... read more

When they first started lessons, their fingers were itching to strike the keys. But now the hard work has started and you are struggling to find ways to motivate your kids to practice music!   School and extra-curricular activities are piling up and its a struggle to get them to practice even once a week. Never fear! Here are some tried and true strategies for reigniting your young ones passion for playing and singing.   1. Have a reward system in place. Some kids are re... read more