What Can I Help You With? Index on Blog

Index to blog entries updated periodically


Hummingbird from "World of Birds" Lovely example of balance and magical colors.

Music Education

Sharing Magic with Your Music Using changes in color and mood to create musical magic. For string players ideas on your bow as a magic sound wand.

Talent Growth Mindset Why do some students have an attitude of trying again and others get defeated easily. How can we build confidence in the value of failure and giving it another try for progress?

Poole's Poems and broken 3rds Words to pieces can help with memory, pitch, and rhythm. Using broken 3rds before Allegretto to help with skipping notes.

Video index Videos from beginning skills to advanced ideas. Learning points for specific pieces and techniques. @sarapenny is the youtube channel handle.

Long, Long Ago Variation Using simple ornaments and scales to create a variation for students who need a bit more challenge when playing with beginning students.

Exploring music available online Year of Wonder, Piano Puzzler, and other ideas.

Improvisation, scales with rhythms, and other ideas for Musical Flexibility Includes videos for bow strokes.

Student composition helps with note reading Having the students create their own simple tunes can help them connect with the written notes and rhythms.

Where's the Focus? Developing artistic judgment by focusing on the details.

Learning to Accept Feedback Feedback is not a judgment; it is information. How do we help students understand that our job as teachers is to help them get better?  How can we help them become self correctors without becoming anxious?

Teaching Online Hoping I can get back to in-person lessons soon, but in the meantime coping with online.

Feeding Student "Needs" for Better Results Using marketing strategies to help connect with students

No More Secret Concerts Marketing strategies for promoting concerts and other events.

Bingo for review Using simple games to help encourage review

Making Music Memorable Keynote for American String Teachers Association Utah Chapter fall 2019

Harmonics Includes a basic explanation of the physics of how harmonics work

Velocity and Articulation Also includes a Video on the Suzuki Method

Triad basics

Finger Patterns and Using Aunt Rhody Variations

Shifting, tone, Dr. Schmieder Also includes a link to my earliest teaching videos

Science activities and stories for preschool through middle school. Book inspired by Suzuki method with physics, measuring, constellation stories, and more.

Learning resilience through music.

Ashokan Farewell and Lover's Waltz by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason


Nature photos and videos

Photos from Summer 2020 Quarantine

Zion National Park

Hawaii photos and videos

Autumn in Southern Utah

Summer 2020 photos and short nature videos

Music Performance

Happy Easter Sing-a-long

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Manet and Degas at the Met in New York

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Video Index, updated periodically

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