Shar Music Blog

For our second recipe, we chose a simple tea that is delicious, healthy, and easy enough to make any time of day to refresh your practice. This classic infusion of ginger, lemon, and honey has been called a detox tea and a natural caffeine-free tonic for…

In the previous parts of this blog series, we looked at some books and methods created by string teachers, who have years of experience in helping violin, viola, cello, and bass students in overcoming difficult obstacles that would otherwise prevent…

In the previous part of this blog series on teacher-made solutions to common string student obstacles, there were four books featured that are very useful for helping students feel motivated to practice well. In this part, two different kinds of books…

As was mentioned in the first two parts of this series (featuring accessories for common left and right-hand problems), each student is different with different strengths and weaknesses, different commitment levels, and different motivations. For those…

Author, mom, and Suzuki teacher Christine Goodner previously writes on her Suzuki Triangle blog, about how parents (not the physical space) are their children’s practice environment. Here she shares with us the the 3 minute process that can radically…

Are you the parent of a young string player? This blog will really help YOU with your child's practice. Rachel Samson is a Suzuki viola/violin teacher in Frisco Texas. She and her husband Neil Fong Gilfillan (cello) run Chili Dog Strings, the only string…

“Artistic growth is, more than it is anything else, a refining of the sense of truthfulness.” - Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark 

Artists know all about refinement. This is a large part of what we do every day, constantly retooling our craft, whether…

The start of a New Year is commonly a time in which people feel encouraged to better themselves, take on new adventures, or kick a bad habit. We all hear about the flood of new gym memberships, but what about new years resolutions in the practice room?…

Often, it's not enough to know a piece cold. You need to feel it, you need to interpret it. This is especially hard to do with an orchestral piece; how can you develop your own voice when you can't hear the rest of the orchestra? This is where Cadenza, a…