"I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music." -J.S. Bach
Olive Branch Music Studio
Winter Newsletter December, 2010
News
• Christmas Party: A Christmas party, for students only, is planned for Thursday evening, December 16th, at at 7:15. This is intended to be a fun event and an opportunity for the students to enjoy playing for each other. More details will follow.
• Christmas Vacation: Olive Branch breaks and vacations mirror the government school schedule, and the school Christmas vacation is scheduled for December 20-January 4. Therefore there will be no lessons the last 2 weeks in December. Lessons will resume on Januaray 5, 2011.
Practice Makes Perfect?
Nope!
(Adapted from “Practice Makes Perfect”, by Simon Horsey
In last quarter’s newsletter we talked about a talent for preparation. Many people talk about ‘talented’ musicians... but it is tenacity, not talent, that wins the day. We have all heard that “practice makes perfect”. However, that’s not exactly true. What is truer is that “perfect practice makes perfect”.
Olive Branch Music Studio
Summer Newsletter
June, 2010
News
• Summer, one of my favorite seasons (the others being Spring and Fall ☺) has fficially arrived, and I am determined to reflect that fact by getting my newsletter out early!
A Talent For………….
Olive Branch Music Studio
Spring Newsletter
May, 2010
News
How to Beat Stage Fright
(Adapted from Stage Fright, by Mick Berry, MFA)
• Abolish your musts. Identify your self-demands, then rip them up. Replace musts with preferences: not “I must do well, but, “I prefer to do well.” This goes hand in hand with developing anxiety tolerance. Not “I can’t stand feeling anxious,” but rather “I don’t like feeling anxious, but I can stand what I don’t like.” The first statement is self-destructive and unrealistic; the second is helpful and realistic.
How to Give Yourself Stage Fright
(Adapted from Stage Fright, by Mick Berry, MFA)
Stage fright-inducing self messages have several common features:
• They almost always emanate from musts: “I must do well or I’m no good.” “The audience must like me, otherwise I’m a hopeless loser.” “I must not feel anxious; if I do feel anxious I won’t be able to stand it.”
• Musts are often coupled with awfulizing: “I must do well. It would be awful if I don’t. It would be terrible if the audience doesn’t like me. It would be horrible if I appear anxious.”
How to Have a Great Recital
(Adapted from Piano Education.org)
There are many people who love taking music lessons, but dread performing in a recital. If you are one of them – or your child is – read on!
Olive Branch Music Studio
Winter Newsletter
February, 2010
News
• Nursing Home Performance: In an effort to give students more opportunities to get used to performing and to share their music in a way that will bless others, I am planning to have an outing to Life Care Center of Littleton, at 1500 West Mineral Avenue, Littleton, CO at 4:45, Friday evening, March 5. Elderly people love to see and hear young people and don’t care about mistakes. This should be a great experience for the students. More details to come.
Olive Branch Music Studio
Fall 2009 Newsletter
New Studio Policies Starting next month (December) I am implementing a new payment plan that will simplify tuition payment and record keeping for all of us. The new plan will be published on my web site olivebranchmusicstudio.com, which will soon be updated but is not yet complete. I am also including a separate policy sheet with this letter, which you can keep for your records.