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Composer of the month – Kevin Olson

Welcome back! I missed March already (where did the time go?!) so here is the composer for April…Kevin Olson! Background Dr. Kevin Olson is a pianist, composer, and teacher in the piano faculty at Utah State University. Dr. Olson began composing at 5 years old, and is the Composer in Residence at the National ConferenceContinue reading “Composer of the month – Kevin Olson”

Composer of the month – Carol Matz

Composer for February…Carol Matz! Background Carol Matz is a composer, arranger, and teacher. She has written over 300 published titles for piano students, and presents workshops around the world. I attended Carol Matz’s workshop in March 2017, and was very impressed by her passion and enthusiasm for sharing music with students. You can read herContinue reading “Composer of the month – Carol Matz”

Composer of the month – Wendy Stevens

Starting off 2018…the composer of the month is Wendy Stevens! Background Wendy Stevens is a pianist, teacher, composer and clinician. She has a Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Masters of Music in Theory and Composition from Wichita State University. She publishes blogs regularly on her website composecreate.com . She offers many helpful ideas for teachersContinue reading “Composer of the month – Wendy Stevens”

Composer of the month – Martha Mier

The composer for December is…Martha Mier! Background Martha Mier is a pianist, piano teacher, composer, and clinician and currently resides in Florida. I met her briefly at MTNA (Music Teacher’s National Association) in Baltimore in March 2017 as she was presenting newly composed material. Her “Jazz, Rag & Blues” series are hugely popular with manyContinue reading “Composer of the month – Martha Mier”

Composer of the month – Tom Gerou

Composer for November…Tom Gerou! Background Tom Gerou is a composer, arranger, clinician, and Vice President of Keyboard Production at Alfred Music. He has a Master of Music in Composition from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California. Gerou has over 150 publications and is an active member of MTNAContinue reading “Composer of the month – Tom Gerou”

How To Raise a Smart Kid – Part 3

In this third and final post on “How to Raise a Smart Kid”, I delve into the 5 factors that lead to more successful academic achievement in kids, this time specifically in private music lessons, to determine what makes a “smart musician”. Attitude toward education Examine your attitude toward music lessons. Assuming this isContinue reading “How To Raise a Smart Kid – Part 3”

Composer of the month – Wynn-Anne Rossi

Hello everyone! And in a blink of an eye, September has zoomed by! I’ve skipped September because I had a baby on the last day of August, and I’m starting to get back into the groove of blogging. Here is October’s composer: Composer for October…Wynn-Anne Rossi! Background Wynn-Anne Rossi is a composer, pianist and musicContinue reading “Composer of the month – Wynn-Anne Rossi”

How To Raise a Smart Kid – Part 2

I first started this series several weeks ago, trying to understand the variation in PISA test scores of kids in different countries around the world. I started with Part 1, looking at possible explanations behind why some countries, such as Singapore, ranked the highest in the world, and why the USA, a wealthy first-world country,Continue reading “How To Raise a Smart Kid – Part 2”