Practice Tips

Put in 10-15 min each session for highest rewards and grades. Trying to have a marathon session the night before a test will not earn you a good grade.

Find the bar or bars that are giving you trouble and isolate them. Write in the rhythm and clap it out a few times. Then play the rhythm on a single note (Concert Bb for example). When you can do that without mistakes, play the music slowly as written.

Summer Music Camps

• International Music Camp: an excellent one week camp for students from all over the world. The week concludes with a concert for families.

Retest Policy

Any student may retake a playing test, provided at least one week has passed since the date of the original test. This is to give the student time to student, practice, seek extra tutoring from peers or teachers and actually improve. Waiting until next class is acceptable in the case of last week of the term or reporting period.

Music Theory Links

• Tone Savvy: this site has practice drills for Rhythm Performance, Rhythm Dictation, Note Reading on piano and guitar, Key Signatures, Intervals, Chords and Scales. An excellent set of practice tools.
• Musictheory.net: there is an excellent FREE downloadable set of drills for Note Reading, Intervals, Scales, etc. AS WELL AS ear training tutors for identifying Intervals, Scales and Chords. The Guitar note trainer and Staff paper generator are nice as well.
• Smith Creek Music Online Flash Cards: a number of good online drills for naming notes in the treble and bass clef, as well as rhythms, intervals, etc.

Instrument Specific Links

• International Clarinet Society: Journals, research, mailing list, contact information, calendar, articles, and links.
• Percussive Arts Society: Not-for-profit educational organization, promoting drums and percussion through network of performers, teachers, students, and enthusiasts
• International Trumpet Guild: promoting Trumpet playing around the world

Music Software Links

• Smart Music: an excellent program for students to play along with which gives immediate feedback about note accuracy, rhythm, etc. It is coordinated with their various method books and can also be used with a great deal of solo material for festivals and competitions as well.
• Finale: One of the best notation programs available today. Great for students writing their own music, or they can just play it directly into the computer from a electric piano. There is a free version called Finale Notepad which can be downloaded from the site, although it doesn't have all the "bells and whistles"