We often lament that we are not living in the time of Bird and Diz, with lots of live music and jam sessions galore. On the other hand, in some ways we are living in an amazing time because of the resources that are so accessible. Recordings have never been more available, and wisdom from […]

Have you ever heard of the 10,000-hour rule? It is commonly (and misleadingly) paraphrased as claiming that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in something. The idea originates with the work of psychologist Anders Ericsson but captured the public consciousness with Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers. Many people took the idea this […]

There is a lot of talk in education these days about building a sense of community within our music ensembles and programs. Is there a flip side to a strong sense of community? As a teacher I often think back to my students who had a passionate love of music but not necessarily the music […]

Over many years, Carol Dweck at Stanford has studied children and their mindset as it relates to their learning. The basic idea is that children who are praised for their intelligence after successfully completing a task develop a “fixed mindset.” In other words, they come to believe that their success is a result of their […]

Most young jazz musicians look at all the chords and scales they need to master and find it a bit intimidating. (I mean, what is an M# demented chord anyway?) They spend countless hours practicing so they will instantly know exactly what scales work over which chords, and how to create smooth voice-leading. That’s all […]