Focus on Fundamentals
“Fundamentals will save your [butt] every day, and twice on Sundays.” Bob Reynolds With the proliferation of videos and online courses...
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Michelle Monette
- Jan 29
- 2 min
Give Yourself Fewer Choices
One of the key characteristics of music is the wide variety of potential areas to focus on. There are multiple instruments to learn, many...
Michelle Monette
- Jan 23
- 2 min
The Bright Side of Confusion
A substantial part of any musical journey is the quest for understanding. We recognize how beneficial music comprehension will be for us,...
Michelle Monette
- Jan 16
- 2 min
The Value of Being a Teacher
“And when you say: ‘Give me also a share in these gifts which you have found so helpful,’ I reply that I am anxious to heap all these...
Michelle Monette
- Jan 9
- 2 min
Leading and Lagging Indicators
“Nothing comes from nowhere. Not success. Not inspiration. Not the muses. Not writer’s block. Everything is a lagging indicator. Of...
Michelle Monette
- Jan 2
- 2 min
Look For the Ingredients
When constructing our musical lives and identities, we often draw inspiration from our favourite musicians. Whether we resonate with the...
Michelle Monette
- Nov 27, 2022
- 2 min
Our Role as Teachers
Teachers are an essential part of anyone’s musical life. Many of us begin our musical journeys by taking lessons with various...
Michelle Monette
- Nov 13, 2022
- 2 min
Larks and Owls
Since we are all limited in how much time we have to spend on music, it becomes vital to optimize our musical lives so we are as...
Michelle Monette
- Oct 30, 2022
- 2 min
Closing the Knowing-Doing Gap
Information is more abundant and easier to access than at any other time in history. Invaluable resources like websites, books, videos,...
Michelle Monette
- Oct 10, 2022
- 2 min
Failure is Nothing to Fear
Ask someone what they fear, and a likely answer will be “failure.” Humans fear failure because of the distress we feel when we fall short...
Michelle Monette
- Sep 14, 2022
- 2 min
There Is No "Key" to Unlocking Music
Advertisements targeted toward aspiring musicians often try to entice potential customers with an impossible promise: “This is the one...
Michelle Monette
- Jul 13, 2022
- 1 min
Dancing With Difficulty
Every musician knows how challenging the art and craft of music can be. Learning and practicing something new will stretch you, often...
Michelle Monette
- May 22, 2022
- 1 min
Mystery is Overrated
Over the years, I’ve often heard musicians explain their lack of desire to learn music in a deeper way as simply wanting to retain...
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