Can A 30 Second Routine Revolutionize Your Practice Routine?

Yes! It’s Called A RITUAL. Here’s How It Works. When there is so much craziness in the world, what is the point of reading (or writing) articles on effective habits and routines? Simple–we need our personal peace and effectiveness more than ever! Having better habits helps us be more resilient and effective in adversity–and it’s more fun, too!  In my last “habits of greatness” blo

When there is so much craziness in the world, what is the point of reading (or writing) articles on effective habits and routines? Simple–we need our personal peace and effectiveness more than ever! Having better habits helps us be more resilient and effective in adversity–and it’s more fun, too!  In my last “habits of greatness” blog post, I wrote about the power of using everyda

  As parents, we want to raise capable, self-reliant children who can reach their goals and have healthy relationships.  We also want to raise children with the courage and skill to be a positive influence in the world.  Right? In this blog post, I’m going to promote the use of a single word—with a question mark—as a way to empower your child to get better results as an individual and as a contrib

During Covid-19, many performers and fans are turning to online sources to get their fix of live music. While online performances have been a thing since long before this recent wave of social distancing, they have found a far wider audience than they previously possessed due to the current climate. In this piece, I am going to discuss ways to perform live from using the internet. It is tailored t

  Practicing and playing music is good for ourselves and others. There’s a famous phrase, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned” which expresses the idea of totally missing the point in a moment of crisis. It’s based on the story of the famously depraved and ineffective Emperor playing his violin on the walls of Rome as a great fire swept the city. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, this story is

How Understanding The “Drama Triangle” Can Help Us Parent And Relate More Effectively To Those We Love (Especially When They Are Driving Us Crazy!)   A Quarantine Fairy Tale Hello NYC Guitar School Parents,  Once upon a time there was a good little princess. She was held captive in a tower by a cruel witch. However, a kind prince rescued her. Oh, wait–you already heard that one? OK, here’s a

Here’s how to use the simple concept of Habit Stacking to make space and sanity for what is important to you, starting with a single routine. Because of the disruption of our routines caused by Covid-19, many of the old triggers for our habits–good and bad–are gone.  But make no mistake! We still have routines. The question is, are they working for us? In this blog post, I’m

  Musings From Parenting In Quarantine        Like me, I know that you and your family are well into a reality that includes coronavirus, and probably some anxiety and uncertainty as well.      For most of us, our children are in the lower risk category, which is a relief. Our society’s response is, quite properly, focused on preventing the spread of coronavirus to protect those who are at more ri

14 Easy Best Strum Songs With G, C and D Do you know the “best strum”? If you do, you love it! It is the most used strum in guitar, because it sounds amazing–it is syncopated and driving and beautiful. At NYC Guitar School we started calling it “the best strum” in 2006. Over a decade later…it’s still the best! The best strum is a 4/4 strum pattern that com

13 Easy Basic-Strum Songs With G, C and D Have you started to mix down strums with up strums? Awesome! That probably means that you have learned the “basic-strum,” also descriptively referred to as the “down, down-up” strum or the “boom chuck-a” strum. And it means you will benefit from playing your basic strum with real songs! But as a beginner, it can be trick