Improvisation is everywhere. I hear it referenced when talking about sports, music, cooking, business, basically everything that requires creative thinking. And I believe we all have the capacity for creative, improvisational thinking, albeit in slightly different contexts (such as improvising in jazz vs. improvisation in writing a rock song) but there is use of improvisation […]

Have a dedicated practice area at home It’s impossible to develop a good technique on your instrument if you don’t have a good setup at home.  Aim for a dedicated area, and try to keep the instrument in plain sight if possible.  For example, a guitarist would have a chair, a music stand, and a […]

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. -Michael Jordan Failure is a complicated word. Nobody likes even hearing […]

by Joshua Carruthers, Drum Instructor, Allegro School of Music I have seen this a million times. A student struggles with a particular exercise, and after a bakers dozen or so attempts, they get one or two repetitions right. Then they look up at me with a face that says “Well, I’m did it! I’m done!”  […]

Many parents believe that music and learning musical instruments can enhance children’s intelligence and academic performance. Some pregnant women even play Mozart for their unborn babies in hopes that classical music will give their children an academic edge. It turns out that learning a musical instrument indeed benefits the development of a child’s brain. Ample […]

If you’re like me, you struggle with your kids’ usage of phones and tablets.  My son just turned ten on July 4th, and he did everything he could to convince me to get him an iphone.  “But Dad, my friends all have them”, etc etc.  I also have a 5 year old, and even she […]

counterintuitive adjective: counter-intuitive; adjective: counterintuitive contrary to intuition or to common-sense expectation (but often nevertheless true). Learning to play music is a counterintuitive experience.  We do not inherently possess knowledge of how to play music.  For example: it feels extremely un-natural to hold an instrument correctly.  That’s why it’s crucial to have a good music […]

If you want to learn to play music, you need a competent teacher.  Even if your goals are modest, you will surely reach them more quickly and easily with a teacher’s guidance.  The principles and ideas you can glean from instructional books and online videos are valuable, however, applying them most efficiently can ONLY be […]

Learning to Practice Many of us know the saying: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?   Practice, Practice Practice.”  Yes, it’s true, learning to play music requires practicing.   Or as I like to say:  Learning to play music requires LEARNING to practice.   Because “practicing” does not come naturally to any of us.  […]

The Musical Ladder™️ is our unique system of setting incremental goals and challenges for our students and rewarding and celebrating their achievements. All current students are eligible to participate, and there are NO additional fees for the trophies and wristbands. It’s included in your tuition. We are the only music school in Tucson to offer […]