Lots of exciting stuff coming up at SKC Music Academy–Sign up today! Our Spring Recital is just around the corner—Saturday, May 3rd.Click below for more info and to sign up! SIGN UP HERE It’s the Adults’ turn for a Band Workshop!  We start May 6 – Click HERE for more details! SKCMA has been invited…

Hello SKC Music Academy Students! I have a practice tip for you today that can do wonders for your progress, but few musicians take advantage of: Record yourself playing at home. Recording ourselves, either by video or audio, is a fantastic way to assess our performance in a way that we usually can’t when we’re…

Happy New Year! Are you a New Year’s Resolution kind of person? I tend to like goals and that sort of thing, but we all know how well New Year’s Resolutions work out for 99.9% of us. I recently read the book The 12 Week Year, by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington, and they propose…

Hello SKC Music Academy students and families!I hope you had a wonderful year. I’m so thankful for all that happened in 2024; as a music school we:• Celebrated our 11th anniversary• Taught over 3000 music lessons• Added three great teachers to our roster• Hosted our first Christmas Jam SessionWe are thankful for EACH of you—definitely…

Happy Fall, SKC Music Academy students and families!       This month, I want to introduce you to a practice strategy that can help you learn a song quicker, and with less frustration, on the tricky parts: Chaining    Chaining is a highly effective practice technique that involves breaking down a challenging musical phrase into smaller,…

Hello music students and families, School is in full swing and we have been enrolling a lot of new students this month!    Welcome to South Kansas City Music Academy: Tracie  –  Leo  –  Asher  –  June  –  Kelsha  –  Kendall Mila  –  Benson  –  Solomon  –  Haven  –  Brynn SKCMA Teacher News SKCMA’s own Karren…

Hello KCRB students!     Congratulations to everyone who participated in the recitals last weekend!  I LOVE seeing our students sharing their music onstage–you all did a fantastic job.  Performing can be wonderful, nerve-wracking, terrifying….and everything in between.  I’ve also found it can teach us a lot of important life lessons.  My biggest steps in learning…

Practice with a Plan Hello KCRB students!   Last month we began our series on effective practicing strategies by “cutting out friction” that gets in the way of our practice time.  This month, we’ll focus on Practicing with a Plan.  A plan for your practice sessions will keep them effective and efficient.  You’ll feel the great…

Hello KCRB students and families!      Over the past month I had several conversations with students and their parents about practicing at home—what that should look like, how to be motivated to do it, and how to practice effectively.  If you are new to music, this can be tricky to figure out!   (And really—even if…