Extramusical Benefits Of Lessons
Sometimes I think the most important things that children learn from private music lessons have nothing at all to do with music itself. I...
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Blog by Matt Hochmiller
“Here you will find more info about me, my musical background, and my teaching philosophies and practices. Articles are posted regularly on various topics, as I attempt to provide you, the prospective student (or parent/guardian thereof), with some insights about lessons with me. I hope you find the info and opinions here to be helpful.” -MH
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Just For Fun: Favorite Albums
This article is a follow-up to my previous article, “My 'Top Three' Lists.” In fact, many of the names shown there will appear here as...
Motivation To Practice
First of all, a distinction should be made between “playing” music and “practicing” music. Of course, all practice is playing; however,...
Motivation To Play
There are many reasons people start playing an instrument and continue playing it. The following list contains as many as I can think of...
Students That Transfer From Other Teachers
Private music students fall into four different categories in terms of their lesson experience: 1) those that are new to lessons, 2)...
My Experience With Church Music
Here is the story of my involvement with church music from childhood to the present day... I was raised in a fairly large Lutheran church...
What SHOULD Happen In Music Lessons?
Students/parents have varying ideas about what kinds of things should occur during private music lessons. They may think a typical lesson...
Just For Fun: My "Top Three" Lists
As a teacher of many different styles of music, I am sometimes asked by students who my favorite musicians are. Obviously, this is a very...
30-Minute Lessons vs. 1-Hour Lessons
Parents of prospective students, new students, and even long-time students occasionally ask if I recommend thirty minutes or an hour for...
Fairness in Lesson Policies
*Note: This article is NOT a list of my own lesson policies. I provide a complete “studio policy” to prospective students upon request...
Practice Assignments
Like most private music instructors, I have a system for assigning practice materials and ideas to school-age students on a weekly basis...
Just for Fun: Some Performance Reviews
Everybody loves reviews! Following is a modest compilation of reviews of some of my performing/recording work. Due to the fact that most...
So You Want to Play in Your Church's Worship Band...
It isn't difficult (for pianists or trumpeters), but it does require certain skills, all of which can be learned and practiced. For...
Thoughts on Practice Time
"How much should my child practice?" This is probably the question I get most often from parents of new students. Even prospective...
Instrument Requirements and Recommendations
First of all, I have never created or enforced any kind of requirements regarding what instruments students use to practice at home...
Creativity in Lessons
What place should creative activities have in lessons? Are they beneficial, perhaps even essential to music study, or just extra things...
Method Books and Materials
In this article I will discuss method books and other materials that I typically use with piano and trumpet students of various ages and...
Ways of Learning Music: By Notation, By Ear, By Imitation
There are three ways to learn to play music on an instrument: by notation, by ear, and by imitation. In this article I will define these...
Adult Lessons
If you are like most adults considering taking private music lessons, you are probably thinking, "Am I the only one that wants to do this...
The Best Age to Begin Music Lessons
What is the best age for a child to being private music lessons? First, here is my philosophical answer: The best age is when the child...
70 Benefits of Music Lessons
You have probably seen or heard about news stories that make various claims regarding the benefits of learning a musical instrument. I...
Description of a Typical Lesson (My Tasks as an Instructor)
Following is a mental checklist of tasks I automatically complete during a typical lesson. Think of it as my “play-by-play” manual for...
Your Teacher's Musicianship: Letter of Recommendation
Should your private music instructor be an excellent musician? I think so! Should he/she also be an intelligent person and a good...
Testimonials
Following is a collection of unsolicited comments/notes from students and parents dating back to 2002 and continuing through 2022. It is...
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