Whether you are a professional musician or just enjoy making melodies, music lessons can help you hone your skills. As you approach this year’s income tax deadline, you might ask, “Can I deduct the cost of my music lessons?” The short answer is, “Probably not.”...
Piano teachers are accustomed to different types of students. Since the age of a piano students can be 5 or 95, teachers of private piano lessons are comfortable with varying approaches to the instrument. Yes, there are some aspects of the study that are universal...
When you think of some of your favorite musicians, you can rest assure in the knowledge that nearly ALL of them at one time or another took private music lessons. You can also be sure that many of them taught private music lessons. Some of...
As a student of voice – or a future student of voice — surely you already understand the significance of breathing for your singing. Control of your lungs and your diaphragm is crucial to singing correctly, and to controlling your voice in a healthy, sustainable...
Your time is valuable! In particular, your piano practice time is immensely valuable. To prepare for piano lessons, you want to make sure your surroundings at home are in the right condition for productive practice sessions. Here are eight ways you can optimize the physical...
If you have ever found yourself in an open jam, with musicians from varying background, you have likely found yourselves asking this question: “What song should we play?” Some rock songs that may be common ground – Beatles songs familiar to many musicians — are...
Guitar lessons are transformative. Not only do they transform you into a nimble, quick-footed musician, but they turn mere mortal into superheroes. We are familiar with the notion of a “guitar hero,” but this idea is more than hype. Guitar players are true heroes in...
Over the years, we have seen and shared findings that connect musicianship with brain development. If you take piano lessons, math scores improve. Reading comprehension increases. Hand-eye coordination grows by leaps and bounds. This is all, of course, absolutely true. The growth of your brain...
Violin lessons provide an enriching experience, and the joy that comes from learning violin is a feeling that lasts a lifetime. Here in Cincinnati, Toedtman School of Music has an inspiring, kind, world-class group of violin instructors. We encourage you or your child to have...
Much is written about how one-on-one music instruction builds spatial awareness, hand-to-eye coordination, and linguistic abilities. Studies repeatedly show the correlation between private music lessons and increased test scores in both math and verbal aptitude. We also find that practicing written music, and then going...
Give the drummer some! If you are looking for drum lessons in Cincinnati, you need look no further than Toedtman School of Music in Cincinnati. The drums are the backbone of modern popular music. From the swing of a big band drummer, to the dexterously...
You may not be familiar with the corpus callosum. It is a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the left and right sides of the brain. Recent studies have shown that the bundle is significantly larger in musicians than in non-musicians. This difference in brain...
Compassion is not easy to measure. But for many public schools in the U.S., looking at the teaching of compassion and empathy is a crucial component to educational planning. Having students who treat each other respectfully, and who show concern for others’ well-being, is necessary,...
While violin lessons are a time-honored tradition for American schoolkids, many of us only know a few facts about this legendary instrument. Here are some fiddle details that may surprise you. Strings for the violin were once made from sheep intestines. The word for this...
Taking guitar lessons can help you in a myriad of ways. The satisfaction of being able to strum chords is palpable. Fingerpicking a song while someone sings along? A true delight. Ripping into a solo while a drummer and bassist keep the groove going? It’s...
Whether you are an adult, a teen, or a kid, there are steps you can take to get ready for your first guitar lesson. Playing the guitar will likely be different from what you might expect. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind....
New studies at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are showing that a single chemical messenger may have a dramatic impact on our ability to learn music – and language. Adenosine, a neuromodulator, is the subject of a study in the June 30 (2017) issue of...
Phone and tablet based apps are proving to be marvelously helpful to musicians – from beginners to seasoned professionals. “Fake books” – i.e. sets of staff-paper charts for jazz musicians to read “heads,” or melodies, of well-known jazz standards – used to be heavy tomes....
The mood elevation that can come from music is measurable. Learning it, performing it, and listening to it can help people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers are gaining more insight into this phenomenon by the month, and as neuroscientific research continues to...
There are two subjects which are commonly referenced as “things that are easier to learn as a child”: music and foreign languages. What we are now learning is that those two subjects reinforce each other. For the same reason that young minds adapt quickly to...
Part of a child taking violin lessons – a big part of it – is learning to practice daily. This is no easy feat. If you took violin lessons as a child, you may remember your teacher telling you to practice 30 minutes every day....
If you are considering voice lessons – either for yourself or for you child – we commend you. We love getting kids excited about sound, and here are a few ways that you can inspire a life-long love of music. 1. Listen Together Pick out...
As the refugee crisis continues to expand, and as families seeking political asylum depart from Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, communities across the United States and elsewhere look for ways to welcome them to their new homes. One way that has proven successful is through...
What is a flow state? Computer programmers and scientists talk about a flow state – or a mental space in which progress is made smoothly and efficiently – using similar language to that you might read about an exceptional athlete. In basketball, being “in the...
Funding for music lessons can come from a variety of sources. In many cases, parents invest in lessons for their children, or adult students pay for their own tutelage. Recently, non-profit groups have begun to flourish, which provide funding intended for private music study. This...
Inspiring your child to practice daily may be a challenge. There are so many other distractions in his or her life, that even 15 minutes of refreshing scales and fingering exercises may be difficult to keep up....
In a May 2017 Time magazine op-ed article, Chris Kornelis writes about how the director of his former jazz choir taught him lessons about cooperation, about surpassing obstacles, and about maintaining a constant, repeatable “drumbeat,” as he calls it, to make progress in his daily...
Taking lessons and studying music in Cincinnati puts you in the company of some legends. The Queen City has been the birthplace of many world-renowned musicians. Here are just a few....
Continuing our trend of showing how music lessons can improve academic results…. A German foundation recently awarded a quarter-million-pound grant to a British music psychologist, and the results of that grant are beginning to surface....
The Journal of Educational Psychology published a study showing that, not only do organized music lessons help students’ performance in school and raise their IQ levels, but that the effects increase when the instruction continues for a longer span of time....
In Cincinnati, the homeschooling movement has gained considerable momentum. And while there is much to be gained by having the parents take on the duties of instruction and curriculum development, there are many social aspects that children miss. One of the prime experiences one loses...
Do you have a child who is old enough to take private music lessons? Are you a musician, a “former” musician, or an adult who wants to begin playing an instrument?...
Marching band season kicks into gear early across Cincinnati’s schools. August means long days of band camp, and band camp is often more about the movements than the music – learning how to march, how many steps it takes to hit each position, and rehearsing...
Keeping your kids excited about live music while school is out of session is, thankfully, not terribly difficult in Cincinnati. The Queen City has a rich tradition of summer music, and the Summer of 2017 is no exception. Here are some of the city’s musical...
Please join us for an art exhibit featuring the drawings and paintings of Toedtman School of Music art students, taught by our very own Jenny Veenemen! Opening Reception: Sunday May 21: 4:30pm – 6:30pm Student originals and prints will be available for sale. Come support our...
Toedtman School of Music had TWO students win at the Southwest Buckeye Piano competition. Vivian Chang 1st place in the Elementary division and Jack Li 1st place winner in the Senior division. Both are students of Luba Fedorov. They’ll be competing at the state level...
One of the best parts of life in Cincinnati is the rich cultural tradition on this area. Since its founding – even back when it was Losantiville and then Porkopolis – music and performance culture have been a core part of this area’s charm. ...
As a musician, listening back to your sound, and evaluating what aspects of your performance and practice could use more attention, can be a valuable use of your time....
Selecting the right music for your instruments – and for your current stage of development as a musician – is an ongoing challenge. As you work with your teacher to expand your craft and your tone, there may be certain pieces which are ideally suited...
In many endeavors calling for diligence and sustained effort, finding partners can help immeasurably. If you are learning tennis, or starting a running routine, or embarking on a weight-loss regimen, you can do yourself a great service when you find a peer pursuing similar goals....
“Staying Frosty” is a term that we believe originated in military circles, but it refers to alertness. Preparedness. Freshness. “Stay frosty” means, basically, “stay on your toes.” “Don’t get sleepy.” And, when it comes to your instrument – whatever instrument that may be, and your...
Summer is approaching! Just because school may be out of session, it does not mean your musical progress needs to pause. Quite the contrary. You can use the summer to leap ahead in your musical advancement. Imagine returning to school in the fall being twice...
Cincinnati Voice lessons are a specialty of our private music school in Sharonville Ohio, and in coloratura soprano Danielle Adams and lyric soprano Jenna Schroer, we are proud to have two phenomenal teachers and coaches who work with students of all ages....
Here at Toedtman School of Music, cultural diversity is absolutely central to the work we do, and the environment our school provides. Now in our fifth decade of providing piano lessons, guitar lessons, drum lessons and more, we strive to make our musical home as...
If you are a middle-school or high-school music student in Cincinnati, you have every reason to be excited about your circumstances....
For young music students participating in their schools’ formal, classroom-based music programs in Cincinnati, there are usually two types of practice they encounter: solo and large group....
Why Should I Use A Metronome When I Practice? Whether you are a seasoned music student or a beginner, adding a metronome to your home practice will boost your musicianship considerably....
When parents enroll their children in music lessons here in our Cincinnati studio, sometimes questions arise about the balance between taking music lessons, practicing, and completing school assignments....
So, you would like your child to start taking piano lessons. But she or he is not quite ready yet. Never fear! There are many things you can do to set the table well in advance....
A young child can become acquainted with music in many ways. Playing games can do a lot to make those early associations be positive ones. Music is fun! Music helps us move! Dancing is a blast! Here are a few games that you may want...
The question of when to begin music lessons is often debated. We have all heard stories of people who were “forced” to take lessons at too young of an age – or took lessons which were more repetition and discipline than fun – and it...
On the Vandoren site – Vandoren the legendary maker of instrument mouthpieces – Jenny Maclay wrote a piece about parents getting ready for their children to take music lessons....
(This article is addressed to parents of high school musicians, but is also applicable to those musicians themselves.) You may hear your children talking about the OMEA Solo and Ensemble Contest. What is this event? The OMEA (Ohio Music Education Association) is an affiliate of...
Here in Cincinnati and across southern Ohio, the study of music can do wonders for your skills across many categories, many of which have little to do with music. Researchers have found a demonstrable link between music lessons and reading. Comprehension and reading speeds improved...
Cincinnati is a marching band town. We are very fortunate here in the Tri-State to have terrific public high schools – and some private and parochial schools as well – with fully-fledged, long-running marching bands. Even some of the smaller schools in southern Ohio and...
Studying music is a form of therapy. As a therapeutic pursuit, it is uniquely holistic and multi-disciplinary. Hearing music and engaging in deep listening is a form of healing. Performing and practicing music – using your body to create melodious sound – is an even...
Create Your Own Style When teaching art at our studio in Cincinnati, we encourage each student to pursue his or her individual style. Every person has a natural artist within them – we work to nurture and refine that artistic spirit at Toedtman. As you...
The study of bass in Cincinnati is a pursuit that is time-honored. Many great bassists have come from Hamilton County and the greater Tri-State area, including one of the most famous bass players to have ever played R&B, soul and funk: Cincinnati’s own Bootsy Collins,...
If you or your child is looking to learn the violin, we are proud to announce that Toedtman School of Music in Cincinnati has three of the country’s finest violin instructors on staff. The world-class violin lessons at Toedtman are well suited for students of...
Much like the upright bass in jazz, or the bowed double bass in an orchestra, or the thunderbroom (bass guitar) in a rock band, the tuba holds a special position of honor. Holding down the low end is a fundamental duty. It is a badge...
