Welcome to Music Teachers Insightful Practices (MTIPS) Newsletter!

Wednesday, January 05, 2000

Table of Contents:

1. MTIPS Theme
2. Welcome Notes
3. MTIPS Development
4. Notable Quotables
5. Notable Birthdays

1. MTIPS Theme

During their time away from us, they focus on the fear of the learning. If, they instead, focus on what they want to achieve during each practice session, they will not have the time or energy to create the fear!

2. Welcome Notes

Happy New Year! Welcome to Music Teachers Insightful Practices (MTIPS)!I hope your New Year's celebration was full of joy, happiness and an abundance of wonderful music!

MTIPS is approaching its' one year anniversary and I am very excited to announce that we ended 1999 with over 110 subscribers! Thank you for forwarding MTIPS to your friends and collegues! I am deeply appreciative.

MTIPS is a free monthly newsletter that's goal is to provide piano teachers, students and parents with insightful practices that will make the career of sharing music and the course of making it, a more rewarding and successful one. I hope that this electronic publication assists you in creating a more enjoyable and successful lesson for yourself and your students.

Please let me know how I can be of service to you in reaching this goal. You may contact me at: NickAmbrosino@musicsimplymusic.com. I look forward to playing with you through this newsletter. Let's have some fun!

Be sure to check our web site at: http://www.musicsimplymusic.com We have lots of information, and resources you can use. We're constantly adding and up-dating, so check it often!

3. MTIPS Development

'Tis the time of the year to make resolutions. Yet, most resolutions are prone to "lack of follow through" before the first quarter of the year is finished.

People resolve to stop smoking, to loose weight. Students resolve to study more, to practice everyday. Yet after a short time, the commitment stops. Did you ever consider why?

Creation occurs through focusing on what we want, not on what we fear. It's the creed through which many personal development programs and books create incredible consistent changes in their participants. It's the creed through which we, as teachers, can create incredible positive musical and personal shifts in our students.

Many students, especially those who are making jumps in the level of their playing (The student who is bored by simple two handed pieces from a method book, yet intimidated by a sonatina. The student who is working on his first Bach invention.) focus on how difficult the new music is. How scary it looks, how many notes are on the page, how often rhythms change and how tricky the fingerings are. It's no wonder they come to the lesson unprepared and with many excuses! They have completely immobilized themselves through fear.

Then we, as their never discouraged guides through this world of music, convince, coerce and push them through the fear by looking for and providing solutions. They respond well in the lesson, but come back the following week again full of excuses and fear. Did you ever consider why?

During their time away from us, they focus on the fear of the learning. If, they instead, focus on what they want to achieve during each practice session, they will not have the time or energy to create the fear!

This not only works for musical challenges, but for anything you want to create in your life as well. Focus on what you want, not on what you fear. "As you think, so shall you become." "You'll see it when you believe it." All ways of saying the same thing. Use your mind to create what you want, not what you fear.

4. Notable Quotables

"Practice time should be a journey of discovery that begins with mystery and goes to mastery."

"Be patient for your pleasure. Growth will take place…not overnight, but over time!"

From "If…You Would Add to the Beauty of the World" by Suzanne W. Guy

5. Notable Birthdays

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 01/27
Franz Schubert 01/31
Alexander Scriabin 01/06

Copyright © 2000 Nicholas Ambrosino. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute MTIPS so long as this cop1yright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached. The author of this article is Nicholas Ambrosino and he may be contacted at:

http://www.musicsimplymusic.com
director@musicsimplymusic.com

To subscribe/unsubscribe, send an email to: Mtips-list@musicsimplymusic.com With either words "subscribe MTIPS" or the words "unsubscribe MTIPS" in the body of the email.

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