Alpha Test for Supplementary Online Courses

Over the years, many of you have asked for supplementary online support for lessons in the way of audio recordings, video lessons, and music editions. I have finally discovered a great platform for this possibility and am looking for several students to assist me in testing out this software.

A supplementary online program could better help students to prepare by having access to guided tutorials and learning tools in-between their lessons. This would also save lesson time when students need an introduction to a new assignment, and students could easily go back and reference old skills and concepts. Lastly, students could work ahead and progress at a speed that's right for them.

I'm looking for six students total in different sash levels to help me build out and test this new platform. You will receive pre-recorded tutorials for new pieces, as well as audio recordings and newly edited sheet music. In return, you must post videos of your progress and provide detailed feedback on course content.

To qualify, you must be a current student at NMS, enrolled in a white through purple sash program, be able to devote time during the week to engage with online course content, and willing to have you or a parent provide progress videos and written feedback for the program. If you are interested, please send me an email. Only one student per household may qualify, and qualified participants will be selected on a first come-first serve basis. 

ASTACAP Online Exams Open November 1st!

The American String Teachers Association Certificate Advancement Program (ASTACAP) is a nationally-recognized, non-competitive examination divided into eleven graded levels which evaluate students on their technical and musical achievement using highly qualified and trained examiners.  This means that students of all levels can participate and receive valuable feedback on their progress and performance from some of the most notable educators in the field.

The online testing period for ASTACAP opens on November 1st.  Students will be asked to prepare scales, solo pieces, and etudes which pertain to their examination level.  Then, they will make a video recording of their performance in one, uninterrupted take which they will then submit online to the ASTACAP examination committee.

Students who pass their exam, will receive a commemorative certificate of completion for the level that they have tested into as well as written comments and a grade by the examiner.  

Not only is ASTACAP an incredibly motivating experience which builds confidence, as students strive to excel from year to year, but it also looks great on student resumes and applications as ASTACAP is the nationally-accepted standard for music education and performance in the United States.

If you or your student is interested in participating in ASTACAP, October is a great time to go over the requirements and prepare all of the pertinent materials.  For more information, please click here!

Psychology Finds a New Way to Practice!

Psychology is always finding better ways for the brain to acquire and recall information, but the latest research is challenging the way we think about practice in profound ways:

Repetition is Out - It has long been believed that if you want to progress, you must repeat things hundreds, if not thousands of times. However, repetition does not necessarily induce problem solving. You might try to solve a math problem like 7+2+4+1 = ?, but when asked the exact same math problem again, chances are that you'll simply recall the solution from the first time you solved it, instead of going through the entire problem-solving process again. The real trouble starts when we come up with the wrong answer the first time. Now, we're not only repeating incorrect information, we're also doing very little processing or refinement.

Interleaving - The answer to mindless repetition is to interleave your practice, which means to rotate between several different practice objectives instead of spending a block of time mastering one objective before moving onto another. This method may not make intuitive sense, but study after study shows that interleaved practice creates a problem-solving environment, or what psychologists refer to as "effortful processing", which ultimately leads to long-term retention. It can feel unnatural at first, but try it for a couple weeks!

Spacing - Another highly effective strategy is spacing - spreading multiple practice sessions throughout the day instead of one large block of time. This has mostly to do with focus, as when we are shown the same stimulus over and over again, a process called "habituation" occurs and our response to a repeated stimulus diminishes over time. Think about how many reminders you need to complete a task or how many times you need to hit the snooze button on your alarm clock. The reason it's difficult to focus on those stimuli is because you are used to them. Try changing your alarm sound or use a different strategy to remind yourself to get something done!

Use a Timer - On average, adults have about three minutes of focused attention span before they start thinking about what's for lunch. Younger people have even shorter attention spans. The "Virtuous Moments" method created by pedagogue Kurt Sassmanhaus involves setting a three-minute timer and dividing the practice day up into three-minute chunks. If you didn't accomplish your goal within the three-minute window, then the goal you set was too large or not specific enough. This method not only naturally incorporates interleaving, but it also helps promote realistic goal setting. And remember, if you are getting bored or distracted during practice, it's not because you're losing focus; it's because you're not being challenged enough!

Learning Music in a Post-COVID World

Whether we like it or not, the pandemic has changed the way we work, attend school, and even make music. Here are a few ways we can adapt to new ways of learning and socializing:

Asynchronous Learning - Classroom education depended heavily on synchronous work, which meant real-time engagement, live activities, and possibly even physical feedback. Now that we must socially distance, turning to asynchronous work (such as guided, independent learning modules which require student feedback) is more important than ever! Students can co-create their music curriculum based on their interests and learn resourcefulness in finding tools, articles & videos that serve their goals. Project-based learning can become quite interesting and motivating when students are given control of their own education.

Chamber Music - A group of two to four musicians can comfortably play together online using apps like JamKazam, Acapella & BandLab. Consider pairing up with a friend or someone from the studio to choose duets, trios or quartets featuring your favorite music! Setting a regular time to meet each week helps with accountability and keeps music-making relevant and fun!

Pivoting - It's not uncommon to reassess the reasons you wanted to learn music in the first place. Especially in times like these, it can seem strange to aim for 1st chair in your orchestra or wanting to prepare for a live performance. These are great times to learn the art of pivoting! Pivoting is taking your skills and knowledge and making them relevant to an auxiliary field of interest. The first step is to acknowledge that a change is necessary in order to preserve your passion. Learning orchestral excerpts may not be exciting considering that your orchestra is not rehearsing, but that doesn't mean you can't learn about what it would take to produce music for video games or films! Maybe you've always wanted to learn how to compose your own music, how to conduct, or how to improvise. These are all areas of music you should feel welcome to explore should it spark an interest for you, and being a well-rounded musician often encompasses developing many of these auxiliary proficiencies.

If you're feeling unmotivated or overwhelmed, understand that you're not alone. The feeling of unease is often a sign that things need to change. Take the time to notice what you'd really like to get out of the present moment, and be open to it!

Two Tools for Effective & Focused Practice

In a time when students aren't able to receive the feedback to which they have become accustomed, we have to be able to adapt and find strategies for receiving that feedback ourselves.

Mirrors - Mirrors have often been compared to "your teacher's eyes" because when you take time to look at various aspects of your posture and technique from various angles, they are the same view that your teacher is using to assess your playing.

For violin & viola, you may try angling your bridge so that it is perpendicular to the mirror (making the reflection as thin as possible) so that you can assess parallel bows. For cello, you may try angling a mirror upward towards your left forearm to check for a straight wrist and proper pronation/supination when performing shifts to higher positions as well as extensions.

For everyone, you can remove the instrument, and check for body posture (balanced weight between both feet or sitz bones, elongated spine, even shoulders, and balanced head on top of the spine) and even monitor mounting tension and disfigurement during playing.

Recording Devices - If you're participating in the virtual recital, you already know the massive role that recording yourself can play in proper self-assessment. Often when we have to physically play an instrument, our minds are so consumed with the technicalities of physical coordination of so many moving parts that it's difficult to even remember how we sounded. Recording allows for us to experience our performance objectively from an aesthetic standpoint as well as to assess what physical things may be preventing us from succeeding.

Assessment though recording also allows us to more accurately pinpoint which techniques need to be addressed and where specifically those spots are found within the piece. It allows us to generalize less and be more intentional in our practice by creating tailored to-do lists for our practice time. In turn, our practice sessions become more focused and more effective, rather than meandering around, hoping for progress.

If you haven't already, try these two tools to help you gain greater awareness of what needs to be addressed during your practice!

NMS Online Recital

I'm happy to announce that we will be hosting an online studio recital through Zoom on Saturday, July 18th at 5:30pm. "Doors" will open at 5:15pm for participants and attendees.

Because there was a preference for a more casual setting where participants and audience members may come and go at their leisure, I am requesting that all performers send in a final video recording one week before the recital date so that the performances may be streamed during the recital. This will prevent any lag or latency issues that could possibly disrupt a live performance, while also giving performers the opportunity to present their very best work! Due to privacy, the recital will not be recorded through the Zoom app, and there will be no private recording made available through YouTube.

In order to present a fully realized musical performance, performing with accompaniment will be mandatory (except for solo Bach). Students may choose to perform with a digital piano track provided by Ms. Garcia-Grijalva, live piano accompaniment (perhaps you live with a pianist), or accompaniment through the Cadenza Live app (please make sure you fully understand how this software works as it can be somewhat complicated to use).

Students must sign up with their chosen recital piece by Saturday, June 6th, at which point I will send a followup email with more specific details.

I am looking forward to seeing and hearing everyone perform, and I hope you will join us in this very special community event!

Using Music Therapy to Reduce Anxiety

In these unprecedented times where people are experiencing heightened states of anxiety, loneliness, insomnia, and negative thinking, you may be surprised to discover that listening to just thirteen minutes of music can provide relief! The British Academy of Sound Therapy conducted a study of 7,581 participants to discover if listening to music was an effective therapeutic treatment and if so, what is the proper dosage one would need to experience the therapeutic effects?

It turns out that thirteen minutes is the recommended daily musical allowance if you want to relax, release sadness, or to increase focus. To process anger, you'll need a fifteen minute dose, and to increase happiness, just nine minutes is sufficient!

For relaxation, try "Weightless" by Macaroni Union. Time Magazine officially named it "the most relaxing song in the world" and it won #11 for "Top 50 Best Inventions" in 2011! When selecting your own music for relaxation, look for a "slow tempo, simple melody, and no lyrics".

If you're looking for a boost of happiness, you'll want music that has a "driving rhythm, fast tempo, and happy lyrical content". Try the set list that the dance group Daybreaker used for Oprah's 2020 Vision Tour (the first song features string quartet with rock band!)

It is empowering to know that thirteen minutes is all that stands between you and a happier, more relaxed, and more productive day! Try waking up to my favorite song!

Optimizing Your Online Lessons

As we all adjust to the new way in which we are engaging with music education, I wanted to offer a few tips to make your online lesson experience even more effective:

• If you are using a laptop or computer, Zoom's audio output is far superior to Skype or FaceTime. Follow this video to adjust your settings.

• If you are using Zoom with a phone, I won't be able to hear your upgraded audio (as the phone version does not have access to audio settings), but you will still be able to hear mine as I have a professional external microphone.

• Zoom also has the ability to screen share with my iPad where I can edit a copy of your music with you in real time.

• Unless you have a newer laptop or computer, most phones & tablets actually have superior audio & visual capabilities.

• Regardless of which video conferencing app you use, best results are obtained when you have the most updated version and if your operating system is updated as well.

• I am in the process of uploading all of our repertoire and curriculums to a Google Drive account, so you may access and print them out at your leisure. Please email me to request access.

• Your feedback is appreciated so that I can deliver the best lesson experience possible for everyone. Please feel free to voice your needs so that I can address them. Thank you!

New Online Scheduling System

In order to better serve you, we've switched exclusively to an online scheduling system through our website! This change will now allow you to:

• have more freedom in scheduling lessons on any day that has availability (not just designated open lesson dates)

• reduce the time and hassle of sending emails, waiting for responses, and finalizing plans

• reschedule lessons 24/7, up to 90 days in the future

• opt to receive email reminders for lessons

Since you'll now have full control over your own lesson scheduling, we ask that the following be observed:

• Please email the studio if you must cancel your lesson within 24 hours before your scheduled lesson

• If you must reschedule a lesson, please do so as soon as you are able so that other students have the opportunity to make use of your time slot

• In order to avoid abuse with rescheduling, students who are not able to attend six lessons at their regularly scheduled time slot within an eight week period will forfeit their current lesson time

We hope that online scheduling will be a useful and convenient tool for you and that it will improve your lesson experience here at NMS!

NMS 2020 Annual Studio Recitals

We are very excited to announce the dates for the NMS 2020 Annual Studio Recitals! This year, we will have two Sunday recitals from 1:00-4:30pm on March 15th & April 5th in the Community Room at the Carmel Valley Branch Library!

Each recital will be capped at 18 performers, and each participant may invite up to three guests to attend their performance.

We are extremely pleased that pianist and University of San Diego professor, Ms. Gema Garcia-Grijalva, has agreed to accompany our students once again this year!

The recital will consist of a pre-performance masterclass, recital performance, and potluck reception. The cost to participate in the recital will be $40.00 per student. If students would like to schedule additional rehearsal time with Ms. Garcia-Grijalva, they may do so at a special reduced rehearsal rate.

Please send us an email at nguyenmusicstudio@gmail.com to signup for your recital date (please choose from March 15th, April 5th, No Preference or Not Participating.) We apologize for the quick turnaround needed (our venue had difficulties), but we will need your response by February 9th, 2020.