2021 Studio Policies
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 by Kathleen White | General
The 2021 Studio Policies have been updated and posted on the website. Please be sure you read them. A major change has been made with the makeup credits. A copy of the policies will be put in the online resources section under general studio if you would like to print them out. Thank You
Why It's Important to Continue Practicing Music
Friday, May 7, 2021 by Kathleen White | Students and Learning
Published on April 28, 2020

Dr. Sean Hutchins
“Summer Loss”
In fact, evidence suggests that putting lessons on hiatus for longer periods of time can have negative consequences. That’s due to a phenomenon called “Summer Loss,” which finds that children’s academic abilities not only stagnate over the summer months, but even regress.
Double down on your abilities
What this means is that without reinforcement, skills that have been painstakingly learned over time will be lost rather quickly. To put it another way, time spent practicing music — especially guided, focused practice — effectively counts as double towards skills retention.
and
make us better musicians!
Dr. Sean Hutchins is a neuroscientist and the Director of Research at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He received his Ph.D. from McGill University, studying music and the mind. His current work examines the role of musical training and experience on cognitive and linguistic abilities.
The Silver Lining of Remote Exams
Friday, May 7, 2021 by Kathleen White | Students and Learning
Published on May 7, 2020

at the store
, however, it never crosses my mind to pick up the ketchup — until I walk into the kitchen and realize we’re still out of it. There’s something about being in the kitchen that jogs my memory. And this isn’t unusual. Memory is rarely perfect, and is highly dependent on contextual cues or memory tips. When it’s time to recall that memory, having those cues can give your mind a toehold, a little tip to direct you to the rest of the memory. The more cues you have available, the easier it is to remember something.
Memories are contextual
Theencoding specificity principle
shows that memories are linked to the context in which they are created. It states that it’s easier to recall information when you are in the same context in which you memorized or studied it. So, for example, if you study for a test in a specific room, you will perform better on that test if you take it in the same room.
Sounds can cue your memory
Moreover, this principle isn’t limited to just physical location. Other studies have shown that matching the acoustic environment you studied in can also help test performance. The noises around you can also act as memory cues. Even mental states, such as your mood, can be cues; feeling happy, sad, or nervous might remind you of other times you felt the same way.
The stability of home
And this leads us to a potential silver lining. One benefit of always being at home is that the cues are remarkably stable. Students taking Remote Exams from home most likely studied at home. This means they will have more cues available to them when taking their exams. In fact, music teachers may recognize a similar phenomenon with students in their regular practice, when students tell them they performed a piece better in practice than in the actual lesson.
and
provide better retention of what is learned in the exam itself.
Dr. Sean Hutchins is a neuroscientist and the Director of Research at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He received his Ph.D. from McGill University, studying music and the mind. His current work examines the role of musical training and experience on cognitive and linguistic abilities.