At the 2010 Michigan Music Teachers Assocation conference this weekend, our conference clinician Martha Hilley had some wise words for us that I thought I’d share here:
Always be a musician, even when you are counting aloud!
As she led us through some various exercises during one of the sessions, Martha Hilley encouraged us to use vocal inflection to show musical direction — even when it’s just simple rhythms or melodic lines. And, of course, this tip applies to our students: encourage them to be musical counters too!
Here’s to trying to use more vocal inflection when I count aloud with my students this week, and hoping that my musical counting will rub off on their playing! =)
Stay tuned – more summaries of the conference are on the way!
Photo Credit: Pink Sherbet Photography | CC 2.0
2 Comments
Oh I love Martha Hilley — her talks are always so good! And I love counting out loud.. at least I love what it does for myself and my students… can’t wait to read the rest of what you gleaned from the conference!
@Anya: I agree! Martha Hilley is such an engaging speaker and she has a wonderful sense of humor too. I think everyone had a wonderful time during her sessions!