Thomas J. West Music

The following article is a guest post.

I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that there are lots of kids out there who want to learn guitar because they want to play like [insert guitar god here]. The bad news is that there are lots of kids out there who want to learn guitar because they want to play like [insert guitar god here].

This presents ...

There is no question that trained musicians who offer private lessons deserve to be compensated fairly for the time and effort they put in to teaching private lesson students. There is also no question that in the current global economic slump, less people can afford to pay for private lessons at $40 or more an hour.

I have been ...

Even before the final strains of the December Winter Concert float into the air, I am already contemplating repertoire selection for my spring concert. Choosing concert repertoire is one of the most important decisions that the director of a public school performing ensemble has to make. Y...

There are many things that are not covered in an undergraduate music education degree that every music teacher needs to know. One of the things I learned the hard way is the impact that the community you serve as a music teacher directly affects the philosophy and quality level of the entire K-12 music program.

In my first teachi...

In the traditional American public school band, chorus, or orchestra program, 90 to 95% of available class time is spent preparing the large ensemble for the next public performance. This in and of itself is a noble pursuit that is a valued experience for the majority of the students involved. In my instrumental music program, however, we spend most of the first marking period ...

Yesterday, I presented and attended sessions at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 12 In-Service Conference at Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville, PA. District 12 encompasses public and private schools in Philadelphia, Delaware, and Chester Counties. In this article, I will include bullet point items that are take-aways ...

It's the end of the first marking period, and things are so backlogged administratively at my school right now that I have had little time to assess student performance. We had four classes remaining, so what did I do? Playing test? Instead, how about a performance clinic?

First I described to the students what a clin...

There are many elementary level instrumental music teachers who never address intonation with their students, dismissing the topic as "too advanced" for a beginner. While is is true that a beginning student is not capable of successfully tuning, beginners should be introduced to the concept and practice of intonation as soon as possible.

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During a car pool with another judge this past weekend, we were discussing rehearsal techniques for marching band programs. One of the techniques my colleague had used extensively while learning or teaching drill is "drill in reverse", when the performers turn around and march the drill set the same number of counts back to the previous set. H...

For performing ensemble classes that meet five days a week, here is a great tip that helps add variety to your routine and builds the ensemble members' musicianship at the same time: make every Friday "Jam Session Day."

For jazz bands, this means taking a break from the big band arrangements and reading charts from an Aeberso...