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Whether you are an amateur or a veteran, performance can always go a step further. Even before I go to my next performance, I'm always thinking about the little things that I can do to make it that much stronger and to present things in a way that carries the stage. Understanding how to practice for performance is important because it allows you to be at ease and to say things the way that you want, even if there is a glitch. Keep these tips in mind to help you out.

1. Are you carrying the stage, or is the stage carrying you? Every solo performer should have this as their first priority. This means that you get on the stage and you own it. No matter what happens, you are focused on delivering the message and getting it clearly.

2. Don't sweat the small stuff, big stuff, or any of the stuff at all. No matter what happens, the show must go on. If there is a glitch, a sound problem or someone slips and falls on stage, don't stop what you are doing. Act like it is a part of the act, keep going and let the message of the music move past the incident or problem.

3. Don't apologize. The rule in performance is confidence. No matter how the song goes, act like you meant it that way. More than anything, performance is an act that you need to carry to the end. I know performers who have messed up entire sections of the piece, made things up or completely crashed their songs. If you don't pay attention to it and don't apologize for it, the significance of the problem will be lost.

4. Go with the flow. Every performer should have to learn how to improvise a little bit. You never know what's going to happen on the stage, if you are really pushing your abilities. Go with where the music ends up taking you – even to the unexpected.

5. Enjoy what you are doing. There is no better way to carry the stage and the audience than to understand the message that you are giving and to give it in a fulfilling way. Be clear about what you want to say and say it with joy.

Keep these in mind for your next performance, and watch the magic happen. Your presence will become more than just another show.

Want to know more about my techniques for performance? Shoot me an e-mail. (That's Brooke), and it's info@apollomusicstudios.com and ask about the entertainment coaching program.

Want to get to more intense levels?  Ask for Gayle (former bass player of Vixen) for her specialized performance training!

I have heard every excuse for not doing theory or learning new things in music. How about – I follow my instincts when I do music, so I don't want to loose that. Or this one – I can play, why do I need to know how it goes together?

Okay, I know. I've used a lot of excuses too, and it could be a good excuse, if you only want to play a few songs.

There comes a time in every musicians life where they have to make a decision about how far they want to go and what they want to learn with their music. If any musician is ready to take the next step, it's time to buckle down with the theory.

I'm not just mentioning this because I'm a music teacher. I'm mentioning it because I watch the bands, I see what they play and I know exactly how much they know with theory. Those who have taken the time to read the books, expand their knowledge and get the nuts and bolts from the music typically are able to do more with their songs. They can take the risks, say something a little bit better and use the tools from the theory that they've learned to take it a step further.

Theory doesn't make you loose anything with your music. It's like having an extra set of tools in your vehicle so that you can drive further, take care of all of the maintenance and use them to let your ride look a little bit better. Meaning that, when you have the extra tools, you can communicate a little bit better.

Go pick up a theory book, learn something new, expand your mind and let immerse yourself in the world of music and theory. It's a great way to begin to call yourself a musician. Want some theory help? Contact me (that's Brooke) at info@apollomusicstudios.com.

I've heard that when you play the piano, it's just a lot of notes and technique. Sure, maybe you can hit all the notes, but can you hear the colors?

One of the best players I have ever heard during my studies didn't look at notes as notes – he saw them as colors that were pasted together in order to say something.

There is nothing more magical than a piano that sounds like colors.

These are sounds that I never thought I would hear in a piano. All of a sudden, the dynamics, the notes and the harmonies that went with them said something a little bit better, stronger and more effectively. The technique that he used wasn't just to learn the notes, or to get the technique like everyone else did. It was to build an entire story around what was being heard.

If you are playing the piano, don't just let it be the notes that you are hitting. Knowing a song doesn't mean knowing the notes and the rhythms. It means sharing a story, sharing a vision and communicating exactly what the composer had in mind.

So, the next time you sit down at the piano, think about what your piano is trying to make you see or hear. Learn beyond the basics and allow yourself to explore the different sounds and resonance that the piano can make. That's when you turn music away from being learning another song and into an experience that can communicate what you want.

Want to know more about the piano or music? Let your notes be sent to me at info@apollomusicstudios.com.  You can also check out what I'm about at www.apollomusicstudios.com or www.coachingmusician.com.  

I know that you have had this type of day before. You're trying to learn a song, and all that's coming out is the wrong notes in between the cursing and the crying. No matter how hard you try, it just doesn't work.

Well, I had one of those days, and I got caught. I was feeling horrible about the piece I was playing, and there were certain spots that were challenging me more than anything else. Just as I was about to start throwing books across the room, a friend that was downstairs came up and stopped me.

All he really said was, you have to know when to let go.

Since I've been trained as a musician that has to keep practicing it until I get it, I was furious. He obviously didn't know what he was talking about! But, I took his advice anyway. I stepped away for a little while, then came back.

Lo and behold, as soon as I relaxed, slowed down my mind, and digested what I had learned, I found that the part I had been toiling at was no longer difficult. All it had taken was letting go a little bit and figuring out what really had to be done.

So, what is the balance? Of course, there is work that has to go into it. But, more importantly, is knowing when the work is done and when to walk away. That's when the magic happens.

Whether it's practicing or playing at a concert, there's always a time to stop and let the piece be what it is. Allow it to take a life of it's own and be. Your mind and body will follow with what it needs to do.

Want to know more or set up a time for lessons? Feel free to contact me at info@apollomusicstudios.com.

I believe that there are a wide variety of musicians in the world, all that are able to play on different types of stages. Some of these are international, some of them are local, some of them are something in between. But, no matter what type of musician you are, it's time to start thinking from both sides of your brain.

Look, this is the bottom line of it. As a musician, you are claiming your right as a musician among thousands of others. All of the musicians are a part of this system that is required to depend on each other in order to create the best for all musicians. This is what I mean. If you play at a venue and request something, the venue owner remembers. Say that I go there and request something completely differently. The venue owner might not respect my request because someone else did not request it or did things differently. All of the musicians that come after end up loosing out.

I said that to say this. As musicians, we have to think as a business. We have to think about how our prices, our style and our approach towards our profession effects others. If we start demanding professional responses, venue owners will have no other choice than to respect the wishes of treating all musicians fairly. It goes for money, respect, time requests, demands, everything.

So, when I say think like a business, I mean think about what the demands that venue owners and others should know about. Present yourself with integrity and demand respect. It pays off in the long run, whether you are playing at the park or at Carnegie Hall.

And, I didn't say it was easy. I know how hard it is. I work too. (smile). But, it is necessary if we want musicians to have some better options.

Want to know more about my business approach for musicians? Become a part of my Professional Music Development Program or my Entertainment Coaching! Shoot me an e-mail at info@apollomusicstudios.com or call 303-657-2717 or my cell at 720-277-2652.

All right, so of course I need to introduce my teaching method to you, right? I call it the Artist Playground method, some call it the Grasshoppa' method. (I won't explain now). Of course, there's a ton of stuff behind this, but I'll let you know some basic concepts behind it and how I got here.

In a set of ideas, here's what the Artist Playground method includes;

• using instruction as an exploratory space

• allowing children to learn at their own pace, without the push

• creating a way to discover music instead of just learn it
  

• building strong foundations for musical ideas and principles

• introducing music in a way that isn't threatening or difficult

Yes, I've actually found a way for this to work. It's a combination of positive reinforcement, games, continuous encouragement and low pressure lessons. Once the kids start to open up, it's a completely different world.

Here's how this started. Believe it or not, when I was growing up and when I went to college, I had absolutely no desire to teach. In fact, I let everyone know that I would in no way, shape or form be a teacher. During my pedagogy classes, I continuously questioned and rebelled against the learning, saying it was because I didn't want to teach.  I know I've probably mentioned that before.

What I finally came to terms with was that I loved seeing kids progress and that I loved to teach. What it really was – I didn't want to teach in the same way that I had learned. My growing into music was very strict. My father was a musician, and he saw that I could play. So, it was extra lessons, extra hours and dropped extra-curricular activities to practice. My teachers all were very strict to – the ruler type, with the exception of one that I found towards the end of my high school years and one of my college teachers.

I hated the pressure, the discipline and the inability to really do what I wanted with the piano.

I stopped fighting the idea of teaching when I had no money and was living on someone's couch. Slowly, I learned to reach out to the children in a way that I had never been reached, where it was fun, non-threatening and exploratory.

What's great is that my kids have bought into it. I'll show up sometimes and they'll have the games for me. Other times, I'll walk into them composing, thinking that it's a game. We get away with laughing and playing during games, and the progress is three times as fast as I have seen it with traditional methods.

In fact, the method is working so well, that I'm now working on patenting my games. Keep a look out for them! If you are a teacher or have a student that is taking music lessons, they can probably help you to.

There you have it – the Artist Playground method. Want to know more, sign up for lessons or exchange ideas? I'd love to hear from you. The e-mail is info@apollomusicstudios.com the number is 720-277-2652.

My friend calls him Chop – in, our good friend Frederick. I know you have all heard of him – he's a genius of the Romantic century. But, do we all really know Chopin, or is it just a name to pass around?

Let's take a minute to reminisce about the Romantic Period, shall we? I love the period in time (from the 1820s to 1910), because of it's fire, ingenius musicians and pushes and changes that it brought and expanded into music. There is no other period that produced so many composers and musical pieces that said the ultimate and allowed for a certain freedom of musicianship to be at the forefront.

And, that's where Chopin comes in. He was a Polish man who was named as a child prodigy early on in piano. He left Poland for Paris when he was 20, and never returned, even though many debate that his nationalism never left him. I say, he was going where the money was.

He made a living as a teacher, performer and composer. The unique part of Chopin is simple. Everything that he wrote and performed was for piano only. He never touched another instrument, allowing him to become a specialist in the instrument that he knew most.

I'm only giving you one piece to check out by Chopin. The rest you have to do on your own. It's the Polonaise in A flat Major, Opus 53, often referred to as the Heroique Polonaise, of course, a great virtuoso piece. And, of course, check it out with a woman playing it at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwqYnDxWd_c.

Want to know more? Contact me (that's Brooke) at info@apollomusicstudios.com or 720-277-2652.

For parents to become involved with their child's practice the correct way is one of the most difficult things to do. At one end, you don't want to pressure your child too much. At the other, you don't want to be aloof to what they are doing. So, the trick is, parents, to figure out when to become involved and how to become involved.

Here's my first rule of thumb for every parent. Don't force practice on your child. Of course, there should be some sort of understanding and routine for the children to know that they have to put the work into it. After all, music takes a certain level of discipline. Know when to discipline and when to let children explore and discover. You should be able to tell when your child is being lazy or when they are figuring something out.  On that note, let them figure it out the way that they are most comfortable with.  Most of the time, this means that you should step back and let them have fun.  

Second rule of thumb. If you don't understand something about the music, don't try to tell your children what to do. Sure, they might show up the net week doing something wrong, but it's nothing that you should have to worry about, even if you are a musician. Let your child make mistakes, play it wrong and mess up. The teacher, if they are a good teacher, will help them to figure out and make it into a learning process without making a complete tragedy of the whole thing.

So, the trick is this. Let your child explore and have fun. Get involved enough to encourage them to practice and keep them on track. Reward them for discipline and show them that it is important. But, don't confuse them and don't get involved on levels that compromise what you know or compromise the teacher. Even if it means that your child progresses a little slower, (or a little differently), it will help them much more in the long run to learn how to learn.

If you would like to know more about relationships with parents and music, send an e-mail my way. That's info@apollomusicstudios.com.

Your knees are shaking, your palms are sweating, you feel like you have cotton in your mouth and you are about to go on stage. They are waiting for you and you can barely breathe.

Sound familiar?

During one time in our lives, we have all had the infamous stage fright. And, we've probably all heard about the ways to solve it. Imagine people in their underwear, drink water, take deep breaths.

If you are like me, you know that none of those have ever really worked.

Here's the thing about it. If you start to understand where it's coming from, you can start to overcome it. There are actually two ways in which you send your energy that brings stage fright, according to those who study the psychology of performance. One of the ways will cause you to sweat, get clam palms and start shaking. If you experience this, it is most likely because you are thinking that you want to give out too much to the audience. The other way is the cotton mouth and everything seems dry. This means that you are drawing back and are afraid to give your audience the entire picture.  Of course, you might have your own personal reasons as well... but that's for you to find out.

Once you understand that, you can start to work at it. Figure out why you are reacting the way that you are. What are your expectations that you are afraid of reaching? What are you afraid that you will do? That's right. Don't picture people in their underwear. Face your fears head to head and figure out how to overcome them.

So, if that doesn't seem like it's your problem, start thinking about why you are doing the performance to begin with. I hate to break it to you, but it's not about you. It's about the message you are giving through the music and how you are affecting people. Get your intentions on the right track and it will do wonders.  Use visualizations and modify your intent so that it works in your favor and makes your performance clear.  

You're not going to overcome stage fright the first time you perform. But, the more you tackle it, the more you perform and the more you understand why you are performing without the extra emotions, the easier it will get.

My point is this – get beyond the cliches, the quick fixes and the bad advice for stage fright. Figure out the root of the problem and fix it. And, expect every performance to get a little bit better and a lot stronger.  Before you know it, you'll be the professional performer that everyone seeks after. 

Working on the next great hit, but not sure where to go with it? Keep these tips in mind to help you critique and make your next composition a little bit better.

1. Composition is all about balance. That's right – balance. You should have some instruments in motion and some that are still. Have some that are carrying a melody, and others that are supporting it. Keep some with a beat, and some that don't have a beat. Make sure that there isn't too much of one thing and not enough of another.

2. Are you sure that's the right instrument? Re-check what your arrangement is and make sure that it is going together right. Sometimes, a sound might not be exactly what you need and it can throw the entire thing off.

3. With that in mind, also check your range. It's easy to go a little too high or low for an instrument, even if it is the piano or guitar. Make sure that the range allows you to set the tone right.

4. Check your key signature. I know, you might think that the key of G is great for everything, but it's not. Every key signature (major, minor and the hundreds of modes) carry a different mood. Make sure you start it out right.

5. Know when to switch. By switch I mean rhythm, key signature, chords and anything else that you need. Sometimes a good switch in a song can bring your song to exactly where it needs to be.

6. Have you experimented with the form? Yes, it's not all just verse, chorus, verse, chorus. Spice it up a little bit, bring in something new, find new formulas. It makes ears happy.

7. Know your rhythms. Sometimes accents can get in the wrong place or do the wrong thing for the song, especially with vocals. Depending on your song, you will want to make sure that you have the consistent rhythms with the accents in the right place.

8. Put some dynamics in it. Please? I know that they are not often heard these days, but trust me – it makes or breaks a song.

9. Don't be afraid to let some of your instruments rest. Part of the balance thing I mentioned before is taking out some instruments at times, then putting them back in. It changes the loudness of the song and allows you to give your audience a treat.

10. Trust your instinct. Even if you know all of the rules in the world, it's really your creativity that should come first. If you are thinking about switching something, but can't get it to sound quite right, it's probably because it doesn't. Know when it is time to let your song be.

With these tips in mind, your composition will surely be able to pick it up a notch. If you want to get into more theory, shoot me (that's Brooke) an e-mail at info@apollomusicstudios.com.