Author: Michele Roger-Beresford

At the time of writing this announcement, March 11, 6:41pm, one elementary school in Dearborn is closed and several universities have switched online classes.  Here is our plan at Michigan Conservatory. Currently, whether at the studio or my home, we have been disinfecting the piano between each lesson.  we've also been washing the floors and … Continue reading Coronavirus and Lessons

So many of my colleagues tell me that kids, particularly teens are more overwhelmed with things in life than ever.  PSAT, SAT, college essay writing in their junior year, higher GPA demands, extra curricular, volunteer work, sports.  It's all in an average day of the student trying to fight their way to the head of … Continue reading Music Puts Overwhelming Things Into Perspective

No matter how much you practice, the difficulty of your new music or even if you are, in fact, left handed, playing the left hand is difficult.  I have taught for nearly 20 years and I cannot explain it.  Everyone and I mean EVERYONE struggles with the left hand accompaniment. Don't give up! Instead, go … Continue reading Piano: Trouble With the Left Hand

It doesn't matter how old you are.  Young or old, working or retired, a kid in school or an empty nester, it's always the same dilemma, "finding the time" to practice.  Parents blame electronics for why their kids haven't learned a song.  Adults blame work.  In all honesty, I've heard it all and it comes … Continue reading Finding the Time to Practice

It's nearly time to go back to school.  While summer lessons focus on music for camp,  theme music from movies or trying out new instruments, it's time to get back to the basics. As we review the concepts of music theory and why music works the way it does, here is a handy reference chart … Continue reading Mathematics and Music Collide: Circle of 5th’s

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins Let’s Begin… When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians’ brains when they play, and examines some of the … Continue reading Music On the Brain

I love to read about different ways to learn.  Learning is something that, whether we realize it or not, we do (hopefully) all of our lives.  Somethings we enjoy learning (like new high scoring words in Scrabble or Words With Friends) and other things, not so much (like an obligatory program for work.)  In all … Continue reading Classical Music, ADD, and Test Recall

  I was given tickets to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to see "some guy named Lang Lang." It was maybe 2007 and I had been teaching piano for a few years.  I was a young mother who taught music from our house and quite frankly, I was ready to have a night out, even if a … Continue reading Piano: Rock Stars Don’t Just Play Guitar

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