Big changes happen, but it takes time and lots of small steps. This is Julia and her keyboard practice for this week.

Julia is learning piano and guitar, one of the essential skills is understanding the rhythm. What better way that with the tambourine.

Caitlin is just starting out on her journey with the violin. She earnt 3 gemstones in her first week with all the practice she has done.

Ukulele practice can happen anytime, just pick it up and play. This is Evan making it happen straight after school.

Make it happen a little more everyday. This is Ava with her Work in Progress practise video.

Whenever you need to learn something new you use a strategy to help you remember, most adults have learnt what works for them. However, as I learnt many years ago, just because I learn one way, it did not mean my children did. Part of our role as music teachers is to find the best way to facilitate the learning process for a person, of any age. Sometimes adults can explain the way that they learn, other times an educator reads the clues in speech and actions. It is very easy

We all know that practice is the right thing to do, but when to practice is something that is discussed less often. Taking a lesson and practising at home involves short term and working memory. The correct practice enables the information to transfer to long term memory just like practising riding your bike ensured you will never forget how. The website Understood.org summarises working memory as follows Working memory is like a temporary sticky note in the brain. It is a

I would like to introduce today's Gemstar, Harry. Harry has just started piano lessons with Andrew. Practice is important from day one, but sometimes it can feel overwhelming as everything is new. Stalybridge Music Academy offer a seven day support service where we will send you videos or advise with any problem or confusion. That way you too can give piano practise a big thumbs up. Every problem, hurdle or confusion is an opportunity to learn and grow in your ability. Th

Are you a morning person or an evening person? The sort of person you are can effect how you practice your instrument. If you asked me to practice at 6am, or honestly anytime before 10am, I would be useless. I love my sleep and I need a brew or two before anything; I admit I am at my best in the afternoon or evening and usually find it hard stopping what I am working on. One of our teachers at the Academy starts practising around 5am, honestly I have no idea how, but he does

Teacher's note: Make practice part of your daily routine. Once you have decided to learn music it is a good idea to commit and make your goal official. You could tweet taking lessons at #stalybridgemusicacademy #stalybridge or post on any of the other social media accounts using the same hashtags. We will try and respond, you can tag our social media account by using @stalybridgemusicacademy on Facebook. Check the other platforms for our accounts (or message Chris) we are on

After what appears to be an age of doom, gloom, misery, suffering and ongoing issues it appears, tentatively, that there maybe an inkling of light. Not only have we got a hopeful prognosis of being able to reopen on/ by the 12th April but, with this announcement from the ISM (Incorporated Society of Musicians) there may be a glimmer of further light for those students who we, and their sponsors, can agree that they fulfil the criteria. Some of our students have been unable t

There is something special about learning any musical instrument, but sitting down at a keyboard or a piano and knowing which notes to press, in what order, to make it sound good is something special. It all starts with one lesson, one note and one dream. After that it is staying focused, being consistent and making it happen one day at a time. To give a child the option of being a professional pianist, a professional piano teacher or to just have a gift of a skill which last

Hi It's Chris from Stalybridge Music Academy. From July 4th we are starting to re-open the Academy with a staged recommencement of lessons. To achieve this, within government guidelines, we need to adjust the timing of lessons to fit into rooms with opening windows. Before Covid-19 we used six rooms for lessons; currently we can use two with a third for backup. Previously lessons ran every 30 minutes, under current legislation we require a 15 minute gap for cleaning between e

Although our original plans were to open today given the definitions that were offered by the government for those businesses that should open today we feel that we do not fit within these guidelines. While we are a small business; our appointment system and the duration of the lessons being over 15 minutes, this puts us more in line with businesses due to open at the beginning of July, as technically we are service providers and not a shop. Providing the R rate has been main