Oxford Music Practice Christmas Concert 2017 Looking forward to watching the wonderful pupils of Oxford Music Practice perform on the Piano and Cello this afternoon spreading Christmas cheer and more.

Oxford Music Practice Piano and Cello Christmas Concert. Carols and more...

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http://oxfordmusicpractice.com Music for Everyone

This is a must watch. Tips to tackle nerves from the great Itzhak Perlman.

8 Tips to Beat Pre-performance Nerves Lots of people stress out about talking in front of the class or getting laughed at if they make a mistake in front of an audience. Feeling nervous before a performance is natural and part of your body's way of helping you do your best. Adrenaline is a fine example of one of the hormones your body produces before performing that can actually help you focus but can also cause a "red alert" feeling. The one that causes you to feel cold or sweaty, butterflies in your stomach, or a hazy mind. 1. Prepare well. You're less likely to freeze up if you're well prepared. Rehearse as much as you can and practice — alone or in front of others — at every opportunity. Practice until you feel relaxed and ready. Nothing calms nerves like the confidence that comes from knowing you're prepared. 2. Psych yourself up. Instead of dwelling on what could go wrong, create some positive energy. Watch a rugby team before they run onto the field. They get in a group and pray or sing a team song to pump themselves up with positive energy and team spirit. You can do this whether you're performing alone or as part of a group. Have a friend give you a pep talk. Give yourself one too. Tell yourself, "I got this!" "I'm ready to do this — Here goes!" or, "This is going to be fun!" 3. Slow down and chill. Performers, such as actors, ballet dancers, gymnasts and music soloists, talk about how important it is to prepare for the pre-performance jitters as well as the performance itself. At certain types of competitions, there's quite a wait before it's your turn to perform. Some people take along inspirational photos, put together a playlist to help them relax, or learn yoga and breathing techniques to help them feel calm. Some people need to be active to relax, others need to be still and calm. Find out what technique works for you, then make a plan to use it in the downtime before a big performance. 4. Don't be afraid of the butterflies. When you feel performance jitters, don't freak out! Don't let the feeling stop you or intimidate you. Just go with it. Remind yourself it's natural, just your nervous system preparing you to get ready to go. Know that it's up to you to manage it to your advantage. Use positive mind chatter and calming strategies and then, go for it! 5. Pamper yourself. Before big performances it's easy to forget to take care of yourself as you’ve focused most of your time on rehearsals and practice. You'll look and feel your best if you get enough sleep and eat healthy meals before your performance. Exercise can also help you feel good, and along with sleep and nutrition, is an excellent way of keeping those stress hormones from getting out of control. 6. Visualise Success. If you can imagine yourself achieving something then you’ll feel able to really make it happen. 7. Stay Positive. Mistakes happen in the heat of the moment especially when performing live. Don’t dwell on them and focus on positive action. 8. Be Realistic. Don’t expect the impossible. Set realistic goals and work to achieve them and enjoy the process. http://oxfordmusicpractice.com/services/on-stage-performance-coaching/

Seriously worrying statistics. We've seen the decline in state schools and it's often the first thing that's sacrificed. Is music for children now only for the privileged who can afford private lessons?

For those Beatles fans out there. Not to be missed! Tickets selling Fast - Saturday almost sold out. http://www.facebook.com/events/929393647203719

Transform the way your child learns the language of music. Now celebrating 30 years of music education, Musicland offers an exceptional level of professional tuition in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The musicland approach as used by Trinity college of music junior dept and Gloucester Academy of Music, is now being offered at the Oxford Saturday Music School.

Giving the Right Praise to Children with Low Self Esteem We can experience a vast range of personalities in our teaching career. The bold, the happy go lucky and the shy. Ingrained in these personalities are beliefs of what is possible. I’ve found that some of my most talented pupils who have a real love and desire for music have a low self esteem and a definite belief that they are not good enough. The thought of performing in front of an examiner or audience fills them with dread and they often clam up in lessons. One of the easiest things to do is give inflated praise because we want them to feel great, worthy and good at what they have achieved. “That was incredibly good!” This statement could be detrimental as the pupil may think, “I must always be incredibly good.” This is a lot of pressure to put on someone with a low self esteem and they may feel like giving up rather than pursuing their passion in case of later failure. Instead, we could say, “You played beautifully, you’re coming on very well.” This way, praise has been given and the pupil knows that their efforts have been rewarded because they’ve put in the work. This can help to build up self esteem and also change a belief of fear or possible failure to feelings of success.