The Reality Based Parent Saves The Planet          Do you want to “save the planet”? Do your kids come home from school and tell you how important recycling is? I do! And…mine do!      Like many other families, we strive to reduce our environmental impact (and to feel better about ourselves) by throwing stuff in the recycling bin. But as someone who strives to be a rational, fact-b

New Study Shows Practicing Music Improves Attention Span      Do you ever feel overwhelmed and unfocused?      I do. Between work, an ever expanding list of hobbies, and keeping engaged with our communities, most of us have trouble finding enough time in the day to get everything done. And then when we sit down to work, we find it difficult to focus, our attention spans worn thin by constant overs

“But, Dad, all the other kids…” (And Knowing The Extremes Sets You Free To Use Your Best Parenting Judgment)        Does your kid ever tell you that you’re extreme or unfair?      Mine do. Here’s a recent true example:   Amazing Child: Dad, can I have a soda? Me: Yes, if you have the money. Amazing Child: But I don’t have the money. Me: (looking into space) Amazing Child: Dad! You’

Step By Step Growth Isn’t Just For Your Students…Set Incremental Goals To Grow Your Guitar Teaching Studio      As a guitar teacher, do you ever feel like your studio is stuck? Maybe in the number of students you teach, or your earnings, or the amount of time it takes you to prepare lessons? Or do you even sometimes feel stuck in the quality of how much you enjoy teaching or the impact you f

You CAN Learn To Play Guitar!     Our curriculums are structured, step-by-step, and taught by NYC’s best and friendliest teachers. Read more details here and check out the upcoming schedule here!    Fill out my online form.

How To Proactively Fill Gaps In Your Guitar Teaching Schedule When Students Are Away   Today’s Topic: On Time Cancellations      Many New York City Guitar School teachers mention to me that they appreciate working in a school with a standard cancellation policy, where they get paid if a student doesn’t show up for a lesson or cancels with late notice. The flip side of enforcing late can

If You Use Bad Judgement, You Become Vulnerable To A Range Of Outcomes. They Are All Bad.     At New York City Guitar, we have lots of policies which are written to ensure a safe and respectful environment for students and team members Most are very specific, but we have one which is more general, the “Best Judgement Policy.” It reads:     When working with all students, use your best judgment at

     Good advertising copy is a vital element of in building a successful music school. Good copy informs and inspires your students and potential students, and is allows you to build connection and enrollment virtually, when you can’t have an in-person conversation.      In this blog post I’m going to talk about one of the most common mistakes that music school owners make when they are lea

Do You Know What Your Most Important Job As A Parent Is?      Have you heard the expression, “Begin with the end in mind?”  It is easier to get someplace if you know where you are going. So where are we going as parents? What is the end we have in mind for our children–or for ourselves or others–in this elemental role of parenting?      Of course, as parents, we aren’t alone on the jou

       At New York City Guitar, we have lots of policies to ensure a safe and respectful environment for our students and team, from rules against harassment and discrimination common to many businesses to specific rules for teaching guitar to kids, like a policy to always invite parents to observe lessons and a policy to not touch the student’s fingers when teaching technique.      Five or s

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE TOO OLD TO BE A 6-YEAR-OLD GUITAR VIRTUOSO? Every day, social media shows us six-year-old guitar virtuosos, overnight billionaires and an endless parade of brilliant and beautiful people. Of course we know it is a mistake to compare ourselves with others. But the sad truth is that when we see how good some people play guitar, for how fast they run, etc sometimes instead

How I Reduce Drama And Trauma  + Increase Cash And Clarity In My Business In Only One Hour Per Week        The secret to having less drama and less trauma in your business finances is to establish regular rhythms to keep track of finances and easy to maintain systems for decisions and reporting. In this blog post, I’m going to walk you through our weekly financial meeting, which allows me as

I ASKED 12 TOP GUITAR TEACHERS THEIR SECRET TO RETAINING STUDENTS –AND WHAT I FOUND OUT SURPRISED ME Meet Tia! Meet Adam! Meet James! Meet Eric! Meet Emilio! Meet Tony!        You know that if you want to build a studio, you have to be able to not only attract, but keep students!      So as the founder of one of America’s largest independently operated guitar schools (we had over 3,000

How Paying My Kids $50 Helped Me Lose Weight, Sleep Better and Release My Inner Flosser     Dear NYC Guitar School Parent, Would you pay $50 to have incredibly better dental hygiene? How about paying $50 to get way better sleep? And the weight loss industry in the United States is a 66 billion dollar industry–so would it be worth $50 to you to lose a few pounds?   I’ve done a

Got A New Year’s Resolution?   Good job–you’re already 10x more likely to improve than someone without a resolution.     Now, supercharge your success with these 3 simple concepts!   Hello Amazing NYC Guitar School Students, Happy New Year! Did you make a resolution to play more guitar, make new friends, eat healthier, or otherwise become more of the you who y

Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail– Read This To Succeed In The New Year! Hello Amazing NYC Guitar School Students,   The air is crisp, the sidewalks are full of shoppers, New Year’s Day is around the corner, and millions of us will begin 2019 with an exciting resolution to learn a new skill or form a new habit.   Unfortunately, most resolutions are doomed to fail.  In fa

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Jam to The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” guided by star teacher Shane! Good luck and keep shredding! For more tutorials, click here. To take a lesson with Tia, click here!

13 Three-Chord Guitar Songs For Beginners With only three chords–D, G and A7–beginning guitar players can start playing guitar right away, with lots of amazing songs.  In fact, if you know these three chords you can even start playing “Happy Birthday”–and that means you and your guitar can be the lynchpin of any birthday celebration for the rest of your life.That’s cool!   O

Group Music Classes vs. Private Music Lessons: Which Should You Choose? By Ashley Kelly and Dan Emery So, you’ve finally decided that you want to take music lessons (guitar, vocal, piano, etc.), and now you’re faced with a question: do I take private lessons or group classes? Ultimately, the decision is entirely up to you. However, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of both options, which

Why Music Teachers Must Have A Cancellation Policy–And Why A Clear Cancellation Policy Is Essential For Long Term Student And Teacher Success   What is the most valuable commodity on the planet?  The non-renewable, always diminishing stuff; which when used correctly yields every great thing, and when wasted is gone forever? It is time.   This blog post is about YOUR TIME, and why as a m

The Post-It Note Of Power Little tweaks in your environment help you get and stay on track. This works for lunch–and for practicing guitar!   I think it would be a good idea if I took a lunch to work more often. Using up leftovers instead of getting lunch out is a WIN for the environment and proper respect for my wife’s awesome cooking! Eating home-cooked food means avoiding unhealthy f

Rock out to The Cranberries’ “Dreams,” guided by star teacher Tia! Good luck and keep shredding! For more tutorials, click here. To take a lesson with Tia, click here!

From Tiny Acorns, Mighty Oaks. From Little Chords, Mighty Songs. No matter what your master plan is,  just take it one twig at a time. When I was a kid, my mom used to say, “From tiny acorns, mighty oaks.”  She meant that small beginnings lead to great results over time.   The little acorn spends years and years reaching up into the sky for the light and down into the earth for th

Rock out to Imagine Dragons’ “Believer,” guided by star teacher Michelangelo, featuring Madeline! Good luck and keep shredding! For more tutorials, click here. To take a lesson with Michelangelo, click here!

Be The Guitar Player You Wish To Be How Getting Better At Guitar, Having More Self Respect, And Creating A Better Society Are Kinda The Same Thing “…who is not busy being born is busy dying.”–Bob Dylan You and I are on a journey through time–and we are a little bit of a different person at each stage of the journey, at the end of each year, week and day. It’s not just physical tr

14 Two-Chord Guitar Songs For Beginners with D and G Guitar may take a lifetime to master–but unlike the harpsichord and trombone, beginning guitar players can start making beautiful and awesome music RIGHT AWAY. In fact, with only two chords, D Major and G Major, you can already start playing lots of amazing songs. But as a beginner, it can be hard to figure out songs which are simple enoug

REALITY BASED PARENTING When We Try To Keep Our Kids Safe, Are We Actually Harming Them?     I looked up from the New York Times online. “Hey, Miriam,” I asked my wife, “remember the park-bench-lady?” “The one who told us that if we didn’t make our kids stop jumping from park bench to park bench she’d call the police?  How could I forget?”  We were reading one of last week’s most shared artic

Jam to Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” guided by star teacher Shane! Good luck and keep shredding! For more tutorials, click here. To take a lesson with Shane, click here!

**Or, gosh, a better anything! Dear NYC Guitar School Student,   I know we’re all guitar players…but in order to learn to become better at guitar, for a moment, let’s pretend that instead you want to get REALLY STRONG, with FIRM and SHAPELY MUSCLES. Sound good?   Objective: Firm, shapely and strong muscles.   What will you do to achieve this objective? You decide to work out,

Three Reasons Student Shows Accelerate Student Progress …and Three Tips For Teachers To Maximize Student Show Participation And Success Written by long-time Queens and East teacher Tony Calabro, edited by Jobelle Mesa While we as teachers should never pressure a student to participate in a show, a little encouragement is sometimes all it takes to get them on stage. Letting a student know you

Groove to David Guetta’s “Titanium,” guided by star teacher Daisy! Good luck and keep shredding! For more tutorials, click here. To take a lesson with Daisy, click here!

Get jamming with Camila Cabello’s “Havana,” guided by star teacher Daisy! Good luck and keep shredding! For more tutorials, click here. To take a lesson with Daisy, click here!