Pecuniarities

I have a lot of favorite movies (maybe because I’m indecisive and can’t just pick one favorite) and Fiddler On the Roof is definitely there in my top … 50. Yes, it is old, and some of it a little silly, but it is a classic and teaches some good lessons, all the while maintaining [...]

In order to persuade anyone to read or believe what advice I attempt to provide, I must first relate that my strong disinclination for music practice is long past, and that not only did I major in music, but practicing the piano is now a favorite form of study and recreation. From growing up among other musicians and my little experience in teaching piano lessons, I have never doubted that inability or reluctance to practice is more common than it is uncommon. I have the firsthand experience of being a reluctant piano student and a trial upon the patience and efforts of several piano teachers and my mother and so would like to help those in that frustrating position by sharing my observations concerning the various reasons which may prevent regular and productive practice by young or beginning music students and offer some possible suggestions for improvement.

Playing Slower for Faster Results
In music, speed of execution has a tendency to be a used as an indicator of excellence. Playing fantastically fast is the trait commonly associated with musical virtuosity and accomplishment, most especially by amateur listeners. I will only say briefly how this favoritism for one trait does great injustice to [...]

Note: We are taking a short break from blogging this week and will be re-posting a few of our earlier articles that may not have been read by many of our current readers. If you have already read this article (and those few to come), we apologize for the repetition and assure you that we [...]

These days, the word “finance” is generally accepted to mean something like “the management of money,” and while “management of money” doesn’t sound quite so bad, the word itself (“finance” or even worse, the plural “finances”) often seems accompanied by a host of psychological and emotional effects including but not limited to: fear, dread, [...]

In modern times where the spending of money is oftentimes equated with power and status, the word “frugal” or “frugality” seems to carry an almost negative connotation and be associated with stinginess or miserliness (if you look it up in a thesaurus). However, if we go back to the actual definition and etymology (origins) [...]

Lesson 1: When Not to DIY
In the past year, we only went out an average of 1-2 times per month to run errands and our garage door therefore got very little exercise. One day last month, when I was leaving for my monthly grocery shopping trip, the door wouldn’t close. I left it to Madoline [...]