At this point, it's pretty much indisputable: The guitar is a cool instrument. For many years, it's appealed to students because of its prominence in popular music. Lightweight, portable, and inexpensive, it makes a more immediate impact than most other instruments--players can begin to make satisfying music on guitar with just a few easy chord…

Some pianists have idiosyncratic ways of keeping their hands and fingers relaxed. Glenn Gould, for example, religiously soaked his digits in hot water before performing or recording. While the jury is still out on the effectiveness of Gould's routine, there are plenty of other exercises and practices that will keep a pianist's fingers limber.…

Orff-Schulwerk, or simply Orff, is an approach for teaching music to children that was developed in the early 1920s by the German composer Carl Orff (1895 1982) and his fellow composer Gunild Keetman. The Orff approach encompasses music and movement and is based on activities that come naturally to children: singing, clapping, and dancing. Orff…