Category: Uncategorized

June 30, 2026 This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the MTAC Conference in Los Angeles. Throughout the event, I listened to fantastic young musicians perform across competitions, masterclasses, and improvisation sessions. It takes a monumental group effort from children, parents, teachers, and organizers to cultivate such an impressive talent pool in California.… Read more

I’ve often envisioned the perfect beginner experience: a scenario where a student receives the absolute best pedagogy, with every practice session carefully structured to optimize their technical foundation from day one. Naturally, this would be tailored to the individual, but common, flawless progressions would guide their development. Recently, I found myself revisiting this fantasy through… Read more

By Dr. Logan Chopyk May 25, 2026 Norman Lu has done a spectacular job researching and applying a neuroscience lens to musician’s dystonia retraining. His theory identifies the physical problem in the brain: an imbalance between excitatory neurons and inhibitory neurons in the M1 region of the brain for a given task. His solution is… Read more

By Dr. Logan Chopyk Focal Task-Specific Dystonia (FTSD) is perhaps the most frustrating neurological condition a musician can face. For a trombone player, it often manifests not in the fingers, but in the embouchure or airway—a sudden, uncontrollable collapse of the throat or retraction of the tongue when trying to play. Recent research by Norman… Read more