Welcome to the SSPS Blog!

For parents, students, and anyone else who believes that music can and should be a meaningful part of our lives.

Waiting for Perfect

The Courage to Ask for Help

External and Internal Rewards

What’s in the Black Bag?

Why It’s Hard to Get Excited About Practicing

What Cliffhangers Can Teach Us

Education Versus Experience

How the What’s Next Hack Works

Who is the Best in the World?

Practice Creates the Path Forward

We’re All Performers

The Post-Performance Gap

Two Kinds of Relaxing

The Way In

Expression and Empathy

Beginning with the End in Mind

The Music Benefits Debate

Doing the Drill Work to Make Things Happen

Sometimes You Need to Quit

Coloring Outside the Lines

The Dreaded Five Paragraph Essay

Microdoses of Resilience

The Funny Thing About Grades

People Like Us Do Things Like This

Newborns and the Status Quo

Finding the Smallest Breakthrough

Practicing Like a Video Game

Where’s the Outrage?

Three Kinds of Fun

On the Hook

Seeking Out Discomfort

The Enthusiasm Paradox

The New Age of Transitions

Individually Wrapped Cheese

How to Stop Keeping Up With the Joneses

It’s Called Playing Music…Not Working Music

Before and After

How to Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich

Decent Exposure

Music Learning Apps: The Double-Edged Sword

Practice Makes Perfect is a Lie

Making the Stumble Part of the Dance

Finding Joy in the Struggle

We Need a Culture of Practice

Polishing Up the Good Parts

The Power of Meta-Learning

You’re Listening to Music Right Now

Streaking Isn’t a Bad Thing

Structure Versus Creativity

Healthy Cookies