Believe it or not, many bad habits steer students away from practicing more efficiently. As a pianist, teacher, and student, I will address some of these tendencies from my own personal perspective.  The wise student who practices effectively will reap greater...

Believe it or not, many bad habits steer students away from practicing more efficiently. As a pianist, teacher, and student, I will address some of these tendencies from my own personal perspective.  The wise student who practices effectively will reap greater...

Katy was fortunate to experience a wide variety of clinical placements both during and following her undergraduate career at Elizabethtown College. Each semester, she worked with her clients once a week for the duration of the semester. Elizabethtown has a music...

Katy received her bachelor's degree in music therapy with a concentration in vocal studies from Elizabethtown College in Lancaster county, PA Katy has been out of the country once, to tour Ireland with a college choir Katy has a cat named Patrick Katy plays clarinet,...

We’ve got sunshine on the brain here at Valotta Studios! Check out our Memorial Day sunshine-themed playlist “FUN IN THE SUN,” that includes hits like: “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles “Brighter Than the Sun” by Colbie Callait “Saturday Sun” by Vance Joy “You Are...

Need motivation to get through those last few weeks before summer? Are finals bumming you out? Our newest playlist will have you feeling empowered and ready to take on the world! Check out our teachers’ motivational selections below and listen on our Spotify account!...

Here at Valotta Studios, we are ready for summer! We’re tired of grey skies and random chilly days and are so looking forward to some sun. Each summer, some of our families choose to take the season off of lessons, which makes sense, right? If your child is on break...

Recital season is approaching, and I'm sure you've had the talk with your child about whether or not they want to participate. It's easy to allow your child to opt out of performing in recitals for one reason or another: performance anxiety, relative inexperience with...

Conquering the Stage: 5 Techniques to Overcome Performance Anxiety by Abigail Shore Recital season is upon us, and with it comes a turbulent rollercoaster of emotions—excitement, pride, and sometimes anxiety. Stage fright plagues even the most seasoned of performers!...

The start of a new year is a time of contemplation, reflection, and renewed energy--we begin the year hopeful to improve ourselves in our professions, studies, habits, and hobbies. Here at Valotta Studios, many of our teachers discuss ways to improve our students’...

SWAN student Joshua, suffers from autism, trauma, and anger. As a result of abandonment and parental incarceration, he has become vulnerable to a host of difficulties that have proven to be overwhelming to his 8-year-old frame. He started out the summer with anger...

Valotta Studios is turning 5 years old, and to celebrate we asked Mia, one of our most involved Valotta parents, to share her top 5 favorite things about our studio. After several years of lessons with her children, we were sure she would have some valuable insight!...