Music Minus Pain www.musicminuspain.com

10/26/2025

something to be curious about with students!

Children express and experience love in different ways. For example, one of my kids prefers physical touch, whereas the other needs words of affirmation. Each of these expressions of love represents a different "language".

It’s common to have different love languages within a family and it can be tricky to navigate. However, once you do learn your child’s love language, it can make all the difference in your relationship and their happiness.

>>> https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/connect-child-activities-love-languages?aff=55

10/26/2025

I bet you know people like this, who are so grounded and connected that we just feel better in their presence.

What if we as flute teachers could be that way?
Heal our on insecurities and fears so we can be the very best for our students ?

10/26/2025

Authority figures can include teachers, conductors, band directors, and judges. It's worth exploring experiences we've had with them, as musicians. 

10/18/2025

Powerful stuff. This is the real basis of my approach to teaching in the music studio -
How to nurture both love and authenticity! 

10/18/2025

THIS.
This is the real basis basis of my philosophy of teaching.
How do we nurture both love and authenticity in instrumental teaching? 
Gabor Maté speaks so powerfully. 

10/18/2025

This has some really interesting applications for music teaching. 
I'm quoting my friend Chiliachka here:

'I’ve been trying to say this for years about the ineffectiveness of manipulating a pianist’s hands…

“What is not very effective as a learning strategy is to physically manipulate the dancer’s body,” she says. If a dancer is slouching their shoulders, for example, a teacher might approach them and put their hands on their shoulders and pull them back. She explains that while we talk a lot about “muscle memory” in dance, learning fundamentally happens in the brain. “When you manipulate someone into a position, their brain is certainly processing that information,” she says, “but it is not making decisions about how to direct that information. It is only experiencing a new sensory position.” The dancer is learning what that new position feels like, but they are not learning how to get there independently.”

Reevaluate how you use touch as a teaching tool in the piano studio..'

I agree. And while we don't use physical touch that much in teaching anymore, the same thing happens when you tell somebody to change their position – pull your head up - they may find a position, but they have no idea how to make the decisions about how to find themselves! Just changing the position does not correct the imbalance. 
And as to pulling shoulders back, that's not effective anyway because if the flutist tightens their upper back muscles to pull the shoulders back, they limit their rib mvt and breathing, and put pressure on the nerves to the hands, with a whole lot of other unhelpful results.  Change in shoulder position needs to  come from overall body balance, not manipulating the shoulders. 

10/01/2025

Best Birthday Present?
Finally getting curtains after a month without!
Thanks to my TALL friend Andy who could reach the top of my 11-foot windows.

Next best present?
Having YOU join "Teaching Unleashed", the professional development course for studio teachers.
Help students have more body awareness, less tension, and more engagement in learning!
Join by midnight tonight (Oct.1) your time, and get a FREE lesson with me! ($200 value)
More info in the comments.

09/30/2025

On the occasion of an upcoming birthday, it's always interesting to reflect on how we got here.

One of the things you learn when you meet folks who are older, (our elders, of which I am now actually one), you realize that while you may get to know them in the present, they have a whole lifetime of work and a wealth of experience that you know nothing about. 
Eventually you realize there's probably so much more to know. Sadly, some of it you never find out until you read their obituary!

So in an effort to prevent you from having to wait for my obituary, I am posting my biography that lives on my Haynes artist page. It's the most complete description I have written of my work as a musician and teacher, and I think you'll find some parts of it interesting!

One thing I did not include was that my first job, after getting my doctorate in 2000, was to wear a horse costume and distribute horse shampoo samples at the Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus Ohio.
A sweaty start to a career!

I was raised by a humble father, but I can say that I am proud of the work I've done, and still fascinated by the rich and circuitous journey I have taken!

So happy to be here, now, and to be launching my new teacher training program - Teaching Unleashed!
Link is at the top of my personal profile page.

https://www.wmshaynes.com/lea-pearson

Award-winning Master Teacher Dr. Lea Pearson has been training students, performers, and teachers in innovative techniques for more than 30 years.

09/29/2025

Teacher Win: Fixing Forward Head Posture for good!

Do your students struggle with forward head posture?

Here’s a simple strategy you can use today to help them release pain and play with freedom, ease, and confidence.”

As teachers, we often focus on the notes and technique — but posture and tension are at the root of so many struggles. In this video, I share one of my favorite ways to help musicians unwind years of tension and finally feel at home in their bodies.

✨ Imagine what’s possible if every student had a teacher who could guide them toward both healthy playing and a sense of safety and trust.

That’s what my new program, Teaching Unleashed, is all about — helping studio teachers prevent injury, reduce anxiety, and transform music lessons into spaces of growth and resilience.

🎁 Bonus: Register by October 1 and get a free private lesson with me.

📅 Course begins October 15. Small cohort, spots limited!
👉 Link to registration in my About information on this page, or in comments.

09/28/2025

09/28/2025

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