These AMAZING elementary school kids perform their rendition of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." Their talent and enthusiasm embody why we at TakeLessons love our jobs and why we really seek to inspire a generation through the power of music. Enjoy!
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Archive for August, 2009
Top 10 parenting tips for successful piano lessons
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
Photo: istockphoto/robcruse
Here are my top ten parenting tips for successful piano lessons:
1. Find a good piano teacher.
Keep in mind that each child has different needs. For some children a
friendly piano teacher is the most important. For others a strict
teacher is best.
2. Invest in a piano.
You can not expect to get successful results from piano lessons if you
are not willing to provide a quality piano for your child to practice
on.
3. Make practice time a priority. These days it is hard to find time to practice, but without practice there can be no progress.
4. Take away any distractions during practice time. When your child is practicing make sure they are not distracted by siblings, friends, cell phones, or televisions.
5. Check your child's assignment.
Most students will try to avoid practicing songs they don't like. It is
your job as a parent to make sure the student is practicing all of
their assigned songs. Also make sure your child is making all of the
corrections the teacher suggested at the prior lesson.
6. Help your child practice.
Many children don't know how to practice. Explain to your child that
practice means working slowly through songs until they are able to play
through the songs without mistakes.
7. Bring all of the lesson materials to the lesson.
Children will often "forget" a book if they don't want to play a song
for their piano teacher. Be sure you check to see that all of their
music, theory and assignment books are brought to each lesson.
8. Limit after-school activities.
Many parents make the mistake of over-scheduling their child. Piano
lessons are more than a half hour commitment each week. Students should
be committed to practicing at least a half-hour every day.
9. Keep the communication lines open with your piano teacher.
If there are any circumstances which are making piano lessons difficult
for your child, let your piano teacher know. Perhaps there is a divorce
or death in the family, or maybe your child dislikes their method book.
Surprisingly many children will not offer this type of information
during the lesson.
10. Expect to have good and bad times.
It is normal for a student to feel excited about piano one day, and
dread it the next. Try to work through the bad times by purchasing
piano pieces the student is passionate about such as popular, jazz or
Broadway tunes.
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(Why Do) You Wanna Learn To Play Guitar (pt.XVII)
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
I got asked the question the other day about music that got me to think about the beliefs that I have about music and the future of the music I'll be making with the amount of knowledge that I have.
"Where do you see your music taking you?"
This brings up numerous other questions and almost intrudes on the philosophy I have of music that I've kept personal for a long time. Why do I play music? Is it to start a band and become famous? Is it to be on T.V.? Do I wanna play huge concert venues to 1000's of fans? Do I wanna set my guitar on fire and climactically smash all my gear? Yeah, of course… and no at the same time…. but either way why does any of that reinforce what I've done and what I continue to do? I've been teaching people and sharing my music with others since day one. I've known for a long time (for me) that music was a long term deal. Ya know, Kurt Cobain died the same time I was getting into music and the whole MTV image was something you were supposed to shy away from. Darrell of Pantera passed a couple years ago. I've used my music as an outlet for frustration/expression with the same general hypocracies that most people have, and it always seemed to "cure" me. To me, being able to hold a riff or hit a solo has always empowered me with a "this is what you're supposed to be doing" feeling. So, where do I see my music taking me?
It's a really tough one to answer. I can answer all the 20 questions that put my priorities in check when it comes to music and my habits are completely dedicated. I don't think my outlook on music has changed much since I started. I still crave the same things, maybe even more so now that I've had my doors opened up. I still want the band… still desire a gig, and ultimately the goal should be to hit the largest audience possible with your best foot forward. But haven't I already done that? Didn't I write the songs/form the band/play the festivals/ record the cd's/ make the t-shirts/ book the bands/ network with the like minds already? I'm thankful for everything, did I miss something? Why do I still want more?
Because this is what I choose to do and this is the life I've created for myself. The pros outway the cons. I see the endless possiblities of music and I've still got a long way to go before I'm done. I hope to continue to inspire others to do the same and expand others minds to see how powerful music can really be. It may very well be the way that I seek other friendships and relationships out of the deal rather than just end all be all on some stage in the middle of Eupope for example. There's still a plan, and the plan is the answer to the end. It's the big picture that hopefully continues to be asked, "Where do you see your music taking you?"
Thanks,
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Gifted Education 101: Enrichment opportunities for your musical child
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
Here is an awesome article originally posted by Alina Adams from NY Gifted Education Examiner about the power of music education: 
When Farah Taslima's parents immigrated from Bangladesh, they didn't dream that their 12-year-old girl's music would someday be performed by the New York Philharmonic. Even if they had, they never could have imagined it would happen in North Korea….
The 106 members of the Philharmonic returned Thursday from a historic visit to North Korea, which is locked in frosty negotiations with the United States over its nuclear weapons program. It was the biggest American delegation to visit the communist country since the Korean War.
The pinnacle of the trip was a concert broadcast to the world last Tuesday. And the next morning, four members of the orchestra and four North Korean musicians performed an octet by Felix Mendelssohn, with Taslima's piece squeezed in at the end.
"It was a wild-card thing," said Jon Deak, a Philharmonic double bass player who runs the orchestra's teaching program for child composers….
She had originally written it for the entire Philharmonic two years ago, and it was played at one of the orchestra's Young People's Concerts at Lincoln Center.
But she scaled down the work for a smaller group of musicians – clarinet, violin, cello and double bass, including the Philharmonic's top violinist, concertmaster Glenn Dicterow….
Farah, who attends a gifted children's school at Manhattan's M.S. 54, started composing as a third-grader at P.S. 199, where Deak – also a composer – introduced his Very Young Composers program sponsored by the orchestra.
For the musically gifted youngster more interested in jazz than classical music, the NY Gifted Examiner spoke to David O’Rourke, Artistic Director of the Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra (JSYO), about opportunities available for boys and girls with his organization.
According to O'Rourke: 
At a time when
arts education programs in public schools continue to diminish, it’s
imperative that we ensure all school-aged children have access to a
quality education that includes music. Studies have shown that music
study improves children’s SAT scores, basic math and reading abilities,
self-esteem, empathy for various cultures, interpersonal communication
skills, self-expression, and the list goes on and on.
For the
eighth consecutive season, the Jazz Standard, the nation’s premier jazz
club, and JSYO, a breeding ground for NYC’s talented young musicians,
are providing numerous performance opportunities, priceless musical
education and insight from today’s top jazz professional musicians, as
well as collegiate auditions and scholarships for hundreds of children
between the ages of 11and 18, all while motivating the next generation
of up-and-coming artists.
The vast majority of our JSYO
alumni pursue music in college, many testing out on several of their
first year courses due to their performance experience with us. Little
did I realize when we launched this program in 2002, that through music
I would find myself helping to prep kids for their college auditions,
helping place some of them in performing arts high schools, alongside
helping to develop prodigious young talent. We audition kids from La
Guardia High School, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the local community
and schools to identify students to participate in the program each
year. We see a trend developing where our musicians are coming to us at
an increasingly younger age while their level of playing is already
quite developed. Our youngest members are 11 years old!
In
addition to the kids’ private teachers and school band directors, the
JSYO provides these youngsters with the greatest of all teachers:
regular live performance. We launched JAZZ FOR KIDS, a weekly
performance at Jazz Standard that involves the JSYO playing for the
general public. JAZZ FOR KIDS offers our student musicians the
opportunity to play exciting new arrangements of big band classics such
as St. Louis Blues and Don’t’ Be That Way, Big Band charts such as Miles Davis’ So What,
and jazz compositions by the likes of Duke Ellington, Cedar Walton, Wes
Montgomery, and Charlie Parker. For the audience, which usually
consists of families and their impressionable children, JAZZ FOR KIDS
provides an opportunity to connect with the music in a lively
environment. To learn more, visit www.jazzstandard.com.
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100 Best Online Archives for Music Majors
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009Amber Johnson, from OnlineColleges.net, was kind enough to share this article with us.
Burgeoning
Internet technology has been a bane to music companies. But the wide
range of available audio resources has made studying music easier than
ever. Online music archives host a variety of genres from countries
around the world. Here are the best online archives for music majors
pursuing their passion.
Popular Genres
Popular music shapes culture and often serves as a soundtrack for
current events. Check out these music archives for popular genres such
as rock and rap.
- Artist Direct: Free downloads and streaming music from the biggest and newest acts.
- Iceberg: A Canadian service offering international pop groups in a range of genres from R&B to techno.
- CMT: Focused on country music, this site has video, lyrics and more.
- Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music: With samples, equipment reviews and a library, this archive is great for anyone interested in techno or electronic music.
- Motor City Music Archives:
Detroit has a long tradition of great music from gospel to punk rock.
This archive is dedicated to Motor City music such as Motown and the
White Stripes. - Stoner Rock: Latest news
and releases from the world of acid rock, this resource includes
samples from up and coming bands in addition to established groups. - Eternity Rock: This music community shares information and archives from varying genres.
- Gospel Music Archives: Songs, MP3s and sheet music for modern gospel tunes, this archive is sure to save your soul.
- Free Music Archive: A collection of songs from unsigned, unknown bands this archive is a must for indie fans.
- digital-music-archives.com: Promoting electronic and electroacoustic music, this archive regularly adds more top quality music every day.
- Cosmopolis: This music archive caters to fans with different tastes. Get music in nearly any genre from jazz to classical to pop.
- New Gibraltar: An encyclopedia of progressive rock, this archive provides streaming samples and downloads.
- Christian Music Archive: A solid site for Christian music fans, this archive is blessed with an easy to use interface.
- OpenMusicArchive.org: This collaborative project was started to source, digitize and distribute out-of-copyright sound recordings.
- Hyperreal Music Archive:
Hosting music representing a range of indie labels across a variety of
genres, this archive offers amazing resources for musicians interested
in techno. - The Children’s Music Archive:
Lyrics and sing-a-long suggestions from this site makes it particular
useful to music majors thinking about a career as an elementary teacher. - VGMusic: A kitschy little site specializing entirely in video game theme music this is a must for any geek.
- The Music Archive: This database provides detailed information on some of the popular acts in history such as Neil Young and Van Morrison.
- ASMA: A massive archive of sounds from the Atari system of video games, this site grows rapidly and now contains thousands of songs.
- The Indie Music Archive: An archive for out of publication indie music, many of the bands on this site are Canadian and have broken up.
Classical Music
Studies have shown listening to classical composers such Mozart and
Beethoven can boost brain power. Get smarter by checking out the best
online music articles.
- Classical Archives:
One of the largest archives available on the web, this site contains
hundreds of thousands of classical tracks from thousands of composers
new and old. - Classical Guitar Archives: This database for classical guitar is run by a master musician looking to share his craft with the world.
- NOM Classical: Music cataloged by specific instrument, this site hosts beautiful and traditional in classical music
- Bach Chorales: An archive specifically dedicated to the German Composer Johan Sebastian Bach
- Arman’s Concert Hall: The thousands of piano works available on this site will drastically expand anyone’s classical repertoire.
- The Sweet Sounds of Classical Music:
A collection of masterful symphonies from the earliest creations to the
present day, this archive contains some of the world’s most beautiful
music. - Delcamp.net: A free Internet resource committed to guitarists and classical pieces, this archive has thousands of songs and video clips.
- Classical MP3s: Free classical MP3s and other music downloads, this site is a lot of fun for classical lovers.
- MusicWeb International:
Over 100 of the greatest symphonies ever written performed by some of
the greatest musicians alive today, this classical database offers
reviews, audio files and, best of all, completely free. - Classical MIDI with Words:
Classical masterpieces aren’t all instrumentals, some of the best come
with words. This MIDI archive of classical works with words is
fantastic reference tool. - A-M Classical: News and information relating to the classical community, this database provides quick access to favorites.
- Classical LP to MP3:
This unique archive gives classical music lovers access to recordings
from Dutch radio in the 1950s. These awesome recordings will delight
any true fan. - ELIXIR’S MIDI Page for Classical Guitars:
A fantastic collection of songs for classical guitar players, this
archive contains hundreds of tracks and links for aspiring professional
musicians. - eClassical: Crystal clear files are the standard for this classical archive that offers an easy search by composer, title or instrument.
- Aji’s Classical Music Palace: Get works from great composers, past and present, at this site for classical music aficionados.
- Tina Billet’s Keyboard Creations:
These recordings of pieces from master composers were performed by a
talented amateur musician based in England and placed into a convenient
archive. - Classical MIDI Connection:
MIDI music ranges from brilliant compositions to annoying beeping. This
database of songs serves as a fantastic reference guide for an amazing
number of classical works. - Classical Guitar MIDI Archives: This site gives students a wonderful introduction to classical guitar by providing over 2400 songs from 100 composers.
- Classical Music Archives: A simple, no fuss interface, this site seeks to provide users with an amazing classical experience.
World and Regional Music
Countries, cultures and people are greatly influenced by music. Hear
what the world has to offer with these great music archives featuring
the best world and regional music.
- The Internet Chinese Music Archive: Featuring music from various periods of Chinese history, this archive includes modern tracks representing a new China.
- Global Music Archive:
A fantastic resource provided by Vanderbilt University, this database
of world music includes traditional and new songs from around the world. - CaribPlanet: Checkout the amazingly varied genres produced from the Caribbean with this archive specializing in island music.
- Canadian Music Archives:
This resource provided by the Canadian government preserves the musical
history of the great nation to the north. Search this database of
Canadian musicians and learn about the culture of Canada. - Hawaiian Hula Archive: This archive ensures the continued perseverance of Hawaiian culture contains hula tracks perfect for parties or study.
- Mendocino Music Archives: A detailed archive of music from the Mendocino coast of northern California, this site contains an eclectic mix of genres.
- Asobi Music Gallery: A collection of orchestral works and piano duets, this gallery of well-performed music is worth checking out.
- The Digital Music Archive: An
archive of music and composers this site has thousands of compositions
for known greats and modern masters around the world. - World Music Central: A gateway to world music, this site has thousands of artists and albums.
- FolkStream: A database for Australian folk songs, this site offers traditional and modern music.
- BBC World Music:
A complete online archive for world music, the BBC provides an amazing
service for students looking to expand their musical tastes. - Wisconsin Music Archive:
Wisconsin has a surprisingly rich musical history the University of
Wisconsin at Madison stores with a fantastic archive for preserving
songs from the cheese state. - NPR: This resource for world music includes songs from every part of the globe provided by American public radio.
- RootsWorld: An archive of African music that reveals the wide variety of genres from one of the least understood continents.
- New England Music Archive: The music of New England has played an important role throughout American history, this site is a great site for studying
Historical Music
Music is a distinctive feature of any historical period. These archives include music from specific important eras of history.
- Folk Music Archives: Focusing on American folk music, this archives stores the creative contributions of common people.
- The Internet Renaissance Band: Performing works from the Renaissance period, this site givers users a taste of a more enchanted time.
- Ceolas: A Celtic
music archive providing the sweet tones of Scotland and Ireland, this
database is great for anyone looking to explore cultural heritage. - Folk Music of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and America:
A collection of old folk music from the history of English speaking
countries, this archive provides artist biographies, genre history and
other information. - Acadia Early Music: Sounds from the swamp, this archive gives music students access to songs from old Louisiana.
- Folk Music: This archive of folk music is geared toward teaching students how to play old American classics.
- Tulsa Music Archive: This site aims to preserve the musical heritage of artists from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- The Jewish Theological Music Archive: A collection of music representing the Jewish tradition, this site connects students with a rich cultural heritage.
- Sarasota Music Archive:
A public resource from the good people of Sarasota, this site preserves
the musical tradition of hard working individuals and their ancestors. - The Greatest Music Collection:
Over 3 million recordings starting from the earliest Thomas Edison
production, this site is an impressive resource for any music student
covering any and all genre throughout history.
Sheet Music
Reading music notation is one of the most important music skills
music majors learn. Here are the best sites for getting sheet music for
a range of instruments.
- Levy Collection of Sheet Music: This resource is provided by John Hopkins University and is one of the most impressive collections of sheet music on the web.
- Sheet Music Archive: Providing over 100,000 sheets of music, this archive is a must for musicians looking for obscure pieces to play.
- Musica Viva: A collection of sheet music for nearly any instrument, this archive of sheet music also caters to varying skill levels.
- Jumbo Jimbo’s Song Lyrics Archive: Tabs and sheet music for guitar players, this archive includes music representing all genres and tastes.
- Tabby Cat Music Archive: Tabs for musicians interested in country, this database is a collection tailor made for country lovers.
- Ward Irish Music Archive: A public collection of Irish sheet music, this database one of the largest emerald archives in the United States.
- Tin Whistler: A sheet music archive for penny and slide whistles, this site is a must for anyone interested in unique instruments.
- Fedor Vrtacnik: This database is maintained by a composer and offers pop arrangements and classical scores.
- Free-scores.com: A free sheet music resource, this sites caters to any instrument or skill level.
- 8notes.com: Free sheet music and scores, this site provides pieces for a number of instruments from guitar to the voice and French horn.
- Free Sheet Music: Free classical scores and sheet music, this database includes works from Beethoven and Bach.
- Eerland: This site contains definitive collections of sheet music from master German composers.
- Great Scores: Providing printable sheet music for a vast array of instruments, this site is great for students just learning the basics.
- Keystave: A leading classical music site, this resource has sheet music for a variety of instruments.
- Lysator: Modern renditions of classical works, this offers 17th and 18th century masterpieces.
- Music-Scores.com: Original sheet music for any instrument, this site contains hundreds of songs and composers.
- Musicroom: Everything a musician needs for their instrument, this site has sheet music, samples and links to online stores.
- MusicaStorica: Specializing in spreading music knowledge, this site is great for locating hard to find pieces.
- Notation Machine: This unbelievable archive of sheet music also lets users upload their own work and generates sheet music for others to play.
- Archive of Popular American Music: This site is generously provided by UCLA and hosts digital sheet music from some of the greatest 20th century composers.
- The Gospel Music Archive: An extensive catalogue of gospel music especially for the guitar.
Lyric Archives
Crafting song lyrics can be frustrating for sonically gifted
students. Head over to these lyric archives for idea inspiration from
indie gods and popular acts.
- The Lyric Archive: Lyrics for popular albums from across genres and generations.
- Ohhla: The original hip-hop lyric archive, this site is comprehensive including all rap genres.
- My Lyric Archive: User submitted lyrics makes this site excellent for popular lyrics and well-known classics.
- SongLyrics.com: An extensive archive of song lyrics from popular musicians and indie greats.
- Risa Song Lyrics Archive: Collected from user submissions and other Internet sites, this archive of song lyrics covers all genres and eras.
- eLyrics.net: One of the
largest song lyrics destination on the Internet, providing access to
more than 200,000 lyrics from around 15,000 artists/bands for over ten
years. - The Archive of Misheard Lyrics:
This archive contains popular lyrics that are often hilariously
misunderstood. Check out the mistakes made on popular classics such,
“Mrs. Robinson.” - Ireland First!:
An Irish song lyric archive, this collection of 391 Irish songs range
in emotion from political to funny, some sad, some happy, all worth
listening to. - MusicMoz: A free song lyrics search engine with offering searches based on artist, song name or album.
- The SKA Lyric Archive: This resource is dedicated to SKA music and is a great site for passionate fans.
- Hymnlyrics.org: The largest
Christian lyrics site on the internet, this archive has thousands of
lyrics to hymns, worship songs, praise choruses and a lot more. - Lyrics Search Engine: A completely searchable database of lyrics including popular hits, classics and indie tracks.
- A-Z Lyrics Universe: A pretty comprehensive database of song lyrics that grows daily as a result of an active network of users.
- MP3 Lyrics: Large lyrics
website with over 150000 lyrics from 7000 artists. The site features a
search engine that lets users search by artist, song title and album. - Lyrics Point: Find the words to all your favorite songs by searching thousands of free music lyrics from popular singers and artists.
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