Enhancing Your Summer Through Music

With summer practically here, all students will be enjoying their break from school, if not from music lessons as well. With so much free time, summer is the perfect opportunity for students, parents and teachers to explore new and exciting aspects of music that they may have never experienced before. The next few months provide a freedom and relaxation of the mind that can't quite be obtained through the school year, so I encourage all of you to participate in one or many of these events!

1. Go to a concert: If you've never been to a concert before, now is the time! Not only will you get to see your favorite artist or band, the chances of seeing them in an outdoor venue (i.e. Jones Beach) will make the moment even better. In addition, many artists do free concert series exclusively in the summer, which truly is a must-go for any music lover. Here's a line-up of fantastic musicians from just ONE concert series; imagine how many more are out there in your local communities!
Free Summer Concerts in NYC

2. Form a band: With extra time on your hands, use the skills you've learned in music lessons to have some fun with your friends! Not only do you get to have crazy amounts of fun with people you like, playing in a band keeps your skills in check. In fact, there's a lot to gain from playing in a band, from learning how to play together on time, to understanding what kind of people you like to work with, a band experience will teach you a lot. The level for exploration and creativity is off the charts, and there are many opportunities to appreciate new genres and new styles of playing. This is a path many famous artists took to get to where they are now, so if your band has chemistry, stick with it and see how far you can go!

3. Learn a new instrument: Have time off? Bored with your most recent instrument? Learn a new one! Regardless of lessons, sometimes the best way to make an instrument on your own is to begin teaching it to yourself. You'd be amazed what you can learn just by pushing and challenging yourself even in the slightest way. No money for an instrument? Make one! Still too much effort? The world is your instrument: Jimi Hendrix, one of the greatest guitarists to walk this Earth, started playing guitar on a broom. When his father saw him do this he upgraded him to a one-stringed ukelele he found in the trash. Dave Grohl's (drummer for Nirvana, and frontman for The Foo Fighters) first drum set was a bunch of pillows! And if all else fails, SING, it's a free instrument! (If you don't know who Jimi Hendrix or Dave Grohl is, it would behoove you to see #4.)

4. Listen to a new genre/share music: Challenge your ears and brain with something you've never heard before. In this technology driven age, there is no better time to obtain new music. Internet radio such as Spotify or Pandora is free and allows you to hear music you like while exposing you to artists you may have never heard of. YouTube is also a fantastic jumping off point when it comes to learning about new artists; just a simple click and you're listening to an entire new album for free! Talk to your friends and teachers to see what they like and take a listen. Assuming you have a record player, go to your local music store and buy some vinyl; much like chapters of a book, many music albums were designed to be listened through from beginning to end, not just shuffled around out of context. Take a good long listen and see if you can connect with the story the artist is trying to convey throughout the entire work. And for the love of everything good in this world, students: ask your parents for some music they like to listen to; too many of you are losing out on the history of where the music you love today came from!

5. Practice: Did you really think the list would be complete without this? Get off your butt and make some noise!

Have any other ideas or summer musical experiences you'd like to share? Like us on Facebook and leave a comment!

Rock out and stay musical this summer,