Having proper diction is paramount while singing. Without it, we wouldn’t understand the words, thus losing an important connection with the music. A few students have recently had some minor diction issues, so here are a couple of ideas to help you sing your words clearly. 1. Warm-ups: Developing any skill begins with a good…
Center Stage
Ludwig van Beethoven: An Overview
This December 16 marks the birthday of one of the world’s greatest composers. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was born to a musical family in Bonn, Germany. He was a pianist virtuoso from a young age and toured Europe to critical acclaim before going deaf in his late twenties/early thirties. Despite this seemingly crippling ailment, Beethoven…
What Is Practicing?
After asking a bunch of students this question, it made me realize that we had not come to a definitive conclusion as to what the word meant in relation to music. The dictionary defines it as “(verb) 1. performing (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one’s…
DAWs: What You Need To Know
Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) are what you use to record and edit music on your computer. It is software that allows you to manipulate audio in various ways, and depending on your software of choice, can do different tasks. DAW software isn’t cheap, but it isn’t the most expensive either, making it easy to start…
Overtone Singing
In this blog we will explore the world of overtone or throat singing. This seemingly magical style of singing allows the singer to produce two or even three notes at the same time! This amazing phenomenon utilizes the overtone series (ask a brass player) to create these cool sounds. The Mongolians are usually credited with…
Audio Production
Thanks to cheaper and more accessible technology, more people are exploring the world of audio production. What normally required an entire control room of equipment has now been reduced to software in your computer! (This is both good and bad.) This recent wave of popularity has also seen the increase in music production lessons in…
Learning to Play By Ear
Playing by ear is a useful skill for any musician of any age. It shouldn’t be used as a crutch but when paired with other aspects of music such as theory and instrument practice, the effects serve to augment every student’s music learning experience. Not only this, but it’s a great feeling to be able…
How Music Benefits Infants
While the studies on the “Mozart effect” have disproved that listening to Mozart makes your toddler smarter, there are still numerous benefits to exposing your infant or young child to music and music lessons. Here are a couple of ways that music helps to develop your child’s brain. 1. Spatial/temporal reasoning: Preschool students who took…
Spooky Musician Myths
With the Halloween season upon us, let’s take a look at some of the darker sides of the musicians we’ve come to appreciate. From hauntings, to murder, to devil worship, true or not, these stories are sure to be creepy! 1. Mozart’s Death/Requiem: It is known that Mozart’s Requiem in d minor was unfinished due…
Some New (And Some Old) Practice Techniques
From recent lessons I’ve taught, I’ve come across a couple new practice techniques. Try these ideas for a more successful and efficient practice session! 1. Break it down: I’ve talked about this before, but I’ve noticed that I’ve been saying it a lot more, and with more specificity. Very rarely should you play your entire…