Our music education
Blog
for parents and students.
All accomplished athletes devote the beginning of each training session to warming up. Whether that is taking a light jog, swimming laps in the pool, or running through a set of stretches, they use their warmups to prepare their bodies for the demands of each practice session, and although musicians and athletes may not always see eye to eye, the warmup is one area where we can learn a lot about how to prepare ourselves for successful practice.
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and sign your child up for music lessons. The shiny new keyboard (or dusty old piano) is prepped and ready to play, and you have the date of your child’s first lesson highlighted on your calendar. You are excited to expose them to music and encourage them to hone their creativity, but one thought still makes you break out in a cold sweat—how do I get them to practice?
Do you ever wish that you could see the world through a child’s eyes? Do you miss the joy, the excitement, and the carefree innocence? Children just seem to have this zeal for life that we don’t always feel as we grow older. Sometimes, we as adults forget to have fun. In my experience, the joy of music can open the window to be able to see the world through a child’s eyes…
Although the tried-and-true technique of “practice, practice, practice” is essential to promoting musical growth, sometimes a small dose of variety can bring new vitality to your practice routine. If you’re interested in finding some new ways to mix up your routine check out these 3 music apps and get practicing!
I have been asked many times by various students different versions of the same question: “How do I even start writing music?” This question is difficult to answer and varies for everyone, but I would like to talk to you about how I personally write music! This isn’t intended to be a theory breakdown about how to put different harmonies together or song forms but rather as a way to expand on your own ideas.
Even though I’m a drummer, this article has some gems for other instrumentalists. although I’ve been playing drums for over twenty years, I didn’t start using serious rhythm improvement techniques until…well, I’d rather not say. 😓 But if I had taken this article’s advice, I would have been WAY more prepared for auditions, performances and studio recording. I wouldn’t have spent so many years with the bad habit of speeding up my tempo, especially while playing fills! Truth be told, that habit STILL haunts my rhythm technique! 😵
In a world that appreciates instant gratification at such a high level, musicians must constantly fight this phenomenon with hard work and a strong practice ethic. However, sometimes life gets in the way, and we have to make do with the time that we have. This article is to assist those in the latter situation.
If you are a music instructor or the parent of a music student, you will inevitably face the challenge of working with an unmotivated student. After the novelty of lessons wears off, even the most enthusiastic students are prone to lose the excitement they once had. Although this problem may leave you at a loss to know what to do, with patience and a little creativity, you and your student can learn to work through motivational problems together.
No matter the age, music theory can be made into an fun and enjoyable subject. Even though we at Vibe love getting nerdy and possibly talking too long about all of the theoretical knowledge we geek-out on, we are careful to present music theory in our lessons with a completely understandable approach for even the youngest ages. Here’s a fun way to supplement your student’s learning in music theory with none other than… a pizza!
