Archive for October, 2011

Beginning Blues Guitar – How To Write Your Own Blues Song

Those who are beginning blues guitar writing their own blues song must take a few hints from experts on the right way to do it. There has been a lot of myths about the blues music, which are also some of the things that you need to unlearn in order to become successful in making this kind of music. To get started, learn more about the tips shared below and keep them in mind to make your song writing process a success.

 

Blues Patterns and Variations

 

There are some common patterns that are evident with blues songs and music over the years. This offer you a pattern to base your own music and song on, while also having enough freedom to create your own personal variations to create unique blues music.

 

The most common characteristics of blues music is that which contain chord progressions, along with themes that are ideal for those who are living the blues. Among the other common characteristics that you can find in a blues songs are shuffle rhythm, spiritual or relationship related lyrics, progression turn around, and extensive use of piano, harmonica, or guitar.

 

Immerse Yourself in the Music

 

Before you even delve into the actual music making process, you need to immerse yourself into the genre. You can use your old record player or MP3 to listen in on your favorite blues song. Take note of the chord changes, use of soul in the melody, and the repetition of lines. If you can, you might also want to see a live blues performance.

 

The most distinctive aspect about writing or playing blues songs is the fact that there is emotion needed in order for it to be effective. Unless you learn how to immerse yourself into the song, it is not quite as effective as it should be.

Choosing a Theme

 

The theme figure is what will give your blues song more validity. Whether it is a personal touch, or a melodic pattern, the theme will make your song easier to remember and relate to by your listeners. The lyrics must also be consistent with the theme, which could be inspired by a real life event or not.

 

Writing the Music

 

You need to use musical instruments to produce your music and establish a rhythm to sing the song. Some of the most common instruments used for blues songs include piano, guitar, and harmonica. The most common structure used for blues songs is 12 bar blues, which refers to the 12 measures. Try out with various structures and see what best fit the song you have created.

 

Editing the Song

 

Let others (especially blues musicians) listen to your song to get feedback from them. Make sure to use those feedbacks to be able to polish your song by adjusting the lyrics, melody, and timing. This process will take time and practice so make sure to let it take its natural flow.

 

Additional Tips

 

Here are some final tips to keep in mind when it comes to writing your own blues song:

 

- Come up with a useful title. Don’t try to over-think it. You can even use lyrics from your song as the title.

 

- Make sure to match the music with the lyrics. Consistency is important for blues songs.

 

- Always write new songs. This will inspire more creativity and improve your ability to write your own blues songs.

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Music Teaching Resources: Setting a Good Studio Policy

Good music teaching resources and studio policies are indeed necessary as they intend to create a conducive and healthy learning environment. Music teachers must set good and strict business principles and classroom practices so as to eliminate confusion, inconsistency and misunderstanding among studio clients, students, parents as well as the entire teaching personnel.

Certainly, as you decide to put up your own music studio, your studio policies and resources must also be ready for posting and dissemination. Therefore, you have to devise, update and implement them consistently and reliably.

Studio Policy: Basics, Advantages and Benefits
A studio policy is a set of written rules and regulations that has to be strictly observed and implemented. Private music studio owners as well as music teachers must specify and define all points and items in the studio policy itself so as to have everything clearly explained and discussed. Studio policy also lessens the risks and circumstances where a problem or a conflict may likely arise.

Though some studio policies differ in concept and context, they must include citations on various areas like fees, payment schemes, work and class schedules, class requirements, lesson preparations, service arrangements and other relevant issues necessary in managing your own music studio.

Music Teaching Resources
As studio policy is made as specific as music teaching resources are, tips on how to make and construct such are certainly essential. Setting a good studio policy is as good as generating music teaching resources. Since these two have to be both up-to-date, concise, concrete and complete, music teachers must keep in mind that rigid research really plays a vital role in coming up with effective and efficient resources and policies in music teaching. Such research can be done in just few clicks – using the power of technology and innovation.

Using informational documents and tools, citing insights and experiences, writing studio policy, motivating social and classroom participation as well as giving tips and advices are all great teaching techniques in driving your way to academic success through music education.

These professional and business means: music teaching resources and studio policies are both important in meeting the goal of the institution. Therefore, you have to be sure that they are truly focused and relevant in teaching and learning music.

Stick to Your Music Teaching Resources and Studio Policies
Music teachers have to be consistent and prompt both in their teaching and managerial strategies. This is to establish reliability and credibility not just for their profession but also for their relationship among students and studio clients. As they stick to their rules, policies, resources and techniques, people around them would be used to those concepts and would be able to apply such in daily activities and endeavors.

Remember that your policies and resources in music education are as important and as beneficial as your motivation and willingness to disseminate and employ to the learners and the clients as well as to implement in their future dealings and ventures.

Still searching for more relevant music teaching resources and tips? Visit this music teachers website.

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A Family Event in the Mountains The Overlook Brasstown Music and Arts Festival

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How can a picture postcard, handcrafted North Carolina community fit so much into one day? To find out, attend the free Overlook Brasstown Music and Arts Fest, coming alive on Saturday, June 27.

Overlook Brasstown is the sister community to Overlook Martins Creek.

This first-ever family event will run from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm on Jason Mason Road, about three miles from the world famous John Campbell Folk School.

Event coordinator Jamie Keener said, “This family-style fun day will feature not only incredible food, live music by the fabulous Barker Bothers and breathtaking work by local artists and crafters, but by artisans from as far away as Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia.

“There are no vendor entry fees. Generous donations from local and area businesses that recognize the value of the arts in our busy lives will help defer expenses,” Keener continued.

Classifications include painting, jewelry, photography, wood carving, small furniture, pottery, scrimshaw, gourd art and glass art.

Arts Fest committee officials have named art glass creator David Goldhagen honored guest; he will display his world-renowned works. His genius – from small scale sculptured glass to tables, candlesticks, Menorahs and ornamental glass – is shown in many private collections as well as in corporate collections, museums and foundations.

Goldhagen said, “This first-of-a-kind event is most exciting and surely portends more festivals in the years ahead. I feel fortunate to be included in this initial Fest, and am especially delighted to know the recipients of the day will be Cherokee and Clay County Food Banks.”

Area developer Blake Twedt, creator of Overlook Brasstown, conceived the idea of a Music and Arts Fest in support of his devotion to the ecology of the land, and in order to return to nature some of what the community has been given.

As Twedt said, “Local businesses and arts-interested residents have caught hold of the vision to launch this day-long homage to artists, musicians and craftsmen of this area and beyond.

Proceeds from this inaugural Music and Arts Fest will be primarily donated to Cherokee and Clay Counties’ Food Banks as well as other charities. Since admittance to the Fest is free, visitors are urged to bring some extra canned goods from their grocery list as a donation. Ingle’s Food Store also is cooperating as a collection point.

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Setting Music Goals for Your Child with Help of the Music Teacher

After reading about the comparison between the music teacher who runs private tuition and those at music school, it is now time to decide:

Which of the two should you go for? That is because you cannot ignore the financial aspect! Before that, dear parents, I suggest you and your child to define your goals. The clearer your goal is, the simpler it is to achieve it in good time.

By defining goals your life becomes manageable. For example, a husband comes home late from work and asks his wife, “What’s for dinner, dear?” and the wife replies, “Um… I haven’t thought of it yet, let me think of something.” She then runs through the list of food items and decides a “goal” for the dinner. Not the most manageable way, right? If you don’t fix the aim of things in life, you wander away from the straight path and lose the required momentum.

All you need to do is define your goals at the beginning. There are thousands of examples that prove why it is essential to do this task. Why don’t many parents listen to such examples and set the goals for the music education of their child?

When parents and the music teacher do not set the right goal for children, hardly 1 percent of them graduate out of music college. And this is a confirmed statistic.

Statistics also reveal that 4 percent of former students try to play a music instrument in future, but all the others don’t even think of it. Such a situation can be prevented by sending your child to a reputed music school with the right music teacher, or hiring a profession private teacher. The music teacher knows how to establish the appropriate goal for your child to develop and sustain his interest in learning music. If the music teacher cannot help you much in this regard, you’ll need to seek the right information elsewhere.

Apart from the music teacher, when it comes to the parents’ role, I must tell you that unfortunately you will not find information on parents’ responsibility in the music education process of their children anywhere, not even in the best music stores and the best libraries. I always stress upon the fact that children quit their music education early into the course mainly because of their parents. But it’s all because parents don’t know what information they must find and where.

Of course, igniting the child’s interest and maintaining it is no easy task, even for the music teacher. Also, the investments required for music training are quite high, and it’s sometimes difficult to generate them. Here I would like to mention the name of James Heckman, a Nobel Prize winner who got the award for proving that every dollar invested in kids’ education gives 17 dollars in return later! Heckman researched into the value of music education in early childhood and the results are published in the book “The Productivity Argument in Investing in Young Children.”

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