Blog
By Nathan Straub
When I first began learning how to sing, my imagination was limited in understanding what the voice was capable of doing. In fact, like most people I believed that great singers were born with skill and everybody else made due with mediocrity. As I later learned at college, this is simply not the case.
All throughout college, and at no fault to my incredible voice teacher, I struggled with my voice. It was too small, couldn’t sing big enough high notes, and wouldn’t last longer than a few songs before wimping out. While I was practicing late one evening, I had a crazy thought. What if people who had naturally beautiful voices were just used to using their voices the right way, and everybody else had it wrong to start with? What if beautiful singers were told from day one that their natural voices were beautiful, and so they didn’t need to worry about sounding “bad.”
By Andrew White
It’s Monday evening, and we’ve just had another brilliant weekend of student performances. Sixty students showing off their skills on piano, woodwinds, drums, voice, guitar and more - what a memorable weekend. As we pack away all the trinkets, I can’t help but reflect on all the recital weekends we have hosted, nine in total now, and realize how this one stood head and shoulders above the rest.
By John Hart
A musician, according to Webster, is “a person skilled in the science of music, or one that sings or performs on instruments of music according to the rules of music.” I believe a well-balanced musician is one who has mastered at least one instrument and several of the following musical skills
By Kate MacKenzie
One of my youngest piano students inspired the topic of this month’s blog post about a very important musician and composer named Clara Schumann (1819-1896). Her husband, Robert Schumann, was a very prominent composer of the time. However, Clara’s work and talent went largely unnoticed because it was believed that women should not compose music, nor should they perform publicly. Though she was heavily supported in her musical education on the piano (she was considered a child prodigy), she was expected to focus on her homelife once she was married.
By Jason Jackowich
I owe everything to my drumming instructor for opening the world of paradiddles to me. I work very hard to get my students to the point that we can open this sacred box of knowledge. It makes me smile every single time I can get a student to that point because I know they are about to embark on a journey that will open the student up to endless possibilities.
By William Muñoz
If you play trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba, or another brass instrument you already know that they are by far the coolest of the musical instruments (says the brass player writing this). In all seriousness, one of the greatest aspects of playing a brass instrument is that they are extremely versatile. A brass player can play all kinds of musical styles including: Pop, Jazz, Funk, Symphonic music, Concert Band, Marching Band, and the list just goes on.
We are privileged to live in a part of the world where learning an instrument is an easily accessible and enjoyable thing we can take part in. Growing up I often thought, I wonder what it’s like to play this instrument, or that instrument, and while my parents afforded me the opportunity with many instruments there’s still more I want to learn!
