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Making the Most of Your Practice: Goal Setting for Musicians

Categories Music in General Music Practice

Setting Practice Goals I believe that goal setting is a fundamental skill that needs to be developed in order to get the most out of your practice time. What you practice or play, how you go about it, and how much time you spend doing it should all be determined by a series of short-, medium- and long-term goals. These goals don’t have to be written or even spoken and will inevitably vary among different learners. There are no right or wrong goals; we all learn differently and have different inspirations, and our goals should reflect this. This article will … Read more

“What Is Christmas All About?”: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Categories Arts and Entertainment Music in General Seasons and Reasons

A Charlie Brown Christmas Aired on December 9, 1965 on CBS, A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first television special stemmed from the popular four-column comic strip, Peanuts. Although CBS was not particularly optimistic about the TV movie, in particular about its religious message, it was a great success. Almost half of America’s televisions tuned into the half-hour program, and letters poured into Coca Cola, the sponsor, to express the viewers’ gratitude. Together, the producer Lee Mendelson, director Bill Melendez, Charles M. Shultz, and composer/musician Vince Guaraldi created one of the most popular Christmas special in television history. The plot … Read more

9 Christmas Albums to Add A Kick to Your Holiday Gathering

Categories Seasons and Reasons

What’s the next most important thing at any holiday gathering, besides food? Music. This holiday season, whether it’s a friend’s party, a work shindig, or your family’s celebration, music will be played. There are the classics, like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” but hearing the same tracks day after day can get boring, and Christmas should be anything but! Below, we list for you nine albums to spice up your music selections this holiday season. We’ve also rated them on their relevance to Christmas (Christmasness), their uniqueness, and if your family will approve (or will Grandma … Read more

Guitar Barre Chords Made Easy For Beginners

Categories Guitar

Barre chords are one of the trickiest techniques for beginning guitarists to master, but being able to play them is necessary for any rhythm guitarist. Mastering barre chords will allow you to play any major or minor chord, eventually making it possible for you to sight-read chord charts. So, how do we master barre chords? If you follow the techniques presented here, with a little patience and a lot of practice, you’ll be able to master your barre chords in no time! First up is the definition of what barre chords are so you can understand what it is you … Read more

Musical Thanksgiving: The Wampanoag Tribe

Categories Seasons and Reasons

When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, the Native American Wampanoag tribe kindly showed the settlers how to farm the land, hunt and fish, and adapt to life in the new world. In 1621, when the Pilgrims harvested their first crop, the Wampanoags brought food to celebrate with them. This Thanksgiving, let’s give thanks to the Wampanoag people and celebrate their rich music culture. The Role of Music in Wampanoag Culture For the Wampanoag tribe, music is an essential part of everyday life. It is used for ceremonies, recreation, expression, healing, spirituality, and passing down history. Songs serve many purposes, from … Read more

8 Songs of Appreciation and Gratitude for this Thanksgiving

Categories Seasons and Reasons

As autumn arrives, so does a cherished holiday: Thanksgiving. Started as a way to celebrate the plentiful fall harvest with friends and family, Thanksgiving is now a mainstay in many North American homes and households around the globe! The holiday involves copious amounts of food—traditionally a turkey, bread-based stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn—and time spent with friends and family. Usually, while sitting around the table with food, family, and friends, individuals say what they are thankful for having in their lives. Here we list eight songs in the spirit of Thanksgiving, songs that give thanks to the important people and moments … Read more

Making the Most of Your Practice: How to Make Practice Enjoyable

Categories Music in General Music Practice

We all practice to improve on something we decide to do and achieve the goals we set out for ourselves. Yet a surprising number of my music students often tell me “Brendan, what/when/how should I practice?” Let’s be clear on something; for me practicing is like any other skill—you have to learn how to do it. Learning how to practice can make your practice session a lot more fun and enjoyable. Practicing correctly also saves you time. You will know what to focus on and make the most out of your practice session. Imagine if we were all born with this amazing ability … Read more

Scary Movie Music: the Filmmaking Genius of John Carpenter

Categories Arts and Entertainment Seasons and Reasons

If you love being scared by horror movies, chances are Halloween is one of your favorite times of the year. Besides the new horror movies that come out during Halloween, this day is also a great time to revisit your old favorites: the classic horror movies that made you fall in love with being terrified by cinema. John Carpenter And His Horror Classics Few people have been as influential to the horror movie genre as John Carpenter, who essentially invented the horror sub-genre of the “slasher” movie when he wrote, directed, and debuted his aptly named classic, Halloween (1978). This … Read more

How to Read Guitar TABs: A Beginner’s Guide

Categories Guitar

Learning how to read guitar TABs is an important tool that makes it easier for beginning guitar players to learn how to play. Thankfully, guitar TABs are also the easiest method of notating music for guitar.  Since most guitars are six-string guitars, we’ll look at tabs applicable to six-strings. For guitars with seven strings or more, it’s similar, but the tabs have additional lines. Strings and Tunings Before we look at tabs, we first need to properly identify the number and tuning of each string on the guitar.  The first string is the thinnest string on the guitar, and the … Read more

5 Benefits of Learning Guitar

Categories Guitar Music in General

The process of learning a new skill often reaps astonishing benefits, and learning the guitar is no different. Besides the benefit of now being able to play an instrument, you’d be surprised at the number of physical and psychological benefits that can be attributed to learning the guitar (or really any instrument for that matter). Many of these benefits also translate over to everyday activities and behaviors too.  In this article, we’ll check out five benefits of learning the guitar. Improved Fine Motor Skills If you’ve ever tried to learn how to use chopsticks as an adult, you’ll know how … Read more