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December is here, and the time has finally come to deck the halls and get into the holiday spirit! Christmas has so many rich traditions that always cast a warm glow over the season, but one of the holiday’s greatest treats is to hear the variety of sounds and instruments are reserved specifically for Christmas time. So grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa, eggnog, or maybe even wassail, and enjoy these 12 instruments of the Christmas season.
Have you ever had a time in your life where one song / artist seemed to be the soundtrack of that season? And now every time you go back there in your memory, your brain can’t help but to play that music in the background?
Think about what was going on in that memory; Where were you? Who were you with? What did you feel? If you indulged me and followed along, you probably can easily equate the sense of emotion of that season with the music of that season.
Today we have the opportunity to share another installment in our “Instructor Features” blog series! This week we have Chris Carner to celebrate! Chris is a saxophone, voice, guitar, and bass instructor. Chris has experience with a variety of musical genres from vocal and orchestral music to jazz and rock, and he is passionate about helping his students achieve the best possible tone.
Read more about Chris below, and at the link near the bottom of the post.
Are you new to the music scene and curious about how this all works? Are you eager to start exploring music, but o all those lines, dots, and squiggles on the page have your brain in a tailspin? Although learning to read music can seem like an overwhelming task at first, with the help of the right instructor, you’d be amazed at how quickly interpreting those hieroglyphs can become second nature.
The weather has turned cooler, the leaves have begun to change, and pumpkins and ghoulish creatures are decorating department store shelves. Fall is in the air, and with it comes the anticipation of one of America’s favorite holidays—Halloween. The 31st of October may be known mostly for its sights, smells, and tastes (hello candy!), but Halloween can also be a treat for your ears as you listen to these 5 festive favorites.
It’s finally October, and as the leaves change and the air turns colder, we’re getting in the mood for the beloved fall holiday Halloween. Although you may have already curated a list of spooky tunes for yourself, you might be interested to know that the tradition of spooky music goes back for centuries to a plainchant written in the 1200s. This haunting melody, known as the Dies Irae, has frightened and enthralled listeners for centuries, establishing itself as a harbinger of death and doom from Medieval times until today.
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.
Today we have the opportunity to share another installment in our “Instructor Features” blog series! This week we have Carly Erst to celebrate! Carly is a violin, viola, cello, double bass, and music theory instructor who is currently studying music composition at Butler University. Carly is passionate about instilling a sense of enthusiasm in her students and helping them take the lead in exploring music for themselves.
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?
