Major Decisions…what’s the key?

Considering a degree in music? What can you do with such a specialized education? The answer is, lots of things! In this week’s blog post, I will share some of my own experiences as a college-educated musician and some of the opportunities open to potential college music students.

Before getting into the meat of today’s post, I do have to include a small disclaimer. No two musician’s journeys are the same! If your musical career has been different, that’s perfectly acceptable! This is just my personal experience and what I have witness in the lives of my colleagues.

Now that’s out of the way, let me tell you a bit about my own musical journey. I knew in high school that I loved music enough I wanted to make it the focus of my career. I’d taken piano lessons from a young age and played clarinet in the school band. I decided to go to college for music education, and graduated from UIndy in 2018. From there, I went straight into teaching full time as an elementary general music educator, and band/choir director. During this time, performance was still a big part of my passion. My husband and I started a non-profit called Sound Ecologies in 2020 focused on providing local musicians and composers opportunities to write and perform in benefit concerts raising awareness about environmental issues. We’ve also given concerts and done recordings with Classical Music Indy and several other Indy non-profits such as Spark and Big Car. I’ve worked as an accompanist and organist at several churches in the Indianapolis area, and done quite a bit of accompanying for choirs and soloists at schools and concerts. This year, I’m transitioning into being an accompanist at an area high school along with going to school for a Masters in Musicology. And I feel like I’m just getting started!

My point in mentioning all of this is that music degrees are worth getting. Many colleagues of mine went to school for Music Technology and Recording Degrees and now work with studios, or earned degrees in composition, music therapy, and even performance. Some have gone on to further schooling, some have become music directors at churches, and some have become full time performers or educators, or arts administrators. There are so many options open to college-educated musicians!

So, what are the degree programs available to anyone considering going to school for music? I will lay out the most common options below. Some schools offer all of these, some don’t. But, knowing what you would like to study (at least, to an extent) is a great place to start!

• Music Performance: These degrees tend to be focused on private lessons, masterclasses, and lots of performance practice opportunities. If you are considering a degree in this field, be prepared to spend lots of time in the practice room! Most programs for performance will also include required music theory and history classes, but the main focus is on learning your instrument to the best possible standard of which you are capable. If you are thinking of auditioning for a performance program, make sure you are familiar with the teachers at your institution of choice and perhaps even try for a demo lesson. The style and teaching technique of your applied instrument instructor will really determine your success!

• Music Education: These degrees can vary in certification depending on the university or college you attend. However, most programs include a certification in K-12 general music and then a specialization in either instrumental or choral education. You will likely still have a primary instrument and applied lessons, as well as ensemble requirements. Most education programs also include a heavy emphasis on performance practice, history, and theory. But, you are also taking educational psychology, pedagogy, and practicum classes as well. I’d recommend choosing a program that gets you into a classroom for some experience as soon as you can so you can discover the age groups you are most successful with, and whether teaching is for you. You will need to complete at least a semester (if not a year) of student teaching as well in order to graduate.

• Music Technology/Business/Recording: This field tends to focus more on the operational music industry. Some institutions have degrees that combine all of these specialties, while others will separate them into different concentrations or programs. However, the emphasis tends to lie on spending time in a studio, learning the ins and outs of recording technology and arts administration. Some programs such as these offer internships which allow for on-the-job experience. These degrees tend to be less performance focused, but many universities will still require students to give recitals and/or take lessons with a primary instrument. There may be ensemble requirements as well, depending on the college. Always do your program research!

• Music Therapy: Vibe Music Academy’s own Abigail Long is much better suited to answering questions regarding this field, as she is a professional Music Therapist! Although primarily a graduate program, more universities are beginning to offer Music Therapy courses to undergraduates. These degrees enable musicians to interact with children and adults who benefit from music as a form of therapy—whether that is sensory, psychological, or otherwise. Music therapists might work independently, or with a school or retirement community to provide activities and services to both individuals and groups.

• Music Theory/Musicology: These types of degrees are generally more of the graduate level, but some colleges do offer them for undergraduate students. I know for my current graduate courses, Musicology consists of lots of research, history/theory classes, and paper writing. In undergraduate courses, one would still most likely need a primary instrument and still be enrolled in private lessons and ensembles as well.

• Composition: These degrees generally are available as undergraduate concentrations or graduate degrees. Once again, the focus will likely be on a well-rounded music education with private lessons, ensemble playing, and music history and theory. However, these programs also usually offer private composition lessons, composers’ forums, and performance opportunities for a student’s works. Additionally, many universities will have a composition student give a recital of his or her own works (either performed by the composer or other music students) instead of an individual performance recital.

To sum up this extensive post, there are lots of options open to anyone considering a career path in music, and you may not end up where you think! If you know you want to pursue music in college, but don’t want to major it in, most universities still offer private lessons, music classes, and some ensembles to non-majors as well. But if you know that music is your passion, there are numerous ways to funnel that passion into a profitable and enjoyable career. Thank you for reading, and best of luck in your music educational endeavors!

—Charissa Garrigus, Instructor at Vibe Music Academy

A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Program Notes

What are program notes and what are the benefits of writing them? This week’s post will give you all of this information and more, so read on!

what are program notes?

Imagine you are attending a live classical music concert. You receive your program and flip through as the orchestra is turning up. While you wait, you read some information on each musical piece regarding the composers, the inspiration behind the work, and the music itself. These are program notes!

The practice of researching the music one is studying and writing about it to inform the audience has been around for ages. Some dedicated program note enthusiasts even go on to become professional writers dealing with music history and analysis. Though this might seem a bit advanced for younger students, it is something intermediate to advanced young musicians stand to benefit from greatly. The backgrounds and histories of the pieces being prepared can influence musical interpretation, style, and even technique in some cases. Learning about the history behind a work and the significance it may have held to the composers or to the time period during which it was written is an essential part of studying a piece of music.

As a music educator, it is very important to do your research on the pieces you are choosing for your students to learn. Make sure you select works from all sorts of varying time periods, and include pieces by all sorts of different composers. When a student sees him or herself represented by a composer or performer, it can build so much confidence. Representation is important!

Now, on to the process of writing these aforementioned notes!

So, how does one write program notes?

These can be as simple or complex as a student is ready for. I’ll lay out the basic form for writing these notes—feel free to change and add on as you see fit!

Most beginner notes can be about a paragraph in length. There is no need to write an entire essay, especially when considering how these notes might look in a paper program. Notes can include any of the following bullet points:

• Title of the work (usually in bold) and composer name. These are required, but the rest is up to interpretation.

• A brief history of the work. Maybe a sentence or two about when the composer wrote the piece such as the year, date it was published, how it fits into that composer’s catalogue, even perhaps the significance this work may have had to the composer. Was this her first work for solo piano? Did this song have a special importance to him as a songwriter? These topics can lead to great discussions in lessons—feel free to write these notes along with your younger students as well. This could be the context of a lesson!

• Musical details about what the audience can expect as listeners. What musical devices make this piece unique? Are there any particularly beautiful moments? What might surprise the audience? For beginning writers, this would be a great section to utilize music vocabulary terms, especially tempo and dynamic words.

• Any final thoughts! What does the performer enjoy most about this piece? Is it special to him or her in some way? What have they learned as a result of studying this work? This would be an excellent place for a dedication or something along those lines as well.

Of course, writing detailed program notes for every piece studied in lessons might seem like too much, and that’s perfectly valid. These notes could also simply serve as discussion topics for introducing a new piece in a lesson—they don’t necessarily have to be written down at all. However, I’d encourage teachers (particularly if you have rather advanced students) to try these techniques out and see what happens. Who knows, you might just be teaching the world’s next great musicologist!

—Charissa Garrigus, Instructor at Vibe Music Academy

Summer Fun with Music Lessons!

Summer is here! It’s the season of beach holidays, vacations, mixed-up schedules, lazy days, sunburns, and hopefully loads of fun. Oftentimes, we use summer as a time to rest and relax, which is an essential practice. However, keeping up with private lessons over the summer can make a huge difference in the musical education of your student. Below, I will outline some huge benefits of keeping a student in lessons over the summer.

Perhaps the biggest asset to keeping up with music lessons over the summer involves learning loss. When outside of a formal education setting for an extended period of time, students lose the ability to utilize the skills they’d been building up. This can result in those skills diminishing or even disappearing. When returning to lessons in the fall, skill loss can create the need to re-learn those skills. This is not, on the whole, a bad thing. Review can do wonderful things for a student! However, some students may find this process frustrating. Additionally, much of learning an instrument involves muscle memory and the building up of techniques (and calluses, for string players) that take lots of time to perfect. Taking a step away from an instrument for an entire summer means the loss of this muscle memory. If one considers instrumental practice similarly to an athletic activity, there is just as much a need for “summer conditioning” in music as there is in sports—the difference is that musical conditioning can be as easy as keeping up with a practice schedule or at least occasional lessons.

Another helpful piece that comes from taking summer lessons, especially for a student whose schedule is filled with extra-curricular activities, is getting ahead! Keeping up with summer lessons, instead of just combatting learning loss, can boost a student’s skill acquisition. Students who have a loaded schedule during the year can benefit from keeping up with some sense of balance over the summer. Time management and a sense of accomplishment during these long summer days are certainly a bonus! Plus, getting started on performance prep over the summer prepares students for less stress during the school year. The summer is also an excellent time for experimentation. If a student is considering learning a new instrument or taking up a new musical style or genre, this is a great time to try something out with that extra flexibility. Perhaps this would even be the perfect time to get a start on composing or writing new music!

To conclude, taking lessons over the summer can be a wonderful way of keeping your student engaged in music. Summer lessons can lead to:

• Less learning loss! No more worrying about rebuilding technique or calluses once the summer ends.

• Getting ahead for a busy school year. Start on that performance preparation early to avoid stress later!

• Stay on track with time management and a regular sense of accomplishment.

• Take time to experiment—try out a new instrument, a different style of music, or composition!

Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope you have a fabulous summer! Enjoy those summer lessons!

Author: Charissa Garrigus

You Too Can Be a Video Game Composer!

Looking for new things to try out this summer? This blog will discuss some easy, free digital music composition resources to get you started!

You don’t have to be a professional audio technician to make great digital music!

A New Summer Pursuit?

As the school year begins to wrap up, many of us may be on the lookout for new and engaging resources to entertain our kiddos and/or students this summer. Let me recommend digital music composition! As a general music teacher, I have experimented with lots of different activities and lessons over the years in an attempt to teach important skills and standards while keeping students excited about music. Using digital music creation sites has been wildly successful in that area, and has allowed some students who aren’t a part of performance ensembles to shine.

There are numerous free resources that educators can use to demonstrate digital music composition for their students. I generally pair these activities with information on film scores or video game history, as it creates a touchstone for students to understand the importance of soundtracks. It can also give them a jumping-off point when making their own tracks. I try to keep assessments pretty general so that students have lots of opportunities to write what they enjoy or sounds good to them. But, I do give some parameters so as to avoid the “curse of the blank page.”

Below, I will include a list of the sites I have used along with the age ranges and technological capacity that tends to be necessary. Most of these sites are convertible between Mac or other devices, but some programs (such as Garageband) are exclusive to specific brands.

Teaching students the relevance of soundtrack music is a wonderful way to take something most kids do (watching movies, playing video games, etc.) and turn it into an educational experience. I like to encourage meeting students where they are—when we discuss the genesis of 8-bit music in 7th grade, students already understand at least some of what we discuss since they encounter these things in their daily lives. That way, when asked the age-old question “When are we going to use this in our real lives?” one can point out that they already do! Does the music in a video game make the experience more immersive? Imagine watching a favorite show or movie with no music—would Darth Vader be as scary without his theme song?

I also believe that allowing students to take the reins and be creative goes a long way in building lifelong musicians. In the music classroom or studio, we have the capacity to allow for hands-on work and individual artistry that isn’t available in many other classes. With composition, I try to provide the tools and some examples and then give students time to experiment and play around with the sounds. As previously mentioned, providing guidelines is important, but I try to keep them minimal so as to allow students the individual capability to create.

Pretty much all of the music composition resources below can be accessed with any sort of computer—no plugins or synth keyboards required!

Digital Music Resources Anyone Can Use!

I have used nearly all the following resources in my middle school general music classes. Some might be a bit tricky to use with elementary students (depending on age and capability), and most offer a free option. I’d recommend familiarizing yourself with the ins and outs of the site before assigning or using it in lessons just in case there are questions from your students. Have fun!

• Chrome Music Lab: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments This site is free and very easy to use. There are numerous “Experiments” available, and this is a fabulous site to use for scavenger hunts. The Songmaker experiment is a very simple clickable song creator that does allow for an exportable URL. However, that URL does have to be kept somewhere (I usually have students email it to themselves) or the work will disappear.

• Beepbox: https://www.beepbox.co (or just google Beepbox) This site is a fantastic way to discuss Chiptune music. The interface is a bit more complex than Chrome Music Lab, and there are many more instrument and customization options. I’d recommend really digging into the site on your own before introducing it to students. Simply scrolling down on the landing page will also show instructions and include some links to songs that have been created. I love using this website after talking about video game music.

• Audiotool: https://www.audiotool.com/ This site is free, but it does require a signup. I had limited success with Audiotool when using it with my middle school students as it’s not quite as user friendly as other sites. However, this is a great resource for your more advanced students, or those who are looking to get deeper into digital music creation.

• Musescore: https://musescore.org/en This is more of an app than a webpage, but it’s a free notation and composition software. Once again, a bit more advanced—think free version of Sibelius or Finale. I’d recommend this software if you have students wanted to write music of a more classical genre. There is playback included, but the instrument quality isn’t incredible. Still, a great resource to have in a back pocket!

Try it out!

Technology is here to stay, and its integration into education and music is going to continue to increase. Might as well make the best of it and enjoy the process! There are many other options out there for digital composition: Audacity, Garageband, and Protools, to name a few. Use whatever works best for you, and have fun with it! You might just learn a thing or two yourself along the way.

If you are interested in any of the resources I’ve used in lessons and classes myself, feel free to contact me at my Vibe email. I’m always delighted to share. Happy composing!

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-Charissa Garrigus, Instructor at Vibe Music Academy

The Importance of Performance

Musical performance can seem like an unnecessary hassle, and can generate feelings of trepidation and worry. However, they are very important to developing a musician’s abilities.

Why is it important for students to participate in performance?

Perhaps the number one argument for the inclusion of performance into any student’s musical study is that it builds confidence. Having a measurable goal for a student to work towards (i.e. “I want to perform the first movement of a Beethoven Sonata”) is essential in any form of practice. How can a student demonstrate their learning if there isn’t some sort of assessment in place? Attaining that measurable goal can help a student recognize his or her skills, in addition to providing that essential assessment factor for the instructor.

The thrill of applause is another excellent benefit students acquire when engaging in performance. Music is, at its core, an expressive art form. Performing enables students to connect with others on a completely different level. Students who perform gain essential skills that can aid them with later public speaking or presentation requirements in school and beyond.

Performance can also be fun! There is no feeling of accomplishment greater than doing something hard and being successful at it. Participating in a performance isn’t easy, that is for certain. But, knowing the difficulty and accomplishing one’s goals anyway helps solidify a sense of self worth and enduring success, musical and otherwise.

Connecting with an audience through musical performance can help students develop many important skills!

Helpful Tips for Dealing with Performance Anxiety

Performance anxiety is a common issue many musicians deal with. Some have more problems with it than others, but most performers have experience with some type of nerves before a concert. Making use of some of the following tips can help musicians prepare for and hopefully combat some of the effects of these anticipatory nerves.

• Practice! The more you prepare for a concert or event, the easier the actual performance is likely to be and the less likely you are to make a mistake.

• Get plenty of sleep and try to avoid too much caffeine. Jitteriness and racing thoughts are common symptoms of performance anxiety and can be increased with too much caffeine intake.

• Breath is a wonderful medicine! Practice taking deep breaths before you begin playing. This can help lower the heart rate and slow numerous other symptoms of panic.

• Try to focus on the positives. Performing can be fun! Making music with a group or soloist is a wonderful way to connect to others and the satisfaction you will feel at the end is worth it!

  These tips won’t always work for everyone, but it’s worth trying them out! Check out the following websites if you are interested in reading more about performance anxiety’s causes along with some strategies for conquering it.

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/stage-fright-performance-anxiety

https://psychcentral.com/health/how-to-break-the-cycle-of-performance-anxiety

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/social-anxiety-disorder/treatment/conquering-stage-fright

Performing can be so much fun!

No matter how you look at it, the point of musical performance is positive. It serves as a method to demonstrate and share successful skill acquisition. Concerts are excellent ways to measure goals and achievement, for both performers and their teachers. Finally, performing in musical events assists musicians in confidence building, interpersonal connections, and self expression!

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-Charissa Garrigus, Instructor at Vibe Music Academy

A Brief History of the Ukulele

Many people associate the ukulele with Hawaii, and rightly so. This instrument has featured regularly in Hawaiian folk music, films about the Hawaiian Islands, and so much more. However, this instrument has a fascinatingly varied history! In fact, the name “ukulele” itself even has different translations.

Believe it or not, the ukulele itself was not invented in Hawaii. It is a direct descendent of the cavaquinho, a four-stringed guitar-like instrument popular in Portugal and and the Portuguese island of Madeira. Hawaii was a hot spot for immigration during the late 1800’s, and Portuguese immigrants sailing on the ship Ravenscrag brought this instrument with them when they arrived in Honolulu in 1879.

The story goes that when the ship’s crew member João Fernandez played his cavaquinho for the local people, they were fascinated by how quickly his fingers moved along the strings. So, they named this instrument a “ukulele,” which translates directly to “jumping flea.” When Fernandez played, his fingers jumped so rapidly along the strings they almost appeared like fleas to the lookers on!

However, there is another possible origin for the name of the instrument. This was the meaning assigned to it by the last monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani. She described the ukulele as “the gift that came here,” referring to the immigrant origins of the cavaquinho.

Perhaps at this point it is important to say that the cavaquinho and the ukulele are not in fact the same instrument. João Fernandez and several of his companions did settle in Honolulu as carpenters and produce these instruments for the local people. However, somewhere along the line the cavaquinho got mixed together with the rajão (another stringed Portuguese instrument) and became something else entirely. The exact date at which the ukulele became its own is unknown, but the instrument was officially presented in 1889, and was a favorite of both King David Kalākaua and the later Queen Lili’uokalani. The playing of the ukulele became a staple of royal ceremonies, and as such started to become a Hawaiian symbol. Additionally, the instrument is traditionally crafted of koa, a native wood that symbolic of nature and earth.

Queen Lili’uokalani was a huge proponent of the ukulele, decreeing it the national instrument of Hawaii. She played this instrument (among several others) and even wrote the famous song “Aloha ‘Oe” to be performed on ukulele. It is greatly due to her influence that ukulele has become such a hallmark of Hawaiian culture.

Source: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Queen Lili’uokalani

Nowadays, the ukulele has become a staple of popular music. Many famous artists from Jason Mraz, to Twenty One Pilots, Taylor Swift, and even Panic at the Disco have featured the ukulele in their songs. This is a delightful instrument to play, very easy to learn, and extremely portable. The nylon strings and small size create a folksy sweetness when strummed—the ukulele has even become a bit of an aesthetic choice to some! Indeed, many schools have switched gears from teaching recorder to teaching ukulele as the skills can translate a bit better to casual music making.

Thus, the ukulele has travelled a long way from the shores of Portugal, to the beaches of Hawaii, and now into the vernacular of pop singers and songwriters alike. This delightfully versatile instrument promises plenty of innovation in years to come, and remains a joy to performers and listeners alike.

Image Source: Herald Scotland News

Source Material:

• https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/01/though-it-be-little-the-rise-of-the-ukulele/384453/

• https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/5-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-%E2%80%98ukulele

• https://learnplayuke.com/history-of-the-ukulele/

Blog Post Written By: Charissa Garrigus