tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40150281974525106692024-02-20T10:00:23.944-05:00Music with Dolly Paul at Low Country Studios, Ltd. Co.Ideas to Help You Move Forward With Your Music Studio...and other stuff LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-81757742400509801982023-12-03T15:42:00.000-05:002023-12-03T15:42:08.284-05:00Music Recitals: What are the Options?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Until the early 2000s, like many private music teachers, I held an annual Christmas Recital with a large food spread. I could usually count on one or more adult students, and a parent, to help with the kitchen end of setting up the food and drink tables and monitoring the food until after the performances had ended. Every studio member attended and brought extended family. We never had less than a feast with families bringing meat trays, casseroles, ice cream punch mixes, cookies, cakes, and more. The students had fun and there was a real sense of community. How times have changed. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Event spaces and churches were always happy to extend free, or reduced fee, recital space to private music teachers in their communities. However, since the pandemic, and along with event rental inflation in our area specifically, it is close to impossible to find a place to hold recitals. Event space rental here in Charleston is now priced beginning at $5,000.00, per portion of a day (not even a full day), for most of the locations we have researched. Churches, that would donate space for a contribution or smaller rental amount, no longer offer use of their buildings saying they are concerned about covid, and other safety, liability. Church music directors - who also teach privately - have also told us that they are no longer able to use the facilities, in the churches where they serve, for student recitals. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For those lucky enough to find a space for a studio recital, the expenses can include: rental, cleaning fee, insurance costs, key holder fee, security fee, video-photographer, parking lot fee, recital programs, certificates, and gifts for the participants. If there is an afterglow reception those costs also must be considered. After this preparation, teachers may experience last minute surprises from students who have to cancel the day of the event due to sports, family outings, or other last minute conflicts.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I recently heard from an elderly colleague who told me she has held her last recital and isn't even going to try for options in the future. For decades she held an end-of-the-year holiday recital at her local methodist church. But her church no longer allowed use of the space because of the pandemic. The instructor put together a large recital event for her studio last year. She and her husband invested in reserving a pizzeria in their town for the recital. Cheese, and cheese and pepperoni, pizzas along with all beverages, were complementary for students and attendees and were purchased in advance along with the space. The date was scheduled four(4) months ahead of the recital and families were notified of the recital date and location as soon as it was scheduled. The students had all prepared their musical selections, the restaurant had been paid, gift bags were prepared, and programs were printed. This teacher has a large student base and when the recital date came, only nine of her students and their families attended. She said the families who didn't show did not notify her that they decided not to come - even having confirmed the week before. She had purchased food, as part of the rental contract, for over 30 students and their families. Can you imagine? Fortunately her husband was able to contact a person from the local Salvation Army who arranged for distribution of the surplus pizzas that were already purchased. This is not an isolated "Recitals Gone Wrong" story in our current day. Families are simply over-scheduled. Even teachers who charge a "pay-to-perform" fee tell me students often don't attend when the family has purchased tickets, or paid, to be in an event. So, with the cost of event space, and over extended families, what other options are there to provide for important performance opportunities?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A number of my colleagues have opted out of any type of student events and gatherings. However, there are still those of us who are focused on finding a way to offer opportunities for students to get performance practice, and believe, like me, that even if a few families are interested, it is well worth the effort and investment. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are some ideas teachers are coming up with:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">One teacher I spoke with over social media was able to use her community HOA room by offering any other music teacher's students or piano players, within that HOA community, the opportunity to perform on the recital. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Florida teacher is nervously preparing for a backyard recital, and praying for no rain and a happy septic tank, for next Saturday. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have one colleague who has been able to purchase a large home this year, with her family's help, that will accommodate the recital space she needs; This is the ideal, but quite a financial leap. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Michigan teacher has persuaded her husband to clean out the garage and purchase portable heaters so they can use their garage and driveway for a true winter recital.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some private teachers, like me, are experimenting with virtual gatherings, and others are still searching to find an answer to keep the recital tradition alive. </span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;">Inflation in rentals and recital costs, along with families that are over-extended in commitments, are all challenges for teachers who need new performance platform ideas. I am curious to see what the future holds for small studio recitals, especially in tourist areas and towns that are seeing large increases in event space rentals. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>QUESTION</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a private music teacher, how has your outlook on recitals changed over the years? Do you think they are still important for music students? If you schedule recitals for your students, what platform are you using now to provide studio recital opportunities? I would love to read your responses. Please feel free to email your thoughts, or respond on this blog. Musically, Miss Dolly.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-43388399367516382502023-05-06T22:56:00.000-04:002023-05-06T22:56:02.334-04:00The Coronation and The Derby (Today's Double Header!)<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have to smile at all my colleagues who, like me, watch the royal events across the pond for love of the music and pageantry. And today's musical performances were so worth the time to hear. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, my takeaway from the coronation was the parade. For years I have wondered why parades did not coordinate their music to be played in unison and have their movement in unison. After all, we have had the technology to make this happen for quite some time now. Today that itch was scratched for me and in such an excellent way. I am happy and relieved that someone finally decided to champion this parade precision. After all..aren't parades precision events? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">My day ended with the Kentucky Derby. Congratulations to Mage, number 8. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So have a mint julep tonight if you are in a celebratory mood and, if you have the chance, catch some of the coronation performances on the web. Here is an overview:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Hubert Parry's (1848 - 1918) setting of Psalm 122:1-3, 6-7</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Paul Mealor (b 1975) Kyrie eleison </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">William Byrd (c 1540 - 1623) from the Book of Common Prayer</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">William Byrd Gloria from Mass for four voices</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Debbie Wiseman (b 1963) Psalm 47: 1-2/6-7a (composed for this service)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Rabanus Maurus (c 780 - 856) Veni, creator spiritus, plainsong (sung in English, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">George Frideric Handel 1 Kings 1:39-40 Zadok the Priest</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Byzantine Chant Ensemble Psalms 72: 1-2,4-5, 7; 20:9</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949)/arr. Paul Mealor Wiener Philharmoniker Fanfare</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Thomas Weelkes (c 1576 - 1623) Lord Grant the King from the Book of Common Prayer</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Henry Walford Davies (1869 - 1941)/arr John Rutter Confortare after 1 Kings 2: 1-3</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Andrew Lloyd Webber (b 1948) Make a Joyful Noise after Psalm 98</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Henry Purcell/arr James O'Donnell (b 1961) Westminster Abbey</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Roxanna Panufnik (b 1968) Sanctus (composed for this service)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Tarik O'Regan (b 1978) Lamb of God (composed for this service)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">William Boyce (1711 - 79) Psalm 2: 1.3</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">William Walton/arr. John Rutter Te Deum laudamus</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Edward Elgar/arr. Iain Farrington March Pomp and Circumstance no. 4</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Hubert Parry chorale Fantasia on 'The Old Hundredth'</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">* * *</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-80415337430554333132023-05-06T21:51:00.000-04:002023-05-06T21:51:10.857-04:00Busy Time Passing<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am amazed at how long it has been since I posted here. It really opens my eyes to how busy my life as a private music instructor and coach has been during the past three months. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Students have been very busy preparing and taking part in classical and jazz piano school recitals, voice and piano auditions for the School of The Arts, Charleston Music Teacher Association assessments, Junior Festival Assessments in Columbia, Music Theory Assessments in Charleston, Honors Recital performances, and taking highest marks with honors in State events. I am so very proud of all of these amazing students! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thank you for allowing me space to breathe my friends! </span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-29686888266968659712022-12-26T11:35:00.000-05:002022-12-26T11:35:01.110-05:0012 Days in the Studio for Christmas<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As I write this we are entering the second day of Christmas, the end of this year's Hanukkah celebrations, Boxing Day for my Canadian friends, and Kwanza. The first day of Christmas has passed and now is the time to relax a bit with leftovers, continued gatherings, and a look to the New Year. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The last quarter of this year was quite an upheaval in this studio with flooding from Ian, home repair delays which included my piano being in storage, vehicle concerns, health concerns, and other bumps in the road that all reared their ugly heads at the same time. But bless God, we came through. So now I can start focusing on what will help me and my students as we come to the end of the year. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2022 I joined a number of music organizations and supported other music businesses online to gain more tools for my studio. As the year has been coming to an end I have noticed that there simply isn't enough time to read all their emails. And honestly, many of the organizations looked like good fits for my studio, but after the initial membership was satisfied, I didn't receive any information that was new to me, or tools that were helpful to my studio and students. I am finding that many of these organizations offer information that is helpful to teachers who are not formally trained, or new to the field and feeling overwhelmed. But for seasoned and degreed teachers, the material is too basic. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Trimming back music organization memberships for my studio has started. My personal big three connections will continue because there are State connections that my students can benefit from. But I have already disconnected from receiving and renewing memberships to, at least, eight organizations. Will each organization start the year with a new platform to regain my interest or find new followers? Yes, I expect that, but I have seen what they had to offer through 2022 and I know that they are not a fit with my studio. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What changes are you starting to think about for your studio in the coming year? What changes have you made this year that helped you succeed? </span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-63857254286347097682022-08-29T13:31:00.000-04:002022-08-29T13:31:05.728-04:00Women in Jazz Piano Listening List for a Gloomy Monday Morning<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here is a brief post to brighten up this very gloomy and rainy Monday morning in Charleston, South Carolina. It is a short list and it comes with apologies to the many amazing female jazz artists around the globe whose names I have not included. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Toshiko Akiyoshi</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Geri Allen</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lil Hardin Armstrong</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Carla Bley</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Barbara Carroll</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Alice Coltrane</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eliane Elias</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Marian McPartland</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Terry Pollard</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Zoe Rahman</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Diane Schuur</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Helen Sung</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kate Williams</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mary Lou Williams</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Katherine Windfield</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the above list you will find, not only fine pianists, but composers, arrangers and ensemble leaders. Enjoy finding their recordings, and listening to their styles. And, please leave names of your favorite female jazz pianists, that I have not listed, in the comments. </span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-72243202833932654742022-08-15T14:29:00.004-04:002022-08-16T05:26:49.268-04:00Practice Makes....Progress<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The legendary cellist, Pablo Casals, was asked why he still practiced when he was 90 years old. His response was, Because I believe I am making progress.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Growing up I always heard "Practice Makes Perfect" from adults. But I never knew how to get to </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">perfect</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">. When it was time to perform my music for others I was a nervous wreck. I was told that only </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">perfect</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> was acceptable, and I knew I wasn't there. I'm so happy that I haven't reached perfect because there is no opportunity for growth and new discoveries there. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As musicians we want to express ourselves more clearly. Whether we are comforting our own soul, using our music as meditation, praising our personal God, or sharing music with others. Every time we practice our music, and even while performing for others, improvement and progress is made in our skill set. This gives us the ability to communicate more expressively.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One single music tone can be approached, played, and released in so many different ways. Therefore, there is no perfect, static, goal because music moves and breathes. I think <i>that</i> is what captures our hearts and minds when we rehearse or hear music. Each note is a momentary sound that can be expressed with many subtle variations within that movement of time. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Communicating is our work. Making progress with your music means you are becoming a better communicator by gaining the skills to add more inflections to your personal sound. The beauty is that you can confidently communicate at the skill level where you are. A simple five finger position on the piano, with one hand, can create a musical line that moves others. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We use the word </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">practice</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> for many professions: She practices dentistry, he practices medicine. These are also fields that are alive, growing and improving. Like music, when you spend time practicing, progress happens.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I will be the first to admit that I have overused the word <i>perfect</i> as a teacher and I am removing it from my teaching vocabulary. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Progress is a direction forward. Perfect is a dead end with no more growth. As a musician we are working in a space that is alive and breathing and progressing forward. A musician's age is of no significance, and years of advanced skills on a musical instrument are only a reminder that there is so much more for us to discover in our practice and sharing sessions. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Going forward, this studio will be saying, Practice Makes Progress. </span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-41161400710151477642022-07-23T11:05:00.001-04:002022-07-23T11:14:38.634-04:00A Closer Look at Major and Minor Scale Finger Patterns for Piano<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>A Closer Look at Major and Minor Scale Finger Patterns for the Piano by Dolly L Paul <sub>MA<o:p></o:p></sub></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Piano finger patterns used in major and minor scales are patterns that have been chosen because of their contribution to optimal playing. While playing scales, the hand needs to flow as smoothly and effortlessly as possible. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">The ideal pattern for any scale is, what I call, <i>standard fingering</i>. This pattern allows the player to use adjacent fingers, one through five, in a continuous flow with only one turn after the third finger of each hand in the span of an octave. We know this pattern as the 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 finger pattern ascending in the right hand, and the 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 pattern ascending in the left hand. However, when black keys need to be accessed, the flow of this pattern may not be optimal. Therefore, we must use alternate finger patterns for some piano scales. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">One of the rules we want to consider, when playing a scale, is to avoid playing a black key with the thumb. Using the thumb on a black key alters the weight and balance as the hand plays through adjacent keys. This does not support fluid scale passage playing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">A second rule we want to consider is using the same finger pattern in the minor key scales (natural, harmonic, and melodic) as we have used in that key’s relative major key. However, again we must keep in mind that a thumb does play on a black key, and this is the area where many novice players struggle with patterns.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">The last, or third, finger pattern consideration comes into play when we have scales that contain many black keys. When the area of the keyboard where two black keys are positioned between C-D-E, the flow of the pattern favors fingers two and three for the black keys on both hands. And the area of the keyboard where three black keys are grouped together between notes F-G-A-B, favors fingers two, three, and four on the black keys. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Scales that use <i>standard fingering</i> in both hands are:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> <b>C major</b> and its relative <b>a minor</b> forms <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> <b>G major</b> and its relative <b>e minor</b> forms<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> <b>D major<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b> A major<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b> E major<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b> c minor </b>forms<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> <b>g minor</b> forms<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> <b>d minor </b>forms<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>b minor</b>, D major’s relative minor key, uses standard fingering in the right hand, but must shift the left-hand fingering to the pattern 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 in all forms (harmonic, melodic, and natural.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>f# minor,</b> A major’s relative minor key, offers a confusing finger pattern. Logically the left hand would follow the same finger pattern as the A major scale. This would allow us to use the same pattern for all three forms of the minor scale in the left hand 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3. Instead, the third rule is used: L.H. 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 all f# minor forms.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">In the right hand of the f# minor scales, the fingering that would follow the A major pattern looks logical for the natural and harmonic forms and that fingering is used in those forms. However, in the f# melodic pattern ascending in the right hand, we would end up with a thumb on D#. To remedy this the fingering is altered from traditional patterns and the fourth finger is substituted to play the D# on the ascension of the scale with the thumb playing the E#. Then the third finger plays the top F# and the original pattern used in the natural and harmonic forms (which aligns with A major) returns on the descending scale pattern.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 harmonic and natural R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-4-1-3 melodic ascending <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>c# minor</b>, E major’s relative key, follows the same trail as F# minor. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">L.H. 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 for all C# minor forms (this follows the E major finger pattern)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 harmonic and natural R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-4-1-3 melodic ascending<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>B major </b>uses standard fingering for the right hand. The left-hand pattern for B major must shift to 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 to avoid a thumb on a black key. (You may notice that B major and b minor keys use the same finger patterns in both hands. These keys are not relative to one another, they are parallel to one another.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">The<b> g# minor </b>right-hand pattern follows B major fingering for all forms starting on G#, 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3. The left-hand pattern for the harmonic form and the ascending melodic form is 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 which differs from B major’s pattern. The natural pattern aligns with the B major finger pattern. Melodic ascending, natural descending: L.H. 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3-<span style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in;">4-1-2-3-1-2-3 </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Gb major</b> follows the third rule for both hands (the key of F# is enharmonic to Gb)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">R.H. 2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2 L.H. 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>eb minor</b>, Gb major’s relative key, follows Gb major’s pattern in the right and the left hands:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">R.H. 3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3 L.H. 2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2 <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Db major</b> also follows the third rule in its scale finger pattern.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">R.H. 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2 L.H. 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>bb minor</b>, Db major’s relative key, follow Db major’s finger pattern in all its minor forms starting on the Bb note:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">R.H. 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4 L.H. 2-1-3-2-1-4-3-2<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Ab Major</b> follows the third rule in the fingering pattern of the right hand. However, in the left hand the fingering pattern is shifted which offers more flow to the left-hand pattern. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 L.H. 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>f minor</b>, Ab major’s relative key, uses the right-hand Ab scale pattern for all three minor forms: R.H. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. The left hand of f minor uses the standard finger pattern for all three forms.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Eb major</b> uses an unfamiliar pattern in the right 3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3 and the left 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3. The bright spot with this scale pattern is when played in contrary motion (hands together) the finger patterns are symmetrical.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Bb major</b> is another unfamiliar finger pattern in both hands. The right-hand finger pattern is 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4. The left-hand finger pattern 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3. For some students it helps to remember that when the hands play in parallel motion, the R.H. finger 3 is on the note Bb, your left-hand finger 4 will be on Bb as well. Likewise, when your L.H. finger 4 is on Eb your R.H. finger 3 will be on Eb. Focusing on the finger 3-4 combinations can help you remember the finger patterns for this scale.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>F major</b> uses the standard finger pattern in the left hand. In the right hand the pattern shifts to 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 to avoid using a thumb on the scale tone Bb. (Although unrelated, some like to compare F major’s finger patterns to the B major patterns because they are opposites. In B major the right hand has standard fingering, and the left hand uses the 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1.) <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p>All Rights Reserved by Dolly Paul and Low Country Studios, Ltd. Co. (c) June 2022</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-46609728887388021162022-07-20T16:30:00.004-04:002022-07-23T10:52:02.774-04:00Incorporating Theory at All Levels Provides for Lifelong Playing<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a child I remember a classroom music teacher telling us that </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">the musician's work was studying, practicing, performing, and sharing music.</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> I heard that statement again in my undergraduate and graduate music education. The first part of that statement, </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">studying,</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> is the reason I have always made written music theory assignments a part of my students' lessons. Reading about music, thinking about what you just read, and understanding that element of music enough to be able to write it down, takes the application of music (playing on the instrument) to a higher level. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love the "aha moments" when students make the connection between what they have learned in a theory assignment to what they are playing on their instrument. It always leads to them being a better and more confident player.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was surprised when I met private music instructors who did not include music theory, technic, and/or scales in their students' music lessons. And they were just as surprised that I chose to include these elements. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The oddest parent to teacher experience I have ever had was with a child who came to me from a teacher who had moved on to another field. The parent was very upset that I gave homework to her daughter. She did not understand why the daughter had to do written work and practice on an instrument between lessons. The woman was well educated - but could not comprehend the need to do anything outside of the private music lesson time. She withdrew from my studio and found another teacher that would serve her request. The daughter was not challenged in any way, mentally or emotionally, and was a teenager who had been with the previous private music teacher for a number of years. Sadly, I found that students who had worked with this teacher played everything through rote learning: they could not read music at any level. Many had no knowledge of the key names on the instrument. It really blew my mind that parents had accepted this.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The revelation for me was the fact that there are teachers who charge more than the average fee for private lessons, yet don't provide a full music education...and people accept that. I discovered later on that this approach has actually become a standard method of teaching commercially. Because this method never gives the student reading skills, in order to play even the simplest music score on their instrument would require complete dependence on that teacher showing them how to play by rote. Then, unless the student had an above average memory, they would never be able to play this song again after moving on to a new piece. I see this as a cruel marketing angle - it is <i>not</i> giving a person a music education - and I was shocked to learn it is very common.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we are young we learn how to spell words, the function of words in a sentence, and how to begin a sentence with a capitalized word and end a sentence with a period, etc. If we did not learn how to read and write, would our conversations be as rich? If we did not know how to put thoughts down on paper, what would life be like? Music is a language, and learning how to use that language from a written function in addition to a kinetic and applied function makes it a full rich skill and language that any private student should be able to access beyond their years of education and training.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An education in music theory needs to start at the first lesson. It can be approached simply and in small bites for the young or challenged learner. And it will allow the student to play independently years after ending their lessons, which is the hope for every student that comes to this studio.</span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-79563251793721801132022-05-15T15:50:00.001-04:002022-05-15T15:53:21.904-04:00Blackwater Ukulele Festival #7<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I had a great time teaching a beginner class for ukulele at the Blackwater Ukulele Festival this past Saturday in Cypress Gardens. Jim Ravoira did a fantastic job, as always, getting the volunteers together and providing a welcoming festival for performers, vendors, ukulele enthusiasts, and players. This was the seventh festival and benefitted the Berkley Animal Shelter and the Magdalene House of Charleston. Festival performers included the Charleston Hot Shots, Lil' Uke Band, and Nathan Gabriel Miller. An open mic segment provided an opportunity for amateur ukulele players to get their feet wet in performing on a live stage. Participants came down from Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Georgetown, and up from Georgia. Vendors included a music instrument shop, live plant shop on wheels, stickers, jewelry, art, food, and more. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A fun event I hope to see continue. For those in the Charleston area who are interested in learning more about the ukulele and ukulele gatherings, follow Low Country Studios on Facebook, and the Charleston Ukulele Society on Facebook. </span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-49863464679204075802022-03-29T14:22:00.006-04:002022-03-29T14:28:24.990-04:00Music Teacher or Music Coach?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Advancing music students often work with a private music teacher as well as a separate music coach. However, most parents I've come into contact with don't understand the differences between these two positions, or the importance of each to their child's education. While school age children often work with one private instrument teacher who wears both hats, students attending music and arts public schools, and students on professional tracks, need both of these individuals.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Music students in larger cities, where the arts have always prospered, can easily tell you what the function of each music mentor is within their circle. When I worked with children performing in national tours I always knew who to consult for the child's lesson or coaching plans. And I knew my boundaries in my capacity as their teacher, or their coach, for that tour. If I ever slipped into the wrong role those little kids would let me know right away! These students clearly knew what they were supposed to gain from a music teacher and what they were supposed to gain from a music coach. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Students from smaller towns, who play on progressive sports teams, can tell you very clearly the difference between their private trainer and their coach. I often use sports examples to explain the differences between music education providers to my students. But there are still some parents, and students, who consider anyone who works with them in music education as the child's music teacher. And when the roles become blurred a student's music education can go sideways. I know that many of you have heard a parent say, "Well I just assumed the public school teacher did the same thing so we stopped private lessons - I didn't know." Or had a parent who insisted that one (either the coach or the teacher) be subservient to the other. Not understanding the different roles and importance of each of these music mentors to their child's progress also confuses the student. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the push to put the arts into STEM, many communities are seeing the advent of public secondary schools labelled "Arts and/or Music Schools." While attending a secondary public education in an arts school, a child will continue growing with a private music teacher while the public school teacher becomes the student's music coach. [It is rare to see the student's public school music teacher as their private music teacher and, for ethics reasons, most teachers keep these boundaries clear. But in instances where a student's family may be struggling financially, a public school teacher can also step in as a student's private music teacher.]</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, what is the difference between a music teacher and a music coach?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A teacher is the term for anyone who provides one-on-one music instruction of any kind - instrumental, theoretical, historical, compositional, arranging, et cetera. A teacher is the full-service educator. A teacher builds a student's musical knowledge (theoretical) as well as their playing (applied) abilities. A teacher practices with the student at lessons to help the student understand instruction on how to practice. They develop lesson plans for a student's progressive progress as a musician. They teach a student how to; interpret different periods of music or different composers, how to read music, develop technic on their instrument, performance practices, theory, and some will also offer music history supplements. Lesson assignments will include exercises, practice guidelines, written or reading homework, repertoire selections to build skills, and repertoire selections for upcoming auditions and performances. A private music teacher will find or create performance opportunities for the student. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A music coach will not teach a student pieces from scratch. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unlike a teacher, where there are regular standing appointments for instruction, a coach often offers appointments as needed. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">A coach may guide a student with personal artistic choices as they work on a piece of music - and offer guidance on the music the student has already learned with their private teacher at the coaching session. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A primary or secondary music school teacher often has to wear both hats (teacher and coach) due to the fact that there are families that cannot afford private instrument lessons. Public music school teachers are often found in the roles of:</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> instrument division heads, ensemble directors, band directors, choir directors, theory division heads, and history division heads. In more prestigious arts schools, the public teacher takes the role of a music coach for the student while the student continues to study privately with their own music teacher. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have known instances where teachers have unfortunately convinced their professional track students that they don't need a coach and the student no longer seeks out a coach for performance preparations. This is not beneficial for the student and you can see the decline in the student's performance when this happens. I have also known of coaches who bring technic into sessions and start teaching the student. Technic is not an area of coaching. This can confuse a student and/or cause physical injury to a student who has developed under a different playing technic. The best situations I have seen have arisen from teachers and coaches that work together for the benefit of the student, respecting one another's boundaries. This type of teamwork has created some of the most successful performers. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"># # #</span></p><p><br /></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-92067790167219068852022-02-09T12:42:00.001-05:002022-02-09T12:42:58.687-05:00Composers for Piano of Asian Heritage<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy day 9 of the Chinese Lunar New Year!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Francis Clark Center presented Piano Music by Composers of Asian Heritage this morning. Each composer shared their process and their music that is suitable for early to advanced levels. Here is a brief look at each composer along with information on how to access their music. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Naoko Ikeda, lives in Sapporo Japan. Her music is published through Willis Music Company. Her complete catalogue is available at the <a href="https://www.halleonard.com/search/search.action?keywords=Naoko+Ikeda&searchcategory=00&searchtype=product&dt=item#products" target="_blank">Hal Leonard website</a>. Naoko incorporates the Japanese Scale in her compositions. The melodies are lovely and captivating. One piece I will be ordering for my studio is "Shooting Stars in Summer" from Celestial Dreams. This piece is also available in the RCM (Royal Academy of Music) Level 8 Piano Repertoire. It is a mid-intermediate selection.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Li-ly Chang grew up in Taiwan and now resides in the U.S. Li-ly uses mixed styles of pentatonic, quartile, quintal chords, some jazz and blues flavors, and paints a story with her music. A complete list of Li-Ly Chang's music can be found at <a href="http://www.lilychangpiano.com/my-compositions" target="_blank">Lily Chang Piano</a>. Her late beginner-early intermediate level pieces "Snow Play" and "Grasshopper's Waltz" are fun pieces I hope to incorporate in my studio. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chee-Hwa Tan is Malaysian Chinese and now resides in Colorado. Many of her works can be found on <a href="https://pianosafari.com/?s=Chee-Hwa+Tan&post_type=product" target="_blank">Piano Safari</a>. Chee-Hwa's pieces have a strong pedagogical focus and will be fun to learn. Her pieces start from Early Elementary.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Alexina Louie is Canadian Chinese. She uses contemporary composition styles and experiments with pedal resonance in her works. These pieces are wonderful choices for students who are interested in learning about, and performing in, contemporary styles. Alexina's music is available at the Canadian Music Center and Alfred Music. You can visit her personal website <a href="http://www.alexinalouie.ca" target="_blank">Alexina Louie</a></span></p><p><br /></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-57018723300827233632022-01-22T22:27:00.005-05:002022-01-23T16:38:07.103-05:00Learning to Improvise with Basic Jazz Chords and their Scales<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the first questions students ask me is, "How do I know what notes to use for improvising?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Every chord that you see on your lead sheet has come from a scale. We are going to start today by looking at five basic scales you can use to improvise within chord areas on your lead sheets. These five scales are a good start for beginners. As you gain experience you will learn more chords, and more scale choices for each chord. Your teacher has probably started you on a lead sheet that contains the following basic chord forms. We will use the key of C as our example.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_ctpsMcPTNNzWfpzypxbzMFZJrmatq0ecJ1dqRaxw1wJ_9BP-oPAHr8mLEQcgTt-3gyArftjl5VOY19gk44yGNG2ZgdvxwDnHCbQgSIGwkPGJQLFFbUDtfxtCOA1RqUzTRlzhDpaFCUczNbJUsZQSKZ6s3gWYmYvaa8ij6BsCAhozKXwIxv50ERf1=s1489" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="1489" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_ctpsMcPTNNzWfpzypxbzMFZJrmatq0ecJ1dqRaxw1wJ_9BP-oPAHr8mLEQcgTt-3gyArftjl5VOY19gk44yGNG2ZgdvxwDnHCbQgSIGwkPGJQLFFbUDtfxtCOA1RqUzTRlzhDpaFCUczNbJUsZQSKZ6s3gWYmYvaa8ij6BsCAhozKXwIxv50ERf1=w400-h155" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now that you know each chord's name, let's look at the spelling of each of the above chords:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiddjeAcat4r7LyPVLXl-Ao5Vs1Hy5gKis1Vy2VzWfSccmvP6nHFbjR6ll38GS1bxYalutG0ER2YR2yz1hrX-YNgFrNCI3zp1lNX8cwGewW5Z-2ivQNciSamPXpjBxR_0OCJA451bhGUqjTmZrWRJ9m_15dEJCHejhNwhUhpf31Be-FJGgwIFp8kj5Q=s1489" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="1489" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiddjeAcat4r7LyPVLXl-Ao5Vs1Hy5gKis1Vy2VzWfSccmvP6nHFbjR6ll38GS1bxYalutG0ER2YR2yz1hrX-YNgFrNCI3zp1lNX8cwGewW5Z-2ivQNciSamPXpjBxR_0OCJA451bhGUqjTmZrWRJ9m_15dEJCHejhNwhUhpf31Be-FJGgwIFp8kj5Q=w400-h155" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now refer back to the chord name in the first chart, this is also the scale name we will use. Here is the pattern for each scale in whole steps (W) and half steps (H):</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUogfUytc9tqDFUcujKBn6-fjgi0AUSboAumnnLZH-qr652dGKXyLqyhFM42KqSdAyGGOJzczg8Lt7hCfUrcKu_4IWI7yX4PZ4pjGpvQvkcZgnj5BDnK8ffcVCDbDyGCa6hOoM_opjssP0xheo-GdUejw6myX5OYE8x7cWgjV-Aej6CPxFi3-sfNcM=s1489" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="1489" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUogfUytc9tqDFUcujKBn6-fjgi0AUSboAumnnLZH-qr652dGKXyLqyhFM42KqSdAyGGOJzczg8Lt7hCfUrcKu_4IWI7yX4PZ4pjGpvQvkcZgnj5BDnK8ffcVCDbDyGCa6hOoM_opjssP0xheo-GdUejw6myX5OYE8x7cWgjV-Aej6CPxFi3-sfNcM=w400-h155" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now we will use those patterns in the key of C so you can see how to use the patterns with any other key:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyRzMdNw0EgJv0OB5E7qiKbx3poZ-bfhc9zRlYkAJHkHvFrJ46mEjoRD_l_wachbKDDJ3cmAR5e5mfAmvQkTGdVDxoVB36MlqQH7FV2bsFohV3mD4U0D6fbI5ll0MHGIAwiUe2lgnyASHUGrTn9VxtUTDHEPFUABX-BXXXDZz89ytsCQDK-U6hAAl2=s1489" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="1489" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyRzMdNw0EgJv0OB5E7qiKbx3poZ-bfhc9zRlYkAJHkHvFrJ46mEjoRD_l_wachbKDDJ3cmAR5e5mfAmvQkTGdVDxoVB36MlqQH7FV2bsFohV3mD4U0D6fbI5ll0MHGIAwiUe2lgnyASHUGrTn9VxtUTDHEPFUABX-BXXXDZz89ytsCQDK-U6hAAl2=w400-h155" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Within the rhythm of the chord on your lead sheet, you can practice playing the solid chord, in any inversion in your left hand, and improvising over that chord using the corresponding scale notes in your right hand. Take your time. Enjoy the process. </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span></div><br /><p><br /></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-79723748021487470872022-01-17T15:29:00.003-05:002022-01-17T15:29:46.198-05:00Music for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day<p style="text-align: justify;"> "Musicians are not politicians." Those were the first words I heard when I started college. Sitting in front of me, in my first theory class that freshman year, was a middle-aged professor who had on sandals and white crew socks. He was an internationally recognized organist and a very gentle spirit. Outside the window professors from other disciplines were on strike. In, not so many words, he told us we would serve many religions in our lifetimes, and provide music for many secular gatherings. We would play music to support beliefs that were not our own. We would belong to musicians unions, professional music organizations, and eventually teach music to others. And we would learn to do the work without taking sides. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Most of my peers in college were working church musicians, PKs (preacher's kids), or hoping to work in the sacred music industry. One young man was on the path to becoming a Jesuit Priest. Another had already landed a respected organist position in the Archdiocese in Detroit. (Not being a Catholic and having lived in many different places since those days, I have learned that the Jesuits are some of the most passionate workers for their communities. I was quite shocked when I came to Charleston and realized priests here were allowed to amass their own wealth and did not have to take the same vows as other priests I had known.) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first young man I became friends with in college directed the music for his father's church. Both of his parents had numbers tattooed on their arms from their days of captivity. His dear mother never slept. His father was a strong man of faith and had no doubt that Jesus had saved him and his wife from death. His father's story of how his life was miraculously spared from death during the Holocaust was moving. He started, perhaps, one of the first Jewish led churches that preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ when he arrived in the States. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The next student I became friends with told me of how her mother had marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. And then others shared the same story about their parents. Another had a father who was a construction worker and who literally built the church that he led. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We were all children born in the 60s being raised in the greater Detroit area. Riots and other news of the day was calmly presented by local newscasters with just the facts - not the media frenzy you see today. And our parents, aunts, and uncles, and neighbors who had lived through the Depression and served in World War II were reminiscing about their pasts and seeing the World change right before their eyes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And through it all, music was there. Folk artists were playing songs on the radio that are still sung during remembrances on Martin Luther King Jr Day. Motown music was on the radio along with songs from the 40s and 50s that were popular with our parents when they were young. Unlike today's stations that only play current hits, or one type of music, it seemed like the songs from every generation had come together at one time on the popular music stations. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And so there we were, witnessing something at that young age, that went against what my professor would tell us as young adults sitting in a college classroom. Later in our Music History classes we would learn that Mozart's operas were often political satires, and other great works had political overtones as well. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But what about the Civil Rights Movement music today; What are songs that are still a part of remembering the peaceful work of Martin Luther King, Jr. ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">On the morning before Reverend Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, D.C., the folk singer Joan Baez opened the event with her singing of the song "Oh, Freedom." It became an anthem of the movement. <b>Oh Freedom</b> was a tune that had been sung by enslaved Black people. "Oh, Freedom. Oh Freedom over me! Before I'll be a slave I will be buried in my grave..." </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>We Shall Overcome</b> started as a spiritual titled "I'll Be Alright Someday." It was a song used by the Tobacco Workers Union in 1946. It found its way to the Highlander Folk School where the school's director Zilphia Horton and others, adapted it to the struggles of their current labor movement and began using the lyrics, We Will Overcome. Zilphia Horton taught the song to Pete Seeger. Seeger changed the lyrics to We Shall Overcome. The song was used at a non-violent student rally in South Carolina and has become a recognized song for the civil rights movement. "Deep in my heart, I do believe. We shall overcome some day."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>This Little Light of Mine</b> is a children's song, and a spiritual. It was sung during the civil rights era to encourage personal empowerment. "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine all over the World." </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>We Shall Not Be Moved</b> was sung in union halls and also became part of the civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s. "Like a tree planted by the water, I shall not be moved."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the late 30s the civil rights movement was in its beginning stages. The well-known jazz singer Billie Holiday premiered a song written by a Jewish schoolteacher named Abel Meeropol. The song was <b>Strange Fruit.</b> "Strange trees bear strange fruit. Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze. Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees." </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Bob Dylan recorded two songs that found their way into the civil rights music file. <b>Blowin' in the Wind,</b> he said, was not a protest song. It just raised questions that needed to be raised. Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul & Mary also recorded this work. Dylan's second song was more raw. <b>Only A Pawn in Their Game</b> was about the assassination of Medgar Evers. Dylan brought to light his thoughts that the murder of Evers wasn't just an issue between the assassin and his target, but a larger overbearing issue that needed repair. "And he's taught how to walk in a pack, shoot in the back, with his fist in a clinch, to hang and to Lynch...He ain't got no name, but it ain't him to blame, he's only a pawn in their game."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Music has a history of defining its place in time. Even our popular music, music of the people, is carrying its own story for others to look back on. How will our music footprint be interpreted by people 100 years from today? Will they hear reflections of our financial collapse in the mid 2000s, the pandemic we are currently witnessing, the struggles of others around the World at present day?</p><p><br /></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-13943175028007676702022-01-12T20:07:00.005-05:002022-01-12T20:11:49.505-05:00Reasons for Recitals<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy 2022! I am moving into this new year like a turtle. And, I have decided that is okay! </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There has been a lot of discussion on private music instructor boards as to why we give recitals. And in this post, I want to highlight some of the reasons I believe group performances are important for students. But first I want to give a broad view of the contrasting opinions about recitals, or public performances, I have read from other private music teachers. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some believe recitals are important for students and offer online and in-person opportunities when possible at their own expense. Some teachers have a belief that it is too much work for the teacher and an archaic practice: They believe students should find their own performance platforms as part of the learning experience. Other teachers believe it is an expense that should be payed for by parents, instead of instructors, through the sale of tickets. And there are many other thoughts and opinions from teachers from around the world. Every teacher has a solid reason for the way they decide to, or decide not to, offer recital opportunities for their students. I am an advocate for live performances arranged by the studio instructor. I believe there are important benefits that are provided to students from participation in live performances.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Music performance is a living art form that happens in the present and can never be reproduced identically. Music has historically brought people together to experience a live art form. So much of what we experience as art today is preserved. What I mean by that is most music is pre-recorded for distribution; mp3s, videos, etc. Those are wonderful ways of sharing music, but the music is not alive in those forms. Live music is art in the now that can not be replicated. It combines with the sense of place - people, smells, temperature, lighting, architecture of the room, attitude of the audience, attitude of the musicians, etc. That unpredictable set of circumstances joins with the live music performance creating the art form in that singular moment. That is the beauty of live music, and that is one of the most important reasons why we study and perform live music for others.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Performing live music builds community. The students, who may never see any other students from a music studio, come together for a common purpose. The students meet, the families meet, and together with the instructor a new community is built. Young students are able to hear older students who may be at their same level. The realization that age and background has no place in art is often a boon to children and adult students alike. Anyone can be a beginner at any age, and any one can be more accomplished at any age. This gives a new feeling of support to each student, and the families also feel a bond with other musical families.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Affirmations of goals met. When a student practices, does the work, shows up, and plays for others, that is a measurable goal that is important for the student, families, and community who can see and affirm that the musician is growing and becoming more proficient at their art.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Education for the outsider. Over the years I have had people approach me who have "wandered" into a recital. Most have never heard a live student recital and they share how they become involved with each performer as they watch and listen. They begin to feel like they are a part of the collective and experience the energy of the room as each student's personality is revealed in their performance.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Student recitals/concerts are very important because they: provide a living art form, build community, provide for goal setting and affirmations, educate outsiders. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Keep encouraging your students toward live opportunities! </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-74675070986525351192021-12-14T14:21:00.000-05:002021-12-14T14:21:25.400-05:00The Season of Music<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We had a great time together on December 5th sharing music that first time performers bravely shared with family and friends. Adults and Children joined in to share Holiday Favorites and more. Congratulations to these musicians! And a special thanks to Annie O Love's Cafe of Sweet Abundance for allowing us to occupy her fun space for this event.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJTJL9MTxiJUVv_Rrt1V4wf9vQ_RZ4cPBIeqgqssI3Y2rMPKdUEzF4F8VtMoHOjyrqEksOVig1PAi4lFcMMlwp1gR9D7X9sZZSB-6dGCiKNzE_mmjN6ZPJQep2xTZhCxj3e8dxK-FuSXvSm9CymnNYyksHXZxRCQL7FZAx5Szjozc-YphTcUcOZUjl=s1040" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1040" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJTJL9MTxiJUVv_Rrt1V4wf9vQ_RZ4cPBIeqgqssI3Y2rMPKdUEzF4F8VtMoHOjyrqEksOVig1PAi4lFcMMlwp1gR9D7X9sZZSB-6dGCiKNzE_mmjN6ZPJQep2xTZhCxj3e8dxK-FuSXvSm9CymnNYyksHXZxRCQL7FZAx5Szjozc-YphTcUcOZUjl=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJisdgzjDJctuJ732-XiizJu09v-d5qBwYfur9PRPf3ESd5f_UENzuS4dQNWVKyYLrfYU40B1395tv2ytJModuxbRz7dYHTVXTwVriZSZcdjXOdq3Eqv144TbNnCeDICdfwVzyz4fLUSaKEAGSsuh2qsOfqDBZDMNy4wyB6GaRs_coi6FMA__Mb704=s1288" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1288" data-original-width="858" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJisdgzjDJctuJ732-XiizJu09v-d5qBwYfur9PRPf3ESd5f_UENzuS4dQNWVKyYLrfYU40B1395tv2ytJModuxbRz7dYHTVXTwVriZSZcdjXOdq3Eqv144TbNnCeDICdfwVzyz4fLUSaKEAGSsuh2qsOfqDBZDMNy4wyB6GaRs_coi6FMA__Mb704=s320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjy6Tz8DqnVTIjf_dYj95-mKrU4RBV8ncu1hp6kELph2uxVD-PLvsoUbmeXhBgfDY3ixJAuWDJXE4FYmuNBVtjp4MW46lpwDjWIEwMNmipgf3ycJJQnXki-cjunDn7bnEHdhusw0yALjY8HbyGPdEglnfKHI7BtNcJZuIpbS5KJyFlDBoDcR-6BXt8=s2785" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2243" data-original-width="2785" height="517" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjy6Tz8DqnVTIjf_dYj95-mKrU4RBV8ncu1hp6kELph2uxVD-PLvsoUbmeXhBgfDY3ixJAuWDJXE4FYmuNBVtjp4MW46lpwDjWIEwMNmipgf3ycJJQnXki-cjunDn7bnEHdhusw0yALjY8HbyGPdEglnfKHI7BtNcJZuIpbS5KJyFlDBoDcR-6BXt8=w640-h517" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-8259900069957435962021-10-14T13:45:00.000-04:002021-10-14T13:45:21.900-04:00How Long Should It Take To Get Through A Method Book?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A question I am often asked by young teachers is, "How long should it take my students to get through each method book?" The short answer is 3 - 9 months. The long answer is, it depends on the family. (You thought I was going to say it depends on the student.)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The average student needs parental help to schedule, maintain, and support their music practice and scholastic homework through the age of eleven years. This is the same for after school athletic activities. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>It is interesting to note that athletic coaches realized (about 35 years ago) that parents were no longer encouraging dance and sports routine practice between lessons. Dance studios and soccer coaches took the lead in restructuring private coaching sessions and team classes as a requirement on more than one day a week to be accepted as a student. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">The question I ask all parents in our first encounter is, "What do you hope to see your child achieve through taking private music lessons?" </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because I have had the odd student go far in music when their parents were not supportive, I will always work with each child as if they are on a professional track. However, there is a pattern that follows how the parent answers this question. Here are two examples that are making their way into most pedagogy books because they are so typical. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Example 1:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The parents have no expectations for the child. Someone gave them a piano and their friend's kids take private lessons so they are following the pack. These parents are not looking for their children to perform in recitals or enter any competitions. They will often tell you their child is not ready for a recital when you have expected the child to be in a recital. These parents are rarely supportive of a regular practice schedule. When you ask about home practice time they may answer, "We just don't have time to practice." They, or their children, often have a busy social calendar and will frequently run late or ask to reschedule lessons. If the child attends lessons in person, the parent may be late in picking up the child because they used the time to run an errand instead of staying near to hear how the child is progressing in lessons. This child can take 1 to 3 years to complete one method book and will not do well with additional music or challenges. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Example 2:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The parents are clear about their expectations. They want their child to gain confidence in public speaking and an ease in performing before others. They understand the connection between the sciences and the arts and want to see their child excel in math and science. They want their child to have the option of a studio recital and possibly more. You know the parent has eyes on college and more than a four year degree for this child (medicine, law, business.) This family will have a piano in a prominent place in the home and will make sure their child is prepared for every lesson. It will be rare if they miss a lesson. The parent will often be near the child during their regular home practice sessions and will ask the child thoughtful questions about their music to encourage continued interest. If the child has a healthy balance between family fun time and homework, they will usually complete each method book in 3 - 9 months and enjoy taking on challenging pieces, attending live, or watching youtube concerts with their parents, working toward music assessments or certifications, and more. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of course there is every type of scenario in between the two examples above. However, if you ask any private music teacher or athletic coach, who has worked in their field for many years, they will tell you that they always have students in these two categories. There are instructors and coaches who refuse to work with students in the first example, and they will eliminate students who do not continue to show expected improvement. These instructors/coaches will only take students who pass entrance auditions for their music studio, or compete to gain a place on a sports team.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><!--more--><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Method books have been developed to start children in piano studies within the age range of 6 - 8 years. This is because the average child is mentally and physically prepared to begin private piano study at the age of 7 with adult support. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Knowing that the average child will complete a method grade in 6 months you should see this timeline of progress:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>6 - 7 years</b> Method Primer and Grade 1 completed</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>7 - 8 years</b> Method Grades 2 and 3 completed </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The two organizations that are recognized World wide for music achievement are the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>Teachers may consider entering students on the Royal Conservatory of Music path upon entering Method book 2. The RCM Exam level would be Prep A, Prep B. For Method book 3 the RCM Exam level would be level 1 at the beginning of method 3, and level 2 toward the end of Method 3.</span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) exams may begin when a student has achieved Method 3 books. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>8 - 9 years</b> Method Grades 4 and 5 completed</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These Methods would correspond with the abilities and knowledge needed for exam levels 2 and 3 in RCM and ABRSM.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>10 - 12 years</b> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Completion of Graded Methods is hoped for during this age range with students beginning work on standard classical literature. If a student has not made graded progress by the time they reach puberty, this is usually where they will lose interest and quit. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">By age 12 a child, who has started lessons by age 7 or 8, would have completed all their methods and be studying standard literature. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The average student can expect to reach RCM level 8 by the time they complete high school. RCM level 10 concludes with the Associate Diploma of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The highest level of the RCM is the LRCT (licentiate) and is the skill level equivalent to a master's degree from a University. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unfortunately there is no U.S. recognized standard, or music accreditation, until students complete a music degree at a University. There are organizations that offer </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">assessments and awards </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">such as the National Guild of Piano Teachers, the Music Teachers National Association, and the National Federation of Music Teachers. Professional memberships must be held by their private instructor for students to enter these assessments. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the advent of the pandemic, music assessments and exams throughout the World became virtual in 2021. The expense to structure this opportunity led to RCM and ABRSM now actively welcoming U.S. students to take part in their exams. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many American families do not to see the value of structured progress in music through organizations like RCM. But globally recognized exams, along with our national assessment organizations, can be vehicles to encourage consistent practice and completion of Methods to parents. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I hope this information has been helpful to piano instructors who are beginning on the private teaching career path. Please feel free to leave questions or comments, or contact me directly regarding this topic. </span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-25599552594317918942021-09-20T23:40:00.001-04:002021-09-20T23:44:07.219-04:00What Administrative Tasks Slow Your Work Flow? Have You Narrowed Down The Reason?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The topic of Work Flow has come up quite a bit on professional boards. This past week FONS (Fons means "fountain" in Latin) founder, Eric Branner, asked what we all were planning for the weekend. Like most of us, he shared that his studio/office was a disaster. He had a load to take to goodwill, tools and instruments everywhere, and a ton of administrative work to handle. AND, he still had family responsibilities that included taking the kids to soccer and basketball. But the administrative needs were the most abundant and unpleasant for him and for everyone else on the board - including me.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Therefore I decided to track down the exact area of administrative work that was stopping my flow. To do this, I had to separate the work into divisions: bookkeeping, social media, lesson preparation, advertising/marketing, reviewing meeting minutes, clearing out old files, scheduling, reading emails, periodicals, articles, and memos, et cetera, and then break down each task to see what was getting the least attention or what was being avoided.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I found that the task that I avoid, and that takes most of my time, is required reading. Periodicals stack up, and company or professional organization emails give me the shivers. Dealing with them is unpleasant and can usurp my weekend. I love to read books, but reading through my business memos, emails, and professional periodicals seems to challenge me the most. But why? Why do I procrastinate in that area? And why can I fly through a book but find myself crawling through business readings? Then one of the answers became obvious as I was going through guitar center company posts on my feed: I don't like </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Initialism </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">and it seems to be abundant</span><i style="font-family: verdana;">. </i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I did my graduate work in Arts Administration, our professors made it clear that the first time we mentioned a position, organization, function, or anything else in a memo, email, paper, or conversation - we should fully state the name with the initials that we would use as we continued. We were told it was good business etiquette to do this even within organizations where everyone may be familiar with the use of the initials. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As I read through the electronic posts, and the hard copies this past weekend, I had to keep stopping and researching initials. In many instances, I couldn't find what the initials stood for, online or, within the company sites. This was bringing the task to a pause more than I would have liked. It was frustrating, and searching for the meaning of the initials was very time consuming. (I have to admit that some of those emails and memos that didn't impact me directly went right into the trash.)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In today's business world using initials indicates to others that you are an insider. But as the use of initialism (and acronyms) continues to rise, using them (<i>without them being defined when first presented) </i>may deter your audience, or worse, confuse them. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Like everyone, I will still be confronted with initials that are not defined in company emails and professional articles. Knowing that initialism hinders my speed at task completion can help me decide which business readings get closure and which ones stay in the pile until the next weekend.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">How do you feel about the use of initials, and new acronyms, when used without opening definitions? Do you flow easily with them, or do you feel that they cloud your ability to complete your required reading in a timely manner?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-53498658837254552452021-08-23T00:07:00.007-04:002021-08-25T14:24:08.486-04:00Private Music Studios in Today's Climate<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The daily email blasts from professional music organizations and music teaching studio employers, regarding the pandemic, is enough to keep any instructor scratching their head.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Everyone wants to know when in-person lessons will truly be safe again. Teachers are doing their best to make informed choices with guidelines set forth by the organizations that insure them and/or, the businesses that employ them. It can be overwhelming - especially for beginning teachers. Fortunately, there are a number of private music teacher boards that have popped up during the pandemic and have been a welcome help in sorting out the guidelines and regulations. The biggest message to teachers from all of the organizations around the World is this, "Don't let business owners, students, or parents bully you." Parents are beyond stressed and businesses want people coming through their doors. You have to remember that they are under a lot of pressure, too. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>You are responsible to all of your students, their families, yourself, and your family: Keep that in mind when deciding what the best choice is for your studio size and student load.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have put all of the information that is current to me into bullet points for my colleagues. Keep in mind that all of this can change tomorrow. Keep in mind that there are teachers who flirt with regulations and will not be following the guidelines. And, keep in mind that it is wise to do your own research to decide what is comfortable for your studio's wellness. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Guidelines and regulations for going back to in-person lessons in a public studio</b> (This is for a multi-room facility where you may work for another party as an employee, or on a teaching commission):</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The teacher will be in a studio large enough to accommodate two people (student and teacher), and two separate instruments, with a distance of 7 feet between the student and teacher. </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The scheduling gap time between students, for air circulation and disinfecting of common surfaces, is now 15 minutes. You will need to re-arrange your students' lesson times if you were on a 30 minute block schedule.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the case of smaller instruments, teachers may alternate between two studios to avoid the 15 minute gap. When doing this, the studio that is empty needs to remain empty with the door open for circulation. </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Each studio room should have a filtration or air flow system out of the room.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The choice to wear, or not wear, a mask is under the supervision of the local government: Where there is no local government mandate, the business owner, and the private instructor, will set the guideline. </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The choice to request proof of vaccination for students 12 years of age and older is at the discretion of the public business owner and/or the instructor. Students younger than 12 years of age may be asked to present a negative covid test before each lesson.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wind, Brass, and Voice instruments are heavily cautioned. Voice is completely restricted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the American Choral Directors Society. Wind and Brass may continue with full instrument coverage and plexiglas separation between teacher and student. Again keeping the 7 feet separation.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">No other siblings, students, or guardians should be in the room. The space is limited to two persons.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If a student becomes ill and tests positive within two days following a lesson, all students with following lesson times on that same day need to be contacted for testing and possible quarantine. Individuals can spread the infection up to two days before showing symptoms. The teacher will need to be tested and quarantine. (This may be problematic if the parent does not consider contacting the business or the instructor.)</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Single, In Home, Teaching Studios:</b></div></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><p>All of the Comments and Guidelines for public studios apply.</p></span><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Only the student should enter the home of the instructor. Siblings and parents/guardians are expected to wait outside, or in their vehicle.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Students are not allowed early entry. Instruct parents to park and wait with their child in their vehicle if they arrive early. (Texting the student when you are prepared for them is recommended.)</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If the student appears ill or feverish they must not be admitted. Teachers may need to meet students outside to assess each student before bringing the student inside. (For homes with a covered porch, a waiting area can be set up outside of the home on the porch.)</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When a student's time is complete the student leaves the instructor's residence and waits outside for their parent/guardian to pick them up. </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The instructor will schedule a 15 minute block between students to clean common surfaces and air out the studio room. </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In transferring back to in person sessions it will become evident that there is less time for in person lessons than online lessons. Most 30 minute in-person lessons average 20 minutes of work. The remaining time is used for removing shoes and jackets, arranging books and supplies, washing hands, using the restroom, settling in, etc. </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You will need to close the student's lesson up to 5 minutes earlier to allow them to gather their belongings, put on shoes or jackets, etc., for timely exit so preparations can be made for the next student.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Remind parents to have their children use the restroom before arriving at your home studio to avoid extra time in disinfecting the restroom between students.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Payments should be taken through electronic means. Encourage parents to speak with you through emails or texts to allow for as much lesson time as possible for their child. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Private music teachers in the U.S. appear to be the most unsure of the regulations that guide their profession at this time. Private music teachers from other countries are showing a more clear and more unified understanding of what their countries have directed. (This may also be due to the fact that other countries have heavier licensing and education requirements for private music teachers than the U.S.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Everyone's decision process will be different. I am online to stay for a few reasons; </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have had at least one student every month who has been exposed or has been ill. (If I had been teaching in-person I would have had to go through a number of quarantines myself and all of my local students would have been exposed.) </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have students that live too far outside of the area for in-person lessons. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Expanding 30-6o minute blocks to teaching blocks with an additional 15 minute "clearing block", just won't work for many of my students who already have to shuffle times between extra curricular activities. </span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having said why I am staying online, and knowing that I will always have online students, I still really miss seeing my younger students in person. Like most of you, I keep watching the information that is coming out from specialists that our professional organizations consult, every day. And I know that tomorrow everything can change again. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> * * *</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stay centered and keep in touch. I would be interested in knowing if you have; discontinued teaching and are considering returning at a later time, are staying online, or have found a safe way to return to in person teaching. Send your comments and questions to: LowCountryStudios@yahoo.com.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here is more info from Guitar Center and Music & Arts:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoZammU7Rpox1afYEX0VXpASHdj6i0LKBy9XDwUr3S9CclSUErUcD7dafMBzP41hrE5XPIryGdPpfx8-Z9_5_NKKrjW_pz38nXmZtlxjFt5TGdF4z8IOGI87nyF6Vk06T59uUsYSYvaY/s839/HowVirusesTransmittedGC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="839" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoZammU7Rpox1afYEX0VXpASHdj6i0LKBy9XDwUr3S9CclSUErUcD7dafMBzP41hrE5XPIryGdPpfx8-Z9_5_NKKrjW_pz38nXmZtlxjFt5TGdF4z8IOGI87nyF6Vk06T59uUsYSYvaY/w384-h55/HowVirusesTransmittedGC.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">At the Guitar Center Company, we are learning and doing our part together to protect our Associates, customers, and communities from the spread of COVID-19.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you have felt scared, angry, overwhelmed, confused, or all of the above as a result of the virus, <i>you are not alone</i>. Your health and safety are our top priority, and we want to equip you with tools and resources to help keep you informed.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How Do Viruses Spread Between People?</span></b><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></b></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Viruses rely on living things to survive, and their goal is to spread. While they can live a very brief time on surfaces without living cells, they will die quickly if they do not have a live host to latch onto.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Imagine a house guest that comes over uninvited, never leaves, dirties up your house, and gets really comfy on your clean furniture. That is what the virus does to your cells.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Once a virus is in a host cell, its mission is to reproduce as much as possible until the living host’s immune system kicks in and stops it. When you are sick, your body goes through a cycle of symptoms that get progressively worse before (hopefully) getting better. That is because when a virus invades, it easily spreads, causing anything from minor colds to serious diseases. When finally stopped, it—along with its copies—packs its bags and moves to attack another unsuspecting host.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Viruses travel from one live host cell to another through infectious droplets (from sneezing, coughing, or talking) on surfaces or in the air. When someone encounters the droplets, they can get infected. If that happens, the virus can easily pass from one person to the next through close proximity or being indoors with other people.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After the first sign of symptoms, viruses can be contagious for up to two weeks. They can also start to spread <i>before</i> people realize they are sick. For those who are asymptomatic, they never develop any symptoms of illness and are often unaware that they are carrying a contagious virus. And, for those with weakened immune systems, they can spread viruses for even longer because they may not have the capacity to fight the virus in the same way as someone with a stronger immune system.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What is a Variant?</span></b><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></b></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Delta or Lambda – what does it mean? There are times during virus reproduction when the copy made is not a perfect replicate. This is normal and expected virus behavior. What happens, though, is that the virus changes and then proceeds to make additional copies of this now “new” virus. The changed virus is what is referred to as a variant, and in the case of the Delta variant, it is more infectious than other coronavirus strains, spreading faster with the potential for differing symptoms.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6 Ways to Protect Your Loved Ones from Viruses</span></b><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></b></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Viruses can be devastating for communities, and deadly. It is up to us to do what we can to protect those around us and prevent viruses from creating a destructive, domino effect or outbreak, as in the case of COVID-19.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are a few measures that each of us can start or continue doing:</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><ol start="1" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;" type="1"><li class="x_MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Get vaccinated</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> – Get a COVID-19 vaccine to help protect you and others.<b></b></span><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></b></li><li class="x_MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wash your hands</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> – Throughout the day, frequently wash your hands with soap and water – 20 seconds is the magic number. If soap and water is not available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is the next best option.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></li><li class="x_MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t touch your face</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> – Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></li><li class="x_MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Clean and disinfect</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> – Using a disinfectant, clean high traffic surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, tables or desks, faucets, handles, etc.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></li><li class="x_MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Keep a distance </span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">– Maintain social distancing while in public and avoid close contact with those who are sick.</span><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></b></li><li class="x_MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wear a mask</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> – It is the easiest thing we can do to ensure that our communities are safe.</span><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></li></ol><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why Are Vaccines Important?</span></b><b><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></b></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a vaccinated community, a virus has little to no chance of survival. Vaccines have played a significant role in eliminating deadly and highly <a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" href="https://guitarcenter.sharepoint.com/SitePages/How-Vaccines-Work.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #0563c1; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">contagious viral infections</a>, such as measles and polio. They not only stop them from spreading but can prevent the replication that causes variants. When you get vaccinated, you are protecting yourself, your family, and <i>everyone</i> <i>else.</i></span><i><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></i></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>*Not everyone can be vaccinated, age, and medical history, may prohibit vaccination. If you are well and can vaccinate but still have questions, talk with your physician about your concerns. </i></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><i><span color="inherit" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></i></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><tbody></tbody></table></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-43245872670892744822021-07-13T13:22:00.001-04:002021-07-13T13:22:42.874-04:00Keeping A Rehearsal Journal : Journaling for Music Progress<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIponZI-HRzAP5KZ62M4eVAT1_ggn-0GBnLMtPZzFew4Go7KT73aSSdz7ZsdBKWti4HcAg04sQin4KnGEPPmxa-RqDdwrkw42EGvZZ0dWHBzv_JstCoiAGkwzjfym7BawS7gflpNT6uo/s1280/Blog-RehearsalTools.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIponZI-HRzAP5KZ62M4eVAT1_ggn-0GBnLMtPZzFew4Go7KT73aSSdz7ZsdBKWti4HcAg04sQin4KnGEPPmxa-RqDdwrkw42EGvZZ0dWHBzv_JstCoiAGkwzjfym7BawS7gflpNT6uo/w260-h320/Blog-RehearsalTools.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>How Organized Am I?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If I compare how organized I am in my mind to how organized I am in daily life there is a pretty big chasm. As music instructors, coaches, and performers our work can overwhelm us at times, and we often put more effort into progressing others musically through teaching, while making our rehearsal time an afterthought. I have found that consistent journal entries have improved the quality of my rehearsal time and I want to encourage you to do the same to help you see improvement, too. </div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As instructors, we start each student with an assignment book, or email assignments to students/parents at each lesson, to inspire them to a daily practice habit. But when it comes to our own time with our instruments some of us are not as consistent for ourselves. Studio teaching schedules, family obligations, and day to day survival itself is difficult for adult musicians because our schedules are rarely consistent. And not keeping a daily music journal for ourselves can result in; loss of time in performance preparation, forgotten scores, loss of technical agility, anxiety, and other stumbling blocks to continued growth. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>When Do We Start Using Practice Journals?</b> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">By the time we are in college we are expected to keep our own music journals - but I think it is safe to say that not all college students maintain this practice. And once we are out on our own we forget all about rehearsal journals because we mistakenly relate them with lesson assignments from instructors and not with professional growth. We start relying on coaches, conductors, producers, and others to keep us on task with professional rehearsals. And, if we are soloists, we often fool ourselves into believing that we can remember what we accomplished in our last practice session. But, how many times have you found a selection that you started working on months ago, in a stack of books, and wondered how you forgot about that sheet music when it is one of your favorites that you have always wanted in your repertoire? Am I right?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The item we ask all new students to bring to their first lesson is a blank notebook, binder with paper, or commercial assignment book. It is the place to hold goals, it helps them and their teacher to assess where weaknesses may be, provides a path to follow, and is a clear history to look back on so the teacher and the student can visually follow their progress. We are training our students in how to stay the path with a practice journal. But how many of our students read and follow their assignment sheets? How many of them have parents that help them fulfill their assignments? And how many students "lose" their assignments? As much as we might try to stress the importance of this practice log for future reference, its importance is not well received by professional or amateur musicians.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we are young we need to exercise a task, over and over, on our musical instrument until it becomes easier. We are learning new movements, in playing a musical instrument, that are not typical daily motions for the non-musician. Some of my students who take part in sports or dance have sessions with their coaches and teams 4-5 mornings, or nights, every week throughout the year. Because athletes are seeing their coaches on such a frequent basis, the need for a practice journal is not necessary. However, a young musician will only see their instructor once a week. And children need help in repetitive practice. I recently started a child in lessons. Neither parent had purchased an assignment book for the child, so I asked the child to write the date on each page so they knew what to practice for the next week and emailed the family an assignment. You probably guessed that the books were not opened over the week. Making practice a daily habit is one of the biggest hurdles for teachers to instill. An appropriately used assignment book, or rehearsal journal, can help establish a habit that will help move the beginner and the professional musician forward at a faster pace.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>How Can Professionals Use A Rehearsal Journal?</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">How can we best make use of a rehearsal journal when we are at the professional level? First determine what type of rehearsal journal would be best for you. I use art journals because I buy them in bulk for sketching and always have extras on hand. I have colleagues that maintain a file for themselves on Excel, Word, or other computer platforms. Others like to use something like a Franklin Planner. You can also use inexpensive composition books from the Dollar Store. Cut out photos of your favorite composers or performers and paste them to the front of your journal. Whatever makes you smile when you look at the cover will help you remember to use your journal.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">How you enter your daily schedule is also a personal preference. You can write your notes as a dated paragraph entry, subdivide your pages into warm-ups, repertoire pieces, research pieces, ensemble work, solo work, etc. Making notes that are clear, easy, and logical to you, is the important factor. Make sketches or paste articles about the pieces you are working on in your journal. I like to make notes about favorite performances of a piece. For example, next to Chopin's Waltz in a minor, B. 150 Op. posthumous I would write Grigory Sokolov because his performance of this piece is the one that inspires me. This is a tool that should enrich your relationship with the pieces you are rehearsing.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because I perform on more than one instrument I also use a highlighter over the instrument name so I can quickly see my rehearsal flow for that instrument. Here are some details that I personally find helpful on entries:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Date, Time, Instrument</i> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Selection(s)/Final tempo(s)</i> (BPM used during rehearsal session)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Goals</i> (Along with how I would categorize each piece: jazz ensemble, folk, church, personal project, genre building, etc.)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Insight</i> (How I felt about the work - do I like this arrangement or need to look for one I feel more connected to - do I want to work it into my repertoire - is it a piece that I should retire for now and return to at a later date - do I want to use this for an ensemble performance only or do I want it as a solo piece - am I making reasonable progress on the piece - do I need to do isolation work and if so which measures need more work - do I need to research a passage for correct ornamentation...)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Other</i> (Did I use a different pick that works better for this style - Did I use a capo - Do I need a different chair - Did I change the height of any stand - Did I change to a music stand that I like better - Did I use any percussive additions that I want to remember and add here - What was my amplification setup - Does anything need to be repaired or looked at by a technician...)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the back of the book I enter new repertoire that I feel I have completed so I can continually review those pieces. </span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It may seem like a lot of writing but I can often sum up everything in just a few lines and it keeps me on track. I keep the journal open in my rehearsal space as well so I can easily reach it when I want to make a note. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Do you use a practice journal for yourself? What type of entries might be helpful for your rehearsal entries? What system have you used to help you have productive times with your instruments? I would love to hear your thoughts on journaling as a musician for yourself and for your students. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy practicing! Miss Dolly 🎵</span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-20370691146115623892021-06-06T14:46:00.000-04:002021-06-06T14:46:02.266-04:00It's Time To Get This Slow Jam Cooking! Trad (Irish) & Old Time <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZmJRgiNpVlt_Y-00G1PsSEWZyKfY-OAUnoFPvP9Ak_7CR6RhHUc_Qe5W4cnWNSYDpOW0ldkOz6B7JIrCeOQjBtEfqd5IuKmjBZGom_rq77fMgr6uMyghyf9HdBANJ_cjam5AuANxYhLo/s720/SlowJamLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZmJRgiNpVlt_Y-00G1PsSEWZyKfY-OAUnoFPvP9Ak_7CR6RhHUc_Qe5W4cnWNSYDpOW0ldkOz6B7JIrCeOQjBtEfqd5IuKmjBZGom_rq77fMgr6uMyghyf9HdBANJ_cjam5AuANxYhLo/s320/SlowJamLogo.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those who know me....know. 🎵 <b>It's <i>about time</i> for me to get a Slow Jam cooking!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have been looking for a slow jam gathering for Traditional (Irish) and Old Time Music in Charleston since 2004. I have met some wonderful folks outside of Charleston SC with OT, but traveling to find connections isn't easy. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Slow Trad and Old Time gatherings with friends is always a good time. If you are local to West Ashley in Charleston SC and have an <b>acoustic</b> (no electric) guitar, bass, banjo, mountain dulcimer, fiddle, mandolin, etc. - then let's learn some tunes together in a slow, easy, and friendly setting. This is not a performance focused gathering - just a fun gathering. We will find places to meet up once a month. Send an email with your instrument, and contact info. All ages welcome - under 18 must have a parent with them. 😁🪕</span></div><p></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-32793355881255589192021-05-13T18:21:00.001-04:002021-05-13T18:21:37.860-04:00How Did Complimentary Time and Materials Impact Your Students this Year? What Worked and What Didn't Work?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Like many teachers, I dove in head first to find a way to keep my students on track during our pandemic year. I think it is safe to say that most teachers whole-heartedly invested extra time, materials, and sought out new opportunities for their students this past year. And we found that this may not have been as constructive for our students as we had hoped. Now, I am not saying our efforts were a total loss: Personally, I had a few students who took full advantage of the opportunities and made significant progress...but not as many as I expected. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My complementary online music class was conducted as a show-and-tell for students to bring scales, exercises, or pieces they were working on to share. It was a "safe" environment because it was a student only atmosphere with a large age range. (It helps students to hear what others are working on, even if it is a simple scale or one line of a work that interests them.) But the students only brought finished pieces which limited the discussions about the challenges and hurdles presented by the music. This was not the learning experience that I had planned for them. Soon students stopped attending if they didn't have a completed work to present. I tried to redirect the class back to its intended purpose, I failed. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My "Pando-Vibe Special" was open to my private studio students as well as my students who come to me through a commercial studio. The only difference was in private lesson fee. I chose to reduce my private studio fee during the year to help those parents and adult students who had lost work hours. While the commercial studio increased the fee to their customers (I have no control over the commercial studio fees.) Any student working with me was welcome to join the once-a-month online class without an additional charge. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some of you have shared opportunities and materials that you extended to students on your blogs and in facebook groups and it seems we all followed the same path: purchasing studio licenses for music so students could access music that was out of publication this year, gaining membership into organizations that offered online assessments to students, adding new devices and upgrading technology in our private studios, downloading online music games for students, purchasing music magazines for students with music history supplements, and so much more - all while experiencing a drop in student enrollment. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As teachers we would all do it again, without hesitation, for our students. But there was a lot of unexpected energy that went into this year that we never could have imagined. I would love to hear your thoughts as private tutors and instructors. What worked, and what didn't work with students this past year in your classrooms and studios? Send your comments to LowCountryStudios@yahoo.com </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-2231779223562829482021-03-17T22:10:00.007-04:002021-05-13T18:29:24.575-04:00It's St. Paddy's Day & Music Circles<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy St. Paddy's Day to you! 🍀 This is a day I celebrate with joy because it reminds me of good times sharing music with other musicians in music circles throughout the years, both in the States and abroad. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love Trad and Old Time music because they are historically music genres that bring people together to learn and share tunes without performance pressure. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Trad tunes are traditional Irish tunes that are well recognized and shared. Old Time music is music that came out of the Appalachian area and is often reminiscent of tunes brought over from the British Isles. I spent a lot of time in Kentucky with my grandmother when I was young and met my passion in this music when I received my first dulcimer made in Berea Kentucky by Warren Mays. Soon I started attending workshops and learned from elders who shared their music. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Since moving to Charleston South Carolina in 2004 I have been placing ads to attract other folks who would like to gather for slow jams. Slow jams are music circles where people come together purely for enjoyment and learning tunes. I haven't found momentum for Irish music or Old Time music here in the Lowcountry, but there are groups up near North Carolina where I have had opportunities to share. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have faith in this town and keep stirring the pot to find other like minded folk who want to share the music. With its history, Charleston should be rich in string music circles. But drum circles are what you find here on the beaches and the string music circles continue to be further North toward Asheville NC or further South into Georgia. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you would like to be part of a music circle here in Charleston, learning Trad or Old Time music in a slow jam session, please reach out to me. Acoustic instruments (guitars, mandolins, fiddles, dulcimers, bodhrans, tin whistles and pipes) are most welcome. For now I will continue to share through the internet. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 💚</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These are photos are from my days in Connemara near Clifden where I stayed with my friends, the Krandalls. Norman Krandall owned Peter O'Toole's old family home near the cliffs and was very generous to me on my musical visits. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgnOGfbYJKDtSsli1rxukW2CdlQiy-wFrhQEax00VAw9e-uVbQcgrEVTpEli1PdqyQupsZXirIoUJa-i_aT7zRY6Q9dSXIQudj-4MyqVN7jmQGgMA_Zo347u2Ep2Cbrnq9bLeBEIfybU/s246/juniordaveyjoekennedy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="181" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgnOGfbYJKDtSsli1rxukW2CdlQiy-wFrhQEax00VAw9e-uVbQcgrEVTpEli1PdqyQupsZXirIoUJa-i_aT7zRY6Q9dSXIQudj-4MyqVN7jmQGgMA_Zo347u2Ep2Cbrnq9bLeBEIfybU/w147-h200/juniordaveyjoekennedy.jpg" width="147" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">I met Junior Davey and Joe Kennedy in Tubbercurry, South Sligo. They are Bodhran champions and shared their technique in playing the instrument with me. I will always be grateful for their time and mentoring. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6SX7ijfQTSljdV5XQmUpwRU-CcTxMs6dB0oQBe-fAsjbfhDOu8GGOnBquAj_vlBUyKQMeaHLD8GGZ1e4BIKHzGN4RU7He4Y0oDyIs2qTx6tbCpDbUImBNohhcvhWPgfOFRp9pC3gTRE/s268/eirecanadians.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="268" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6SX7ijfQTSljdV5XQmUpwRU-CcTxMs6dB0oQBe-fAsjbfhDOu8GGOnBquAj_vlBUyKQMeaHLD8GGZ1e4BIKHzGN4RU7He4Y0oDyIs2qTx6tbCpDbUImBNohhcvhWPgfOFRp9pC3gTRE/w200-h196/eirecanadians.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">When I lived in Detroit I would often visit the Irish-Canadian club in Windsor, Ontario. It's a small world when you find Canadian friends to jam with a thousand miles away. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzWY7gbqbJ2M6ouW7yh-qB8yaEP6SY9_9i-GiGmgligcHdB12KqtnO4EFzDGZlFaJFkBGx8J3W2b4B7iVuVoe1JmP7Tu7mZcR-mu7uUZOVuJMSLNs0ILj6xXh_gRYJ5ToJiMBRqdmDyY/s294/eireoutdoorjam.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="294" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzWY7gbqbJ2M6ouW7yh-qB8yaEP6SY9_9i-GiGmgligcHdB12KqtnO4EFzDGZlFaJFkBGx8J3W2b4B7iVuVoe1JmP7Tu7mZcR-mu7uUZOVuJMSLNs0ILj6xXh_gRYJ5ToJiMBRqdmDyY/w200-h143/eireoutdoorjam.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-bJTKnhZahovWrlTC4nH7MZg6iqjZC9L6Ip6MmbvRTFkOoAnXcUUdmw2sqk3Gr_5ZwhtQctTQm6jqm8hLRPFc1TYidKIoYjvJGcMAYYxK7Q5daYEpegUPGjL_Hsd4ZJZb6ghsyLp5Nk/s309/normankrandall.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="180" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-bJTKnhZahovWrlTC4nH7MZg6iqjZC9L6Ip6MmbvRTFkOoAnXcUUdmw2sqk3Gr_5ZwhtQctTQm6jqm8hLRPFc1TYidKIoYjvJGcMAYYxK7Q5daYEpegUPGjL_Hsd4ZJZb6ghsyLp5Nk/w117-h200/normankrandall.jpg" width="117" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Norman Krandall's generosity will never be forgotten. He owned Peter O'Toole's old family home outside of Clifden in Connemara by the sea and opened his doors and his wallet to me whenever I visited. Norman fought for fair Salmon fishing in Ireland and was well liked by all.</span></div></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqv26wV4mRpOl9TRXNu82Jiwg4bgb_L5jVPRe3oDSfaHev5liW81zObFlkC1yWxYYAgposxLg0VVJkVwccMmEgFJ84EiHFcLqH83ZbKGH0EsLL4hj2EdgkdDWD5spXi-kTx-52pvBpFg/s329/KrandallKingSisters.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="329" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqv26wV4mRpOl9TRXNu82Jiwg4bgb_L5jVPRe3oDSfaHev5liW81zObFlkC1yWxYYAgposxLg0VVJkVwccMmEgFJ84EiHFcLqH83ZbKGH0EsLL4hj2EdgkdDWD5spXi-kTx-52pvBpFg/w200-h179/KrandallKingSisters.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">A small pub music circle in Clifden. On the far left is Rollande Krandall, Norman's daughter. She performed on ocarina, mandolin, and bodhran. With Rollande are the King Sisters. The Guiness and Harp on tap are far better than what you find in the States - and I never saw a red head all the days of my time in Ireland.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZdjJWNX7zv3p2eqEJfSXK_NFxyDCIl7MtYWB2kQw6LTJlZYNYexf8_SgppBFHQS2VIwVyenK4uykldZ1QQQWgtYeS8l707kIpbHEAa7I5sm_2aPep-BXwmc_cKSlhQc0QNgLcL0bOzA/s376/otoolehome2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="376" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZdjJWNX7zv3p2eqEJfSXK_NFxyDCIl7MtYWB2kQw6LTJlZYNYexf8_SgppBFHQS2VIwVyenK4uykldZ1QQQWgtYeS8l707kIpbHEAa7I5sm_2aPep-BXwmc_cKSlhQc0QNgLcL0bOzA/w200-h154/otoolehome2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">The stone house above and the stone house below belonged to the Krandalls. It was known around Clifden as the O'Toole house. I am not sharing pictures of the inside for privacy but it was quite lovely with whitewashed walls and a fireplace that you could walk into. Peat, or turf, was burned in the fire to warm the house and the smell was lovely. A small staircase led to a bath and bedroom fitted with two twin beds where I shared a room with Rollande. Norman would climb a ladder to get to his bedroom in an upper loft. It was a short walk to the cliffs over the Atlantic. And sitting on the cliffs I could feel sorrow lifting up out of the rock, from generations past, all around me. Truly this would be a place to live for writers of verse and song. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6T_WGBU3B-3xDz7yiqnYn09KRFANIND7Fwhsqh3LSVo9k83WhRZKB5lVBQuXT8JE6OQje9NSgZaSotShtVa5cL3Mz5rugwHCJKnswbDU1AR4QyLOs_UjTYhewzf4TDQ6fT9bjluFpEs/s439/otoolehome1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6T_WGBU3B-3xDz7yiqnYn09KRFANIND7Fwhsqh3LSVo9k83WhRZKB5lVBQuXT8JE6OQje9NSgZaSotShtVa5cL3Mz5rugwHCJKnswbDU1AR4QyLOs_UjTYhewzf4TDQ6fT9bjluFpEs/s439/otoolehome1.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="439" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6T_WGBU3B-3xDz7yiqnYn09KRFANIND7Fwhsqh3LSVo9k83WhRZKB5lVBQuXT8JE6OQje9NSgZaSotShtVa5cL3Mz5rugwHCJKnswbDU1AR4QyLOs_UjTYhewzf4TDQ6fT9bjluFpEs/w200-h134/otoolehome1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehaiBZm80mWkxdi3CbVj6JP6fPFKiFMCrgQ19TOLFgWic7k3XUiHA7e0Am6UFDQjsy83tu01dUyPyBxaBGvK0tvMDUQOqP1NylnQs9gz79Ld-B8lx3lRJ6V2hEu1rOEgKhszjfbI3SZI/s427/thatchedroofhouse.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="427" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehaiBZm80mWkxdi3CbVj6JP6fPFKiFMCrgQ19TOLFgWic7k3XUiHA7e0Am6UFDQjsy83tu01dUyPyBxaBGvK0tvMDUQOqP1NylnQs9gz79Ld-B8lx3lRJ6V2hEu1rOEgKhszjfbI3SZI/w200-h134/thatchedroofhouse.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">This last photo is of a house just a short distance up from Norman's home. It was a round house with a thatched roof owned by a friend of the Krandalls. (Just in case you have never seen a house with a thatched roof.) </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-49140439445125921802021-03-17T16:05:00.001-04:002021-03-17T22:13:42.474-04:00Body Awareness as a Musician<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Few musicians pay attention to the body alignment and technique approaches taught to them in their youth. And fortunately young bodies are made to handle this struggle. But as musicians age they will often start to notice aches and limitations. Flute players develop tendonitis, others develop hip pain, etc. That is when they return to a professional coach for alignment help with their instrument. The Alexander Technique has helped many musicians and was often taught to us in University classes. But the popularity of that technique has waned and now musicians often turn to other specialists for help. I have had the privilege of working with artists as a bodywork professional for musicians when I lived in metropolitan areas: I am still called upon for virtual help by musicians who live in other areas. I know the challenges are still out there. So, I want to share a link here that I have shared with my private clients. I think it will help you to be more aware of your body, and movement, while rehearsing, performing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here is the link to the website: <a href="http://www.movewellavoidinjury.com">avoid injury</a> </span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-40542920930932208632021-03-11T14:02:00.004-05:002021-03-17T22:17:59.461-04:00What Kind of Metronome Should I Buy?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I was a child I had two metronomes that I used to practice my music. The oldest was an electric box with a lightbulb on top. It was very impressive and had to be from the 40s or 50s. When it stopped working I acquired the traditional triangle shaped metronome with a pendulum. You would wind it up like a clock. If you had a cat that liked to sit on the piano while you played, the cat would be batting at the pendulum when it went back and forth making for a lot of missed beats. (And a lot of fun!) Today, choosing a metronome is a more complex task.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For budget minded individuals, you can use your phone's search bar and simply put in the word "metronome." A simple metronome will appear with a slider bar that allows you to increase or decrease the beats per minute (bpm), and a start/stop button. The sound you will hear is a clean consistent tick.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For those who own keyboards, you may have a metronome built into the unit. However, the sounds of the metronome vary with keyboards: some are clicks, but simpler models have beeps.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you go to a music store and request a metronome, you will be faced with many choices. And this is where students get lost. Many of the metronomes produced today contain beeps that are irritating to some students. Others are not as simple as turning off and turning on a beat. Some devices make you choose the time signature and note breakdown. New students are simply not able to understand how to figure out and enter this information into the metronome - so they give up on using a metronome altogether. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I realized recently that I need to tell my students which metronome to purchase because a customer service representative in a store will often have them over-purchase. I felt especially bad when I sent an elderly student to purchase a metronome and he was talked into buying a $200 unit that he never could understand how to use.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So here is my suggestion. It is a Wittner MT-50 metronome that produces one sound - a click. It is run by a single battery and can be found for under $25. If you are a student of mine and the music store does not carry this model, or tells you they can not order it for you, you can order it online, or I will be happy to order it for you. In my book, a simple metronome, with a toneless click, will always be a student's best choice. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBPjdC4l7W3PY7dqtemDwNoytFc0S_-yFmAWcmEqVa1FZKLGp7tis_0j0JH5WxNGoVYxOD7x9RshZ8R32j930VToX4GZfq8Ay2ySsi2asY1OEl_xu2SRFpptHQ_SsWPnDeYbcOVn9Ht4/s605/metronome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="605" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBPjdC4l7W3PY7dqtemDwNoytFc0S_-yFmAWcmEqVa1FZKLGp7tis_0j0JH5WxNGoVYxOD7x9RshZ8R32j930VToX4GZfq8Ay2ySsi2asY1OEl_xu2SRFpptHQ_SsWPnDeYbcOVn9Ht4/s320/metronome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015028197452510669.post-63074250581924587072021-02-23T14:29:00.004-05:002021-03-17T22:20:14.069-04:00My Patreon Page, Online Gatherings, PLUS A Welcome Hand from Columbia SC <p style="text-align: justify;">Since I last posted a lot has been happening in the music studio. I have been donating time every month to hold an online music class so that children and adults can have the opportunity to play music for one another. Without the space or opportunity to come together for recitals (due to the pandemic restrictions) this has been a positive and fun experience for everyone. The children get to see one another and everyone is so supportive. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am excited to tell you that I am building a Patreon site. You know my passion for making music a part of everyone's life: Well, I am hoping this site will be a key to that manifestation. When I lived in other areas I had Angels that would give financial scholarships to my studio so families experiencing financial challenges could have 6 - 12 months of music lessons at low to no cost. I am searching for those Angels in this Holy City. I believe there are people here that would love to help - I simply haven't met them yet.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">If you would like to become an Angel and donate a dollar a month or more to my Patreon project you can join my Patreon page at <a href="http://www.Patreon.com/LowCountryStudios">www.Patreon.com/LowCountryStudios</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another step in a positive direction, for this music studio, was made in 2020. We were blessed to be welcomed into a Columbia chapter of the National Federation of Music Clubs. Their kindness in welcoming me and my students, and allowing me to form a Junior Music Club here in Charleston, has given my students the opportunity to take part in these yearly National Music Festivals. The NFMC requires each student to perform a piece of music by an American composer in addition to a foreign composer. So many children can name Bach, Beethoven and Mozart - but are not aware of our rich heritage of American composers. Nine of my students are taking part in this event next month. Charleston has never had opportunities for private music students through this well respected organization. I am so very grateful to have been given the opportunity to open this door for music students. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfknKQjVcnPLKEmzuwwwwUY4EDjoJeEgpmdrP3_L2OlEERl96mcOfgTN7vg2niB-FQBWbDThb711wKNl7pM2PvxvrXHq4JoL3QWSlwGVX4OklcxXrV-2f48IKxb5O2BT9JsOr1qij6YrE/s1248/NFMC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfknKQjVcnPLKEmzuwwwwUY4EDjoJeEgpmdrP3_L2OlEERl96mcOfgTN7vg2niB-FQBWbDThb711wKNl7pM2PvxvrXHq4JoL3QWSlwGVX4OklcxXrV-2f48IKxb5O2BT9JsOr1qij6YrE/s320/NFMC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>LCShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296755941266632621noreply@blogger.com0