spiffehdoo asked:


I’m currently a freshman in highschool and I’m interested in some careers involving art and music? I’m currently in an AP intro to art class and I’ve been taking music lessons most of my life, however I haven’t taken any music classes from school because they’re a little behind and slow for me.
For my next 3 years in highschool, does anyone have any suggestions on what electives or other classes to take to improve my chances of a successful career?

Marlene Rattigan asked:


Young children learn by doing, by being actively involved in their learning through exploring and experimenting, through copying and acting out. And so it is with learning music, the foundations for which are best learnt while developing primary language. As such, a successful early childhood music program must incorporate movement and should quite naturally involve learning across the curriculum. The music program, therefore, can form the basis for the whole curriculum.

1. Make it Fun. They are not in your class to learn music, but learning music is what happens while they’re having fun. It it’s not fun you’ve lost them. Fun for them may not be fun for you. If it’s not fun for you, you’ll NEVER be able to convince them that you’re enjoying it. You’ll start using every excuse not to do the music session because you’ll see it as a chore. If, on the other hand, you have a song, a piece of music or an activity you think is really cool, you’ll have no trouble engaging the kids as your enthusiasm will carry them through. Sounds pretty logical, yet few class teachers conduct music lessons as part of the daily curriculum. Find a resource that suits you and do something every day - even if for only five minutes.

2. Establish clear rules from day one. Without this your class will quickly disintegrate into a shambles. They must stop when the music stops. This encourages listening skills. Listening is a skill that has to be learnt. Hearing is a sense we are born with. There’s a huge difference. If they can listen, they can respond, and they can learn. Teach them about “space bubbles”. Have them stand with arms outstretched and gently swing around. No-one is allowed to go inside their space bubble. Anyone who does must sit to the side. They will not want to miss out on the fun so encourage them to join in for the next track of music or next activity. Do not allow “time out” to be a preferred option. Not every child will feel confident enough to participate fully but sitting out is not an option.

3. Young children learn by doing. Get them actively involved. Music at this age is music and movement. This will incorporate story telling through use of percussion instruments or drama; it will involve dance and action songs and also singing. It will also involve interpretive movement - play some gentle classical music and use scarves to stimulate the imagination.

4. Include motor co-ordination activities. This will stimulate and integrate right and left sides of the brain. Musical instruments are played with both hands. This subject is the topic of a great body of research. Children today are generally not physically active enough to get sufficient stimulation to establish neural pathways. If you can do something daily in the way of motor skills, especially cross-patterning activities conducted to music, it will help enormously.

5. Relate activities to their level of understanding. Engage their imaginations. They live in a fantasy world ‘ take advantage of it. You personally may not feel inclined towards fantasy. It doesn’t matter. Whatever engages them is what matters. Whatever you are wanting them to learn can be done best by engaging their imaginations, and fantasy is the easiest. Use drama in any way to engage their imaginations.

6. Praise them often. They respond best to positive reinforcement. A baby is born fearless. No matter how many times the baby falls over when attempting to walk, and despite injuries along the way, he or she will get up and try again, over and over until that skill is finally mastered. It never occurs to the child, or anyone else, that you have to get it perfect the first time. Everyone encourages them which is an added bonus. Somehow along the way though, by the time many children are in mid primary school, they have already been given so many negatives which erode their self-esteem that they give up trying new things.

7. Remember the K.I.S.S. principle and Keep It Simple Sunshine. Only do a few activities or songs at a time in your music lesson. Repeat them often and only when mastered do you add modifications or a new activity. Keep the whole lesson simple but fun. Do not confuse simple with easy. If the class structure is simple, you can easily add in a more challenging activity.

8. If the children are unused to music and movement sessions, do not try to be too ambitious. Five minutes a day may be enough for the first few weeks, depending on the children. Repeat the lesson (maybe up to three or four times) until confidence and competence improve. They need the repetition. You can add modifications for greater complexity and variation or change one or two activities before moving onto a new lesson. Set them up to succeed.

9. Initially the teacher should model the movements but not necessarily do all the running around. Choose a child to model for you (or the Teaching Assistant or even a parent) if you prefer not to or are unable to model the movements yourself. Observe the children’s ability to perform the skills in movement, music, drama, listening and social interaction. The music lesson thus contains so many more outcomes. You are then leveraging your time by combining learning areas. That is why the movements need to be modeled appropriately.

10. Finish each session with stretching and relaxation. (Stretches should never hurt.) After a “mat session” music lesson the stretch only needs to be a full body stretch on the floor, after which the children close their eyes and listen to the music. Initially -

Tell them what you want them to listen for, or, tell them a story of what the music is about, or, ask them to tell you what they think the music is telling them.

If you don’t relax the children at the end of the lesson, thus utilizing this time for the affective aspect of music, they’ll be unsettled for the rest of the day, especially if it’s a dance and drama session. When they are used to relaxing at the end of the lesson they will happily lie down and relax but they need to be taught how to first. Each relaxation session, therefore, does not necessarily have to involve active listening but initially it must. Children are sometimes loud and boisterous because they think that’s how they are expected to behave. Give them permission to be still and silent and teach them how. They need it.



ALDEN

Kenneth Scott asked:


The Aspen Music Festival and School has been known all over the world since 1949 when it was founded by visionaries like Walter Paepcke and his wife Elizabeth of Chicago with the explicit purpose of promoting growth in human spirit through the bringing together of art and nature. It presents world-class music in a very intimate, and small town atmosphere

It is renowned across the globe for its high level training as well as for providing a launch pad for the careers of the worlds next generation professional musicians. It successfully presents 200 musical events over a period of nine weeks. It is also a preferred sanctuary and haven for premier intellectuals and masters of music.

What differentiates The Aspen Music Festival and School from other summer school programs is the amazing comprehensiveness and depth of its training programs for its students. Its training programs include the following; orchestra, opera, piano, guitar and modern music along with anatomies of training in music.

As well as its excellent, reputation for producing concrete programs, The Aspen Music Festival and School is most famous for its eminent and highly qualified faculty which has a huge amount of experience in every aspect of music making and the music industry for student to tap into.

These days, its body of students is made up of students of all ages, from the age of eight to sixty eight from 39 countries around the world culled from practically all principal faculties and students of schools which specialize in the fine performing art of music. It is on the foundation of such strength of faculty and the talent of its students that The Aspen Music Festival and School could perform more than 200 concerts, masters classes and lectures. It is in fact a major source of unearthing of prowess that has shaped many young performers of classical music over the last fifty years.

Currently Music director David Zinman is head of the Aspen Music Festival and School under his personal tutelage the nine week summer festival is held which covers over 200 events comprising of chamber music, orchestral performances, contemporary music, opera, lectures, master classes, and kids programs. With its massive dedication and commitment and the unyielding spirit and talent of its director, faculty and students The Aspen Music Festival and School will surely always continue to contribute to the growth and development of all types of music the world over.



EDMOND

Abby Reid asked:


A countless number of music schools have spawned in recent years due to a renewed interest in recording music. There are many career opportunities in the field of music. Whether you’re aspiring to be a music engineer or a legitimate recording artist, music recording training has become one of the best career training options available in the world today.

Career Opportunities In Music Recording

Music is not all about a microphone and a piano. A top class music recording involves many sophisticated equipments in addition to a qualified professional music engineer. The demand for music engineers today is very high. Countless

music recordings are released each and every month and a good music engineer can earn a significant amount of money in a short amount of time. Music engineers will be in higher demand the more their name and reputation is established. This means they can command a higher asking price for their services. Fame can indeed accompany money for many music engineers.

The Role Of A Music Engineer

Some people have this misconception that a music engineer is dealing with wires and circuits all day. The fact is a career as a music engineer is something entirely different than that misconception. A music engineer is usually referred to as the recording engineer in the recording studio. The digital audio workstations that you find in a recording studio are the music engineer’s instruments. The role of the music engineer is to fine-tune the music that is being recorded. This job requires enormous skill and proper training.

The Music Career Training

While there are many music career-training programs available today, if you truly wish to shine in your music career, it’s important to find the absolute best training programs.

One of the best music career training programs available is the ‘Conservatory’s Master Recording Program II’.

Unlike other conventional music recording training programs, the Conservatory’s Master Recording Program II concentrates totally on the art and science of sound. Starting from the basic principles of sound, this unique program extends for 42 weeks and finishes with the most sophisticated concepts of audio engineering. One of the main features of this training program is that the training program covers eight main aspects. The eight main areas of this training program are:

1. Audio Recording and Production – This part covers all of the basic principles of sound and educates students about the basic fundamentals of music recording.

2. Music Business – Here the student learns about the various methods of making money in a music related business. This session includes classes about audio copyrights and record labels.

3. Digital Recording – This is the doorway to digital recording. Lessons are available for digital recording and other digital techniques in the form of computer based applications.

4. Pro Tools – This is the most important part of the program. This session familiarizes students with the sophisticated tools used in digital audio processing and recording.

5. Sound Reinforcement – This session includes studies related to audio signal distribution.

6. Troubleshooting/Maintenance – Basic electronic engineering skills and test equipment skills will be taught to the aspiring music engineer.

7. Career Management – This is an opportunity to gain knowledge about the music industry.

8. Internship- This final session provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate skills learned and acquired throughout training.

The program concludes with students hopefully becoming successful music engineers and realizing their dreams of having a lucrative career in music.



GUILLERMO

Gary Tallon asked:


1. A Book of Music Is Not Technically Sheet Music

The American Heritage Dictionary defines Sheet Music as “Compositions printed on unbound sheets of paper”. So books of music script would not (technically) be classed as sheet music.

2. “Sheet Music” Was The Title of an Album by 10CC

This was the second album written by 10CC which reached number nine in the UK album charts, and number eighty one in the USA. The 1974 release by the Manchester (England) band included the singles “The Wall Street Shuffle” and “Silly Love”.

3. Sheet Music or Score?

These two terms actually mean the same thing, as score is the more generic description of Sheet Music. There are several types of score including “full score”, “miniature score”, “piano score” etc. Score can also be used to refer to incidental music written for a play, TV or film.

4. The First Printed Sheet Music Book Appeared in 1457

The “Mainz Psalter” was the first book printed to include music notation. It was printed in Mainz, Germany but still had to have the notation filled in by hand!

5. The First Machine Printed Music Appeared in the 1473

The first sheet music publications printed on machines didn’t appear unitl 1473, almost 20 years after Gutenburg had invented the printing press. Before this most sheet music was written by hand! This was essentially when the Music industry as we know it began.

6. Chappell & Co Were Founded in 1810

Chappell and Co were founded in 1810 by Samuel Chappell, Francis Tatton Latour and Johann Baptist Cramer. They started by selling and publishing sheet music. It was only later that Chappell & Co began selling the pianos that they became so famous for. Chappell & Co now operate as two separate companies; the publishing company “Warner/Chappell Music”, and the music retailer “Chappell of Bond Street” (on Wardour Street, London).

7. Manuscript Paper is the Blank Form of Sheet Music

Manuscript paper is blank sheet music pre-printed with (typically) two sets of six staves on a line, marked with a “Clef” to indicate the key and pitch of the piece of music. It is sometimes referred to in the USA as “staff paper”. Manuscript paper can also be used to notate music for drums and guitar tablature! You can get hold of a blank piece of sheet music here: http://www.visionmusic.com/manuscript/paper.html

8. The Earliest Piece of Sheet Music was from 1400 BC

Clay tablets (transcribed by Prof. Anne Kilmer in 1972) containing the cuneiform signs of the Hurrian language contained a completed hymn with both words and music. The hymn related to the Moon God’s wife Nikal, and included instructions for vocals and harp.

9. Tablature Tells You Where To Put Your Fingers

As apposed to the traditional notation of sheet music, Tablature (or Tabulature/Tab) transcribes the music with the placement of fingers written as numbers. It is usually written for fretted instruments such as guitars, but can also be used for percussion and some other instruments.

10. Free Guitar Tabs Sites Are Not All Legal

But don’t worry, it is the websites themselves that are the only ones to be concerned. As of Monday December 12, 2005, distributing free tablature of copyrighted music using the Internet is considered illegal by the international music industry.

Several free tab sites were shut down in 2006 as a results of legal pressure from music publishers including MXtabs.net (now back online as a legitimate resource), and also Guitar Tab Universe who later re-launched as “Music Student and Teacher Organization” (MuSATO) claiming that as an educational resource they were not longer in breach of copywrite. The music industry maintain their opposition to free tab download websites.



PHILIP

Sam M asked:


I love that sort of music from movies like Edward Scissorhands and The Corpse Bride. Is there classical music that sounds just like that stuff?

ANTON

mountainman asked:


I was very fortunate to have had excellent music teachers from 2nd through 8th grade. They taught us to read music and learn to sing a song properly without having ever heard the tune on the piano. They taught us songs from foreign countries, and sometimes in the native tongue. I remember learning a Czech folk song called “Ah Lovely Meadows”, the “Song of the Volga Boatmen” (Russian), “Minka”(Russian), as well as the songs of Stephen Collins Foster. Do you remember any favorites?
Gosh, my friends, I’m sorry some of you have bad memories of your music classes, or none at all. No one should have bad memories of music. All my music teachers may be gone now, I hope not–but, Mrs. Couch, Mr. Pavlot, Mr. Kirkman, and Mr. Peeler, I thank you for having such a strong and everlasting influence in my life and my love for music.

WARREN

Pianogirl asked:


I’m not saying that is the case for some classical musicians but I find that most classical musicians do not like listening to other types of music besides classical music. A lot of them think that other genres besides classical are too corny, simple, and predictable. I just want to know why they feel that way.

CHARLEY

Trevor Mayes asked:


Sound is the oldest form of healing and of that, it is the sound of the mother’s voice that is the most important. Sony conducted research in the 80’s that showed sounds played to babies while in the womb influenced their behaviour. It has been proven that like animals human babies can detect their mother’s voice from other females and there is evidence that they can do this in the womb too. Other research has shown that babies can remember and recognise sounds from the womb a year after birth.

The Colour of Music

Each colour has a corresponding musical keynote that in turn resonates with the respective chakra and as follows.

Colour / Keynote / Chakra

Red = C = Base.

Orange = D = Sacral.

Yellow = E = Solar-Plexus.

Green = F = Hear .

Blue = G = Throat.

Indigo = A = Brow.

Violet = B = Crown.

Resonance

Forced resonance or vibration is simply caused by one vibrating object forcing another in close proximity to vibrate though sheer power even though it may have a different natural frequency. This can have a detrimental effect upon us things like loud poor quality music which makes me cringe is guaranteed to make me feel aggressive and flee the area or demand it be turned down. Similar oppressive vibrations from people forcing issues can have the same effect with the same result. That is why noise pollution can lead to physical violence.

Sympathetic resonance is the projection of sound vibrations that cause another object to vibrate as it has the same frequency, singers breaking glasses in one example, as is metal vibrating to heavy bass sounds. We can experience a sympathetic resonance in our bodies in areas that have a similar vibrational frequency. Playing music of the corresponding colour can have the same effect as the colour itself as it resonates with the respective chakra frequency.

For example, I was playing Michael Bolton’s Drift Away holding the record sleeve and noticed it vibrated soon after the he started singing. I found the same thing happened with glossy paper so I analysed the keynote that was F#3 as there are I believe 6 sharps and 3 is obviously the middle one. I analysed Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Emily Wherever I May Find Her’ and the same thing happened the glossy paper vibrated, I analysed it and it was F#4 almost identical. On both occasions, I could feel the music as being relaxing and a slight feeling in the chest as green relates to the heart chakra, I was not sure if holding the paper increased the feeling I had. The paper obviously vibrated more strongly the closer I held it to the speaker and may be a sort of litmus test for the keynote of F#.F# covers much of Simon and Garfunkel which I enjoy but I cannot say is my favourite it very much depends on my mood. I sometimes like rock most of which is C or C#, which gives me a lift. To help me settle down to study I have found strings helpful especially air on a G string in the keynote of D which is orange and a feel good colour Sometimes the clue to any ailment can come from the opposite star sign that have very similar keynotes. Therefore, as a Gemini I am F #, a Sagittarius is natural F, and the forces of these two opposites can sometimes mingle in the body.

Your Natural Sound Frequency

We all have a natural sound frequency; the simplest way of finding it is by looking at the keynote of your star sign.

Star Sign / Keynote

Aries = D-flat major.

Taurus = E-flat major.

Gemini = F-sharp major.

Cancer = G-sharp major.

Leo = A-sharp major.

Virgo = C-major.

Libra = D-major.

Scorpio = E-major.

Sagittarius = F-major.

Capricorn = G-major.

Aquarius = A-major.

Pisces = B-major.

When under pressure our physical body pull on the subtle bodies leaving them weakened and vulnerable to attack. We no longer have the energy to tolerate normal pressures or disturbances to our system, so be become more aware and less tolerant of the things that we find stressful or hurtful. Noise also causes interference and distortion with our ability to communicate effectively, hence mixed messages and misunderstandings arise that can cause conflict.

While this is not ‘music therapy’ per see studies published in medical and musical journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Lancet and the Journal of Music Therapy are finding that music can; reduce blood pressure, improve immune function, and decrease the length of hospital stays for both children and adults.

Rhythm.

Rhythm is what gets or primal energies and instincts going, it stimulates the heart and flow of blood that may account for the expression rhythm of life. Ancient peoples have not only used the drum and dance to wind themselves up before battle but also as a form of healing to stimulate the base chakra which is coloured red.

Using rhythm for healing can be a group activity as there are what is know as drum circles which is simply a group of people making rhythmic music. Drum circles are becoming a popular form of complimentary healing in America and scientific research has proven that participating in drum circles increases the number of “killer cells” in the body. These cells are those responsible for seeking out and destroying specific disease organisms including AIDS.

The Healing Value Of Melody

Melodies can soothe emotional and mental distress for when the normal vibrational activity of certain body parts is disrupted disharmony or disease sets in. Research suggests music seems to override the disharmony in the brain that causes depression and other forms of emotional disorders and puts it back to where it should be. It helps discharge negative feelings, facilitates communication and increases socialisation with other people. This results in greater personal expression with resulting boost in self-esteem

The medical benefits include use for the pain relief of cancer patients and behaviour problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a reduction in blood pressure, improved immune system functioning and faster healing resulting in a shorter stay in hospital. Melody is helpful for doing repetitive bodily functions where timing is important.

Musical Notes That Are Good For Emotional Healing.

Whereas C# is the keynote of the earths orbit around the sun, F# is the keynote of the spin of the earth and relates to what makes us humans the dominant species; the power of the mind and the attainment of intelligence, however with this ability comes problems from emotional disturbance to mental illness. The keynote F# relates to the air signs Gemini and Sagittarius that are F# and F respectively and sometimes these opposites are intermingled.

With analysing keynotes, this can change from F to F# according to how the music is analysed so for this purpose I suggest that there can be some allowable variation in keynotes to have the same effect. Therefore, a keynote on this scale should be aimed for as being best for any sort of emotional imbalance and healing.

The other thing I have noticed while playing around with traditional Japanese music for a website, is that stereo enhancement and adding a slight echo to string music has a very pleasant emotional effect. Perhaps it is because it causes addition sympathetic resonance of the keynote but it does work better for me than the original music, although on poor quality speakers it can sound a bit tinny. Tempo is another consideration and something not to fast otherwise we miss the detail in the music and that brings me to make the point as a bit of an audiophile that good audio reproduction is an essential part of the healing process.

Instruments for the reproduction of F keynotes are stringed instruments such as guitars, violins, harps, piano, and the organ. The types of music are the folk rock of Simon and Garfunkel’s, rhythmic folk music, Irish folk songs, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Strauss’s waltzes, Brahms Hungarian Dances or any stringed classical music in the key of F to F#.

© Trevor Mayes



ADRIAN

Sean Carter asked:


We smile, we love, we cry. We, the human beings experience a wide spectrum of emotions in our life. Some of them are expressed while others die in our own mind. But from time immemorial, our emotions have been voiced through music. Music, which is composed of seven distinct tunes, is actually an expression of human emotions.

Music is characterized by certain qualities like, pitch, melody, rhythm, and frequency. And each type of music is again characteristic by certain degrees of these above mentioned qualities. A rhythmic music characterizes joy while a melody expresses romance. Again, a melody also expresses sorrows. For instance, Latin music is mostly featured by rhythm and certain genre of tune. Latin music is an expression of Bohemian lifestyle which very much complements Latin culture. Variation in melodies and rhythm leads to expression of varieties of emotions.

If we look back to Western Classical, It connects us to something universal about human emotions. It makes us reach a transcendental stage of mind. However some composers opine that emotions conveyed through music is something quite abstract and varies according to the different perception of different individuals. One of the notable composers of Western Classical music was, Ludwig Van Beethoven, who gifted the world with musical masterpieces despite of being paralyzed with deafness at very young age (twenty eight). He can be regarded as the profounder of Romantic era of Western classical.

Eastern Classical or specifically Indian Classical music has a number of sections and categories. However the two major sections are Hindustani Music from North India and the Carnatic Music from South India. Each of the songs are known as “Ragas”. The melodies contained in each of these “ragas” reflects various moods according to different times during the day. The Indian Classical music is mainly monophonic, that is, it is based on a single line of melody and has to be sung at a specific rhythm. Any deviation from the above rule is considered as a mistake.

Even Folk music conveys something about the culture and lifestyle of a particular region. To be more specific, it generally narrates some popular folk tales of that region.

When lyrics are put in a tune, it becomes a song. However, music can also be purely instrumental where one derives pleasure from the tune only. Beautiful notes of pianos, violin, guitars, expresses emotions without any words. Music can express most of human emotions. It expresses joy, ecstasy, romance, and also sorrows, pathos, and agony. In the words of P.B Shelly “Our sweetest songs are those which tells us our saddest thoughts”.

Surprisingly, a simple song which is sung from the heart gives us more pleasure than a complex one which is often influenced by human artifacts. May be this is a reason why pop songs and rocks are also quite popular today. It is also quite true that likings for particular kind of music largely depends upon the temperaments of individuals. This is the reason why some prefer soft melodies while some like hard rocks. It can be reasonably argued that music is not only an expression of emotions, it is emotion itself. Music without an emotional message is like vacuum. It is like a flower without essence.

The impression of music in human mind is beautifully depicted by William Wordsworth in his poetry “The Solitary Reaper”. The poet is mesmerized by the touching song sung by a lass while the latter was reaping in a field. Though the language of the song was completely unknown to him, he was deeply moved by the emotions conveyed through the notes of her song. The music had left an indelible impression in his mind and in the later years of his life, he sadly reminisces “The music in my heart I bore, long after it was heard no more”.

There are lots of sites on the net from where you can send Music Ecards to your friends, colleagues and loved ones like 123greetings.com



JEFFRY