Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Great Music Advocacy Organization
This organization, Music for All is a great organization that supports music nationwide. They support school programs as well as hosting nationwide non-competitive festivals for middle and high school students.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Music helps with Rep Gifford's recovery
This video and article shows how music can be use as therapy to help people through their recovery process and help the brain regrow.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Learning to move on after a mistake has been made
This article came through my PLN and I think it makes some good points for us as teachers and for our students as well. We have all made mistakes while performing but it is a true still to learn how to move on after the mistake has been made.
Have a great Easter,
Cassie
The meaning in mistakes
By Gerald Klickstein: 
surround the emotional aspects of handling on-stage mistakes.
Some students will agonize over slips: a single misshapen note can set off art-crushing aggravation.
In contrast, we veteran musicians stay in the moment when glitches occur – we keep the music flowing and the magic happening.
To help rising performers become adept error-handlers, besides advising them in ways to prepare for concerts and improvise through flubs, I emphasize three fundamental concepts.
1. Errors are not failures
A minor on-stage mistake doesn’t bar listeners from enjoying the larger phrase.
If we fudge a note but keep up the musical intensity, listeners stay immersed in the music and don’t notice the fault.
Even when bigger mishaps occur – say, someone misses an entrance or has a memory lapse – we can still keep the mood alive and show the audience a good time.
Failures, in contrast, result in enduring loss: a driver who causes a fatal car crash fails as a driver and citizen.
In sum, “An on-stage error can’t become a failure unless a musician turns it into one.” (The Musician’s Way, p. 192)
2. Errors are not shameful
Musicians who confuse errors with failures often harbor shame too.
Not only do they view slips as disasters but also conclude that their botched notes prove that they’re untalented.
Of course, mistakes aren’t fun. We might even feel guilty if our blunder alters a special moment in show.
But there’s a world of difference between guilt and shame.
It’s human nature for us to feel guilty when we judge our actions to be inferior; for instance, if we accidentally damage a colleague's instrument.
People who feel shame, though, believe their mistakes indicate that they are inferior.
In truth, every musician, no matter how advanced, makes errors on stage (I certainly commit my share).
As we build up our abilities, we make fewer and smaller errors, and we mask them more gracefully.
Nonetheless, our errors alert us to things we need to learn, so, if we treat them positively, they actually aid our development – many can even lead us to creative breakthroughs.
3. Errors are information
When we rid ourselves of any negative emotional baggage associated with errors, we can then see them for what they are: information.
Errors don’t come with emotional strings unless we strap them on.
Memory slip? Ad-lib through it, and then explore the likely causes in practice. By filling gaps in your memorization procedures, your stage power grows.
I've come to realize that one of my advantages as a performer isn’t just my decades of experience but also that I have no fear of mistakes.
Over the years, I've learned how to prepare for concerts, and I trust in my ability to deliver moving performances no matter what comes up.
I also know that, with intelligent work, any music lover can acquire those same skills.
"Errors are inevitable, but suffering as a result of them is optional."
–The Musician’s Way, p. 193
Of all the skills I teach to aspiring performers, some of the toughest ones for them to master –The Musician’s Way, p. 193
surround the emotional aspects of handling on-stage mistakes.Some students will agonize over slips: a single misshapen note can set off art-crushing aggravation.
In contrast, we veteran musicians stay in the moment when glitches occur – we keep the music flowing and the magic happening.
To help rising performers become adept error-handlers, besides advising them in ways to prepare for concerts and improvise through flubs, I emphasize three fundamental concepts.
1. Errors are not failures
A minor on-stage mistake doesn’t bar listeners from enjoying the larger phrase.
If we fudge a note but keep up the musical intensity, listeners stay immersed in the music and don’t notice the fault.
Even when bigger mishaps occur – say, someone misses an entrance or has a memory lapse – we can still keep the mood alive and show the audience a good time.
Failures, in contrast, result in enduring loss: a driver who causes a fatal car crash fails as a driver and citizen.
In sum, “An on-stage error can’t become a failure unless a musician turns it into one.” (The Musician’s Way, p. 192)
2. Errors are not shameful
Musicians who confuse errors with failures often harbor shame too.
Not only do they view slips as disasters but also conclude that their botched notes prove that they’re untalented.
Of course, mistakes aren’t fun. We might even feel guilty if our blunder alters a special moment in show.
But there’s a world of difference between guilt and shame.
It’s human nature for us to feel guilty when we judge our actions to be inferior; for instance, if we accidentally damage a colleague's instrument.
People who feel shame, though, believe their mistakes indicate that they are inferior.
In truth, every musician, no matter how advanced, makes errors on stage (I certainly commit my share).
As we build up our abilities, we make fewer and smaller errors, and we mask them more gracefully.
Nonetheless, our errors alert us to things we need to learn, so, if we treat them positively, they actually aid our development – many can even lead us to creative breakthroughs.
3. Errors are information
When we rid ourselves of any negative emotional baggage associated with errors, we can then see them for what they are: information.
Errors don’t come with emotional strings unless we strap them on.
Memory slip? Ad-lib through it, and then explore the likely causes in practice. By filling gaps in your memorization procedures, your stage power grows.
I've come to realize that one of my advantages as a performer isn’t just my decades of experience but also that I have no fear of mistakes.
Over the years, I've learned how to prepare for concerts, and I trust in my ability to deliver moving performances no matter what comes up.
I also know that, with intelligent work, any music lover can acquire those same skills.
See pages 190-196 of The Musician’s Way for a comprehensive approach to handling the musical and psychological aspects of performance errors. A version of this article first appeared on The Musician’s Way Blog.
© 2011 Gerald Klickstein
"Oops!" photo © Gunnar Pippel, licensed from Shutterstock.com
"Oops!" photo © Gunnar Pippel, licensed from Shutterstock.com
Michael Jackson meets violin
Here's a video for all you Michael Jackson lovers. It's three girls who arranged a number of MJ songs as a tribute to their violin professor in their senior year of college
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
voice creation technology
This TED video shows the technology that is available for those who have lost their ability to speak. Roger Ebert has lost the use of his jaw from cancer and is working to have a computer program that can use his voice to read aloud what he types. This seems amazing to me! Hope you enjoy.
Music Advocacy video
This video has some great facts that support the importance of having music programs in schools. It's great to be reminded of how music can have such a wonderful influence on the lives and futures of our students.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Great Music Drills
This website has drills on everything from guitar frets to rhythmic dictations, to cello fingers and key signatures. It shows a score as you go as well as how long you spend on each excercise.
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