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If birds can learn to sing, you can too!

February 15, 2012 2 Comments

I’ve always that that it is really cool listening to birds imitate the sounds and songs of other animals and especially humans.  Anyone who has been in the presence of birds can clearly see that they are extremely interested in music and any kind of sound.  I’m pretty sure that most animals on earth have keener and overall better hearing than do human beings but birds seem to take an interest in music as much as any being on earth.  Birds have learned to imitate the human voice and sing their little hearts out day after day.  I always wanted to get one and teach it to sing a few songs but never got around to it.  I wonder now though if you can ever get them to quiet down when you’re tired of hearing that song over and over again!  In any case, I got to thinking that many people have expressed a desire to sing and learn to be better singers but don’t think they have any natural ability.  Some people claim that they would rather get on stage naked rather than exposing their voice to any sized audience.  Shows like American Idol and The Voice like to make a spectacle of people that fail miserably in their singing auditions.  I guess it’s no wonder that so many people would rather avoid the spotlight.  But I think it is clear that singing is something that people do to find balance and joy in their lives.  Have you ever spotted someone in their vehicle singing with all their emotion?  Do you know people that never sing until they get in the shower and think nobody is listening?

Singing lessons can help you to learn to sing in pitch better as well as extend your range of low notes and high notes that you can sing comfortably.  I think that some people do have so called “natural talent” in singing, playing instruments or anything.  I think that natural talent probably comes from a lot of musical exposure from a very young age.  Perhaps they were in a family that always encouraged lot’s of singing.  Regardless of whether or not that is you, I think that you will still find that you can learn so much from voice lessons.  Whether you’re looking to be a pro or just get better at karaoke, then you will surely benefit from working with one of our outstanding voice teachers!

by Musicguru

Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff

GROSSE POINTE MUSIC ACADEMY

17012 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230  313.458.7723

GP MUSIC ACADEMY in CANTON

5880 N. Canton Center Rd. Ste. 425, Canton, MI, 48187  734.418.0640

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Why Do We Remember Old Pop Songs But Forget Where Our Keys Are?

February 14, 2012 2 Comments

I’ve been posting quite a few things in the last few days about music and the human brain.  If you have any interest in this subject whatsoever then you’ll certainly enjoy this video.  Daniel Levitin, Neuroscientist and musician, gives some great example of how music is so absolutely important in our lives.  The function of music in relationship to the brain continues to astound the world’s most intelligent scientists.

In the video Dr. Levitin says there are many instances where those suffering from alzheimer’s can’t even remember their own name but if you play songs that they knew when they were younger that the memory responds rapidly.  People tend to perk up and become more joyful.  When he said that it made me think of how many business that I’ll always remember because they had a catchy little jingle going on the radio.  Recently I saw a paper advertisement for a company called Father and Son Construction.  Father and Son Construction had a catchy song and TV commercial that instantly starts playing in my had every time I see their ad.  Some old commercials I wish I could remove from my head but they just won’t go away!  You can unsubscribe to someone’s blog or email newsletters but once a business get’s you to sing their tune then they pretty much have you sold for life.

Here is a brief excerpt from Wikipedia’s page on Dr. Daniel Levitin:

Born in San Francisco, California the son of Lloyd Levitin, a businessman and professor, and Sonia Levitin, a novelist, Levitin was raised in Daly City, Moraga and Palos Verdes, California.[11] He studied electrical engineering at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, and music at the Berklee College of Music before dropping out of college to join a succession of bands. He returned to school in his thirties, studying cognitive psychology/cognitive sciencefirst at Stanford University (he received his B.A. in 1992 with honors and highest university distinction) and then the University of Oregon where he received his M.Sc. (1993) and Ph.D. (1996). He completed post-doctoral fellowships at Paul Allen’s Silicon Valley think-tank Interval Research, at the Stanford University Medical School, and at the University of California, Berkeley.[11] His scientific mentors included Roger Shepard, Michael Posner, Douglas Hintzman, John R. Pierce and Stephen Palmer. He has been a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Dartmouth College and Oregon Health Sciences University.

 

posted by Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff

 

Grosse Pointe Music Academy has locations in the Plymouth Canton area of Metro Detroit and on the Eastside of Detroit in Grosse Pointe.  We offer lessons in music for all ages and levels.

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“This is Your Brain on Music”

February 14, 2012 1 Comment

Director of McGill University’s Laboratory for Musical Perception, Cognition and Expertise and best-selling author of “This is Your Brain on Music,” Daniel Levitin blends cutting-edge scientific findings with his own experiences as a former record producer and still-active musician. [Read more...]

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That’s what she said: Quotes from Famous Female Songwriters

February 13, 2012 6 Comments

Quotes from Famous Female Songwriters:

We all have someone to look up to; these can be people who are part of our daily lives, or someone we’ve met briefly but left a lasting impression. They can also be someone famous like a celebrated musician, composer or vocalist. Let’s read and learn from these inspiring quotes by some of the world’s legendary female musicians.

“A great work of art is made out of a combination of obedience and liberty.” – Nadia Boulanger

“Songwriting is a very mysterious process. It feels like creating something from nothing. It’s something I don’t feel like I really control.” – Tracy Chapman

“You’re gonna have to learn to get out there in front of those cameras and hold your head up. Take charge when you’re singing.” – Patsy Cline

“Wrinkles are hereditary. Parents get them from their children.” – Doris Day

“It isn’t where you came from, it’s where you’re going that counts.” – Ella Fitzgerald

” You can’t copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means you’re working without any real feeling. No two people on earth are alike, and it’s got to be that way in music or it isn’t music.” – Billie Holiday

“Put your faith in God and confidence in yourself.” Alberta Hunter

“The downside of videos is that it will put my vision in front of other people, so they might not get the chance to create their own.” – Carole King

“I don’t try to sound like anyone but me anymore. If something is out of my element, I try to avoid it.” – Norah Jones

“You could write a song about some kind of emotional problem you are having, but it would not be a good song, in my eyes, until it went through a period of sensitivity to a moment of clarity. Without that moment of clarity to contribute to the song, it’s just complaining.” – Joni Mitchell

“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” – Beverly Sills

“As a singer I tried on all these hats, these voices, these clothes, and eventually out came me.” – Carly Simon

“When I sing, trouble can sit right on my shoulder and I don’t even notice.” – Sarah Vaughan

“You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die, or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live now.” – Joan Baez

“Always be smarter than the people who hire you.” – Lena Horne

“Success is important only to the extent that it puts one in a position to do more things one likes to do.” – Sarah Caldwell

“When music fails to agree to the ear, to soothe the ear and the heart and the senses, then it has missed its point.” – Maria Callas

“As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might.” – Marian Anderson

“Sometimes oppurtunities float right past your nose. Work hard, apply yourself, and be ready. When an opportunity comes you can grab it.” – Julie Andrews

“No one can figure out your worth but you.” – Pearl Bailey

“You can do anything you want to do, if you know what to do.” – Betty Carter

“I don’t think you get to good writing unless you expose yourself and your feelings. Deep songs don’t come from the surface; they come from the deep down. The poetry and the songs that you are suppose to write, I believe are in your heart.” – Judy Collins

“It’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.’ Marlene Dietrich

“If a song’s about something I’ve experienced or that could’ve happened to me it’s good. But if it’s alien to me, I couldn’t lend anything to it. Because that’s what soul is all about.” – Aretha Franklin

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” – Judy Garland

“In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent.” – Loretta Lynn

“Cherish forever what makes you unique, ‘cuz you’re really a yawn if it goes.” – Bette Midler

songwriting music classes in Canton Township Michigan

“You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.” – Diana Ross

“You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.” – Barbra Streisand

“I don’t like to dwell on the past.” – Tina Turner

 

Wanna try your hand at Songwriting?  Join us for our upcoming Songwriting Workshop classes in Grosse Pointe and Canton Township.  We will have a Songwriting workshop from 12pm-2pm in Grosse Pointe on Saturday, February 25th and in Canton on Sunday, February 26th.

Call us today or Sign up Online Now!

Saturday February 25th in Grosse Pointe 12pm-2pm
Sunday, February 26th at 12pm-2pm in Canton

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Health: Music and the Mind

February 12, 2012 2 Comments

I seem to hear more and more everyday how music helps to heal people.  Maybe one day then musicians and music therapists will be as rich as the drug companies!  I doubt that will ever be the case but it seems a little odd to me that music treatments haven’t become more mainstream.  The article below is from Time Magazine Health:

Health: Music and the Mind

Remember the silly tune from summer camp? The songs that were popular when you were courting? Or the hymn that was sung when your best friend died? Life without music would be pretty dull, and sometimes we lose sight of how powerful melody and rhythm can be in the realm of medicine, particularly with respect to Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.
No one is suggesting that music can reverse Alzheimer’s disease or the slow destruction of brain cells that causes it. But this November, as yet another National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month rolls by without a cure, and people continue to live with –and die from–this terrible condition, it’s a good time to think about the quality of life of patients and their families. To that end, more and more nursing homes and hospitals are finding that working with a music therapist can make a big difference.
One of the greatest struggles caregivers face is trying to relate to a loved one with Alzheimer’s–especially in the later stages of the disease, when you can enter a room and have your own mother hide under the covers. Singing or humming as you walk in can ease your entry. “People with Alzheimer’s often respond to music when they respond to nothing else,” says Suzanne Hanser, chair of music therapy at Berklee College of Music in Boston. After all, if someone is singing, everything must be O.K.
Transitions–from day to evening, from one room to another–are another big challenge, says Alicia Clair, director of music education and therapy at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Music therapists work with family members and other caregivers to choose familiar songs–such as Home on the Range–to calm the agitation.
The American Music Therapy Association musictherapy.org can provide a list of qualified professionals in your area. But don’t be afraid to do a little singing or whistling on your own. “If you can’t think of what to do, sit and read to your loved one,” Clair says. “And if you read poetry, it’s almost like singing.”

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1126738,00.html#ixzz1mDxnSUJz

by Christine Gorman

Time Magazine

 

posted by Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff

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Make music when practicing

February 11, 2012 Leave a Comment

The title of this blog comes from Mark Levine’s very popular Jazz Theory book.  I think it is important for musicians practicing all styles to “make music when practicing” rather than just Jazz musicians.  It’s common for people to think about playing those dreaded scales over and over again at the piano, guitar, or any instrument.  Perhaps this is mentioned in a Jazz book because of the highly improvisational nature of Jazz music but you can make any style of music fun while practicing with your scales and exercises.  In other words, you should play with feeling and intensity while practicing.  Pretend you are doing a major performance with all eyes on you.  Make it fun for yourself or it will become drudgery.  The path to becoming an awesome musician can be one of much pain and suffering and boredom if you hate your practice time.  Even people that play a lot of shows spend about 10 times as much time in the woodshed practicing away.  If you hate practicing then realizing that you’re probably going to perform a lot less than you practice is not very good news.  I’m not trying to sound Zen but please enjoy the journey.  There is a gap between being a beginner and being great.  Whatever it is that you do in your life will get better with a lot of practice.

Learn to practice your weaknesses

Some people will practice only the things that they know best and neglect to work on the things that they need most.  Recognizing your weaknesses and not avoiding them is the key to getting better.  I love it when a student tells me that they hate this chord, or this scale, or song or whatever.  If you hate something about your instrument, it usually means that you aren’t very good at it and you don’t understand it.  Some people have billions of dollars and others have nothing but we all have an equal amount of time and so time is extremely valuable.  Practice time is hard for all of us to squeeze in so it’s vital that you pinpoint your weakness and go after it in your practice.  15 minutes of your time focusing on a single weakness will surely improve your skill in that area.  15 minutes of continuous practice is quite a long time if you are focused.

Thanks for reading.  Please share your thoughts in our comment section.

 

Grosse Pointe Music Academy

2 locations serving Metro Detroit

Plymouth-Canton area:

5880 N. Canton Center Rd. Ste. 425

Canton, MI

48187

313-418-0640

Grosse Pointe:

17012 Mack Ave.

Grosse Pointe Park, MI

48230

313.458.7723

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Jazz piano lesson in canton michigan and grosse pointe

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Don’t let your children quit playing music

February 9, 2012 2 Comments

Children will often take up a musical instrument with high hopes of becoming great at playing the instrument or great at singing.  Typically the first few lessons are a lot of fun and it’s exciting to learn a few things about how to play and sing.  Beginning music lessons need to be set up so that the student can take baby steps towards learning something that is overall very complicated.  Inevitably there will come a time when the students encounters something in the lesson that seems like to big of a bridge to cross.  Something that will take a little extra work at home to master.  When this happens it is important to keep up the support and establish a required practice routine so that the learning continues.  Many guitar players want to quit when they encounter their first barre chord like the F chord.  There are many thresholds that will seem impossible for the student at certain times.  This is the time when parents, teachers or any adults in support should step up and do everything possible to ensure that the child doesn’t quit just because it’s too hard.  There are many reasons why people don’t want to practice but it is usually from being undisciplined or just plain lazy.  If I had a nickel for every time I heard an adult say “I wish my parent’s wouldn’t have let me quit music lessons”, I wouldn’t be writing this article or running a music academy.  Instead, I would be on a beach somewhere with warm weather, counting my millions of dollars in nickels. Actually I think I would take it all to the change machine at a bank and play guitar on the beach instead.  I’m not suggesting that every single person was made to play music on instruments or be singers, but it’s just a real tragedy when parents let their kids quit because things got a little challenging at the music lesson.  If your child isn’t practicing be certain to spend some time sitting with them and going over what they did in their lesson.  Sometimes young students will need their parents to come to a few lessons to help them organize a practice routine at home.  Sometimes students who do practice become unmotivated by practicing alone and desire to start playing with other musicians like their favorite bands do.  Our rock band and ensemble program has worked wonders for some of our young musicians.  Confidence is key and these programs help tremendously with confidence and inspires students to learn more and more.  Don’t let your child wish you would have kept them going in music.  Don’t let them quit music lessons!

 

 

Posted by Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff

Plymouth Canton Area Music School

Grosse Pointe Music Academy in Canton

5880 N. Canton Center Rd. Ste. 425

Canton, MI

48187

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Exploring Classical Indian Music

February 9, 2012 Leave a Comment

indian music lessons in canton

Sitarist Alec Brogan will bring his vast knowledge of Indian classical music to the Grosse Pointe Music Academy in Canton for a workshop exploring Classical Indian Music.  Please join us on Monday, February 27th for this unique event and learning experience.

Monday February 27th from 6pm-8pm

Alec Brogan has studied classical Indian music between two families or traditions. One is named Gayaki which is a more lyrical style of music which mimics the indian singing style. Also he has studied Mihar which is much more rooted in the instrumental traditions. He has studied this music mainly through the Sitar however, as all students in Indian music should, has studied singing as well. His main teacher or Guruji is named Roshanji Bhartiya. Roshanji Bhartiya is a guru who hails from Bombay, his main teacher is his father who studied directly from Ravi Shankar and the lineage of Mihar. However Roshanji has found himself playing mainly in the Gayaki lineage which has been passed down to Alec through years of study. 

This particular assent into the study of Classical Indian music will be mainly rooted in studying what are called the “swaras” and the way they relate to one another. The swaras are what come together to create the ragas and improvisations of Indian music. Students that have instruments (preferably sitars) are welcome to bring them. However for the sake of the entire class there will be an emphasis on listening and singing. We will explore different artists contemporary and classical, listening to the different ways that the ragas are approached from different players. We will also be spending a good amount of time becoming familiar with the backbones of the music itself and noticing the differences between the majority of the western music we hear from day to day.

Adults are welcome to join our workshop.  If you have further questions and would like to get more information please feel free to call us.

 

posted by Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff

 

Grosse Pointe Music Academy in Canton

5880 N. Canton Center Rd. Suite 425

Canton, MI 48187

734.418.0640

Classical Indian Music Classes in Detroit

 

 

 

 

 

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Seaquence.org

February 7, 2012 7 Comments

With the upcoming songwriting workshops being hosted by Grosse Pointe Music Academy, I thought it would be appropriate to post something about this new website called Seaquence.org.  It’s a pretty cool site for composing a musical organism and listening to it play over and over in a loop.  You can create multiple musical organisms and have them play simultaneously.  It’s totally cool so be sure to check it out!

Seaquence is an experiment in musical composition.

Adopting a biological metaphor, you can create and combine musical lifeforms resulting in an organic, dynamic composition.

The way each creatures looks and sounds is determined by the step-sequencer pattern, and other parameters you can tweak including their audio waveform, octave, scale, melody, envelope, and volume.
You can add multiple creatures to your dish by clicking the ‘add’ button at the top right of the screen. The combination of different creatures results in unique compositions that always change due to the creatures movement. You can click and drag on the world to move around your composition.

Compositions can be saved by clicking ‘share’, which can then be sent to others allowing them to hear what you’ve made. This demo video gives you a feel for how to create your own Seaquence composition:

Seaquence Demo from Daniel Massey on Vimeo.

Seaquence is a living, growing ecosystem of musical lifeforms that anyone can explore, see and hear. Each Seaquence above represents a donation that directly supports Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, a San Francisco-based non-profit, committed to building social consciousness through digital culture. Seaquence is an original project created at Gray Area Labs by Ryan Alexander, Gabriel Dunne, and Daniel Massey.

Each time you contribute $2 or more, you help make our community stronger both digitally and physically. Your contribution goes directly to the support of this project and the organization as a whole. For every donation, you will receive a unique Seaquence Key, allowing you to add your own Seaquence to the growing constellation of musical creations. You will also receive a unique URL you can use to save and share your contribution.

The support of our community is essential not only to making Seaquence a success, but future projects as well. Please support Gray Area and the digital arts by making a Seaquence and spreading the word today.

There is no limit to the number of Seaquences you can donate. Plus, they make a great tax-deductible gift!

 

Be sure to share your links in our comment section!

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Balduck Mountain Ramblers

February 6, 2012 2 Comments

Local Music Balduck Mountain Ramblers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings Everyone!

Ben Steel will return to the Wildwood Friendly Tavern this coming Saturday, the 11th, from 8 pm to 11 pm. As always, this venue offers good food, affordable prices, warm hospitality and a red-hot music scene! The Wildwood is located at 46721 Hayes Rd., just south of 21 Mile Rd. in Macomb. We hope you have the opportunity to join us for a set or two! http://www.joebologna.com/

Please note: Due to a travel conflict, our monthly engagement at Marge’s Bar will take place on Sunday, February 26th from 6 pm – 9 pm. Look for us to be back on our regular 3rd Sunday of the month schedule on Sunday, March 18th. Marge’s Bar is located at 15400 Mack Avenue, at the corner of Beaconsfield, in Grosse Pointe Park. For info, call 313.881.8895. (FYI: Marge’s was just voted “Best Place for a Burger” in Patch.com’s online poll)

And as you may know, the Balduck Mountain Ramblers is the foundation group for Ben Steel, so here’s some upcoming performances for both groups that you may be interested in attending:

Sunday, March 4th: The Balduck Mountain Ramblers will perform in concert from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Sterling Heights Coffee House Series at the Sterling Heights Community Center. The Community Center is located at Dodge Park & Utica Roads in Sterling Heights. For information, call 586.446.2751

Sunday, March 11th: The Ramblers will perform at Nemo’s Bar & Grille from 12 noon to 7 pm as part of the annual St. Patrick’s Parade festivities. Nemo’s is located at 1384 Michigan Ave., one block south of Trumbull in Detroit’s historic Corktown District. For info, call 313.965.3180. http://www.nemosdetroit.com/

Friday, March 16th: Our biggest event of the year! The Ramblers will perform from 8 pm to 10 pm at the annual Players Playhouse fundraiser. You may even see a special guest appearance by Ben Steel at this one! A spectacular venue, a great show and a good cause are the order of the evening at this annual extravaganza. Reservations are required! Tickets are $25.00 each in advance and $30.00 at the door, and include snacks, refreshments (yes, beer!) and a light dinner. (You may carry in your own wine or other preferred beverages if you’d like). A behind the scenes tour of this wonderful Detroit treasure is also included – proceeds help support the Players Playhouse Endowment Fund. The Players Playhouse is located at 3321 E. Jefferson, about 1 Mile east of the Renaissance Center. For reservations or information, call Joyce at 313.259.3385. (See attached flyer) http://www.playersdetroit.org/

Saturday, March 17th: The Balduck Mountain Ramblers will be back at Nemo’s for the annual St. Patrick’s Day party at Nemo’s. Times are from 12 noon to 7:30 pm. Nemo’s is the real deal when it comes to Irish Pubs, so don’t make the mistake of staying out in the ‘burbs for your St. Patrick’s celebration!

Sunday, March 18th: As previously mentioned, Ben Steel will be at Marge’s for our regular monthly gig from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Thanks and we hope to see you soon!

John Denomme

posted by Grosse Pointe Music Academy Staff

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