Today marks the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of swing and jazz guitarist George Van Eps. Born in New Jersey, Van Eps was a session musician and “Father of the Seven String Guitar,” an instrument which allowed for more freedom during improvisation.
Enjoy this little piece to celebrate his birth and life:
Practicing new pieces by yourself may feel a bit overwhelming. Your teacher isn’t there to encourage and correct you. You rely on the sheet music, the scribbles that were made on the page as reminders, and your memory of the lesson. That should be enough to keep you on the right track, but what about rhythm and speed and volume and staccato and all the little details? What if you forget to flat the B and practice wrong during the entire week? What if you forget that there is a second ending or a coda?
Once your piano instructor has assigned a new piece of music, you will want to attempt it by yourself as soon as possible, even continuing to practice as soon after your teacher has left. If you wait a few days, you may forget details about your lesson. If you wait even longer, you will not give yourself enough time to practice the piece to make good progress during the next lesson. Every minute of practice helps to build more confidence in your playing.
Begin your new piece by working on the trouble spots that have been recognized during the lessons. Usually, they will stand out because they have been circled or are in brackets. Play these parts slowly so that you play only the correct notes. Do not worry about speed just yet. If you play the correct notes, you’ll pick up the tempo correctly.
Practice slowly from the beginning so that you have time to think when you arrive to the trouble spots. If you make a mistake or “get lost,” do not start all over. Instead, start at a break in the music, say, at the beginning of the slur where the mistake was made or a few measure before the mistake. If you always start your practice at the beginning of the piece, you will have a perfect beginning, a mediocre middle, and a nonexistent ending.
When you are away from your instrument, try to sing or hum the melody of the new piece. If you can’t sing it, then you aren’t learning it. If you can, then you are on the right track.
Today in music history, 1996: American punk rock band the Ramones performed their 2,263rd and final concert. It was recorded and released as the fourth and final live album We’re Outta Here. The concert also featured musicians of other rock bands to sing with the Ramones, along with former Ramones bassist, DeeDee Ramone.
We shall observe the final request to be sedated:
Today in music history, 1957: American Bandstand debuts on ABC. Hosted by Dick Clark, teenagers danced to Top 40 radio hits on the show, and at least one musical guest lip-synced a recent single. American Bandstand ran for 37 years, the first twelve through ABC’s black and white signal, the last six in stereo.
Enjoy this interview from 1964 with the Beach Boys:
Happy Birthday to American musician and record producer, Butch Vig, b. 1955. He has worked with numerous bands by producing and mixing their albums, such as Nirvana’s Nevermind, House of Pain’s Shamrocks and Shenanigans, The Smashing Pumpkins’s Gish and Siamese Dream, and Foo Fighters’s Wasting Light among others. Vig has also served as the drummer for the rock band Garbage.
Celebrate his birthday with a video in which Vig explains how he produced one Nirvana track:
Today in Music History, 1981: At 12:01 am, the best of television combined with the best of radio, MTV, Music Television, aired its maiden broadcast. The first words broadcasted were, “Ladies and gentlemen, Rock and roll.” Then played the all-too familiar guitar riff, and the astronaut on the moon appeared on the screen holding the flag of a new era in music and video.
Today in music history, 1923: American musician and businessman Ahmet Ertegun is born in Istanbul, Turkey. He was the founder and president of Atlantic Records, an independent record label that specialized in rhythm & blues, jazz, and rock & roll. Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Bette Midler all saw their recording careers under the Atlantic label. Ertegun also served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum.
Celebrate the magnate’s life with a song by Atlantic recording artists and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees:
I’ve had many parents ask me, “What are better, group piano lessons or individual, private lessons?”
You really have to weigh the pros and cons on this one. What is better for one student may not be better for the next student.
Some of the general advantages of group lessons are:
Some advantages of individual, private lessons are:
Prioritize: Do you want flexibility in your lessons? Is the cost a deciding factor? Do you want your child to learn many songs or technique and theory?
Now, that is not to say that group lessons do not emphasize theory and form. Of course, learning to play music does require a knowledge of theory and some correct form.
If you want to give your child the musical advantages of both group and individual lessons, perhaps you can look into signing him up for youth symphony or band ensemble along with private piano lessons, musical groups that require him to learn another instrument such as the flute or cello. As many music teachers will agree, individual teachers have a different standard than group teachers, and we don’t want these standards clashing, confusing the budding musician.
Happy Birthday to English singer Kate Bush, b. 1958, best known for her recognizable voice. She has recorded ten studio albums in a thirty year span.
Celebrate her birthday with her first single, which reached No. 1 on the music charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Today in music history, 1967: The Doors hit No. 1 on the charts with “Light My Fire.” Their first single, “Break On Through,” from their debut album didn’t quite break on through. It was “Light My Fire” that made them the cultural icons they are today.
