Monthly Archives: August 2013

Happy Birthday, Lars Frederiksen!

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Marie

Happy birthday to American musician Lars Frederiksen, b. 1971, best known as guitarist for the punk band Rancid. He fronts two other punk bands, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and The Old Firm Casuals, and has produced albums for Agnostic … Continue reading →

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Today in Music History, 1958

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Marie

Today in music history, 1958: American singer Michael Jackson was born. The eighth of ten children, Jackson was born into a musical family and eventually became the most successful entertainer of all time. His singing and dancing has influenced generations … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday, Florence Welch

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Marie

Happy birthday to English musician Florence Welch, b. 1986, best known as lead singer of Florence + the Machine.  Enjoy the sixth single from the band’s debut album, Lungs:

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Why Sight Reading is Important

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Marie

There is some debate between supporters of sight reading and supporters of learning by ear.  I support sight reading because, just like learning to read English, it allows for students to analyze and understand what they are playing. Reading music … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday, Tony Kanal

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Marie

Happy birthday to British-born musician Tony Kanal, b. 1970, best known as the bass guitarist for the ska band No Doubt. He has worked with other artists such as Pink and Weezer. Celebrate his birthday with a video from No … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday, Jet Black

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Marie

Happy birthday to English musician Jet Black, b. 1938, best known as the drummer for the punk rock/new wave band The Stranglers. Black patented the Jet Black Power Bass Drum Pedal, an invention that allows for comfort in playing the … Continue reading →

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Today in Music History, 1946

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Marie

Today in Music History, 1946: English musician Keith Moon is born in Wembley. He was best known as the drummer for the rock band The Who and was voted second greatest drummer in history by Rolling Stone readers. We remember … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday, Musicians!

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Marie

If you are having a birthday today, you share it with some incredibly talented and influential musicians! Happy Birthday to: French Impressionist composer Claude Debussy, b. 1862,  wrote “Claire de lune” American guitarist Chuck Brown, b. 1936, known as the “Godfather … Continue reading →

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Today in Music History, 1935

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Marie

Today in music history, 1935: American clarinetist and band leader Benny Goodman begins the Swing Era  at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, CA. The nationwide radio broadcast brought swing music to every American of the generation, sustained what is known as … Continue reading →

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Video Piano Tutorials

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Marie

Q: I’ve searched YouTube tutorials to learn piano songs, but I can’t find the ones that I want. Most of the time, they are too hard or don’t exist at all. When I do find a rare one that is good, I … Continue reading →

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