The Value of Technique

“Technique is the ability to translate your ideas into sound through your instrument.”– Bill Evans, Jazz Pianist  When students begin to learn an instrument, one of the most important elements a teacher will introduce is the value of proper technique. This will be different for each instrument; for example, a piano student will learn where and how to sit, how to hold their hands naturally, wrist posture, arm weighting, finger dexterity, etc — and all of these elements must be considered before we even play a single note! This provides new students with the most solid baseline possible, as they…

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Musicians Should Collaborate at Every Age

“We’re creatures of habit. We know what we know. With collaboration…and I’m not just talking about music, I’m talking about in life – if you’re a good listener and you have your ears open, and to be a good collaborator you have to be able to listen, you can learn something from somebody else.” – Dave Koz, American Jazz Saxophonist Think of your favourite song… we can almost guarantee that you are thinking of a song that was written, produced, performed, recorded, mastered, and released by a variety of people. That’s because music is a collaborative effort! Often people believe…

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Can Learning Music Change Your Brain?

It’s no secret that music has an effect on our brains. Whether you go to a symphony, or a live music show, or even just turn on your favourite song, it’s immediately obvious how music can affect our emotions and our engagement. Listening and experiencing music is a huge benefit to our brain development, especially in children. Music Lessons can have an even bigger impact! Studies have shown that music training can speed up growth in the areas of our brains that process language, sound, speech, and reading skills! Music has so many benefits that aren’t just reading and playing…

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Why Is Music Theory So Important?

“Do everything you can to learn your craft. Score student films for free, attend conferences, learn music theory – do anything and everything you can.”       – John Keltonic  When learning an instrument, you have probably been encouraged to work on your music theory as well. Music theory is an incredibly important part of any music learning journey. Some call it the “grammar of music” because it provides the rules by which music works. Learning music theory will help a student understand the different written elements that make up a piece of music including; note reading, note values,…

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