Thank you to our myriad performers this weekend. Did you take any fun pictures? We’d love to see them.
Mark your calendars. On Sunday, January 21, MTMS Winter Benefit Concert will happen at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 4456 Morse Rd, Gahanna.
Blog
Recitals – Not Too Late
There’s still time to sign up for recitals. Performance is a key part of learning music and learning real life skills. Music helps reduce stress in the lives of those who create it and listen to it. There are no studies who talk about the drawbacks of adding music into life- only more and more benefits. I learned recently that learning music can help learn foreign languages, and then I remember I haven’t picked up my guitar today. Maybe I can sign up for the next virtual playlist.
This current recital is full of fun activities and great music. Sign up today!
Recital Signups!
Sign up for the Halloween Party Performance Event! Costumes are not required, and yes, we’re planning on our usual fun crafts, trick or treat, scavenger hunt, in addition to the performances. Can’t wait to hear everything you have to play, and this event will be held October 27-29.
Survey in the Lab This Week!
Occasionally we ask our students questions and they tell us their answers. I like to give people a chance to respond here, too, and then report back about it next time on the blog.
What’s your favorite genre of music?
Pop
Hip-hop
Rock
Jazz
Country
Classical
Folk
Show Tunes
While we know genres that aren’t included in the list, I encourage you to try these if you’ve never, and rank what you like for yourself or what you listen to with your kids, or what you put up with in a public space versus what makes you want to leave right away. Music is everywhere (and I love it) but we don’t all react to all of the music in the same way. I guarantee if I hear Christmas music in July in my kid’s room, I’m not going to stay too long. I linger longer if either kid is practicing an instrument, however.
Enjoy the day, enjoy the music, and let us know what you love to listen to.
Songwriting and Creative Outlets
Did you know we teach songwriting? Songwriting is a specific creative endeavor in the musical field that often includes the storytelling aspect with words (lyrics). While conflict and movement can be done with instruments alone, many of our popular songs today have a range of styles that include words and instruments. A Capella is a style with singing alone covering both the lyrics and the instrumental portions of the song. Many orchestra pieces have only the instruments and no lyrics at all.
But while we focus on the popular song styles, because it is good to learn all of the pieces of songwriting before exploring any one in detail, we cover the basic parts of a song and build them one at a time to help understand each of them: refrain/chorus, verses, intro, outro, bridge, instrumental interlude, and pre-chorus. We cover rhythm, melody, harmony, time signatures, chord progression, and the hook.
If you’re starting to feel that itch about wanting to be creative, to let out some of those ideas that pop into your head, grab a notebook or your nearest digital notetaking device, and also head to this October NaNoWriMo Prep Challenge. Never heard of NaNoWriMo? It’s National Novel Writing Month, and you don’t actually have to try that. (It’s difficult, trust me, because I’ve tried it.) But the beauty of the Challenge is to allow your ideas to take shape, whether they end up in a story, a poem, a song, or another medium. Don’t be afraid to allow your creativity to guide you!
Actually, this post makes me want to write a song now… How about you?