Category: MTMS Blog Posts

Success happens after failure, sometimes many failures. Read about 15 people who failed their way to success.

“I’m always fascinated to learn of famous people who were told they didn’t measure up, or they couldn’t do something….I am partial, always, to the underdog, and always root for the person who always tries their best and defies what someone else might say about their abilities. When teaching children , I always try to give them a firm foundation of confidence to pursue their dreams, no matter what that may look like. Someone may tell a child that they do not like their [the student’s] voice or their instrument but what matters is that they like it…that they love it no matter what anyone else thinks or says. To help someone see that they have “wings to fly” so-to-speak, is the greatest gift you can give someone who is studying music, or theater, or something in the arts. (Really any pursuit) Helping someone realize their potential is phenomenal. This article lists 10 famous people who were told they couldn’t. They defied what they were told and went on to fulfill their dreams.” – Ms. Leann

JAM is Jazz Appreciation Month, and in 2021 they’re highlighting women’s contributions to Jazz. Nina Simone is always a great start, and there are several great events to learn more about women in jazz.

Jazz Appreciation Month | National Museum of American History (si.edu)

For April, try listening to a little more jazz. Allow yourself to appreciate what the rhythm can teach us, the call and response patterns, and the people who have made it what it is.

This month’s lab theme is the history of guitar. Today’s modern flat-top acoustic guitars have had a similar design for a couple centuries, but similar instruments – the European lute and the Arabic oud- can be traced back to ancient times. The word guitar comes from the Greek word kithara, which mythology attributes to the god Hermes creating from a tortoise shell.

The guitar became closer to what we see today in the 1790s for design. Steel strings and the flat top design, along with a specific number of strings (6) and frets along the neck, has become the modern instrument we recognize. All of these details, along with the shape of the body and neck, have defined the music that is created on the guitar and how we play it. Even adding a pick and a pick guard have changed the sound that we get from the guitar. Learn more in the music history station in the lab!

April’s Music Composition theme is the Blues – April showers bring May flowers! Bring your bit of the blues to life in the composition station. Here are a couple songs to get you in the mood:

There are also a few advanced challenges – have fun and don’t be afraid to put your own spin on it.

In this video, Charlie Puth is breaking down how he wrote his hit song, “Attention”. I have always been a HUGE fan of Charlie Puth and his music. I came across this video the other day and was really intrigued by his song writing process. Being classically trained, I am constantly looking at the sheet music and putting all my focus in that. Even when I wrote compositions during music school, it would be on sheet music. Charlie thinks outside of the box. He puts all of his music on his phone in his voice notes app when he has a song idea. What was interesting about this video is how he goes through his song writing process, by playing, mixing and layering different parts together into the final product. Charlie uses his ears and knowledge of different musical genres and backgrounds into his pop music and as he says, “likes to trick people into what they are hearing”. I love seeing what songs start out as and how they grow into the final product.

I thought about using this a couple of different ways. First, I wanted to remind myself to make sure my students know where different ideas in music come from as we are learning them (which I normally do, but this is important!). I also want them to play different genres of music so they have that knowledge. Secondly, I wanted to show them alternatives to writing music. Not everyone writes it down on sheet music. This also teaches how important it is to know your scales, intervals, and to use your ear, whether you are reading sheet music or if you are improvising or composing. I would like to implement more ear training into my lessons for my students.

– Ms. Kristen Hyatt