Category: MTMS Blog Posts

Frolic Time

Frolic Time

by Michelle Tuesday

Sammy, the little wolf-pup, loved to frolic in the sunshine and roll in the grass. It was his favorite time of day, when the trainer threw balls around for him to chase and catch. He especially liked the little light-up ball, the one that flickered every time it landed. Sammy would pick that one up and flick his head, firing the ball up and over his back, so he would have to twist to see where it landed. Sometimes, the lion cubs on the other side of the fence would wander near his pen, and Sammy would go crazy, growling and barking, showing them how mean he was. It was so much fun!

Lately, frolic time was getting weirder.  Continue reading “Frolic Time”

Reading Music Part 2: Pitch

Last month, we talked about reading rhythms. Today, we’re going to talk about reading pitch.

Now that you know how to count notes and pitches, how do you figure out which string to pluck, which key to strike, or how high or low to sing? The location of the note on the staff tells you the PITCH of the note. Continue reading “Reading Music Part 2: Pitch”

How to Write Song Lyrics

So you want to be a lyricist! Congratulations, because the drive to create is the first thing you need to write a song. You know you want to do it, and you think you have the passion, but you’re not sure what comes next. Start by asking yourself this question: For whom are you writing? Song lyrics are meant to be heard, so you’re writing for an audience, not for yourself. This cannot be emphasized enough! Keep it in mind as we go through the steps of writing good lyrics.

Step 1: The premise. Continue reading “How to Write Song Lyrics”

Reading Music Part 1: Rhythm

So, you want to read music! Maybe you sing: You’re in the choir at your place of worship, or you landed a part in the local community theatre musical, and you’d like to practice at home. Perhaps you play an instrument by ear, or you read guitar, bass or drum tabs, and you’d like to learn more. But those symbols all over the page look like a foreign language to you, and the task seems daunting.

You’re right about one thing: Music is a language all its own, and you have to learn what the symbols mean before you can interpret the language. The good news? There are a finite amount of symbols to learn, and the list is much shorter than your German-English translation dictionary. You can learn it, and it’s easier than you think. Continue reading “Reading Music Part 1: Rhythm”