4 Things to Consider When Choosing A Music School

Are you interested in learning music? Or do you want to enroll your child in a good music school? There are dozens of music school to choose from and you do not know how to verify the authenticity of their education and structure. How do you decide?

Here are some things you should know in order to choose the best music school for you or your child.

Professional Setup

You want to make sure that the music school is ran by dedicated group of professionals who are passionate about giving the right music education to everyone and not a side business which is run to profit from you financially. Do a research, explore their social presence and ask the existing students about how they feel about the institution and its method. So, make the necessary enquiries, check ratings online and choose the institution you are most comfortable with.

Curriculum

Curriculum or the syllabus of your music course decides what and how much will you be learning throughout the course. There are various curriculums available now. Some emphasize on the classical theory and pieces while some encourages contemporary approach towards learning. It all depends on you, you should understand what you want to achieve through the course and make the choice on the curriculum that you think is the best suited for your goals as a musician. An organized curriculum, a well-planned execution is very important in fostering the right habits and effective exercises in strengthening the basics.

Faculty

You want to make sure that the instructor that you want to learn under really understand your goals and know how to help you achieve them. Some schools employ very informed musicians; however, they may fail to pass down the information to you in an effective manner. It is thus very important for a music school to train their teachers to “teach”. Check with the school about their methodology, teacher training and approach to music education.

 

Infrastructure & Resources

It is also important for the school to have the right quality and quantity of equipment and infrastructure so that students can learn effectively. Every student should have access to the basic instrument with its required accessories to learn. It is essential to understand your instrument and equipment to grow as a musician and improve your creativity.

Finally, remember that Music learning is not a one-way street. Teachers will do their part by teaching you the required techniques, concepts and songs however you need to practice. Research indicates that all you need is 20 minutes a day to make effective progress. So, if based on this information, you believe your objectives are met – try out the music school and enjoy your music learning journey!

BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in Whitefield, Bangalore, India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.

Understanding Vocal Vibrato

Several beginner or amateur singers often question the need for Vibrato. So, what is Vibrato and what is the Importance of Vibrato?

"Vibrato" is the modulation of pitch in the voice.

It's a soft, narrow, rapid fluctuation of the pitch of the notes while singing.

"Tremolo" is the modulation of volume in the voice.

Using real tremolo in singing is not a standard technique

Singing with vibrato is something that many professional singers learned to do in the era before amplification was invented and became widespread and practical (in all the years before about 1925). The idea of singing with a band without vibrato, which used to be called crooning (that was originally a derisive term) only became practical if you assumed the use of a microphone and amplification on stage, or in the case of recording the singing voice in a recording studio.

Vibrato is essential to operatic singing because using vibrato is part of the technique which enables a solo singer to be heard, unamplified, singing with a 40 piece orchestra in front of an audience of 2,000 people. Using vibrato also enables a singer to sing very loud and project clearly for a considerable amount of time without fatiguing or injuring the voice. You can't do that without vibrato.

Of course some pop singers who do not use vibrato develop a permanently raspy, weak voice (think Tom Petty or Bob Dylan). They like it that way, and some way or another they learn how to keep using their voice that way. It is different with every singer; they each develop their own technique and sound which works for them.

Healthy vibrato can be achieved in a rather short period of time. Usually the time factor is dependent upon the singer's mind/body coordination. Some singers have more of a connection to their body than others. any singer can achieve a properly regulated and even vibrato with concentration, proper instruction, and by embracing the process rather than the result. Patience is a most important aspect while training and balancing vocal production.

BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in Whitefield, Bangalore, India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.

Source: 

https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/29355/what-is-the-importance-of-vocal-vibrato

http://www.voiceteacher.com/vibrato.html

Connecting Melody Line and Rhythm Chords

What is the relationship between the melody line and the rhythm chords?

Mix It Up

Don't just use chord tones (meaning, notes that are in the chord you're playing at the moment) and don't just use non-chord tones. Non-chord tones will give your melody a sense of momentum and tension, while chord tones will give your melody a sense of stability and release. Of the chord tones, roots and fifths have the most stability, while thirds and sevenths strike a nice balance. 

Too much of either is no good: too much tension and momentum, and you run the risk of your melody running out of control, which ultimately feels chaotic. Too much stability, and your melody will sound dull and boring.

Voice Leading

This basically means that your melody shouldn't jump around too much---a few big intervals are fine and can be really dramatic, but most of the time, your melody should stick to stringing together notes that are near each other. Otherwise it's hard for the listener's ear to keep up.

For example, say you're playing the A-D-E chord progression you mentioned. C# is the third of the A chord, and D is the root of the D chord (obviously). So a melody that plays the C# and then the D is employing voice leading.

Choosing Chords

So you have the opposite challenge: to pick chords to fit a melody. As before, there's no one right way to go about this, but again, here are some guidelines:

• Identify the notes in the melody that feel more stable as opposed to those that feel as though they have momentum and movement and use those to help inform your chord choices.
• Identify the few notes with the most drama. These probably shouldn't be chord tones, but might resolve to chord tones.
• Chord progressions have their own momentum and stability. I chords are stable; V chords have momentum. You resolve a V (or V7) chord to its corresponding I chord. Unless you absolutely know what you're doing, make sure your V chords resolve or the song will leave your listeners feeling unsettled.

Example: "Eleanor Rigby"

"Eleanor Rigby"---"Rig" and "by" are both chord tones, and the melody lands on "by" like a rock. That note is the root of the chord, and it provides a lot of stability for the melody, which is good because the next line is...

"Picks up the rice in a church where a wedding has been"---"Rice" and "church" aren't chord tones, and they have a lot of momentum. This line is almost like a roller coaster: "Picks up the" is the initial ascent, followed by a briefly held point of tension on "rice", then a quick fall, a quick rise, and then another briefly held point of tension on "church", another fall, etc. It ends on "been", which is a chord tone for the next chord (the IV chord). Stability and release after the tension and drama of the roller coaster. Paul knew what he was doing.

Summary

These are only techniques and ideas on how you could come up with fitting tunes and chords. However, ultimately you need to be happy with the music created - simple or complex. 

BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.

Source: 

https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/2595/what-is-the-relationship-between-the-melody-line-and-the-rhythm-chords

5 Healthy Habits for Healthy Vocal Cords

5 Healthy Habits for Healthy Vocal Cords

Do you ever wonder why stars get vocal problems? Why they lose their voices and end up having surgery? Does it happen to everyone eventually or can it be avoided? And doesn’t that just scare you? It should.

It’s not inevitable, but it’s highly probable that you will have vocal problems if you don’t learn how to use and care for your voice. Your voice is an instrument inside your body and how you treat it and your body greatly affects your voice.

Here are two articles that shed give some tips about taking care of your voice.

Article 1: ‘Healthy Diet for a Vocalist’ by Roma Lightsey, Livestrong.com

Avoid using mouthwash that contains alcohol. If you need to gargle, use salt water. Don't cradle the phone between your head and shoulder, as this causes muscle tension in the neck. Dairy products should be avoided before a performance. Cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream, and even some fruits such as bananas can cause excess mucus production.

http://bit.ly/VoiceHealth

Article 2: ‘Good Singing Foods Maintain Great Vocal Health!’ by Aaron Matthew

One of the major “Good Singing Foods” is actually a liquid, and it is WATER. Apart from hydrating the body, water also keeps our vocal cords moist, and this is very important for a healthy voice. This is because when we are singing, our vocal cords are vibrating at an extremely fast speed. If our vocal cords are dry, they will be more prone to irritation when vibrating, and this may cause some pain and discomfort when we sing.

Action Points

1.     Do not smoke. It raises the chance of throat cancer and can irritate the vocal chords.

2.     Avoid alcohol, dairy, oily foods and other foods that irritate your throat.

3.     Drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated.

4.     Rest your voice if you are sick or feel strain in your vocal chords.

5.     Do regular vocal exercises and learn from a trained vocal instructor.

These are just a few tips to observe to maintain a strong and healthy singing voice. Your vocal chords are like any other muscle in your body and require training to get better and stronger. Regular vocal exercises will help making your vocal chords more flexible and stronger.

BlueTimbre is a Music hub with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. BlueTimbre management team comes with a decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.

Sources:

https://www.westernherbalmedicine.com/Natural-Medicines-to-improve-enhance-and-heal-your-Vocal-Cords.html

www.livestrong.com

http://your-personal-singing-guide.com/good-singing-foods.html