4 Benefits Of Having Multiple Music Classes In A Week

You have just begun your musical journey with an instrument and you want to learn quick and progress at a rate so that you can discover the artist in you in couple of months. Most of you have questions whether one class per week is enough to acquire the growth you are expecting or if multiple classes will disturb your practice sessions? This article emphasizes on the benefits and the reasons why as a beginning music student, you should attend multiple classes in a week.

1. Frequent Revising of Lessons and Feedback

Every student progresses at a different rate. It depends on how the student reconciles concepts of pitch, rhythm and executes co-ordination alongside their curiosity towards music. But, beside the rate of progress, it is very important for a student to retain the information and lessons taught in class. If you are a beginner student, then you will benefit from attending multiple classes in a week as the lessons will be revised and touched-upon more often and coming across a topic repetitively will help you remember and retain the information better. Also, Frequent Classes would mean that you are in touch with your instrument more often and getting effective feedback from the teacher to help you to progress in the right direction.

2. Better Focus as Gaps Between Lessons are Shorter

The gap between lessons is meant for practice for the student. When the student comes to the next lesson, he/she should have a satisfactory command over the previous lesson. However, for absolute beginners, it could be challenging, thus it is important that they utilize the gap between lessons so that the mentor can help them focus on the lesson as well as progress with new information little by little. This helps the student to have a fresher perspective towards the instrument and avoid mundane practice sessions for too long.

3. Preventing Bad Habits with more Oversight

The beginner student tends to adopt whatever works best for them, and in process, sometimes they break some very basic rules that needs to be applied to the instrument or voice. With a longer pause between lessons, student might develop a bad habit (posture etc.) which in turn hinders their progress. With frequent observation and mentoring from the teacher, students can be corrected as they learn, develop the right habits and the necessary progress in their playing. Learning the right way will benefit their skills towards instrument or voice in the long term.

4. Faster Learning

With keeping all the above points in mind, it is safe to say that they will learn the instrument faster. For complete beginners, it might be challenging to grasp new topics, but with multiple classes which will encourage focus, correct basics and repetitive information, a student gets familiar with the instrument which builds up their confidence and hence their learning progress. Every beginner should be encouraged to take up two-three classes in a week until they reach a level in technicality where it requires more practice time than getting acquainted with the instrument.

While these points may seem obvious, just look at the example of a school. In a school, in the early stages, every subject is covered everyday or every alternate day. All of the reasons listed in this article apply to learning in schools. Simply put, multiple classes a week helps you learn with better recall, understanding, faster and correctly.

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.

References:

1. http://drkevguitar.com/2013/09/03/how-often-should-i-take-guitar-lessons/

1. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2005/07/29/once-week-not-enough 

10 Benefits of Music Education

• Improves Academic skill - "More and more studies show a correlation between higher academic achievement with children who are exposed to music," says children's music specialist Meredith LeVande of MonkeyMonkeyMusic.com. "Music simply stimulates parts of the brain that are related to reading, math, and emotional development. "Help your kids remember more (and learn more!) with music. "Further research has shown that participation in music at an early age can help improve a child's learning ability and memory by stimulating different patterns of brain development," says Maestro Eduardo Marturet, a conductor, composer and musical director for the Miami Symphony Orchestra.
• Cultivates Social Skill - Picking up an instrument can also help your child break out of their social shell too, experts say. "Socially, children who become involved in a musical group or ensemble learn important life skills, such as how to relate to others, how to work as a team and appreciate the rewards that come from working together, and the development of leadership skills," says Marturet, who also oversees the MISO Young Artist program in South Florida, which allows young musicians to hone their musical skills as part of a professional orchestra.

• Improves Discipline - In order for an orchestra/band to sound good, all players must work together harmoniously towards a single goal, the performance, and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing. To improve in music, you have to not only do well in classes, but devote time to practicing outside of the lessons too. That requires discipline. "Exposing kids to musical instruments is the key. They are naturally curious and excited about them -- and the discipline that parents AND kids learn by sticking with it is a lesson in itself," says Mira Stulberg-Halpert of 3D Learner Inc.
• Increases Patience - We live in a world of instant gratification, but real life demands having patience. When you are playing in a band or orchestra (and most musicians do), you have to be willing to wait your turn to play otherwise the sound is a mess. That inadvertently teaches patience. "You need to work together in a group to make music," says Dotson-Westphalen.
• Boosts self-esteem/confidence - Are there any areas of life that aren't enhanced by having good confidence? Probably, not. And if you want your child to develop their confidence, learning to play a musical instrument can help. "They find that they can develop a skill by themselves, that they can get better and better," says Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen, a music teacher and performer.

• Great form of self-expression & Fosters creativity - Music provides people with a form of self-expression. Now that there is relative security in the basics of existence, the challenge is to make life meaningful and to reach for a higher stage of development. Everyone needs to be in touch at some time in their life with their core, with what they are and what they feel. Self-esteem is a by-product of this self-expression. Above all, playing music - particularly as people get to more advanced levels in it - is a creative pursuit. Creatively is good for the mind, body and soul.
• Makes you Happier - Research proves that when you listen to music you like, your brain releases dopamine, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter. Valorie Salimpoor, a neuro scientist at McGill University, injected eight music-lovers with a radioactive substance that binds to dopamine receptors after they listened to their favourite music. A PET scan showed that large amounts of dopamine were released, which biologically caused the participants to feel emotions like happiness, excitement, and joy. So the next time you need an emotional boost, listen to your favourite tunes for 15 minutes. That’s all it takes to get a natural high!
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• Reduces Stress - Listening to music you enjoy decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body, which counteracts the effects of chronic stress. This is an important finding since stress causes 60% of all our illnesses and disease. To stay calm and healthy during a stressful day, turn on the radio. Be sure to sing along and tap your feet to the beat to get the maximum healing benefit.
• Improves Health and Immune System - Studies show that if people actively participated in making music by playing various percussion instruments and singing, their immune system was boosted even more than if they passively listened.
• Helps you Sleep better - A study showed that students who listened to relaxing classical music for 45 minutes before turning in slept significantly better than students who listened to an audio book or did nothing different from their normal routine. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try listening to a little Bach or Mozart before bedtime to catch some Zs.

These are just a few of the innumerable benefits that Music Education can bring your child. We hope this will provide a guide to why organised Music Education is essential has always been a part of curriculum of school education around the world and yet not implemented correctly in India. However, it is interesting to note that while music and other arts are completely ignored throughout the year, during Annual day functions in all schools - Music, Plays and Dance and always foremost. Maybe it is time for us to acknowledge the importance music brings into the lives of our little ones and step up to ensure that it is not a neglected subject anymore!

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.

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

How Children Benefit from Music Education in Schools

Research tells us children who play music do better in school and in life. Yet, there is so much debate about whether arts should be included in schools. The arts in education campaign has been ongoing for some years now and will always be a controversial topic for many. Should we or should we not provide our students with an opportunity to explore the arts in school? Should we include the arts in the school day or make them extracurricular? Should we incorporate arts education lessons and activities in the general classroom? Will the arts have a great effect on academic excellence? 

These are all questions that have crossed several great minds in the past, but the real question I have is, "why the controversy?" After all of the scientific research that has been collected, is it not proof enough that the arts and music in the classroom has a tremendous effect on world-wide academic achievement and cultural value?

Here is a list of the 5 most important reasons why music education is so beneficial to our students:

1. A Music Education program provides an aesthetic experience for its students. Often times, students will utilize music as an outlet for expression that is sometimes unavailable to them in other academic areas.
2. Musical experiences will provide the students with opportunities for emotional response, which often encourages the cognitive processes.
3. Music Education instills “life values" in students. Some of these include; discipline, cooperation, social skills, and building good character. Knowledge of music technology, music history, music theory, and music culture will reinforce knowledge in other academic subjects as well.
4. Music will often create a sense of school spirit, which will in turn provide the students with a sense of self-worth which will almost always reflect a positive attitude.
5. A good Music program will aid any school district in the direction to obtain the highest level of achievement and excellence deemed possible.

So don't compromise, ensure your child has access to quality Music Education in school. Ensure you child is learning music correctly - learning the language of music, reading and writing music, techniques of the instrument chosen and finally the ability to perform using the skills learnt in the music class.

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.

Sources:

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-elementary-school/11235-importance-of-music-education/?platform=hootsuite

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2017/04/arts_education_research.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news3

https://www.nammfoundation.org/articles/2014-06-09/how-children-benefit-music-education-schools

Benefits of Music Education

Music is universal. It’s more than a billion dollar industry, and it is omnipresent. How many hours in a row do you ever go without listening to music? Everywhere you go, everything you watch— music. Always music. We are surrounded in it, bathe in it, soak in it.

Then, why would we not want to know more about something constantly present in our lives? Would you want to live in a world without music? Then why would you want to have a school without music?

We would list innumerable number of reasons about the benefits of Music Education but here are our top ten:

1.    Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate in music lessons.

2.    Children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education.

3.    Increased coordination: Students who practice with musical instruments can improve their hand-eye coordination. Just like playing sports, children can develop motor skills when playing music.

4.    Music is the fabric of our society, and music can shape abilities and character. Students in band or orchestra are less likely to abuse substances over their lifetime. Musical education can greatly contribute to children’s intellectual development as well.

5.    Schools with music programs have an estimated 90.2% graduation rate and 93.9% attendance rate compared to schools without music education, which average 72.9% graduation and 84.9% attendance.

6.    A Stanford study shows that music engages areas of the brain which are involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating events in our memory.

7.    Much like expert technical skills, mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to a greater understanding of language components.

8.    Young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year, compared to children who do not receive musical training.

9.    Emotional development: Students of music can be more emotionally developed, with empathy towards other cultures They also tend to have higher self esteem and are better at coping with anxiety.

10.Better self-confidence: With encouragement from teachers and parents, students playing a musical instrument can build pride and confidence. Musical education is also likely to help students develop better communication.

It is up to each of us to ensure that our children are exposed to learning music in their everyday life and especially at school. The importance of music and music education continues to be recognized everyday. Schools must not compromise on the quality of instructors or curriculum in order to ensure children are taught correctly and gain a life skills from the instruction. The school curriculum should be designed to deliver more than a minimal education to students. Music and Art should be taught at every elementary school in a regular and systematic way. Music and all Fine Arts should be considered “academic electives” in secondary schools and available to all students on a multi-year basis to allow adequate time for skills to develop sufficiently for informed decisions about college programs and career choices. All academic electives, including Music and Fine Arts, should count towards entrance requirements in colleges and universities.

Companies such as BlueTimbre offer quality music education programs in schools so that schools can continue to focus on what they do best. Companies such as BlueTimbre offer schools an alternative to being people dependant and worrying about the quality of instructors or curriculum. BlueTimbre works with schools providing complete Music Education solutions so that despite the students background or understanding, they have access to good quality instruments, teachers and internationally renowned curriculum. ‘While teaching music is important, showcasing the learning by performing is the key; says Sherin Winstent, founder and expert musician.

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 works with schools providing complete Music Education solutions on campus. BlueTimbre management team comes with a decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.

Sources:

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-music-education

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-greene/stop-defending-music-education-_b_7564550.html

http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/whyteachmusic/

http://blog/Why-should-Music-be-a-necessary-part-of-a-School/

http://www.nafme.org/20-important-benefits-of-music-in-our-schools/