4 Ways How Learning Music Makes You Smarter

There are numerous evidences that imply that Music education can play an important part in child’s development and an adult's mental health, especially in their academic performance as well as life lasting communication skills. Let us look into how can music education really make someone smarter.

Heightened Brain Development : When playing an instrument , it requires the attention of our brain which opens up several neural path in brain that helps in developing the brain. It undergoes various mental activity that keeps the brain active and drilled for complicated arrangements so that it can solve and react to  the things as quickly as possible. Somehow the architecture of the brain changes in a way that it starts perceiving tasks in a broader, smarter and emotional way. Thus, regularly reading and practising music heightens the processing ability of our brain and it tends to decipher complex activities with ease and efficiency.

Stronger Memory Power : Music education pushes you to understand certain capabilities of our brain, most effectively, the ability to memorise in most innovative ways. It can teach you to analyse the task in hand and process the data in a way that you can connect them with relation to its purpose. This way, when you can connect the dots it helps you remember things better. It also enhances your spatial, auditory and visual capacity that helps you comprehend things much better.

Enhanced Cognition and Co-ordination ability : Playing an instrument requires concentration and conscious attention to details. It also requires a lot of coordination to be able to execute the playing accurately. So, with regular practice you can develop your coordinating abilities that will enhance your skills in the instrument, but also it will help you tackle other activities that you come across in your daily life that requires you to have some type of coordination. Practicing music is like a workout of your brain, so you are building muscles which will store more information as well as react more efficiently to the tasks given. Thus it also improves your cognitive abilities which helps you retain things better, plan effectively and focus your attention to the necessary.

Faster ability to learn : As we have seen from above discussions that music really plays a vital role in the development and enhancement of our intelligence, it is safe to say that ultimately, if one has successfully done their music education, it can help them in the long term. They have higher sense of conscience, consciousness, enhanced cognitive and spatial capacity and a broader sense of how things work. It prepares you for all the challenges that may come your way, you tend to learn about your surrounding faster and take the reasonable action necessary. It provides you the ability to learn things faster and use them to benefit your skills.

Music does not only make you smarter, it supports you emotionally as well. It can be one of the most supportive bases that you can rely on and yet it provides you with so many benefits that can enhance your lifestyle or can be used to improve the literacy standard in school education. So the reason one should consider learning music is not just all because of their benefits but also for the joy you get listening and playing them which sub-consciously moulds your personality for better.

BlueTimbre is a unique Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio based out of Whitefield, Bangalore, India. BlueTimbre also 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.

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 

4 Reasons why having Multiple Teachers (for Music) is GREAT!

There has always been an open debate about whether there is some real benefit from the different ideas brought in by multiple teachers. We have found that having multiple teachers assigned to one instrument has multiple benefits. And learning from more than one teacher pushes you to get the best out of your instrument. Let us understand how you can benefit from the teachings of more than one teacher.

1.       Different Musical Influences

One of the biggest challenges learning from multiple teachers are the different influences they are exposed to. Suppose one teacher maybe more into Rock & Roll music whereas the other teacher maybe into jazz or blues and so on. But, then again you should be exposed to all the different styles of music when you are learning so that you can discover variety in music and then have numerous options to decide which one you love the best or if you want to experiment some fusion between those two styles in your later stage of playing your instrument. The best part of learning music is that there are variety of styles and genres, and without trying out a few different flavors, you won’t know which you love the best.

2.       Perspective, Approach & Ideas

Different teachers will have different approach to the lessons and varying perspective, however the goal of the lesson remains the same, that the student understands how to apply the lesson in his/her playing. These helps the student to approach their playing in variety of manners, and they follow what helps them the best in making progress. While, they may understand one topic better from the explanation of a concept from one teacher, they can re-apply that knowledge with the concept from another teacher and understand the actual use of that topic with regard to their instrument.

3.       Better Retention of Information

In learning an instrument from multiple teachers , there are lot of common topics that one will come across, even in different instruments. The repetition of the common information, be it in a different approach helps retaining that lesson in student’s learning. Lessons are usually taught and then never pondered upon for a long time after that lesson has served its purpose, and although students are familiar with the topic, they never get a clear grasp of the information taught. Coming from different teachers at different times will help the students revise and retain the important information of the lesson and guide them to a better progress.

4.       No Disruption of Class

Students will rarely face Class cancellation or disruption when one of their teachers are on leave as another qualified teacher will be available to take their class. Teachers share reports about students after every session and therefore students are well attended to, classes pick up right where they left off.

More information can never hurt your learning as long as the egos of teachers and favoritism of the student doesn’t exist. Everyone starts learning from someone, so why not learning from different individuals who bring different characteristics to their approach which will give you the platform to see Music in all the different perspective and lets you take the best of all worlds.

At BlueTimbre we have found this method to not only work but work well! Students are often excited and look forward to which teacher may be coming into class that day. While our class structure, techniques, methodology remains the same across all subjects, a different teacher’s personality or new perspective on the same topic inspires students. We would go as far as to say that you must have multiple teachers for a subject so that you get the complete experience. Multiple teachers give you multiple experience, insight and more!

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.

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.

5 Reasons to Choose a Good Music School over Private Tutoring

Dr. Robert Pace who was the leader of one of the most prestigious music teacher’s college during his time had done experiments to understand the advantages of ensemble learning for beginner students. Interestingly, he was a staunch believer in private format but he noticed an essential dynamic in the group format during his experiments which was absent from the private classes. After various observations, he finally concluded in a keyboard journal in 1978 that ensemble learning created better results for young learners.

Let us understand why beginners should avoid private music classes for better progress.

1. Expensive : Private lessons are expensive as most of tutors charge you per session. It can cost you around Rs.500 - 1000 per hour which can add to Rs 4000 -Rs 8000 a month. As beginners take longer time to grasp the basics, it eventually will burn a hole in your pocket. You might not be able to afford that every month.

2. Repertoire of Teacher : You are basically depending on the knowledge of one individual which may just be his/her perspective. In a good institution, a teacher goes through various training and builds a wider perspective of learning and teaching music. A private tutor, although a great musician may not be a good teacher whereas in institutions, they are trained to handle a class and different kind of students.

3. Limited Time Resources : A private tutor can find it hard to be flexible with timings and students may miss out on gradual progressive learning which is very important to build on their basics as initial training requires a lot of dedicated and structured practice sessions. If the private tutor is charging you monthly, they may be very hesitant to extend the month or take an extra session if you miss a class.

4. Unstructured Lessons : Although private classes can be tailored according to the want of a student, for instance a focus on playing songs instead of learning the techniques and concepts before learning a song by heart. It will also lead to unstructured relaying of information. There should always be a planned, structured and gradual progress to every lesson, otherwise students tend to not understand the complex information later on in their learning process. Without learning the techniques, concepts and theory behind a song, students will be unable to progress beyond a point.

5. No Class-Engagement : One on one sessions can be pretty daunting, sometimes too monotonous and the student end up feeling bored in the class which is a very bad sign when learning music. Music should be fun, interactive and engaging. Students learning through private tutor can end up shy and reluctant to play in front of others as they get no exposure to the social and interactive dynamics of a group class. Social interaction when learning encourages more practice, positive competition among peers and actual understanding of what playing music stands for. For instance, you can compare this to sending a child to school vs home tutoring - social interaction and learning from peers is a key factor.

Good Music Schools have dedicated teams who is focused on providing the best quality music education to young and new learners with a professional, well-planned and a structured curriculum that ensures that the student enjoy the process of learning their music while learning all the essential elements of music. With the right guidance and an intelligently designed curriculum, a generation of young musicians can be inspired to connect with music and understand music in most meaningful, engaging and enjoying ways.

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. https://blog.tutorhub.com/2013/11/22/private-tutoring-the-pros-and-cons-of-getting-extra-help/amp-on/
2. http://www.onestopenglish.com/business/teaching-approaches/teaching-one-to-one/methodology/one-to-one-methodology-advantages-and-disadvantages-for-students/144655.article
3. https://www.merriammusic.com/teachers/private/private-vs-group/

Audio Engineering vs. Music Production

We often find students enquiring about "Audio Engineering" when in reality they mean "Music or Audio Production" and vise versa. So, what really is the difference between the two?

While many music producers are also good sound engineers, sound engineers don't necessarily make good music producers. The main difference between the two is that is that while both professionals have a deep understanding of the technical aspects of music production, music producers also have a hefty dose of artistic and creative vision to make a recording the best it can be.

Sound Engineer

A recording engineer or a sound engineer is a technical expert who operates the soundboard and other equipment during a recording session, under the supervision of the Music Producer. They also set up studio and recording equipment. An Sound engineer's main job is to use his/her technical skills to bring the producer's and artist's vision to fruition.

Music Producer

Just as in the film industry, Music producers are the behind-the-scenes makers of a song/track. The best and most revered music producers have a heavy hand in every aspect of a record’s production, from selecting which songs should go on a record, to working with the studio to achieve a particular sound. In fact, most Music producers have extensive knowledge of how the studio’s audio recording equipment works, and use that knowledge to help the artist achieve the exact sound they want for their record.

Modern Producers and Engineers

Just because these two job descriptions are different, doesn’t mean the role can’t be occupied by the same person. As modern recording has become more simplified, these jobs are accessible to more people. Home studios, small-scale studios, and those who like to have as much creative influence on a record as possible have the option to reach across these positions to both produce and engineer a piece of music.

Becoming a Producer or Engineer

To succeed as a Music producer or an Audio engineer takes determination, skill and a sense of musicality to help customers and artists achieve the best results. Becoming a studio engineer requires specialised training and may require a college degree. Certifications in equipment and software are also as important.

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.






Reference:
http://work.chron.com/differences-between-music-producers-engineers-25047.html
    https://www.musicbed.com/knowledge-base/music-production-vs-audio-engineering/122

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.