A Bit About the History of:
Musical Instruments

Listen to a variety of different types of music from different eras of time and from different countries. Keep notes so that you can compare the music as you take this journey through music.

Even back in the prehistoric times people had music. It was very simple and had many uses. Early instruments were made from materials readily availabe in nature. Can you think of any instruments you could make that might have been used by prehistoric people?

In tombs in Persia, China, the pryamids or Egypt and other places, musical instruments were buried with the dead. Some of these instruments can still be played. We can actually hear the sounds that were made as long ago as 4,000 years.

Don't harps look a lot like bows? At first harps were made from bows by adding strings.

Pythagoras, a famous Greek scientist, related the pitch of a note to the length of the string.

Find other instrument families that started with early mankind. Write about them and send your writing to me. You might find your article on my blog or website. Wouldn't that be fun to see your name in print?

Have a musical day!
Catherine
"Music lessons should be about the student. Each student learns in different ways, and at different speeds. Music is a journey, and on that journey, we will work and learn together." - Catherine

Books with CDs include:
Impressions Volume One and Two
Marches
The Frog Prince - NEW
CDs include:
Wedding Bells
Lullabies

Questions and Answers

1. What is important in music lessons?
The student and teacher should have a rapport with each other. It is very important that the teacher teaches note reading, fingering, counting, music theory, and ear training. All these are important basics. Unfortunately not all teachers teach these things.

2. What makes music sound scary?
Most scary music is in a minor key. The next stop to making music sound scary is to make sudden changes in the dynamics of the music. Also unusual musical instruments can be used. Create unfamiliar sounds. This confuses our senses and makes us 'scared'.

Something musical to do:
Any age can enter. Write a scary Halloween Song. Email your song to me. We'll put it on the blog as an mp3 for the month of October. If you can't make an mp3, I'll make it for you.

Have a Musical Day!!! *smiles*

Catherine
"Music lessons should be about the student. Each student learns in different ways, and at different speeds. Music is a journey, and on the journey we will work and learn together." - Catherine

Books and CDs include:
Impressions One and Two
Marches
The Frog Prince

CDs include:
Wedding Bells
Lullabies

Website: http://sites.google.com/site/musicbycatherine
Blog: http://catherinesmusicnotes.blogspot.com
Profile: http://www.ShoutLife.com/ClassyKeys

Discovery Page

Composers Births

September 1, 1653: Composer Johann Pachelbel was born.

September 26, 1898: George Gershwin is born.

September 13, 1819: Composer Clara Schumann was born. Listen to Clara Schumann's composition Opus 10, Scherzo. (Click here to listen)

Enjoy listening to Clara Schumann composition.

"Clara Schumann, wife of Robert, was a child prodigy who, after her husband's death, became one of the most famous performers and teachers in the 19th century. Her compositions are extremely well crafted and show great individuality as well as the influence of her husband Robert and friend Johannes Brahms". ~ Mary K. Scanlan, All Music Guide
Thank you Mary K. Scanlan for that information.

Topping the Charts

September 19, 1960: Today the song "The Twist" by Chubby Checker topped the charts and stayed there for a week. (1960)

Find the song "The Twist" and twist to it. Enjoy!!!

September 19, 1970: Today the song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks. (1970)


Events from past Septembers

1908: The first stereo advertisement, for an Edison Phonograph, appears in the Saturday Evening Post.

Enjoy drawing a picture of the first phonograph!!!

1957: The musical "West Side Story", debuts on Broadway. This is the story of "Romeo and Juliet" but set in New York City with gang members.

If you have a question you would like me to answer about learning music please email me at Catherines.Music.Notes@gmail.com

Have a Musical Day! *smiles*

Catherine

"Music lessons should be about the student. Each student learns in different ways, and at different speeds. Music is a journey, and on that journey, we will work and learn together." - Catherine

Books with CDs include:
Impressions Volume One and Two
Marches

CDs include:
Wedding Bells
Lullabies

Website: http://sites.google.com/site/musicbycatherine
Blog: http://catherinesmusicnotes.blogspot.com
Profile: http://www.shoutlife.com/ClassyKeys

Preschoolers, Toddlers, and Babies

Remember the quarter note? It's usually that steady beat that we hear in music and dance to. It looks like this:

It gets one count or beat. We are using the words count or beat interchangeably here. Remember to count steady. Don't change the speed of your counting once you start.

Click here to count with me, then we will clap as we count, then we will add a rhythm to clap and count with.

Practice counting and clapping during the week. You can come back here and clap and count with me or you can clap to music you have at home. Also practice drawing quarter notes on black white paper.

Enjoy and have a Musical Week! *smiles*

If you have a question you would like me to answer about learning music please email me at Catherines.Music.Notes@gmail.com

Catherine
"Music lessons should be about the student. Each student learns in different ways, and at different speeds. Music is a journey, and on that journey, we will work and learn together." - Catherine

Books with CDs include:
Impressions Volume One and Two
Marches
CDs include:
Wedding Bells
Lullabies

http://sites.google.com/site/musicbycatherine
www.ShoutLife.com/ClassyKeys
http://catherinesmusicnotes.blogspot.com

This week I'm interviewing

Will Angelo

of Rebel Rock

Will's Short Bio:

I was born in Greensboro, NC, raised in Daytona Beach, Florida. I have four generations of my family in Daytona Beach. I went to South Daytona Elementary where I would meet friends I would know all of my life. Middle school I went to Campbell whereI was introduced to freestyle hip hop and the rest is history. I went to Atlantic High for High School, Novell for college. Shortly after I met my beautiful wife, Michelle. She's a big support for my music and now I work at a music store where we talk music all day. I get new inspirations that way.

I asked Will some questions that I thought you would want to know the answers to. Here's our interview:

1. Did you write and play music as a child? I played drums and guitar.

2. What musical instrument do you currently play? I play drums.

3. Please tell us what got you started doing artwork and music both. My dad got me started in music and my brother got me started in art.

4. Please walk me through your song writing process. Everyone has a different way of doing it. It starts with poetry and a love for music lyrics. So I start with a topic and maybe one or two words, then let my mind go blank. Then start writing (editing after) there has to be a strong passion, or you're wasting your time, it also doesn't hurt for outside influence (never turn down a good idea).

5. What is your favorite song that you have written and why is it your favorite? Honestly I don't have a favorite song that I've written but if I had to pick it would be a breakup song called "Holding On". Mainly because it flows nicely and it is very emotionally true.

6. What is your favorite artwork you have done and why is it your favorite? Anything with skulls in it or graffitti, I go into great detail with them and it's fun for me.

7. Tell us about your most memorable stage moment. The very first show I did in a small coffee/bar on an open mic. I was asked to perform, I was very nervous but after I got on stage nerves went away and I had a great time. After everyone came and shook my hand in congrats, then on I knew it was offical.

8. Do you have advice for others who perform? Yes, know your song, no matter how routine, do it live in front of family/friends to build confidence. As a friend told me, "Have fun with it".

9. What are you working on right now? Rebel Rock is my new group. We just got a real studio thanks to JG Productions. We are working our first album. It should be out in the fall.

10. Do you belong to a band? Yes.

11. Please tell us about what it is like to play in a band. Well it can be difficult everyone has an opinion and you know what they say it's best to keep your mind open and respect everyone.

12. What do you do for fun? Hang with friends, family, and also my music and art which are a release from this world.

13. What is the most important thing to you? Family and my music.

Thank You Will! Keep on making music!

A Bit About Band

In middle school, high school, and sometimes elementary school a student gets the opportunity to sing in a chorus or learn a band instrument. Many schools work with local music stores to bring rental instruments to students wanting to learn about musical instruments.

Your parents should expect you to learn the basic elements of music. This includes the how to read, write, and interpret music. Listen to all types of music. This way you get an appreciation for the qualities of music. This will also make you better at your chosen musical instrument.

In June we talked about the woodwind family. Today we'll talk about the brass family.

Brass instruments are lip-vibrated instruments. Sound is produced by vibrations of air in a resonator and the vibration of the player's lips.

Brass instruments generally come in one of two groups: Valved and Slide. There are other groups in the brass instruments but they are not used much anymore.

Instruments in the Brass Family are Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, and Tuba. Can you think of any other brass instrument?

Which brass instrument is this?

Thank you KarensWhimsy for the use of thispicture. http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/

If you have a question you would like me to answer about learning music please email me at Catherines.Music.Notes.@gmail.com

Have a Musical Day! *smiles*

Catherine

"Music lessons should be about the student. Each student learns in different ways, and at different speeds. Music is a journey, and on that journey, we will work and learn together." - Catherine

Books with CDs include:
Impressions Volume One and Two
Marches
CDs include:
Wedding Bells
Lullabies

http://sites.google.com/site/musicbycatherine
www.ShoutLife.com/ClassyKeys
http://catherinesmusicnotes.blogspot.com/

Questions and Answers

1. What is music?
This sounds like a question that would be easily answered. But what really distingushes music from sound?

Here is what some people in the past have said:

"Music gives sound to the universe." - Plato
"The food of love." - Shakespeare
"I would almost say it is a miracle." - Heinrich Heine
"There are only two kinds of music: good music and bad music." - Duke Ellington

Please let me know what you think music is. Think about different sounds and decide if that sound is noise, music, or something else.

Example: The sound of a jack hammer cutting up a sidewalk. It is rhythm, it is a sound. Is it music?

Music is the art of thinking (creating and feeling) with sound. There is a saying that is popular but I don't remember who originally said it, "When words fail, music speaks."

If you have a questions you would like me to answer about learning music please email me at Catherines.Music.Notes@gmail.com


Have a musical day!
Catherine
"Music lessons should be about the student. Each student learns in different ways, and at different speeds. Music is a journey, and on that journey, we will work and learn together." - Catherine

Visit me at:

http://sites.google.com/site/musicbycatherine
www.ShoutLife.com/ClassyKeys
http://catherinesmusicnotes.blogspot.com/