September is a great time to start music lessons

We've all been doing our best to ignore the ridiculous "back to school" ads that started in July this year. But with Labor Day less than 2 weeks away, there's no hiding from it anymore: The back-to-school frenzy has officially begun! This is an exciting time for kids, especially if they’re hitting a milestone, like moving up to middle school or high school. With the start of a new school year also comes the start of after-school activities and sports, so now is a great time to talk with your kids about prioritizing their list of desired activities and deciding what makes the most sense for your family's busy schedule. If your child has expressed an interest in music, or will be in a band or orchestra program in school this upcoming year, you might be wondering about private music lessons. But is September really a good time to get started? Definitely!

The Tampa Bay Music Academy blog posted an article about why September can be a great time to start lessons, and they bring up some great points! Here’s an excerpt from their list:

1. Capitalize on the back to school spirit. Kids are excited about starting something new. It’s time for a change, and beginning piano lessons while back-to-school fervor is in full swing will help students begin with a positive outlook.
2. Improve performance in school. Numerous studies show that music lessons improve student performance on standardized tests, especially in math. Music education is a great complement to traditional classroom learning, because it uses both the creative and the spatial-temporal parts of the brain at the same time.
3. Build self-confidence. Just as sports can build self-confidence by helping kids learn to overcome challenges and develop new skills, learning a new instrument can accomplish those same goals. When a student successfully performs that difficult piece in his first recital, his confidence gets the same boost it does when his team wins the basketball game.

Continue reading the full article here.

Can you think of more reasons why now is the best time to get started with music lessons? Leave them in the comments!

This article was adapted from a blog post by takelessons. 

We're holding a "Summer Sizzle" Festival on July 20!

A day of music and family fun to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua

We're psyched to announce that we'll be hosting a “Summer Sizzle” event on Sunday, July 20, from 12 to 4 PM, at our Nashua location parking lot, 28 Charron Avenue. Summer Sizzle will feature live entertainment, face painting, bounce house, food, and a raffle with many must-have items, the proceeds of which will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua.

Live music will be provided by North Main Music’s student bands, some of whom are veterans of the Nashua area live music scene, having already performed at the Winter Holiday Stroll and Rock’n Ribfest, and the Boys & Girls Club chorus. The Nashua Silver Knights’ Sir Sterling will also be making a special guest appearance that day.

Raffle items will be announced the day of the event and all proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua, whose mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need them most, to reach their potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. 

Summer Sizzle is free and open to the public, so spread the word to friends and family! It is an outdoor event that will take place rain or shine. For more information about Summer Sizzle call us at 603-505-4282. For more information about the Boys & Girls Club please call 603-883-0523 or visit www.bgcn.com. 

5 Ways To Take Advantage of Summer Music Lessons

The long, beautiful days of summer are upon us, and it’s normal for students to feel distracted with family, friends, and activities. Continuing a practice and lesson routine throughout the summer months is extremely important for budding musicians, and summer provides a great opportunity for students to progress, try new things, and have fun! Here are 5 great ways to take advantage of music lessons at North Main Music this summer:

1. Flexible Scheduling - We offer flexible scheduling during the summer that can easily accommodate things like vacations, travel, sports, and camps.

2. Keep Up Your Momentum and Playing Level - You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, and students who take extended breaks from lessons don’t just stop progressing - they regress significantly. A student who takes a month or two off usually takes 8 - 10 weeks to return to their previous level.

3. The Focus Factor - In summer, you can take the time to address and fix problems, explore new areas, and progress at a much faster rate!

4. Performance Opportunities - We’ve got all sorts performance opportunities at fun community events and festivals throughout the summer that our students can take advantage of!

5. Summer Camps, Groups, and Workshops - From rock bands and summer programs to jam clubs and workshops, we offer a huge selection of fun activities to fill up your summer! Check out www.NorthMainMusic.com for details.

The Importance of Mistakes and 5 Famous Rock & Roll Screw-Ups

As humans and musicians, we all make mistakes. Everyone from absolute beginners to high-level professionals are subject to the occasional mess-up and each of us reacts to our imperfections differently. Some musicians are able to recover and move on seamlessly from mistakes, while others allow slight errors to affect their confidence.

The way a musician thinks about mistakes has a huge impact on how they develop as a performer. When musicians are overly-critical of themselves, it can prevent them from being creative and venturing outside of their comfort zone. Mistakes are a necessary part of growing as a player, and without developing the ability to recognize and learn from our gaffes, we miss out on opportunities to improve.

Next time you misstep during a performance, think about what you can take away from the experience. Were there any nice moments or ideas you can use or expand upon in your next performance? What exactly caused the error, and how can you prevent it from happening again?

Remember, play the right notes, but play with feeling and with fearlessness. Focusing on soul and emotion is infinitely more important than focusing on perfection, and mistakes are an invaluable learning tool for any musician. Accept your mistakes as learning lessons, and know that you’re in good company. Some of the most famous acts of all time have messed up big time. From studio slips, to forgotten lyrics, to technical glitches, everyone deals with mistakes from time to time. Here are five of our favorites:

Van Halen - “Jump” (Live) - The synth track plays back in the wrong key during this live performance, resulting in 6 minutes of awful noise.

Paul McCartney - “We Can Work It Out” (Live) - Paul messes up the lyrics not once but twice during this acoustic performance, restarting the song both times.

The Police - “Roxanne” - The seemingly random piano chord at 0:04 and laughing at 0:06 were caused by Sting accidentally leaning on a piano during the recording session.

Billy Joel - “We Didn’t Start the Fire” - Billy forgets some of the words of the second verse, and is forced to start the song over.

Led Zeppelin - “Baby I’m Gonna Leave You” - Beginning at 2:20 you can hear a dim voice that is actually Robert Plant singing along with John Bonham’s drum track. There was no way to remove Robert’s voice from the tracks, so it stayed in.

5 Insightful & Inspirational TED talks about music

No matter what your passion in life, TED probably hosts an intelligent — if not outright provocative — video on the subject. Considering that music exists as one of the essential pillars of human creativity, it comes as no surprise that the beloved lecture series frequently turns its stage over to some of music's great thinkers and performers. Professionals, students and fans alike can easily spend an entire day immersing themselves in all the relevant videos TED has to offer. The following, however, particularly stand out for their illuminating ideas about music and the human experience.

1. David Byrne: How Architecture helped music evolve
As his career grew, David Byrne went from playing CBGB to Carnegie Hall. He asks: Does the venue make the music? From outdoor drumming to Wagnerian operas to arena rock, he explores how context has pushed musical innovation.

2. Jose Abreu on kids transformed by music

Jose Antonio Abreu is the charasmatic founder of a youth orchestra system that has transformed thousands of kids' lives in Venezuela. Here he shares his amazing story and unveils a TED Prize wish that could have a big impact in the US and beyond.

3. Mark Applebaum: The Mad Scientist of Music
Mark Applebaum writes music that breaks the rules in fantastic ways, composing a concerto for a florist and crafting a musical instrument from junk and found objects. This quirky talk might just inspire you to shake up the "rules" of your own creative work.

4. Benjamin Zander on music and passion

Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it--and, by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections.

5. Robert Gupta: Music is Medicine, Music is Sanity
When Robert Gupta was caught between a career as a doctor and as a violinist, he realized his place was in the middle, with a bow in his hand and a sense of social justice in his heart. He tells a moving story of society's marginalized and the power of music therapy, which can succeed where conventional medicine fails. 

Now we want to hear your opinion! Are these your top TED talks for Music? Are there others you would add? Let us know what they are by leaving feedback in the comment box below and so we can connect with you in collecting the best resources for music teachers, students, and enthusiasts.

This article has been adapted from 20 Incredible TED Talks for Both Music Students and Lovers on the BachelorsDegree.org blog and Top 10 TED Talks for Music Education on the FunMusicCo.com blog.

Surprising ways music is good for your heart

Like most of us, you have probably felt a song pull on your heartstrings or maybe even felt your heart skip a beat at the sound of a particular melody. Countless love songs have been written about the heart—there’s even a band named Heart--to the point that for many people love and music are forever intertwined.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the holiday celebrated literally and figuratively with the heart, here are some interesting notes on how playing and listening to music actually has real health benefits for your ticker. So, whether you’re a musician or a music fan, turn up the tunes and give your heart some love.

A recent study found that listening to music for 30 minutes a day can lower your blood pressure. During the study, patients with high blood pressure listened to classical music, Celtic music, or Indian ragas for a half hour every day for a month, leading to significant drops in systolic blood pressure (the top number when your blood pressure is taken.) High systolic blood pressure increases heart disease risk. Always consults your doctor first for treatment options for high blood pressure, or any other health issue, but remember adding a daily dose of music can’t hurt!

Perhaps one reason music has the power to lower blood pressure is its natural stress-relieving ability. Music has actually been found to be more effective than prescription medications at reducing stress in patients before surgery. Next time you find yourself feeling stressed, try taking deep breaths and listening to your favorite song. De-stressing isn’t just good for your heart; taking time to relax can boost your immune system and help to clear your mind.

Musicians enjoy another heart benefit each time they practice their instruments. Though most instruments are not exactly a workout, playing music does burn calories and it’s certainly better for you than sitting on the couch watching T.V. Drummers burn the most, averaging around 200 calories per hour of playing. Guitarists and other musicians who stand while they rock out can burn from 130 to 200 calories per hour, while seated players only burn about 60 calories.

When you are ready to exercise, listening to music pumps you up and increases your stamina. Studies have shown many benefits to adding music to your workout, and regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve and maintain heart health. Remember to bring you iPod the next time you go to the gym! If you’re like many of us, and don’t particularly like to exercise, listening to your favorite music can help you stay motivated while you work out.

Now that you know how music is good for your heart, why not find a few more ways to bring music into your day? Here are a few ideas:

• According to Nielsen, the average American watches about 32 hours of television per week. Instead of automatically reaching for the remote, turn on your stereo instead and enjoy the benefits of music.
• Pick a soundtrack for your housework! Play your favorite album while you fold laundry or make a playlist you can put on when you work in the yard. Adding music to your daily chores will change your mindset and help your heart.
• Have you always dreamed of playing an instrument but you never learned how? Now is always the best time to start music lessons! Learning to play will deepen your appreciation for music and give you a new way to experience your favorite songs.
• Musicians, do you turn off your cell phone and your computer when you’re practicing your instrument? Many people don’t, and it can be very difficult to disconnect and truly focus on practicing. Remind yourself that your texts and emails will still be there later and give yourself at least 30 minutes of play without interruptions from technology.

How do you connect with music on Valentine’s Day or just any old day? Let us know in the comments!

Adapted from this article on takelessons.com/blog.

Habits of Excellence in Music

Welcome to the North Main Music blog! Through this blog, we’ll be sharing with you tips on improving your musical performance, instrument maintenance, and interesting articles we have discovered that discuss issues around music education and how music impacts our everyday lives.

Seeing as it’s the start of a new year, and many of us begin a new year with a resolution, often to break a bad habit or adopt a new one, this first blog post is about some of the habits of excellence that can lead anyone to greatness in their music studies. Enjoy! And as always, we welcome your feedback and comments.

HABITS OF EXCELLENCE IN MUSIC

Madi C. Pineau at Fall 2013 student concert. Photo: Sid Ceaser.

Are you driven in your musical pursuits? Do you love to excel? Whether we’re practicing or performing, all of us musicians are striving for excellence. But do music students always understand what excellent musicianship entails?

After years of striving for excellence in my own music career, working with top musicians, and observing incredible musicians, I realized that there are universal habits that enable people to achieve excellence in music. As Aristotle would put it, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." 

I’ve seen time and again that when we embody these habits in our study of music, excellence becomes our ‘default setting’ in rehearsal and on stage. These habits are not traits that a select few are born with--they are habits that anyone like you and me can cultivate.

1.     Have the end in mind. Everything begins with the end—the goal or the vision you want to fulfill with your study of music. If you don’t know what the end is, then there’s no way of getting there, is there? It’s important that you form clear goals of what you want to accomplish with music. What is the end you envision? What are your personal goals and dreams for yourself? Your dreams remind you of exactly what you want and can drive you to practice every day.

2.     Play/sing what you love. When you do something you love, it’s like you have unlimited fuel that keeps you going—day after day. What types of music, or specific songs, do you love to play? If you’re not sure what music you love yet, then what is something you are most eager to try at the moment? Your passion and interest are fuels that will drive you towards excellence.

3.     Work harder than anyone else. I don't know of anyone who has achieved excellent results who hasn't worked hard for them. A big component of excellence is hard work. Sheer, unadulterated hard work. We can streamline processes, choose effective strategies and steps, but ultimately the hard work will still have to come in. Fortunately, if you are doing what you love (step #3), work wouldn't even be work at all.

4.     Make use of every moment. Every moment counts. Excellent people know that time is highly valuable. There's this quote by Donald Trump that I love. He said that time is more precious than money, because you can earn back money, but you can't get back time. That is absolutely true. So try to maximize every moment. If you have some pockets of time, take out your instrument and practice.  Note that this habit doesn't mean practicing 24x7. Making use of every moment also refers to knowing when to rest and rejuvenate when it's needed, because this will help us walk the longer mile on the path of excellence.

5.     Take action to achieve your results. Achieving excellence in your musical studies means being a proponent of action. Whatever we do or don’t do will determine how much we can grow or succeed as musicians. If we want to attain excellent results, we need to take the equivalent actions to reach the results we want. So, instead of just thinking about practicing, pick up your instrument and do it. Don’t just dream about playing in front of an audience, sign up to perform at a North Main Music student concert, or seek out an open mic night near you.

6.     Continuously upgrade yourself. Learning to play music never stops. There is always something we can do to become better. Excellent musicians are always learning, reading, exposing themselves to new knowledge, new people, new contexts and honing their skills. We need to always be leveling ourselves up to achieve excellence. 

7.     Ask for feedback. No matter how much we practice and try to improve, we will have blind spots, and we can’t improve on things that we are blind to. Asking for feedback from your instructor and peers is an effective way to improve. Sometimes you’ll get feedback that is predictable, but other times it won’t be, and often times it will lead to an epiphany on some level.

8.     Positive attitude. It takes time and diligence to acquire the skills of an expert performer, and all of us deal with triumphs and stumbles as we progress. Remember to stay positive by setting specific goals, maintaining a degree of detachment, and fueling your motivation.

Adapted from 7 Habits of Excellence on www.themusiciansway.com/blog and 7 Habits of Highly Excellent People from www.dumblittleman.com.