Posted in Uncategorized

What Music Makes You A Better Musician?

There are so many styles of music we can learn and use. Jazz, blues, rap, classical, pop, rock, and many more. And even in those styles, there are different sub-genres and more detail. But the question I want to ask today is whether or not a specific style makes you a better musician.

 

Each style of music brings a unique benefit to musical knowledge. Jazz and blues bring about knowledge of and experience with improvising and creativity on the fly. Rap helps to build up a depth and connection with rhythm and rhythmic patterns. Classical helps to give an overall broader on form and style. Now, there’s even more that can be gleaned from these styles, but to me, these are the big and broad skills that come from these styles.

 

But the question remains. Is there a specific style of music that makes you a better musician? The answer is no, not one specific style makes you a better musician. All styles of music bring about a focus on different aspects of music, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph. I believe that an exposure to and a focus on a wide variety of musical styles help to bring about musical growth. Just like you wouldn’t eat the same meal every day for your entire life, variety is helpful and necessary.

 

Whether you listen to, study or play different styles of music, all of them will help to make you a better musician. There isn’t one specific style that will help you more than another, but I believe that using multiple styles will help you grow in your knowledge and abilities in music.

 

What do you think? Do you find value in one musical style over another? Comment with your thoughts.

Posted in Summer, Uncategorized

Review Pieces You’ve Already Played!

Many moons ago, when I took piano lessons, I didn’t take lessons in the summer. But I was still made to practice, and especially when I said to my mom, “I’m bored”, the response was to go practice.

 

But what to practice? That was always my question. I was told to review pieces you’ve already played. That seemed kind of silly to me, since I already played them. I knew them! Why play them? First off, my mom liked to hear them, so it made her happy. But, as I’ll share with you, I found a few reasons why review is a good thing!

 

When you review pieces you’ve already played, you see how far you’ve come as a musician. This is huge! Our progress can sometimes feel very slow and almost glacier-like. But when you stop and look back, you see how far you’ve come. So this week, for my students who are taking the summer off, I’ve been encouraging them to do just that.

 

The second thing that happens when you review pieces you’ve already played is that you keep those pieces fresh under your fingers. What happens if Grandma or another family friend drops by and wants an impromptu concert? You’ve got music at the ready! Another thing that I had the opportunity to do throughout summers was to go to the assisted living facility where my mom worked and I played the piano for them. What an awesome opportunity! The residents didn’t care what I played, just being able to hear something musical was a treat for them. And I’m thankful I was able to do that.

 

The final thing that happens when you review pieces you’ve already played is that you keep your skills up. One of the biggest challenges in school at the beginning of a new year is that teachers spend the first month or so reviewing what was unlearned over the summer, because it doesn’t usually get reinforced. Same thing with piano. If you take the whole summer and don’t touch your instrument or do anything musical, are you going to be as sharp as you could be when you return? Of course not! So keeping those skills sharp is essential!

 

Those are my three main reasons. What do you think? Comment with why you think it’s good to continue to review pieces you’ve already played, especially over the summer!

Posted in Uncategorized

Raising Musically Savvy Children

Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Raising Musically Savvy Children
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How do you raise musically savvy children? Is it dumb luck, or is there a strategy and method to it? In this episode, Craig talks about how he encouraged his daughters to be musically savvy and gives some practical tips for you to use with your children…or nieces, nephews or other stray children you find!

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harmannymusiceducation.substack.com

Posted in Uncategorized

AI and Music

Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Harmanny Music Education Podcast
AI and Music
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Recently, a song popped up on streaming platforms that featured “Drake” and “The Weeknd”. They actually did NOT lend their voices to the song. It was done by AI. In this episode, Craig unpacks the idea of AI and how it can and may impact music down the road.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harmannymusiceducation.substack.com

Posted in Uncategorized

Recitals

Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Recitals
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Recitals have long been a tradition with taking music lessons. Why? Well, in this episode, Craig talks about why he encourages his students to perform in recitals!

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For piano, voice, trumpet, beginning guitar or ukulele lessons, click here!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harmannymusiceducation.substack.com

Posted in Uncategorized

Cory Wong

Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Cory Wong
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You may not have heard of Cory Wong or Vulfpeck, but after this episode, hopefully you’re a fan!

Check out Cory’s YouTube channel and podcast!

Find out more about lessons with Harmanny Music Education on the website!

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harmannymusiceducation.substack.com

Posted in Uncategorized

Why I Enjoy Teaching Adults

Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Why I Enjoy Teaching Adults
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Most people think that if you don’t start learning music as a child, you’ll never learn it. That couldn’t be farther from the truth! You can learn music at any age. In this episode, Craig talks about how he enjoys teaching adult learners.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harmannymusiceducation.substack.com

Posted in Uncategorized

What You Listen to Affects Your View of Music

Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Harmanny Music Education Podcast
What You Listen to Affects Your View of Music
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What we listen to is important. But if we only listen to one style of music or one artist, we may miss out on a bigger picture of music. Just like with food, when you eat one thing or certain things, you don’t know what you may be missing!

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harmannymusiceducation.substack.com

Posted in Uncategorized

Hanson

Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Harmanny Music Education Podcast
Hanson
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On this episode, Craig talks about the brothers Hanson and his appreciation for their music.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harmannymusiceducation.substack.com