Here’s a riddle for you: “If you have me, you might take me for granted; if you don’t have me, you’ll miss me terribly. What am I?” Did you guess? Actually, there are no wrong answers here, but the one we are getting at is “health.”

We are bringing it up because today, April 7, is World Health Day. Of course, we should all take care of our physical and mental well-being each day of the year. Thankfully, it’s never too late (or too early) to start living healthy– as the famous quote, which has been attributed to various people, points out, “If I’d known I was going to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself!” What exactly does “living healthy” entail? It’s exercise, healthy diet, and doing things that are pleasurable and reduce your stress level. There are lots of activities that will accomplish this, but – for obvious reasons – we’d like to hone in on one. You must have guessed by now that we want to talk about music and its therapeutic effect on the body and soul.

Here’s to your health!

First, let’s talk about how music can prevent all kinds of ailments or, in the very least, help us recover quicker. Scientific studies have shown that music:

• Has beneficial effects on the heart and the entire cardiovascular system.
• Boosts our immunity so our body is able to fight off various illnesses.
• Calms nerves, reduces stress, and lifts your mood.
• Helps you sleep better, and we all know that a good night’s sleep is beneficial to our overall health.

And here is even more good news: there is a considerable body of evidence indicating that music therapy can help patients recover from or manage a number of illnesses, including cancer. It can also increase brain function in dementia patients, provide pain relief, and speed up the healing process.

Just what the doctor ordered

You may be wondering how much music does it take (either through playing or listening) to feel the beneficial effects. We are not aware of anyone actually providing any metrics, but we do know that any exposure to music is better than none at all. So if you decide to take music lessons – no matter which instrument you choose – they will not only help you draw all the above-mentioned benefits, but also help you develop other skills. That’s because music training also boosts your (or your child’s) concentration, discipline, and other mental functions. Would you like an amazing teacher to come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and give you music lessons? Just contact us and start boosting your health, stat!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post Does a Music Lesson a Day Keep the Doctor Away? Manhattan Guitar School Gives You the Answer appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

March marks quite a few special observances: the International Women’s Day on the 8th, St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th, and Easter on the 27th. But you may not know that there is also a lesser-known event observed in March: the Sing With Your Child Month.

We believe that this is a wonderful idea and we are backed up by scientific research indicating that singing with children – starting as early as in infancy – offers a multitude of benefits.

Beyond “Old MacDonald”

Of course, a young baby is not able to sing with you; he or she will more likely gurgle along. But rest assured that even though the singing is one-sided, it is still a great bonding experience that fosters closeness and emotional comfort. As the child grows from babyhood to toddlerhood and beyond, singing together takes on a whole new dimension. It is still that wonderful “togetherness” moment, but scientists tell us that this activity also benefits the child in other ways: it helps develop language skills, encourages the child to express his or her emotions, and (hopefully) fosters the love of music that will last a lifetime. And there is also another benefit: your child will probably not notice (or care) if you are singing off-key! Now, when we talk about “singing with the children,” we don’t mean to suggest that this should be strictly a parent’s job. The image of entire families belting out tunes together is truly inspiring!

A powerful singing voice

Everyone can raise his or her voice in a song, even though some people do it better than others. This is the so-called “recreational” singing and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. But if you would like to sing with power, passion and confidence, you may need lessons. Please contact us and one of our amazing teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and help you whip your voice into the best possible shape before letting it out the door! There is a lot of work (but also much pleasure!) involved in developing the art of singing. The teacher will show you how to control your voice and the vocal components like the pitch, rhythm, volume, tone, and pace. He or she will also teach you how to use your abdomen muscles, develop proper breathing techniques, good posture, etc. All this is necessary not only to help your voice carry high and low notes, but also to keep your vocal chords in shape. All these are useful skills to have – not just to sing with your child, but raise your voice in a beautiful song whenever the mood strikes you!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

The post Manhattan Voice Teachers Help You Sing Loud and Clear appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations This quote is very fitting because yesterday, March 20, marked the Vernal Equinox – the first day of spring! This must be a happy event for all those who are sick and tired of winter, including millions of New Yorkers who are still shivering from the massive blizzard that blanketed our city with snow in January.

Of course, as much as we crave a less inclement weather, this season – and especially the month of March – can be unpredictable. As Mark Twain said, “In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” Still, the mere promise of the warmth and sunshine ahead is enough to make our hearts sing. And this is our clever segue into music!

A bountiful season

Not surprisingly, spring had inspired many composers to write some of their most beautiful pieces. For instance, there is the “spring” section in Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” which is so light and upbeat that it aptly expresses the joyfulness of the season. Robert Schumann composed “Spring Symphony ;” Felix Mendelssohn wrote “Spring Song ;” and Igor Stravinsky composed “Rite of Spring .” Of course, there is also Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Spring Sonata ,” as well Johann Strauss’s famous waltz, “Voices of Spring ” But – psssst – we’ll let you in on a secret: while we love these (and other) “spring” compositions, we have a special affinity for Frederic Chopin’s “Spring Waltz .” To us, this melody evokes the image of a sunny day and a butterfly flittering from one (spring) flower to another.

Turn over a new (musical) leaf!

Spring imparts a sense of renewal that inspires us to bring our creative energy – whatever form it may take – to fruition. In other words, it is a time for making choices and taking action. For example, if you (or a member or your family) are thinking of learning to play an instrument or develop your voice, now is a good time to begin your private lessons. And starting is really easy: just contact us, tell us what instrument you’d like to play, and one of our amazing teachers will…spring into action right in your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home office.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

The post Experience Musical Growth, With Brooklyn Guitar Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Welcome to the month of March, which heralds the coming of Spring, signaling the renewal of nature and new beginnings in general. But there is also another reason we love March – it is the Music Education Month in the United States, the annual celebration that engages music educators, students, and communities in promoting the benefits of high quality music education programs in schools.

You may be thinking that music education in our country’s public schools has been underfunded and widely neglected. Sadly, this is correct, but now there may be a more promising outlook. That’s because last December, President Obama signed into law the “Every Student Succeeds Act,” which lists music – and arts in general – as an important part of a well-rounded education. It is the first time in our nation’s history that arts and music figure among the traditional core subjects like reading, math, and science. That’s the good news. On the other hand, the new legislation gives states more power to decide how to enact the law. This means that implementation or expansion of music programs may not necessarily happen across the board.

Far-reaching benefits

The question of why music education is so very important to children and teenagers has been answered – and documented with scientific evidence – over and over again. The fact is that music lessons have a multitude of benefits, including scholastic, psychological, social, and physical ones. For instance, music training helps youngsters develop focus, concentration, and alert mind, all of which translates into academic achievement and other successes. But that’s not all: music has also been shown to ease both emotional and physical pain in kids and adults alike. These are just some of the advantages of music education, but there are many, many more.

Start learning!

If we take into account each and every benefit listed above, you may start wondering why the other 11 months of the year are not dedicated to celebrating music education. We are happy to tell you that at Hey Joe Guitar, we pay tribute to music every single day. That’s because we know first-hand what a positive impact our lessons have on our students – not just children and teenagers, but also adults, who have noticed both physical and mental improvements. The best way to start your own (or your child’s) music education – whether by learning to play an instrument or taking voice lessons – is to invite one of our music teachers into your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. Just contact us and… get educated!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

The post When it Comes to Music Education, New York Guitar School Makes the Grade appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

The quintessential American inventor, Thomas Edison, once famously said that “genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” That may very well be true, though some people may disagree about the percentage of inspiration that goes into the process of creating. Speaking of which – have you ever paused to wonder from where musicians draw inspiration to get their creative juices flowing? And, what do they hope to achieve with each piece of music they write?

After all, beautiful music doesn’t just “write” itself, nor does it magically fall from the sky. It needs that “flash of brilliance,” which could be described as a combination of ideas, imagination, ingenuity, as well as a wide range of emotions. Obviously, inspiration is not tangible, so it defies definition. Plus, it is not generic but specific to each artist. Happily, some of them have given us a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings that were the driving force behind their creations.

The keys to success

Let’s begin with some famous composers of yore. Their quotes are self-explanatory, but we are highlighting the words that are the key to their creative process: Johannes Brahms : “Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.” Frederic Chopin : “Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” J.S. Bach : “I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.” Robert Schumann : “To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist.” W.A. Mozart : “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” Giacomo Puccini : “Inspiration is an awakening, a quickening of all man’s faculties, and it is manifested in all high artistic achievements.”

That is how it’s done!

What about the more recent musicians? Let’s listen: Yo-Yo Ma : “Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you’re passionate about something, then you’re more willing to take risks.” Luciano Pavarotti : “People think I am disciplined. It is not discipline, it is devotion. There is a great difference.” Billy Joel : “Musicians know what it is like to be outside the norm – walking the high wire without a safety net.” Paul McCartney : “There’s nothing wrong with melancholy. It’s an important color in writing.” Andrea Bocelli : “Destiny has a lot to do with it, but so do you. You have to persevere, you have to insist.”

We’ll inspire you!

When we look at all the character traits that each of the above musicians mentioned, we realize that our Hey Joe Guitar teachers possess the very same “inspirational” skills: craftsmanship, passion, hard work, perseverance, and many other qualities. Foremost among them are extensive teaching experience, patience, and an excellent way of “connecting” with their students. Please invite us into your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, and let us give you inspiration to develop your musical skills.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

The post New York Music Lessons Will Inspire You! appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Can music change the world? We certainly hope that it can, but if this were totally true then there would be no wars or conflicts of any kind, and we’d all live in peace and harmony. But even if music can’t eradicate all evil, it can inspire political and social actions – the ones that raise our consciousness and awareness about various issues. In that way, music can (and does) bring about meaningful change in the lives of many people.

That’s because by appealing to our emotions, music has the ability to “drive home” even the most complex issues and motivate us to find solutions to whatever ails our world – violence, poverty, famine, injustice, and other problems. Let’s have a look at some of the many songs that have, at various points in the recent history and different countries, inspired and empowered us to action.

Fighting spirit

In the midst of the Civil Rights movement, Bob Dylan’s 1964 song, “Times They Are A-Changin' ” incited the entire generation to fight against segregation and oppression. Also in the 1960s, the Vietnam War sparked a lot of protests, the spirit of which was reflected in Pete Seeger’s beautiful ballad, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone . And there was also John Lennon’s unforgettable call for peace . In the next decade, other hot-button issues were the topics of many songs. For instance, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On ” addressed not only the war, but also poverty and drug abuse. And Joni Mitchell’s 1970 hit “Big Yellow Taxi ” highlighted environmental concerns, which are still very much relevant today. Throughout the 1980s, 90s, and into the 21st century, many musicians continued to raise our awareness about a variety of problems in our society, urging us to take action both globally and in our own communities. Just as an example, in 1985 Steven Van Zandt formed the group “Artists United Against Apartheid” to protest apartheid in South Africa. The same year, Bob Gedolf organized a benefit concert that raised $245 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. And of course U2’s Bono has written and performed a number of songs of both social and political nature.

Life-altering music

As you can see, music has the power to do a lot of good in this world of ours. And what is your role in the larger scheme? Only you can answer this question, but here’s a fact: even if your music doesn’t unilaterally bring about world peace, it will very likely lift the spirits of those around you AND make you a more aware global citizen as well. How do we know this? There is actually evidence out there showing that musicians are sensitive people, finely tuned to the emotions of those around them. And people who are sensitive and compassionate are the ones who care about making a positive impact on the world around them. That is one more reason (in addition to so many others) why you or your child can benefit from music lessons. Contact us and we’ll send one of our excellent teachers right to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. The impact of music is global, but it starts in your home!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post Make a Difference, With Manhattan Music Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

It’s the middle of January – how are you doing with your New Year resolutions? We hope you are sticking to them, especially if you or your child have decided to take up music lessons in 2016. There is no doubt that music education has numerous benefits for people of all ages. It not only improves our physical health, but also the mental and emotional wellbeing.

Having been in the music education business for many years, we are often asked by prospective students how to select a truly great school. Our advice is always the same: choose the school that has the best trained, most experienced, nicest, and kindest teachers. That’s just for starters. There is much more that a top-notch school should be able to offer its students.

One-on-one training

While any form of music training is beneficial, we believe – based on our experience, as well as that of numerous students – that private lessons offer the most advantages. For instance:

• In a group setting, the instructor cannot pay attention to each student’s needs or learning pace. A private music teacher, on the other hand, gives the one-on-one instruction, adapted specifically to the student. It’s not general or generic, but specific and personalized.
• Because the lesson is tailored specifically to each student’s needs, level, and particular interests, the teacher will choose the exercises and repertoire that will help develop skills and technique.
• During a private session, the “hands on” instruction is exactly that: the teacher will demonstrate the proper way to hold, handle, and use the instrument, and also pay attention to the student’s posture.
• During a private lesson, a teacher will give an instant feedback to the student, assessing progress or suggesting corrections.
• Because the teacher is “invested” (in the manner of speaking) in the student’s musical development, he or she will offer constant support and encouragement – both of which are very important, especially when a student loses focus or motivation.

Go private

As you can see, private lessons offer numerous advantages. Of course, the most important component of this experience is the instructor – the student’s progress will depend on how well educated and experienced the teacher is. At Hey Joe Guitar, we realize the role our teachers play – no pun intended – in a student’s musical journey. That’s why we screen our teachers carefully to make sure that they meet our (and your) high standards. That means they are graduates of the top U.S and international music schools, have extensive teaching experience to ensure they have developed the necessary skills to make music education inspiring, interesting, and fun. And, as though all these criteria were not enough, we also select the teachers who are patient, affable, and well equipped with “people skills.” But that’s not all: our teachers are not only amazing but also mobile! This means they will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. Now, that’s a private lesson that lives up to its name!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post Get Personal, With New York Music Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

If you are like most people, you probably have specific tastes in music –a special affinity for a particular genre above all others. If that’s the case, have you ever wondered what sparked this preference? Why, for instance, are you partial to classical music, jazz, rock, or whatever other style is your favorite?

Very few people ever question their tastes (and, by the same token, their peeves) in music or other areas of their lives. They like what they like, and that’s it. If you ARE interested in this subject, you might want to know that, generally speaking, our musical preferences are not biologically preset (that is, genetic) but, rather, they are determined by our experiences and personality – so it’s a case of “nurture vs. nature.”

A matter of taste

Quite a few studies have been trying to discover how our musical preferences develop and evolve over the years. Researchers believe that these interests start to take root around the age of 10 or so. From then on, two different scenarios are likely to occur. If at that point children are exposed to, say, classical music , chances are they will carry the love of that genre into adulthood. It is possible that, as time goes by, they will start liking other styles of music as well, but the association in their minds of happy childhood memories with classical music will solidify that preference for the rest of their lives. A second scenario that could happen is that by the time they reach adolescence, the kids’ choice of music will align with that of their friends – after all, teenagers are prone to peer pressure. In this case, their love of heavy metal (just as an example), will supplant their former interest in the classics. Fortunately, that is likely just a phase. As we grow, explore, experiment, and develop our own personality, our tastes shift. The music we like is the kind that expresses and reflects the experiences and challenges we face at different stages of our lives. No matter what kind of music we develop a passion for, a common thread is that it is emotionally positive – in other words, it makes us feel good.

Character traits

Other research suggested that favorite music genres are closely linked to personality. In that study, 36,000 people in more than 60 countries were asked to rate a wide range of musical styles in order of preference. Then, different personality types were matched with music genres. The research showed, for instance, that blues fans are “creative, outgoing, and gentle;” jazz aficionados “have high self-esteem;” those who love classical music are “introverted;” while rock and heavy metal fans tend to have low self-esteem and not be “gentle.” Now, we hasten to add that these are just GENERAL descriptions and don’t include all the different nuances. So please take it with a grain of salt.

Perfect musical taste

At Hey Joe Guitar, our tastes include all kinds of music and a wide variety of instruments. We’ll be happy to prove it to you by sending one of our talented teachers right to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. The lessons will blend in perfectly with your musical tastes!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post Manhattan Music Lessons are a “Tasteful” Experience appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Happy New Year and welcome to January. In 2016, as in previous years, we remain dedicated to covering all the important topics related to music – no matter how weird or wacky they might be. Let’s start with tomorrow: January 5th is National Bird Day, the intention of which is to raise public awareness about all kinds of issues related to these feathered creatures.

Our own interest, not surprisingly, lies mostly in the vocalizations of avian sounds, commonly known as bird songs. In case you are wondering, this is not our first foray into the realm of non-human music. As animal and nature lovers, we are as happy as a lark to think out of the box!

Call of the wild

Let us start by saying that, in a literal sense, there is no such thing as a swan song. It sounds poetic, but it’s a myth. Having said that, there are plenty of birds that do sing: nightingales, thrushes, warblers, and many others. Whether they “perform” in the morning (the so-called “dawn chorus ”) or at night , the chirping is sweet and soothing. And if you want to add some rhythm to the bird chorus background, there is nothing better that a cuckoo ! But as innocent as all that chirping sounds, bird scientists –who are called “ornithologists”- have found that these creatures do it for a specific reason, which proves that birds are not so “bird-brained” after all: they sing to attract and impress potential mates, or to mark and defend their territories. We have no idea whether the birds ever sing just for pleasure (though we certainly hope they do), but we do know they don’t have the same organizational rules as human-made music.

Chirping up the right tree

Here are some more fascinating facts about bird songs:

• Birds’ vocal skills come from the unusual structure of their sound-producing organ called the syrinx, which is somewhat equivalent of the human sound box. The muscles of the syrinx control the song production; birds with more elaborate systems of vocal muscles produce more complex songs.
• Birds give the impression of singing in long bursts without ever catching their breath. But that’s just an illusion – they actually take a series of shallow breaths, which are synchronized with each syllable they sing.
• Birds are quite prolific in their vocal talents: the nightingale, for example, holds up to 300 different love songs in his repertoire; the cowbird uses 40 different notes; and the chaffinch may sing his song half a million times in a season.

It’s worth crowing about!

Hey Joe Guitar is an excellent music school, but we do have certain limitations: our lessons are not…for the birds, or, for that matter, for any other winged, beaked, tailed, or four-legged creatures. Sorry! But if you are a human being, you’ll be glad to know that our teachers have “people” skills. They will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home on the fly, and teach you to sing or play any musical instrument. The birds can’t play the guitar or piano, but our teachers sure can. And that’s a feather in our cap!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post With Brooklyn Music Lessons, You’ll Never Have to Wing It appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

It has been just over a month since the holiday season officially started: it began with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, went on to Hanukkah and culminated with Christmas. Look back and think about how much food you consumed in the past weeks – the turkeys, the trimmings, the pies, the hams, the cookies, the eggnogs, and all the other high-calorie treats. In fact, there are statistics showing that the average person gains several pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

Now, you may say that you are far from “average.” That may well be – perhaps you have a very high IQ or are a Nobel Prize laureate. Wonderful, but even the most brilliant, above-average people eat and put on weight during the holidays. Now the question is: how do you lose the “holiday” pounds? Of course, the most logical answer is exercise. But if you are like so many other people (both average and above-average), you probably don’t want to venture outside to start jogging in New York’s notorious winter weather. Luckily, there are some calorie-burning activities you can do indoors.

It’s your loss!

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: playing an instrument not only burns calories, but also gives your muscles a good workout. Which instrument is best for whipping you into shape? It’s the one that is most physically demanding – the drums! When you play them, you use nearly all of the body’s muscle groups, developing power, speed, endurance, and coordination. In one hour of playing, you can burn – a drum roll here – 290 calories! Next is the guitar; if you play it standing up, you’ll burn 217 calories in one hour, but if you sit, it will be less: 145 calories (which is certainly better than none at all!) Moving on: you will drop 180 calories in one hour playing the piano, organ, trumpet, or violin, while the horn, cello, harp, and flute will “lighten” you up by between 122 and 145 calories. But that’s not all: singing also uses plenty of muscles and zaps 136 calories an hour. And here’s a surprising tidbit: even the itsy-bitsy harmonica has huge powers: all the inhaling and exhaling burns lots of calories in the process!

Keep us in good shape

The message we are trying to convey is this: no matter which instrument you play, if you apply yourself to the process and do it wholeheartedly, you will keep yourself in shape. And there is an added bonus for our teachers: by trekking to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, they too will burn lots of calories. So you see, when it comes to playing music, everyone is a … loser!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post With Manhattan Music School, You’ll be Such a Loser! appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Many people, including some music lovers, may not realize that mid-December marks the 245th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. His exact day of birth in 1770 remains elusive, but we do know that he was baptized on December 17, which means he was born just days prior (in the 18th century, it was a common practice to baptize newborns within a week of their birth).

Beethoven, of course, grew up to be one of the most gifted composers of all time, with nine symphonies, 32 piano sonatas, one opera, five piano concertos, and many chamber works to his name. A remarkable thing about Beethoven’s music is that he began to lose his hearing at the age of 26, and became completely deaf within the next 20 years. However, this disability did not stop him from composing – in fact, he wrote one of his best known pieces, the Ninth Symphony , with little hearing ability. Beethoven had not given up his passion because of deafness, providing inspiration in resilience and perseverance to future generations. Here’s a look at some famous musicians of our time, who had to overcome various disabilities to achieve greatness.

Their own “Ode to Joy”

Let’s start with Itzak Perlman, widely considered to be the greatest violinist of the 20th century. He contracted polio at the age of four and his legs were paralyzed. But he managed to walk with crutches and learned to play the violin while seated . Then there is the “wonder-ful” singer and multi-instrumentalist Stevie Wonder, who has been blind since birth. Yet, despite his disability, Wonder has released more than 30 No. 1 hits and is among the most decorated artists in history. And speaking of blindness, let’s not forget to mention the great Ray Charles. He lost his sight to glaucoma by the age of seven, but still managed to learn to play the piano, organ, saxophone, clarinet, and trumpet, becoming one of the most successful singers in the R&B, jazz, soul, pop, and country music. Let’s also remember the Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen who lost his arm in a car accident on New Year’s Eve 1984. He worked long and hard to learn how to play drums with extra foot petals to replace his missing arm. He was back and drumming with the band for their 1987 hit album, “Hysteria ,” which sold more than 20 million copies.

Keep on playing!

If there is a teachable moment in the above-mentioned stories, it is this: adversity happens, but with strength, courage, and determination, we can overcome the obstacles on our way. It’s not just disabilities or health issues in general that can cause us to lose faith. Sometimes stress, tiredness, or other issues lessen our motivation to keep going – whether with music lessons or any other task. Do you (or your child) need encouragement to keep up with the music lessons? Our teachers are known around here as “great motivators!” So invite them into your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, and keep on playing!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post Celebrate Beethoven’s Birthday, With New York Music Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

We bet you don’t know what today is. Yes, it is Thursday, December 10, but this day also marks a little-known and not much celebrated occasion: the Nobel Prize Day. Why December 10th? Because Alfred Nobel, who created this prize, passed away on this day in 1896. A year prior, Nobel, a Swedish chemist who invented the dynamite, wrote his last will, leaving much of his vast wealth to the establishment of the Prize that would honor men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and for work in peace.

The first Nobel was awarded in 1901 to Henri Dunant, the Swiss doctor who founded the International Committee of the Red Cross. Since then, some 900 people and organizations received this honor.

Geniuses at play

What we found very interesting is that many of the Nobel Prize winners, especially in the physics category, were music aficionados and even accomplished musicians themselves. It only goes to disprove the common perception that music and science don’t mix or, if you prefer to re-phrase it, that people with “scientific” minds have no interest in or “feel” for music. Clearly, this isn’t so. Let’s see which geniuses were music fans.

• Albert Einstein, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, loved his violin, although he could also play the piano. And according to a biography of the great scientist, one of the pieces he had been working hard to master as a student was the G-major violin sonata by Brahms.
• The recipient of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize, theologian Albert Schweitzer, loved to play the organ.
• Donald Glasser, a physicist who was awarded the Nobel in 1960, played the violin.
• Richard Feynman, who co-won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, was good at playing the bongo drums.
• Saul Perlmutter, who was awarded the Nobel in Physics in 2011, is not only a violinist, but he also teaches a course at UC Berkeley titled “Physics and Music.”
• Thomas Südhof, who won the 2013 Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology, plays the bassoon. In fact, in an interview with the editor of a bassoon magazine, he stressed the value of the discipline he had acquired from immersion in music.

Obviously, we can’t mention here hundreds of other distinguished Nobel musicians, but the six listed above prove that music and brilliant minds go hand in hand!

Prized teachers

We are not going to tell you that when a teacher of ours comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, you will have a genius on your doorstep. We believe in full disclosure so we are letting you know that none of our teachers ever won (or was even nominated for) the Nobel Prize. But that’s okay, because we know beyond a shadow of the doubt that we have the best-trained teachers in New York City. Their dedication, experience, and teaching techniques take the prize!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post With Brooklyn Music Lessons You’ll Always Be a Winner! appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

If asked what is your favorite time of year, chances are you won’t say it’s mid-November, unless you live in the southern hemisphere, where it is spring right now. But in New York, November is often grey and chilly, which may be the reason why so many people exercise much less that they do during the spring and summer months. (There’s actually a Gallop poll showing that Americans are less physically active as weather gets cold). Are you one of them?

We get it: when it is dark and cold outside, you don’t feel like going out for a jog or even a walk. It is so much easier and more pleasant to stay inside. But if this is your mindset, we hope you reconsider, especially since there is a good way to make even the most strenuous workout more enjoyable. We are referring to music, of course!

Breaking sweat with music

You might think we are giving you a song-and-dance routine here since we have a vested interest in teaching you to play an instrument. Actually, this statement is not totally self-serving: Studies suggest that listening to music while you exercise makes your workout more effective. There are several reasons why that is. For instance, a good beat not only makes you want to move, but it also helps you keep your pace. Also, listening to music creates a surge of energy that keeps you going, and it diverts your focus from physical discomfort – like soreness and tiredness – that a more strenuous workout might cause. In other words, music “tricks” your mind into concentrating on the sounds generated by your iPod rather than on your exertion level or the repetitive movements of your exercise routine. If you are wondering what is the best “exercise music,” here are some general suggestions:

• As you warm up, you’d want to listen to tracks that give you a burst of energy.
• Whether you prefer high, medium or low intensity exercise, choose something upbeat to keep your juices flowing during the main phase of your exercise.
• A slower and more mellow sound will help you cool down afterwards.

Feel the (calorie) burn

As long we are on the subject of music and exercise, did you know that the mere action of playing an instrument provides a terrific workout as well? While it may not improve your athletic performance per se (unless you are a member of a fast-moving marching band), it can help you burn calories. Just as an example, playing drums for an hour will burn 270 calories; a guitar will “eat up” 204 calories; and a trombone 238. In fact, practically any instrument will use up at least 100 calories in one hour of playing. Also, since playing certain instruments is physically demanding, you can get a good workout while you are at it. Drum players, for instance, use practically all the body’s muscle groups for strength, speed, endurance, and coordination. In fact, all the instruments, as well as signing, exercise some muscle groups.

Let there be music!

No, we can’t promise that you will lose loads of weight while playing an instrument (though you might) or that we will help improve the quality of your workout. What we can promise is that whatever instrument you’d like to play, we will be happy to come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and give you lessons. Whether you use your new musical skills to drop a few pounds and get in shape is up to you. But as you can see from all the research above, music can help you be …as fit as a fiddle!

The post Flex Your Muscles, With New York Music Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Let’s talk about motivation, especially as it pertains to music lessons. There are many reasons why a student may sometimes feel that he or she just doesn’t have what it takes to become proficient in playing an instrument. We have heard students say things like “I am not good enough” or “I keep making mistakes.” Making mistakes, as you know, is natural when you are learning a new skill and it is certainly not a good reason to get discouraged. In fact, we’ll let you in on a secret (well, it’s not exactly a secret, but a lot of people may not realize it): even the most famous musicians occasionally hit a wrong note. Why? It is certainly not because of lack of practice, but it could be due to nerves (yes, even the most experienced musicians sometimes suffer from stage fright), a wrong move of the fingers on the instrument, or a number of other factors. After all, even the most acclaimed virtuosos are only human!

Slip of a finger

Of course when experienced musicians are performing, an untrained ear of a spectator in the audience may not catch a wrong note. Do you think your ear is fine-tuned enough to hear it? Listen to these pieces and try to catch the slips. There is a very interesting compilation of the world’s most accomplished pianists hitting wrong notes. In the video, the great Arthur Rubinstein explains how, during a concert early in his career, he faked an entire Chopin etude and even deliberately played wrong notes— and still won rave reviews from the critics! (Obviously, we don’t recommend that you do the same thing – unless you have Rubinstein’s spectacular talent and can get away with it!) Then there is the Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang, who had a mishap in a section of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue.” Can you hear it? And while performing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” , the late German pianist Wilhelm Kempff slipped at 0:40, 1:25, 2:06, 2:38, 3:59, 5:08 to 5:11, and 6:42 minutes. As matter of fact, Beethoven was a challenge to another virtuoso pianist as well. Argentinian “Daniel Barenboim made a mistake at 2:41. You may be wondering whether geniuses like Mozart, Beethoven or Chopin ever make mistakes? We have no way to prove it, of course, but keep in mind that before they became skilled musicians, they had to master the craft from scratch. And we bet they hit plenty of wrong notes while they learned! Imagine how different the world would be if these composers had given up because of the mishaps.

Helping your progress

If there’s a moral here it is that making errors is not a reason to give up – if anything, it’s a reason to try harder the next time. Our teachers understand that mistakes are a normal part of a learning process, and when they come for a lesson in your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, they will patiently teach you the right technique. This means they will not only instruct you on how to read notation and play, but also on how to hold and handle your instrument, breathe correctly, feel confident and comfortable, and generally get the most out of your lesson. So make no mistake about it: keep playing!

The post With Manhattan Piano School You’ll Never Be Out of Tune appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Quite a few times, we shared with you the latest research about the benefit of music training.

By now we may sound like a broken record, but any time there is something new to add to this fascinating topic, we’ll jump right on it!

Maybe because the positive effects of music education are so widely known, very often parents ask us questions like: “My son is very hyper and can’t concentrate. Will playing an instrument help?” Or, “my daughter is very shy. How can music lessons help her come out of her shell?”

This is just as relevant for adults too. People of any age can benefit from music lessons because the triggers in our brain are the same.

Music can make a positive difference for all age groups. We have witnessed this phenomenon countless times and would like to share our experiences here.

Music “Therapy”

If you are the kind of person who is often distracted, music lessons can help boost your focus, self-control, as well as attention span. That’s because to play an instrument you need an alert mind, patience, and full concentration.

Also, music training requires a certain structure and discipline –for the lessons and for practice sessions in between. Your mind is focused not only on music itself, but also on the proper technique, breathing, coordination, as well as body posture.

True, if you are just starting your music training, you may not possess any of these skills, but with regular lessons you will develop each one, channeling your unbridled energy into a worthwhile and enjoyable pursuit.

Numerous Benefits

What if you are very timid? Very often, the reason behind excessive shyness is a poor self-image, as well as feelings of inferiority and insecurity.

If you fall into this category, you’ll be happy to know that music is a terrific “healer” of shyness and social ineptness. How does this work? Being able to play an instrument is a terrific self-esteem booster; it’ll give you a sense of accomplishment, something to be proud of, and maybe even brag about! What better cure for shyness can there be?

All this is very positive, but there are even more compelling reasons to start music lessons:

• This very scien-cy article talks about a “feel-good” chemical called dopamine. Music is one of the triggers of dopamine, so it improves the mood and lifts the spirits. In other words, it makes us happy.

• Because certain genres – including classical and jazz -have shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure, music promotes relaxation and reduces stress.

Excellent Teachers at Your Service!

As you can see, music training has multiple benefits for the whole family. However, there is one “but” – a lot depends on the kind of lessons and teachers you hire. (This is as true of music, as of any other learning experience).

An excellent music instructor is not only well educated and experienced in working with people of all ages, but he or she is also patient, kind, and enthusiastic – about music and teaching.

Our Hey Joe Guitar teachers fit all these criteria – and then some. They are graduates of the top music schools and accomplished musicians in their own right. Before we send them out to your Manhattan or Brooklyn home, we make sure they are carefully vetted and able to teach the right techniques to their students, whether on the guitar, piano, flute, or any other instrument.

Contact us to setup a first lesson and see what a positive difference music lessons make in your life.

To see the positive difference music lessons have made in the lives of underprivileged children in New York City, check out our charity MusiCan.

The post Benefits of Music: Hey Joe Guitar NYC Guitar School Tells (Almost) All! appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.