If we asked you what special day is celebrated today, April 11, you probably wouldn’t know without running a Google search. Here is a clue: it involves a capella singing of easy-on-the-ear tunes, with three voices harmonizing to the melody of a fourth voice (the bass provides the foundation and the baritone fills in the middle spaces). Have you guessed? We are celebrating the National Barbershop Quartet Day, observed annually on April 11.

It’s true that this style of music is not necessarily on everyone’s radar. But that’s exactly why today is a good opportunity to get acquainted with this old musical tradition that started in England in the 1600s and flourished in our country at the dawn of the 20th century.

A bit of history…

In the 17th century, British barbers equipped their shops with a cittern (a stringed instrument similar to a lute) so that their customers could strum on it while waiting for their shave and haircut. And that’s how the term “barber’s music” was coined across the Big Pond. Even though a similar tradition was brought over to America in the 1830s and barbershop music became popular here between 1900 and 1919, it faded with the advent of the Jazz Age in the 1920s. But in 1938, when the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America was formed, this style of music experienced a renaissance of sorts. For those who are not familiar with barbershop quartets, here are some examples from the archives of Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS): The 2011 winners of BHS’s international competition From the 2015 BHS competition The performance of UK’s Great British Barbershop Boys has bits of humor (or humour) in it And, of course, Jimmy Fallon’s version is always funny .

At the top of your voice

Whether you are a fan of barbershop quartets, a capella performances, or choral music in general, and would like to “fit in” with that crowd, the first step is to learn to sing. It sounds simple, but if you want to excel in any vocal group (or in solo performances for that matter), you have to learn to use your abdomen muscles, proper breathing techniques, good posture, etc. They are necessary not only to help your voice carry high and low notes, but also to keep your vocal chords in shape. This is where singing lessons can help. One of our trained voice teachers will be happy to come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office and help you raise your voice in song – and no haircuts are necessary!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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Summer’s gone and a lot of people are suffering from a condition known as “seasonal affective disorder” (SAD) – a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. But if you are a New Yorker, there is no need to feel sad (or SAD) at the passing of summer. That’s because there are plenty of events going on around the city and adjoining areas this month that are sure to lift your spirits and improve your mood.

For music lovers, the choice of offerings is huge, from excellent Broadway musicals to classical concerts. This may also be a good occasion to remind you that a pre-eminent New York institution, the Carnegie Hall, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year with an exciting new project. But that’s not all: there are also a number of pop, rock, jazz, and other performances taking place around the city. Let’s have a look at some of them.

Music, music everywhere!

From now until December 17, New York’s own Billy Joel will be performing with the help of his revolving piano at Madison Square Garden. And in case you didn’t know, to date, Billy has set a record for most performances at Madison Square Garden! And if you a fan of Stevie Wonder, hurry up and get tickets for his October 14th performance at Prudential Center in Newark. The Who will perform at the same venue on October 25th – a good reason to hightail it to Newark not once but twice! The above performances are just “teasers” intended to whet your appetite. There are so many more musical events taking place this month in our area!

Music as a cure

We hope you agree with us that as New Yorkers, we are really lucky to have so many opportunities to hear great music all year round. Another thing to be grateful for is the possibility to take music lessons right in your own home or office, whether in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale. We are not making this up: there is scientific evidence to prove that music is a real mood booster, regardless of what instrument you are playing – the guitar, violin, or anything else. So contact us and we’ll send you an upbeat teacher who’ll stop any SAD-ness in the tracks!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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It wasn’t so long ago that New York City was in the throes of cold, wintry weather and we wrote about how to keep warm and healthy. At that time we predicted – accurately, as it turns out – that the gray and bleak winter would not last forever. We were right! Three days from now, on June 21, summer will officially be here and if past years are anything to go by, pretty soon the temperatures will rise, the humidity level will be high, and we will probably remember those cool and crisp winter days with bittersweet nostalgia!

Seriously though, summer in the city – especially if you are a music lover – can be a barrel of fun. There are many concerts and other musical performances taking place over the next two months, and it goes to prove that this city not only never sleeps, but it doesn’t take a vacation either!

The streets are alive…

Here are some not-to-be –missed events music lovers will enjoy: New music July 4 – Sept. 5, 2015 Warm Up is experimental live music, DJs and dancing in the outdoor courtyard of MoMA PS1 in Queens. Free concerts at MoMA July 5 – 26, 2015 (Sundays) Attend four weekly jazz and classical music concerts at Summergarden in the sculpture garden of the Museum of Modern Art. Lincoln Center Festival July 6 – Aug. 2, 2015 Enjoy extraordinary opera, music, dance, and theater that showcases contemporary artistic viewpoints at Lincoln Center Festival in and near Lincoln Center. Indie music festival July 9 & 23, 2015 (also Aug. 6) River Rocks is a music concert on three Thursdays along the water at Hudson River Park. Seaport music festival July 11, 2015 4.2 miles south Rock out with two stages of performers at the 4Knots Music Festival in historical South Street Seaport. Tony-winning musical July 11 – Aug. 29, 2015 (Saturdays) 4.5 miles north The cast of In the Heights sings and dances around you to vibrant hip-hop, pop, and Latin music as they tell the story of tight-knit Dominican-Americans at Harlem Repertory Theatre. Jazz festival July 21 – 30, 2015 Hear dozen of world-class jazz artists (including soulful singers, piano partners and dueling drummers) at 92nd Street Y Jazz in July Festival. Classical music festival July 22 – Aug. 22, 2015 Attend concerts, operas, late-night recitals, and world premieres at Mostly Mozart Festival, performed by the festival orchestra and special guests at Lincoln Center. Outdoor concerts August 1 – 9, 2015 (begins July 22) Out of Doors is three jam-packed weeks of world-class music, dance, and spoken word in the plazas of Lincoln Center if dry. These are just some of the concerts that take place in out city in July and August. There are many more, so start marking your agendas!

Summer school

If you love music, you will surely find what you are looking for among the above-mentioned performances (if you can’t find it in New York City, where can you find it?) And just because it’s summer doesn’t mean there are no music lessons. Our school’s never “out,” and our teachers are always on call – whether you want to continue your lessons or start new ones. We will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office to teach you cool music for the hot days!

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The month of May is coming to an end, and for parents this means school is either already out or soon will be. For high school seniors, it also marks a major event, a rite of passage known as the prom.

Most of us may have forgotten the algebra we learned in high school, but we remember what we wore, who our date was, and what songs we danced to at our prom. These are the memories that last a lifetime.

Sure, there were occasional mishaps and awkward moments, but for the vast majority of seniors the prom night is a special and magical occasion. And it should be, because it symbolizes so much more than just dancing the night away – it is about growing up and moving on to life’s new challenges.

This magic moment

Fashioned after the debutante balls that were popular in the 19th century among the titled and wealthy, the word “prom” is derived from “promenade” – the march of elegantly clad guests arriving for the dance.

With ballrooms and stretch limos, today’s proms are pretty lavish – certainly a far cry from humble school gymnasiums of yore, which were festively decorated with disco balls and streamers. In fact, in the 1930s and 40s, when high schools first started to organize proms (and mention them in yearbooks), they were simple, strictly chaperoned events. Kids wore nice “Sunday best” clothes, but certainly nothing as extravagant – or expensive – as is customary today.

It is interesting to note how proms have changed over the past decades – the fashions, the songs, and the whole experience.

A night to remember

Is it just us, or did teenagers of the 1940s really look older than the current generation ? In any case, proper manners and etiquette seemed to be of paramount importance back then and continued to spill into the next decade as well, at least according to this trailer . But those of us who saw the movie “Grease” know better: the teens of the 1950s knew how to party and push the limits of propriety!

Speaking of movies, here is a great compilation of prom scenes spanning the decades between the 1980s and the present. And if you are wondering which prom songs have been the most popular in the past decade or so, here’s your answer!

Save the last dance for us

We are not sure how good our teachers are on the dance floor (some of them may, in fact, have two left feet), so if you want dancing lessons we suggest you look elsewhere.

However, if you need top-notch music training – on whatever instrument – one of our teachers will swing by your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office and give you lessons. Even without the dancing, we’ll have a ball!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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“I don’t do fashion, I AM fashion.”

Coco Chanel

The famed French designer said these words at the height of her career, in the first half of the 20th century. She was right – to this day, Chanel’s name is synonymous with high fashion and classic elegance.

Some fashions and fads come and go (think “Goth,” and “grunge”) but even four decades after her death, Coco’s signature styles – such as the iconic “little black dress” and a string of pearls – are still very much in vogue, as is her perfume, Chanel no. 5.

All this goes to prove that fashion and music have at least one thing in common: the best pieces are timeless!

As Fashion Week commences on New York City this week, let’s talk about style.

Runway hits

There is a reason why we are talking about clothes here – February 15 to 19 marks the New York Fashion Week, which every year showcases the latest couture by the world’s top designers.

Though the spectators’ dress code for this event is elegant and chic, the music that typically accompanies the show is quite eclectic, ranging from chill tunes to electric hits, a mix that keeps the models sashaying and the audience riveted.

Each season, designers create the playlist to animate their collections, choosing the music that best reflects the mood they want to create.

Here are some examples of the sometimes surprising and / or unconventional soundtracks from a recent New York fashion show:

A soaring drum score from the movie Avatar was Donna Karan’s pick; Lacoste’s models strutted to the sounds of “Higher Ground” by TNGHT; and Tommy Hilfiger’s pick was “I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li.

All dressed up

It may seem like each season new styles, cuts, hemlines, colors, and fabrics are in vogue. But if you are really observant, you will notice that fashion trends tend to repeat themselves every few decades. Just look at platform shoes, shoulder pads, and other “deja-vu” styles.

That is just as well because it means that songs about clothes and accessories are always in fashion. Here are some examples:

• “Lady in Red” by Chris de Burgh

• “She Wore Blue Velvet” by Bobby Vinton

• “Satin and Lace” by Roger Daltrey

• “Blue Suede Shoes” by Elvis Presley

• “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” by Nancy Sinatra

• “Forever in Blue Jeans,” by Neil Diamond

• “Bell Bottom Blues,” by Derek & the Dominos

No tux required

As we mentioned above, good music never goes out of style, which is why our music lessons are always relevant.

We can come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Riverdale home or office and teach you to play guitar, piano, drums, or any other instrument – fashionable or not. And, unlike the shows that take place during the Fashion Week, we do not require elegant attire (but draw the line at birthday suits).

If you want to have your lesson while wearing your oldest sweats and sneakers, that’s okay with us – the music you make will be just as beautiful.

Photo by Michael King

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