Generally speaking, we like to keep these blogs upbeat because, by its very nature, music – listening to it or playing – is such a positive experience. But sometimes sad topics do come up and we feel that they are important enough to merit further exploring. One such subject is Alzheimer’s disease. Why are we bringing this up now? Because November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, designated as such in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan. It is all the more poignant because just a decade after the proclamation, the former President himself was diagnosed with this terrible illness. Needless to say, we don’t claim to have extensive medical knowledge about Alzheimer’s, and we only know what the research indicates. And one of the findings that we think is particularly interesting pertains to the effect of music on the declining mental abilities of Alzheimer’s patients.

Awakening the memories

Remember Barbra Streisand’s 1975 hit, “The Way We Were” The opening line of that song is “Memories light the corners of my mind.” In a way, that’s what happens when Alzheimer’s patients listen to music. A resent study shows that these people can recall certain memories and emotions when they listen to music that is familiar to them. In other words, they may not respond to the latest hits, but are more likely to react to songs and musical performances they had meant something to them at one time in their lives. A wonderful non-profit program called Music and Memory is bringing personalized, digital music to the elderly, including Alzheimer’s patients. So far, the organization has distributed iPods to over 140 care facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Anecdotal evidence suggests that patients were able to “reconnect with memories triggered by music.”

Remembrance of things past

How does hearing familiar tunes boost the memory? Scientists point to several reasons. One of them is that music stimulates the mind and may re-hash some dormant memories. Also, music is processed in multiple areas of the brain, which, researchers suggest, tend to be less damaged by Alzheimer’s disease. Whatever the mechanism, we are so happy that music plays such a significant role in the lives of so many people. And we don’t have to remind you that exposure to music is beneficial to anyone, at any time of their lives. A teacher of ours will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office to introduce you, your child, or another family member to the joys of music. Please contact us and give your brain a workout!

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September is stretching out before us and we couldn’t be happier. Why? Because it marks a very important occasion: Classical Music Month, as declared by President Clinton back in 1994. “Classical music is a celebration of artistic excellence,” Clinton noted in his official proclamation. He also emphasized why it is important to pay tribute to this timeless and universal genre: “At the heart of classical music is continuity and tradition. What was heard in a Vienna opera house was heard again in a colonial theater in Charleston, South Carolina, was echoed at the inauguration of President Lincoln, was repeated in turn-of-the-century Chicago, and is played again today by a range of musicians from the most skilled of virtuosos to the youngest student struggling with the complexities of the violin.”

Needless to say, we agree! Even though other types of music have emerged in the past decades, the magnificent sounds of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and other noted composers of centuries past are still filling our ears – and hearts – with beautiful sounds.

Historical context

What exactly is “classical” music? In our Western understanding, it is a genre created by European composers from (roughly) the 16th to 19th centuries. But what many people may not realize is that the term “classical” actually covers three historical periods: the Baroque (1600–1760), Classical (1730–1820), and Romantic (1780–1910). Among the most noted composers working during each of these periods were Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi for the Baroque era; Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin for the Classical one; and Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Wagner in the Romantic period. As you can see, all the above eras overlap with each other, so there is no clear cut-off point from one to the next (although, as you can imagine, historical, cultural, social, and intellectual contexts had undergone tremendous changes in the four centuries that separate the beginning of the Baroque and the end of the Romantic period). So what are the specificities of each of the above eras, you may wonder? Generally speaking, Baroque music is characterized by its fluidity and flow . Classical pieces tend to be more dramatic , while the Romantic period featured strong contrasts in the rhythm, tonality, and harmony, as well as a larger variety of instruments .

Bring music into play!

As we mentioned before, a variety of music genres were created in the past century, but classical music never fell out of fashion. Our teachers are classical music aficionados as well, though most are quite versatile in their tastes: they also love jazz, blues, folk, rock, country, and every other kind of music ever invented. What this means is that whichever genre and instrument you are interested in playing, we have an excellent teacher for you. Just contact us and we’ll send him or her right to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale doorstep. Together, you’ll create a beautiful symphony of sound!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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Did you know that March marks the International Women’s Month, not only in this country, but also all over the world?

There are numerous reasons to honor women past and present, because they have made significant contributions to arts, humanities, sciences, politics, as well as many other areas. And not just the famous ones, mind you, but also the so-called “unsung heroines” who, through their efforts and dedication, have made a meaningful impact on our lives.

We at Hey Joe Guitar would like to celebrate the women of the world by honoring female composers. Yes, you heard it right – FEMALE COMPOSERS. If you think that composition is strictly a man’s domain, prepare to be surprised!

Out of the shadows

We know that there are many women songwriters, but, throughout the centuries, there had also been women composers of classical music. They are not as well known as their male counterparts (historically, women always had to struggle for recognition),
but their contributions to music have been remarkable.

Obviously, we can’t list all of them here, but we are pleased to introduce you to several who had composed beautiful pieces of music that remain largely unknown. We think this is a great opportunity to present some of these gifted women who have lived in the shadow of male composers far too long.

Lack of recognition

The names Mendelsshon and Schumann are familiar to music lovers, but we are not talking about Felix and Robert, respectively. Rather, we are referring to Felix’s sister Fanny and Robert’s wife Clara.

Let’s start with Fanny (1805-1847). Although she showed musical aptitude from an early age, she did not get as much encouragement and support as her brother did. In fact, in an 1820 letter to her, Fanny’s father wrote: “Music will perhaps become his [i.e. Felix’s] profession, while for you it can and must be only an ornament.”

In her short life (she died at 42 from a stroke), Fanny composed 460 pieces of music, many of which were published under Felix’s name. To those who had an opportunity to hear her work , there’s no doubt that Fanny was a talented composer in her own right.

What about Clara Schumann (1819 – 1896)? A child prodigy who performed recitals around Europe from an early age, Clara’s deftness at the piano won her an admiration of composers like Frederic Chopin and Niccolo Paganini, among others. Her most fervent admirer, however, was a man who would become her husband, Robert Schumann.

While Clara was a successful pianist, she was not widely recognized as a composer, even though she composed a number of piano concertos and other pieces of music . As she once explained, “Composing gives me great pleasure… there is nothing that surpasses the joy of creation, if only because through it one wins hours of self-forgetfulness, when one lives in a world of sound.”

However, since Clara never received any popular acclaim for her works (even though her husband was supportive), she eventually gave up composing. “I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea,” she said. “A woman must not desire to compose—there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?”

Sadly, Clara’s music, like that of so many other women composers of her time, had never been taken seriously.

Prolific composers of yore

Of course there had been many other women composers throughout history, and most of them had no family ties to male musicians. Marianne Martinez and Louise Farrenc were among them.

Marianne (1744 – 1812) frequently performed with Mozart (they were both Austrian) and worked in the shadows of famous male composers of that era. However, she went down in history as the creator of the only symphony written by a woman during the Classical period.

Louise (1804- 1875) was a French composer who wrote music not only for the piano, but for chamber ensembles and orchestras as well.

To know them is to love them

At our NYC music school we are happy to honor women composers, songwriters, and musicians in general – past and present. In fact, we are open to all kinds of music, even to the works that have been little known by general public.

Our excellent teachers will be happy to come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and give you or your child music lessons on an instrument of your choice – whatever gender (or age) you are.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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“That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are you one of those people who started music training but somewhere along the line you decided to …tune out? Or maybe you (or your children) have not quit, but are not spending enough time practicing with a teacher?

Learning to play an instrument, like anything else you undertake in life, requires commitment, motivation and discipline. But, the good news is that, unlike training for the Olympics, you don’t have to practice many hours each day. If you play for your own pleasure and enjoyment (rather than preparing for a concert at Carnegie Hall), 30 minutes to one hour of practice a week with a teacher should be sufficient to keep improving your skill. It sounds totally doable, doesn’t it, but you’d be surprised at how many people just won’t do it.

Let the music begin (and continue!)

There are many reasons people cite for not practicing regularly or giving up music altogether. Even if they don’t blame their dog for ripping up their musical scores, they may come up with other excuses for not doing their “homework.”

For example, perhaps they thought that the instrument would just play itself – like those “magic” pianos you sometimes see in music stores – and no input of time or energy would be required of them. (Okay, so we are being a bit facetious here, but you wouldn’t believe the lame excuses people give for not practicing!)

Seriously though, many people give up because they underestimate the effort it would take to master the instrument. If they don’t become virtuosos overnight, they become disappointed with their lack of progress and decide to stop.

Or, they may genuinely have very busy jobs and lives, and decide that playing an instrument is too time-consuming.

Needless to say, we disagree with all these “reasons” and can offer some compelling counter arguments of our own.

Busting some myths

We find that all too often people harbor misconceptions about what it takes to learn an instrument. They may believe that they need to devote many hours every week to their music training – not so!

This particular myth falls under the same category as the one about having to exercise intensively for hours every day in order to get physically fit. In fact, federal recommendations call for half an hour of moderate physical activity five days a week to stay healthy (of course, if you want to work out more than that, you certainly can). However, people who are not aware that even a little exercise each day is beneficial get discouraged by the idea of time-consuming daily workouts, and give up fitness altogether.

We are bringing this up to demonstrate how misconceptions can throw us off the track. Just as it’s not necessary to pump iron or do other strenuous exercises each day to stay in shape, long-winded and too frequent practice sessions with your music teacher are not a requirement either.

A musical interlude in your busy week

We do realize that many of our clients – adults and children alike – are very busy. We get that, which is why our Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Riverdale music lessons are tailored to your schedule. Not only that, but we make those lessons easy and convenient for you because we come right to your home or office, so you don’t have to waste valuable time commuting to meet your teacher.

Out of out of 10,080 minutes that tick along each week, you can surely put aside 30 to 60 of them to get that all-important music exposure and all the benefits it offers: a healthier brain, sharper focus and concentration, improved motor skills and coordination, and better mood. (But, if you want to devote more time each week to your music training than the bare minimum mentioned above, we certainly wouldn’t stop you).

As Greek philosopher Aristotle so aptly put it, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Photo by Music Master

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None of us can forget the unspeakable tragedy that happened at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton CT last year, where 20 children and six adults were killed in a shooting spree. This horrific event has left emotional scars on the victims’ families and the community at large, but these brave people have been finding comfort in an unexpected source: music and arts.

In a recent article, Jimmy Greene, whose daughter was killed in the shooting, says that playing his saxophone has helped him deal with his grief. “I picked up my instrument one day and felt much better,” he recounts. “I realized that music is a big part of who I am and the more I played, the more like myself I felt. In the time I didn’t play, I kind of lost sense of myself in a way.”

He adds that he found music helpful in “dealing with the grief and the loss, the pain and the sadness that I deal with every day.”

Greene is a professional musician who also teaches music at Western Connecticut State University, but the fact is that many other people in Newton have found a measure of relief in music and creative arts in general.

We at Hey Joe Guitar music school are not surprised – we have always known through our own experience (which is backed by a vast body of research), that music has a strong therapeutic effect, which eases both emotional and physical pain. That’s because music provides an outlet for expressing feelings that mere language does not.

Musical miracles

Just as an example, studies show that music has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular heath because it normalizes blood pressure, as well as heart and respiratory rates. It also has shown promise in cancer recovery by helping reduce anxiety in patients receiving radiation therapy, and ease nausea and other discomforts from chemotherapy.

There is also strong evidence of benefits to mental health. For instance, music therapy lowers stress and anxiety, and helps depressive patients recover quicker.

What is the connection between music and healing? Experts say that is an intricate process, but, generally speaking, music helps us relax, distracts our minds from our problems, and provides an emotional release from all the tensions and stress factors that can make us ill.

Now, you might be wondering what kind of music is the most powerful healer. It all depends on the genre YOU like and respond to best – classical, jazz, blues, pop, or the type we usually associate with the word “soothing,” which is a New Age-like, subliminal sound Video
Whatever lifts your spirits and brings you pleasure is fine by us!

To your health!

As the songs says, we believe in music Video We have seen many instances of the powerful effect that our Manhattan, Brooklyn and Riverdale (Bronx) music lessons have had on our students – whatever their age or level of proficiency.
You might think, “a lesson is a lesson, so what’s the big deal?” We beg to disagree! We pride ourselves on our individual, personalized approach , as well as our top-notch teachers .
Whether for health or pleasure (or both), we are just what the doctor ordered!

Photo be Helder Silva

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If you think that Christmas is over, you are right… but also wrong! While the Catholic and Protestant celebrations are indeed behind us, Eastern Orthodox churches are yet to commemorate this holy event on January 7.

Actually, Eastern Orthodox congregations don’t dispute December 25 as the time of Christ’s birth, but they follow a different calendar – one that lags behind by nearly two weeks.

The Orthodox churches adhere to an old, Julian calendar, named after its creator Julius Caesar, who introduced it in 46 BC as a reform of the ancient Roman timetable. In 1582, however, Pope Gregory XIII modified the Julian calendar in order to correct its inaccuracies and miscalculations, such as 11 extra minutes each year, which was not compatible with the timing of the solar year.

The Gregorian calendar made up for the 11-minute discrepancy and has been widely used throughout the world. But the liturgical calendar of the Eastern Orthodox Church continues to follow the Julian system. So now you know: Christmas is celebrated on January 7 and New Year on the 14th.

Different dates, same faith

Despite the discrepancy in the timing of their observances, members of the Orthodox Church celebrate the same sacraments as other Christians. In fact, in the early days of Christianity, Roman Catholics and Orthodox congregants worshipped together. The split between the two denominations occurred in 1054 as a result of a dispute over the Papal authority.

Quite a few countries follow the Orthodox teachings, including Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, and Romania. The immigrants from these countries established their churches in the United States, and in NYC as well.

Just as Western Christians observe the four weeks of Advent, their Eastern Orthodox counterparts practice the 40-day Nativity Fast, which is a traditional time of prayer, abstinence and penance.

On January 7, churches may light a fire of blessed palms and burn frankincense to commemorate the gifts the three wise men brought to baby Jesus.

There is one common thread that the Western and Eastern Christians share in their celebration of Christmas. Do you know what it is? You guessed it: music!

Multi-lingual Christmas

We love the songs that resound throughout the Orthodox churches at Christmas, and we especially enjoy hearing them in languages of each country. Here’s a sampling:

Bulgaria
Greece:
Ukraine:
Serbia:

These are just a few examples, but they give you a sense of how beautifully solemn Eastern Orthodox Christmas is.

It’s not all Greek to us!

At Hey Joe Guitar, we find religious music, regardless of its denomination, truly inspirational. But it’s no news to you that we love ALL styles of music, whether put into song or played on any instrument (after all, we are a music school!).

Our excellent teachers (many of whom are multi-lingual too) come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale (Bronx) home or office to give you lessons adapted to your (or your child’s) level.

Whether you celebrate New Year’s on January 1 or the 14th, 2014 is a great year to start guitar lessons, begin the piano, or learn any other musical instrument!

Photo by pjarrettphoto

The post The Tale Of Two Christmas Calendars: NYC Music School Brings You Up To Date! appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Remember when your mom used to tell you to sit straight? We hope you listened to her because good posture – the body’s alignment in relation to the force of gravity – is very important.

Maybe you’ve never thought about it, but gravity overstresses your muscles, joints, and ligaments. If you constantly slouch or stoop, chances are you’ll end up with chronic aches and pains. But correct posture will distribute the force of gravity evenly throughout your body, preventing soreness and other discomfort.

You might be wondering why in the world we are talking about posture in a music blog. Just sit straight and read on!

Yes, mother knows best!

Whatever instrument you play, regardless of whether it’s small and light like the harmonica or big like the upright bass, certain muscles of your body will be working overtime because of the repetitive motion required for playing.

Repetitive stress injuries like tendonitis, bursitis, as well as back, neck and shoulder pain could strike a musician just as they sometimes happen to athletes. But yes, you can prepare your body to resist these pesky and painful inconveniences.

We don’t mean to sound like your mother, but this merits repeating: correct body posture and movement – called “body mechanics” – while holding your instrument is very important for any musician. It will not only prevent physical discomfort but a poor performance as well!

Fit as a fiddle

If you play your instrument sitting down, remember to sit with a tall, straight back near the front of the chair, with your feet flat on the floor – your center of gravity should be on your feet and “sit bones,” rather than on your back or neck.

What if you play standing up? Your body must be balanced, with the weight evenly distributed between the two feet, which should be placed in a V position, not too close or too far apart.

And, it goes without saying that you should stand tall and not slouch, stoop or bend, so you can hold and position your instrument properly.

Whip yourself into shape

Clearly, we can’t teach you all about proper posture and weight distribution right here and now (but our Manhattan music lessons instructors who come to your home or office, will!)

Just to give you some practical ideas, these tips will help you “ache-proof” your body so you can handle your instrument like a pro:

Stretch before playing. These exercises will help you become more flexible and “fluid.” Strengthen your wrists, hands and arms, since they are essential “tools” while you play. Simple exercises like squeezing a tennis ball or lifting a dumbbell will be useful. Building up the core strength of your diaphragm trunk muscles is very important, especially if you play a woodwind or brass instrument.

These are just several of many exercises that will, if practiced regularly, improve your posture – in music and in life.

But even the best exercises will not prevent soreness if you don’t know how to hold your instrument correctly, so ask your Manhattan music lessons teacher to show you. He or she will be happy to come to your NYC home (Brooklyn and Riverdale in the Bronx included) and …set you straight!

Photo by Enrique Pellejer

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