We can now look forward to a new year which, we hope, will be happy, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful. The beginning of January is a good time to talk about that pesky subject: New Year resolutions. We say « pesky » because while they are undoubtedly sincere and well-intentioned, most of them get broken by the time Spring comes along. Among the most common resolutions people make is learning a new skill or improving an old one. Very often this involves music lessons because, as we all know, music lifts our spirits and makes us (and everyone around us) happy. But how can you make sure that your resolve to start music lessons in 2020 doesn’t weaken (or disappear altogether) as months go by?

Easy Does It

Psychologists say most New Year resolutions fail because we set unrealistic goals for ourselves. For instance, we resolve to run the New York Marathon, but we don’t train for it as regularly as we should, and then we get disappointed when we can’t make it to the finish line. This is just one example of many showing how we sabotage our resolutions by aiming too high, too quickly. It is much better to make resolutions that are realistic and achievable. For instance, instead of aiming for the marathon, you should start with jogging small distances several times a week, and gradually work up your stamina and endurance.

Stay Inspired!

How does all this relate to music lessons? Obviously, if you are a beginner, don’t set yourself an overly-ambitious goal of playing at Carnegie Hall anytime soon. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll feel disappointed and frustrated, and maybe even give up your music training. Thinking big is good, but achieving your goals doesn’t happen overnight; it takes patience and practice. In other words, it’s one step at a time. Here is what we suggest to keep your music-related resolutions:

1. Choose an instrument that best fits your personality, size, and strength. If you opt for something that’s too big, heavy, or just isn’t « you, » the lessons may not work out.
2. Choose a good teacher, one that is experienced, patient, and kind. This will ensure you get not only the instruction you need but also the support. We don’t mean to brag (actually, we do), but we have the most wonderful teachers who’ll come to your home or office to give you lessons.
3. Practice a little bit every day. This way, you won’t be overwhelmed by too much “homework,” but still make progress.
4. Enjoy your lessons! The more pleasurable your music experience is, the more your skills will improve and your appreciation of music grow.

We hope we have helped you keep your resolutions well into 2020, and beyond. And we join ABBA in wishing you all the best for the New Year!

Photo courtesy of pxhere.com

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You may think you know all the songs by heart, and you probably do. But are you familiar with some of the unusual stories surrounding these tunes?

What better time than now to reveal some of the more salient — and not widely known — details about the most popular holiday songs.

Let’s get started.

Did You Know?

“Joy to the World” was originally about Christ’s resurrection and his second coming on Easter, not his birth. So strictly speaking, it was not intended as a Christmas song.

“Silver Bells” was originally called “Tinkle Bells.” But when the songwriter Ray Evans’ wife found out about this title, she responded: “Are you out of your mind? Do you know what the word tinkle is?”

During a Christmas truce in WWI, the French, English, and German troops sang “Silent Night” in their own language. It’s too bad that they started shooting at each other when the truce ended.

In 1944, Judy Garland sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in the movie Meet Me in St. Louis, which became an instant holiday hit. But the original song had different lyrics from the ones we hear in the film: the opening lines were “Have yourself a merry, little Christmas/It may be your last.” Considering that the song was sung by a mother to her daughter, these words had to be changed. By the same token, other lyrics — “faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us no more” — were also removed from the film.

These are just some of the interesting facts about Christmas songs, but there are more.

Oh Hanukkah!

What about Hanukkah, which this year is celebrated December 2 through December 10?

Did you know that in the original Yiddish version of “I Have a Little Dreidel” the dreidel is made out of bley, meaning lead. It was translated in English to clay.

There are four versions of Adam Sandler’s non-traditional Hanukkah song. The one you don’t typically hear is the uncensored version that includes the line “Drink your gin and tonic-ah, but don’t smoke marijuan-icah.” Another version, however, encourages listeners to “Drink your gin and tonic-ah, and smoke your marijuan-icah.”

So there you have it: fascinating, little-known facts about some of the most popular holiday classics. Aren’t you glad we told you?

On this note (pun intended), we’d like to wish you all a wonderful and magical holiday season!

Photo courtesy of Ed and Eddie and Flickr

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What – you are saying that you are still trying to keep your resolution from 1994? It’s time to let it go, turn the page, and start with a clean slate. After all, each New Year brings with it fresh beginnings and new chances to get it right.

There is a very simple key to achieving your goals: keep them simple, realistic, and fun. If you decide to travel to the Moon, you probably won’t accomplish that, at least not in 2018. And if you resolve to do something you absolutely do not enjoy — like sticking your tongue to a frozen pole — you’ll probably renege on that promise fairly quickly (we certainly hope you do!)

But if your resolutions include activities you’ll enjoy and derive pleasure from, you will probably keep on doing them. We are referring, of course, to music lessons!

Five Reasons Why Music Should be Present in Your Life in 2018:

1. For children, music improves academic and social skills.
2. For people of all ages, music has many benefits on mental health: it reduces stress, calms nerves, and lifts the mood.
3. Music boosts our immunity, so the body is able to fight various illnesses. In other words, music is certainly nothing to sneeze at!
4. For those suffering from insomnia, music will, literally, put you to sleep.
5. If you have been sick, music can help you recover quicker, provide pain relief, and speed up the healing process.

Now that you know some of the reasons why learning to play an instrument should be one of your top priorities for 2018, you may wonder how to motivate yourself to keep this resolution.

It’s simple: choose the instrument that best fits your personality and interests — strings, woodwinds, percussions, or brass. Then find an experienced teacher (no need to look far, we have excellent instructors at your service).

You are ready to start your musical journey. Happy New Year!

Photo: Young Boy in a Band Playing a Violin courtesy of Circe Denyer and PublicDomainPictures.net

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But while they are enjoying their break, chances are that school and homework are the furthest things from their minds.

And we bet that practicing their instrument is not on their radar either. But there is no reason to take vacation from music!

Hey, we understand that kids need to have a carefree vacation. But on the other hand, giving up all their regular activities — including music — is not a good thing.

Kids, Don’t Stop the Music!

If your children don’t play their instrument for weeks, they may lose some of the skills and techniques they had mastered during the school year. This means that they will have to re-learn what they already knew but had forgotten in the meantime. (It’s the so-called “use it or lose it” phenomenon!)

If that’s the case, they may lose their motivation to keep on playing and want to give up music lessons altogether. You certainly don’t want that to happen — they have worked hard to achieve a certain level of proficiency and it would be such a pity not to build up on the progress they made.

This is where you, the parent, can, um, call the tune!

Here are five ways to motivate your child to keep on playing:

1. Encourage: Explain to your child why it is important for him/her to continue practicing and what would happen if he/she doesn’t: much of the progress he/she made during the school year would be lost and he/she would have to re-master the skills he/she already learned.

2. Be Flexible: It’s not necessary to keep the same practice schedule during vacation as during the school year. Find a “happy medium” — say 20 minutes a few times a week.

3. The Importance of Scheduling: It’s probably not a good idea to schedule practice for when your child is tired and cranky — like in the evening. Choose the time when he/she is rested and energized, maybe right after breakfast.

4. Team Effort: If your child has friends or family members who play an instrument, arrange a group practice. If they play well together (pun intended!), they could perform a “concert” at the end of the summer to show off their skills.

5. Turn Music Into a Family Affair: There is no shortage of concerts and live performances in NYC this month. Go with your child and inspire him/her in their musical journey!

As you can see, there are lots of ways to keep your child practicing this summer.

Photo: Piano Practice Hands courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

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Our city is not only the birthplace of several music genres like hip hop, freestyle, doo wop, bebop, disco, punk rock, and new wave, but also of many world-renowned musicians.

We can’t mention all the excellent home-grown performers in this blog, but here are (in no particular order) five that we love — not only because of their talent, but also because they are quintessential New Yorkers, who have remained true to their hometown:

1. Neil Diamond. Born in Brooklyn, the singer commemorated his attachment to his native city with the words “Well, I’m New York City born and raised,” in the song titled “I am I said” as well as in “Brooklyn Roads.”

2. Lady Gaga. Stefani Germanotta, as she was then known, was born at Lennox Hill Hospital and grew up on NYC’s Upper West Side. Her website mentions how, as a child, she used to go to fancy restaurants in the neighborhood and dance around, using her breadsticks as batons. Later, she waitressed at an Upper West Side diner and bought herself a Gucci purse with the money she made at that job.

3. Billy Joel. The Bronx-born singer paid homage to his native city in his 1980s hit “Uptown Girl” and also has been performing one show a month at Madison Square Garden since 2014!

4. Barbara Streisand. Born in Brooklyn, the singer and actress sang about NYC in the 1977 song, “New York State of Mind”

5. Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but he was born in Queens and still lives right here in the city. We can only hope that his 1960s hit “The Good Life” was inspired by New York.

Their Kind of Town

As we said, these are just five performers who have their roots in NYC. But there are many others as well who were not only born here, but also sang about their native city.

For instance:

• Barry Manilow was born in Brooklyn and had a song titled “This Is My Town.”

• (Paul) Simon and (Art) Garfunkel. Both hail from Queens, and while they were still together, they released “A Heart in New York.”

• Brooklyn-born Jay-Z, and Alicia Keys, born in Manhattan, recorded together “New York,” a song that has energy and vibe of their native city.

We can’t possibly mention all the talented musicians who hail from New York City, but you can see who they are right here.

We thank them all for their musical contributions to our city and the world!

Photo: New York City Skyline

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It’s the beginning of December and chances are you are already hearing the same old, traditional holiday songs over and over again.

Now, we don’t mean to denigrate the beloved classics

because to many people they represent the very essence and spirit of Christmas or Hanukkah.

Having said that, we were not totally surprised by a study that came out a couple of years ago. It showed that, while many of us like to hear some holiday music in the beginning of the season, we tend to dislike it towards the end, simply because we’ve been over-exposed to it.

It seems that too much of a good thing can actually have the opposite effect!

New Take on Old Classics

According to an article in the Washington Post, the reason for the enduring appeal of the most popular holiday songs is because “they were so well crafted…and so deeply expressive in capturing the holiday experience in a way songwriters these days are unable to do.”

Why aren’t more new Christmas songs being written, you may wonder? The above-mentioned article explains it this way: “No one, not even such superstars as Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, has managed to turn a temporary seasonal hit into an evergreen.”

You may argue that holiday songs don’t necessarily have to have the enduring appeal of the old classics. Even if these new tunes are hits for one or two seasons only, they could still bring “comfort and joy” to millions of people.

Do You Hear What We Hear?

In fact, there are some new holiday songs being recorded – or, in some cases, new versions of old favorites.

We particularly love this beautiful rendition of “Hallelujah,” by Pentatonix, which is on the group’s new 2016 holiday album.

Already last year we became fans when we heard this acapella group’s unique version of “Little Drummer Boy, which shows how old classics can be performed with a new twist.

There are also some other modern holiday songs for your listening pleasure. Among them you’ll find “Christmas Lights” by Coldplay, “Love is Christmas” by Sarah Bareilles, and several others.

What about Hanukkah songs? Adam Sandler may or may not like them all, but here are some fun renditions for you to enjoy.

All these new tunes may or may not become holiday classics, but they are fun to listen to while they last!

Photo: Youth Choir in Healdsburg on Wikimedia Commons

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For one, this almost exclusively residential district doesn’t feel like part of New York at all. It is sleepy, tranquil, and bursting with vibrant colors of its stately 19th century mansions. In fact, when you walk around this neighborhood, you may feel magically transported to another time period.

This may be why Ditmas Park, which is bordered by Dorchester Avenue, Ocean Avenue, Newkirk Avenue and East 16th Street, is referred to as Victorian Flatbush.

Let’s explore this neighborhood, which can rightly be described as charming and quaint.

Notable Architecture

The area now occupied by Ditmas Park was settled in the 17th century by a Dutch immigrant Jan Jansen Van Ditmarsen (for whom the neighborhood was named). According to historical records, upon his arrival he built a “fine Dutch Colonial style farmhouse.”

The land remained in the Ditmarsen family until the beginning of the 20th century, when a real estate broker Lewis H. Pounds purchased it.

As he developed the formerly rural area, Pounds deployed several different architectural styles to bring an eclectic rather than uniform look to the area: there are Colonial Revival and Queen Anne buildings, Arts and Crafts bungalows, wood-frame houses with wide-open porches, and other styles.

Best places to see these architectural gems are along Albemarle, Marlborough, Rugby, Argyle, Westminster, and Beverly Roads. This is “old” Ditmas Park at its best.

Let There Be Music (Lessons)!

But not everything in this neighborhood is a throwback to another era.

For instance, the 40-acre Parade Ground offers more modern amenities, including baseball, soccer, softball and football fields, as well as running and cycling paths.

And even though Ditmas Park is mostly residential, there are some good eateries along Cortelyou Road – the Farm on Adderley and Mimi’s Hummus, among them.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is nearby, as is Prospect Park and other interesting venues and activities.

It’s true that, because of its homespun character, Ditmas Park may not have a vibrant arts scene. But good news is that there is no shortage of in-home music lessons in this attractive, down-to-earth neighborhood.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Brooklyn Heights fits into the latter category. Located away from the borough’s businesses and factories, it is peaceful and charming. With its tree-lined streets, it could very well be a suburban neighborhood. In fact, it was originally referred to as the “Brooklyn Village.” Because of this relaxed and easy-going feel, this area, which stretches from Old Fulton Street south to Atlantic Avenue, and from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to Court Street, has been called “America’s original suburb.” Architecturally too, Brooklyn Heights has a lot to boast about.

Historic houses

Being a “home” to over 600 historic buildings deserves official recognition and in 1965, New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission designated this neighborhood as the city’s first historic district. As the Commission noted at the time, Brooklyn Heights’ “stately brick and brownstone houses, on their tree-lined streets with their stone sidewalks, represent most of the principal architectural styles of the 19th century…the houses represent almost unchanged the community as originally built.” Examples of pre-Civil War architecture abound: Built in 1824, a wood-frame house at 24 Middagh Street is Brooklyn Heights’ oldest home. Just a stone throw away, at 64 Poplar Street, stands a clapboard house built in 1834 by poet Walt Whitman and his father. Other sections of the Heights boast architectural gems as well: Row houses on Remsen Street, the Herman Behr Mansion at 82 Pierrepont Street, and St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church, located on the corner of Montague and Clinton Streets. Brooklyn Historical Society is a great resource to explore the Heights’ 400-year history.

Nature and culture

This neighborhood’s architecture and historical sites are certainly worth seeing, but there is more here to entice visitors. The Promenade is the neighborhood’s most popular public space. Besides its beautifully maintained flower beds, trees, benches and playgrounds, it also offers great views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan skyline, and the Statue of Liberty. But just because Brooklyn Heights is a quiet area doesn’t mean it lacks culture. On the contrary! The Heights Players is Brooklyn’s oldest self-sustaining community theater, which has been part of this neighborhood for nearly six decades. And there is also the Brooklyn Heights Music Society, which sponsors concerts in various Brooklyn locations each year. Of course, there is no shortage of in-home music lessons either – it’s easy and convenient to set them up!

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Do you ever wonder why there haven’t been, until the 20th century, any great female cellists? Or why we don’t know of any women in history who became famous for playing the double bass? Why was there such a gender inequality? Because straddling the legs around instruments like the cello and double bass had once been considered not only unfeminine but also immoral.

The same guardians of morality also proclaimed other instruments to be unsuitable for women: the horn, recorder, flute, bassoon, oboe, and trumpet were off-limits since they would look indecent in the mouth of a woman. And the taboos didn’t stop with the instruments. Certain playing positions were also seen as immoral for decent ladies. For instance, distorting the face in order to play a wind instrument was a definite “no-no.” Isn’t it incredible that such crazy rules dominated the world of music in days gone by?

“Feminine” instrument

Fortunately, one instrument has long been judged suitable for females: the pianoforte and its descendant, the piano. Nothing about the body position or style of playing was found objectionable, which may be the reason why women composers who went down in history, such as Marianne Martinez (1744 – 1812), Fanny Mendelsshon (1805-1847) and Clara Schumann (1819 – 1896), were pianists. In fact, during the 1800s, mastering the piano was de rigueur for well-born women. As this recent, very interesting article points out, “Piano instruments were considered the feminine musical instrument ‘par excellence’ in the 19th century, to the extent that it became a norm in this period for all women belonging to the bourgeoisie and upper classes to have a decent command of the instrument.” The article goes on to quote a mid-19th century Norwegian author who said, “No cultured house should be without a pianoforte… No Lady, who wish to be a Lady, can admit to not being able to play the pianoforte, and no Gentleman can allow its disregard.” Maybe that’s why such genteel 19th century women as Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, and the Bronte sisters all played this instrument.

Oh, how times have changed…

Fortunately, gender bias, especially when it comes to musical instruments, is a thing of the past. These days, boys AND girls, men AND women, can choose to play any instrument at all. The only guidelines that apply are the students’ own interests, not outdated social or cultural conventions. Whether you (or your child) are male or female, just contact us and we’ll send one of our truly amazing teachers to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office to give you lessons. We believe in letting bygones be bygones!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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Here’s a head scratcher for this week: do you know what Vincent Damon Furnier, Robert Zimmerman, and Peter Gene Hernandez have in common? The answer: they are the real names of musicians we know as Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan, and Bruno Mars, respectively.

In fact, many musicians – and famous people in general – take on stage names, which sound nothing like the original monikers they got at birth. We will give you more examples in a minute, but first let’s have a look at why so many famous people go that route.

What’s in a name? You’ll be surprised…

The reasons are many. For instance, the real name may be difficult to pronounce or remember. One such case is Cat Stevens, whose parents named him Stephen Demetre Georgiou. Or, the birth name might be quite a mouthful. That is probably why Declan Patrick Aloysius Macmanus thought it would be easier for everyone if he re-named himself Elvis Costello; ditto for Lady Gaga, whose given name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. Sometimes, artists with ethnic sounding names prefer to be known by a more Anglicized aliases, which would help them blend better into the English language-dominated music industry. For example, would you ever guess that Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. morphed into John Denver, and Pitbull was once known as Armando Christian Perez? And occasionally, artsy and creative people want names that are hip rather than ordinary. A long time ago, one British chap named Reginald Kenneth Dwight decided it would behoove his career to become Elton John, and Calvin Broadus morphed into Snoop Dogg. And by the way, Mozart was baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus, so it’s no wonder he eventually shortened it to Wolfgang Amadeus! Here are some more examples:

• Anthony Dominick Benedetto was the birth name of Tony Bennett.
• Billy Idol was named William Michael Albert Broad at birth.
• Gaynor Hopkins became Bonnie Tyler.
• Faroukh Bulsara was no other than Freddy Mercury.

And here are some other examples of the “before and after” names.

We call it like it is!

What about musical instruments? Do they have aliases or are they still called by their real names? Aside from some abbreviations – such as “uke” for ukulele or the piano for the pianoforte, instruments pretty much still go by their given names. That makes it so much easier to call us and say: “I’d like to learn to play the cello, the guitar, or any other instrument – just name it. We’ll send one of our excellent teachers straight to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. They’ll introduce themselves to you by their real names!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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Starting tomorrow, an exciting period will begin for college basketball players and their fans. We are talking, of course, about “March Madness,” which will last until the beginning of April. Strictly speaking, this event marks the beginning of the annual NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments, which will determine the national champions of college basketball. It is the largest national single-elimination competition anywhere in the world.

If you are not a basketball fan (or a fan of any sport, for that matter,), you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Well, enough people are interested in this event to justify its name, “March Madness,” which aptly describes the excitement surrounding this event. And you may also be asking why would a school like ours care about a sports phenomenon that has nothing to do with music lessons. Our answer is that music always finds its way into all kinds of situations. March Madness, for instance, features an annual music festival with the participation of some big names like Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney, Fergie, Rihanna, and others. (Of course, this is not the only sports event that features famous performers – NFL’s Super Bowl is another).

Not just basket cases!

There are also more “links” between basketball and music. Did you know that quite a few NBA stars are also talented musicians? For example, Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Iman Shumpert are accomplished rappers. David Robinson, formerly of San Antonio Spurs, is a piano and saxophone player. And Jerry Stackhouse, who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association and currently works as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors, has a pretty good singing voice. He even performed the “Star-Spangled Banner ” at a NY Nets versus Chicago Bulls game. Here are some more basketball champs with musical talents.

Hoop-la about our lessons!

Now that you know why March Madness is such a huge event, let’s listen to a few songs that are appropriate for this occasion: “Roundball Rock ” “Basketball ” “Heart of a Champion ” “That’s How I Beat Shaq ” Having said that, let’s look at the big picture: there are songs and pieces of music that are uniquely suitable for all sorts of events and occasions – sports and others. So why not invite one of our music teachers into your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office and find out for yourself why we are always on the ball!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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Far too many people think of music as serious and solemn. In many cases it is, but music can also be light-hearted and even humorous. The same can be said for musical instruments. True – anything that is capable of emitting such beautiful sounds deserves our utmost respect and reverence. But that doesn’t mean that these instruments cannot be used in creative and funky – albeit slightly unconventional -ways.

What do we mean? Read on and find out!

Be amused!

Let’s start with the piano. The “normal” way to play this instrument is by sitting down and hitting the keys with the fingers. But that doesn’t mean that nothing else will do. Take a look at how these two individuals manage to make beautiful music without the use of their hands. Should you jump on your piano keyboard and play with your feet? Probably not, but it’s fun to watch others do it! Now, if you think strings are only for mellow music, you are in for surprise! Both the violin and the cello can emit some “quarrelsome” sounds when put them into the right (or wrong?) hands. But not all strings want to do battle; most just want to play nicely together, as this ukulele orchestra demonstrates. And in case you are wondering whether it is possible to have a fun experience with instruments like the accordion or the harmonica, the answer is YES! Just look at these two examples . Of course, some instruments (and orchestras) are really funky and wacky , but still capable of making some cool music!

Any instrument

We hope that all the above videos have inspired you to start music lessons. We won’t tell you that we will teach you to play on beer bottles, because we won’t. We have a feeling that this mostly a self-learned skill. However, our teachers can certainly come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office and give you lessons on any of the above-mentioned musical instruments: the accordion, ukulele, piano, violin, cello, harmonica, and many others. And while we are very serious about our lessons, we also believe that music education should be an enjoyable experience.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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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.

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Last month, we wrote about feuds between famous musicians. Now, we would like to share with you a somewhat similar story, just because we think it is both interesting and funky At he heart of the tale is a musical “duel” that took place in Vienna between two distinguished 19th century composers: Daniel Steibelt, one of Europe’s most renowned piano virtuosos of that era, and Ludwig van Beethoven, who, of course, needs no introduction. It was Steilbelt who challenged Beethoven to the play-off.

The background for this anecdote is this: one of the most popular forms of musical entertainment among Vienna’s aristocracy in the beginning of the 19th century was an improvisation contest. One nobleman would offer support to one pianist, while another would back the opponent. The two pianists would compete with each other, each setting the other a tune to improvise on. The musicians would go back and forth, until a winner was declared. The contest between Steibelt and Beethoven occurred in the summer of 1800 in the opulent palace of Prince Lobkowitz, who was backing Beethoven. Another aristocrat, Prince Lichnowsky, was rooting for Steilbelt. And, by the way, don’t think these were just childish pranks. At the time, Steibelt was 35 years old, and Beethoven 30.

The triumph and agony

This is how one article described the stand-off between the two composers: “As the challenger, Steibelt was to play first. He walked to the piano, tossing a piece of his own music on the side, and played. Steibelt was renowned for conjuring up a ‘storm’ on the piano, and this he did to great effect, the ‘thunder’ growling in the bass.” It was then Beethoven’s turn to perform. In a display of true showmanship, “he picked up the piece of music Steibelt had tossed on the side, looked at it, showed it the audience ….. and turned it upside down!” He then sat at the piano and played the four notes in the opening bar of Steibelt’s music. “He began to vary them, embellish them ….. improvise on them. He played on, imitated a Steibelt ‘storm,’ unpicked Steibelt’s playing and put it together again, parodied it and mocked it.” Humiliated, Steibelt quickly realized that Beethoven would be declared the winner, and he walked out of the room in a huff. He had said he would never again set foot in Vienna as long as Beethoven was there. Beethoven continued to live in Vienna for the rest of his life, and Steibelt never returned. There is an interesting postscript to this tale: the four notes of Steibelt’s music that Beethoven had played during the contest, later incited him to compose the “Eroica Symphony .”

Play nice!

Now, just because we find this historical tidbit interesting (and hope you do too), doesn’t mean we approve of or encourage unfair competition. After all, music is all about spreading joy, not showing off to the detriment of another player. That’s why when a teacher of ours comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn of Riverdale home or office to give you a music lesson, he or she will make sure harmony prevails – literally and figuratively!

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Have you ever listened to Felix Mendelssohn’s Cello Concerto? Don’t rack your brain trying to remember – we can tell you right now, with no degree of uncertainty, that you have NOT heard this piece. How can we be so sure? Because, in a truly bizarre twist of fate, the only existing copy of the composer’s cello concerto suffered a freaky accident: it fell off the side of a horse-drawn coach as it was being delivered to Alfredo Piatti, the cellist for whom the concerto was written. The notes have never been found.

This unfortunate incident made us think of other works by famous composers that had been lost but, in contrast to Mendelssohn’s concerto, had been found again – or discovered for the first time – centuries later.

Surprising finds

Let’s start with Johann Sebastian Bach. The Baroque composer was certainly prolific, having written well over 1000 pieces of music. But in 2005, a music scholar found a previously unknown score at a German library, which houses a major collection of literature and historical documents. There, stashed in a box of birthday cards, was a two-page handwritten aria dated October 1713, when Bach was 28 years old. There had been no previous records of this piece, which the Bach Archive in Leipzig has since verified as authentic. Bach’s score is not the only piece of music that was unearthed in Germany. In the 1970s, a German music scholar found detailed sketches of Beethoven’s String Quartet in G, Opus 18 Number 2, made by the composer himself. It was composed in 1799 but discarded shortly afterwards and thought to be lost. In 2007, a music professor at the University of Manchester put the original sketches together and the piece was heard for the first time since Beethoven’s day. Another amazing discovery, in 2014, was Mozart’s Piano Sonata no. 11 in A Major , the long-lost original score scribbled by the composer himself around 1783. While copies of this piece exist, most of the original manuscript was believed to be lost, with only one surviving page preserved in Mozart’s native Salzburg. The missing score was found, quite by accident, by the head of the music collection at Budapest’s National Szechenyi Library. Exactly how the manuscript made its way to Budapest is somewhat of a mystery, since Mozart is not known to have ever visited that city. But that’s not all: last year, one of Igor Stravinsky’s earliest works, which was believed to be lost after the 1917 Revolution, was found amid masses of papers at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Written in 1908, when Stravinsky was 26, the “Funeral Song,” was composed to commemorate the death of his teacher, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It had disappeared after its only known performance, on January 17, 1909. These are just a few examples of lost-and-found musical compositions. We are guessing there may be many more out there, just waiting to be (re)discovered!

We’ll find your home!

Of course, most of the pieces written by composers and musicians, both past and contemporary, haven’t been lost. And that’s lucky because it means that you can choose from, literally, scores of compositions of different periods and genres. Our teachers are well versed in all kinds of music and will be happy to teach you any piece you like, in the comfort of your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. Not only that, but we will send over a teacher who is “fluent” in the guitar, piano, cello, or any other instrument you’d like to play. Let’s put it this way: with Hey Joe Guitar music lessons, you have nothing to lose – and everything to gain!

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First things first: no, you can’t do downhill skiing in Brooklyn’s Park Slope. As most of NYC’s urban neighborhoods, Park Slope is predominantly flat. Its name derives from its location on the western slope of Prospect Park, a 585-acre oasis of greenery in the midst of New York’s most populous borough.

Now that we’ve cleared this up and you have put away your skis, let’s explore Park Slope’s nooks and crannies, and discover what this neighborhood has to offer. The answer is: a lot! That is why quite a few accolades have been bestowed on this area. For example, in 2006, Natural Home magazine named Park Slope one of America’s ten best neighborhoods based on criteria including parks, green spaces, farmer’s markets and community gardens. The following year, the American Planning Association praised Park Slope for “its architectural and historical features and its diverse mix of residents and businesses, all of which are supported and preserved by its active and involved citizenry.” But that’s not all: in 2010, the neighborhood was ranked number one in NYC by New York Magazine for its quality public schools, dining, nightlife, shopping, access to public transit, green space, quality housing, safety, and creative capital. So it’s unanimous: Park Slope is one great neighborhood!

It’s history

Bounded by 15th Street to Flatbush Avenue and Prospect Park West to Fourth Avenue, Park Slope is a family-friendly neighborhood with many tree-lined streets, historic brownstones, as well as numerous bars and restaurants. You may not think of Park Slope as exceptional in any way –despite all the aforementioned accolades – but the fact is that in 1974 it was designated as one of New York’s largest landmarked districts. However, it wasn’t always this way. In the first half of the 20th century, Park Slope suffered the same fate as many other inner-city neighborhoods: decay, disrepair, and subsequent decline. However, in the 1960s, some visionary residents who moved into this area spearheaded an effort to preserve Park Slope’s historic charm, and to turn it into a welcoming and livable neighborhood. Today, this area boasts about 1600 architecturally interesting buildings, including the Montauk Club at 25 Eighth Avenue, which was designed in Gothic style popular in the 15th century Venice. There are also a number of Romanesque Revival and neo-Classical row houses, as well as some stately Victorian brick and brownstone mansions that were built at the end of the 19th century. This is how architectural historian and Columbia University professor Andrew Dolkart described Park Slope: “No neighborhood in America has a finer and more intact collection of late 19th-century row houses. Block after block is virtually unaltered, with houses ranging from grand townhouses designed by Brooklyn’s leading architects, to long rows of vernacular speculator-built housing designed by the obscure architects who provided character to so many urban neighborhoods.”

A tree grows in Brooklyn

We can’t talk about Park Slope without mentioning its vast green spaces. First thing that jumps to mind is the Prospect Park, second in size only to Manhattan’s Central Park. Because it is home to the last remaining natural forest in Brooklyn, the park has 30,000 trees, both landscaped and wild. Streams, waterfalls, and a 60-acre lake add to the park’s beauty. And let’s not forget a Farmer’s Market, free concerts, and other events that take place in this vast oasis. And speaking of greenery, Park Slope is also the location of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which, like Prospect Park, is a wonderful place of rest, relaxation, as well as various nature-related activities that the whole family can enjoy.

Brooklyn roads

Yes, this is the title of Neil Diamond’s autobiographical song about the borough he was born in. No Park Slope roads are off limits to us, which is why our Brooklyn music lessons teachers will be happy to come to your Park Slope home or office and teach you to play any instrument. No skis required!

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Two days from now, classical music lovers will celebrate a momentous event. January 27 will mark the 260th anniversary of the birth in 1756 of Wolfgang Mozart, one of the greatest composers of all time. Born in Salzburg, Austria, Mozart was a child prodigy, who started to write music at the age of four, and composed his first minuet a year later.

By the time he passed away in 1791, he had composed 600 works – about 17 pieces a year. They include numerous symphonies, piano and violin concertos, and operas, such as “The Magic Flute ,” ”The Marriage of Figaro,” and “Don Giovanni.” Let’s have a look at some interesting facts about this musical genius.

An eventful life

• He was born as Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus but his baptism name was a tongue twister: Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, which means “beloved by God.” If they had had playgrounds in the mid-18th century, we are guessing he’d be teased a lot. As an adult, he shortened his name to Wolfgang Amadeus, and has been known as such for two and a half centuries.
• History doesn’t tell us whether young Mozart played with any conventional toys, but we do know that he started to play the harpsichord (the predecessor of the piano) at the age of three. He played the piano for the first time at 22. He also mastered the violin, as well as the organ and the clarinet.
• We don’t know whether Mozart had a foreboding of his untimely death, but in 1791 he worked feverishly on what would be his last work, “Requiem ”. He passed away before he could complete it and it was finished by his pupil, Franz Süssmayr.
• Mozart died at 35, which was young even in those days. In the centuries since, there has been a lot of speculation about the cause of his passing. The theories range from an undercooked pork chop and kidney failure, to murder by his rival Antonio Salieri.

All music genres

These are just a few facts about the great composer. We can’t shed any more light on his life or death, but what we CAN do is send one of our amazing teachers to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office for a lesson. Of course Mozart – and classical music in general – is not the only genre we teach. We also offer lessons in other styles of music, like jazz, rock, blues, and many others. So contact us and we’ll get you set up!

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We tend to think of classical composers and their orchestras as serious and dignified. There is no doubt that many of them were, or at least that’s how they went down in history. But that wasn’t always the case. Weird and wacky things happen to all humans, no matter how brilliant, talented, or famous!

In the centuries past, there was no CNN or twitter, no one recorded embarrassing moments with a cell phone and posted the footage on Facebook, and news didn’t go global in the matter of seconds. The very notion of “celebrity gossip” was not as developed back then, and scandals were discussed in whispers rather than shouted from the rooftops. But all this doesn’t mean awkward and weird incidents didn’t happen back then – even in classical music. Let’s look at some of them.

Cringeworthy moments

Let’s start with the Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. Actually, his story falls under the category of tragicomedy – it started out funny but had an unhappy end. He had a habit of whacking the floor with a long wooden stick to keep the beat. Once, during the performance of his “Te Deum ” to celebrate the recovery of King Louis XIV’s from surgery, he hit his foot with the stick. He contracted gangrene from the wound but refused to have his leg amputated so he could still dance. Unfortunately, he didn’t dance for very long – the gangrene spread and killed him. A century later, Ludwig van Beethoven had his own mishap while in Vienna. As he was becoming more absorbed in his music, he started to care less about his grooming and appearance. One day, while taking a walk, the disheveled composer was mistaken for a bum and arrested for loitering. Fortunately, he was soon released and lived long enough to compose his final, and possibly most famous, Ninth Symphony . And then there was Johannes Brahms. He was known for the unusual shape of his pants, often cutting them so they would reach his ankles exactly. Once, before conducting a performance of his own violin concerto , he forgot to attach his suspenders. By the end of the final movement, the pants descended way below his hips. Not exactly an AC Hammer moment, but embarrassing nevertheless!

Pure and simple

The above anecdotes go to prove that nobody is perfect – in fact, there are a lot of examples showing that geniuses are often a bit wacky. But, as you can see, a bit of eccentricity had not stopped these famous composers (with the exception of Lully, perhaps) from continuing their work. And maybe, just maybe, this “crazy streak” made the artists even more creative and productive. Now, we certainly don’t want you to associate the word “crazy” with “music education.” We hasten to assure you that there is nothing even slightly odd about our lessons. When one of our (totally normal) teachers comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, there will be no weird pants, no whacking of sticks, and (hopefully) no arrests for vagrancy! What you WILL get is a great, personalized music lesson – no drama!

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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!

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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!

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Here’s a thought that probably never crossed your mind: if classical composers were alive today and good at using social messaging tools, what kind of tweets or Facebook posts would they be putting out about their BFFs? We are only guessing, of course, but perhaps Mozart would post something along the lines of: “Hanging out and jamming with Haydn.”

Smiley Face!

Sounds far-fetched? Maybe it is, but the fact remains that even though we think of great composers as geniuses (and rightly so), they too were human and enjoyed friendships with other accomplished musicians of their time.

The Mozart effect

One of the best-documented relationships of the Classical period was the friendship between Mozart and Joseph Haydn. Based on historical evidence, the two Austrians got along, um, famously, even though they had different temperaments: Haydn was, by all accounts, calm and reserved, while his younger counterpart was more vivacious and mercurial (which only goes to prove that opposites really do attract). Their orchestras were structured slightly differently as well: Haydn preferred the English horn over the clarinet, whereas Mozart favored the latter instrument. As Mozart said, referring to Haydn, “He alone has the secret of making me smile and touching me to the bottom of my soul.” In fact, between 1782 and 1785 Mozart dedicated a group of six string quartets one , two , three , four , five and six to Haydn

A talented pupil

Now, what about the relationship between Mozart and Beethoven? It was not so much a friendship as a mentor – student relationship. As a young man, Beethoven admired Mozart, who was 14 years his senior, and hoped to take music lessons from the great composer. Finally, in 1786, young Beethoven traveled from Bonn to Vienna to meet his idol. According to historical accounts, Mozart was reportedly in a foul mood and when the young prodigy showed up at his house, he demanded: “Play something!” Beethoven performed the opening of Mozart's C minor Piano Concerto . “Not that,” Mozart said gruffly. “Anybody can play that. Play something of your own.” Beethoven did and when he finished, Mozart told his wife, Constanze, “Watch out for that boy. One day he will give the world something to talk about.” He agreed to take Beethoven on as a student, but Beethoven’s mother became ill and he had no choice but to return to Bonn. By the time he came to Vienna again in November 1792, Mozart was dead. Beethoven remained an admirer of Mozart’s even as his own fame grew. In 1798 he published his variations for cello and piano on the aria “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, followed four years later by his variations on another Magic Flute aria, Papageno’s “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen.”

Let’s be friends!

We find the above stories of friendship / mentorship very inspiring – and there are more examples! We hope that they will inspire you to start playing any of the instruments mentioned above – the piano, cello, or other instruments. Contact us, and one of our fantastic teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office for a truly inspiring lesson!

The post What is it Like to Have Friends in High Places? Manhattan Music School Tells You All About It 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!

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Did you know that the world-famous Steinway Piano Company was founded right here in New York in 1853, in a loft on Manhattan’s Varick Street? If you are curious to see how these elegant instruments are put together, you can go on a tour of Steinway’s factory in Queens.

And that brings us to the topic du jour: September is the National Piano Month, dedicated to this elegant instrument that has contributed so much to the development of music, both classical and modern. This is also a great occasion to talk about the piano, which continues to be one of the most popular instruments in the world. There is a good reason for that: this instrument is versatile and can be used to play different styles of music. Think of the piano as a “gentle giant:” its takes up a lot of room, weighs between 400 and 1,000 pounds, has over 12,000 parts – 10,000 of which are moving – 200 to 250 strings, as well as 88 keys. But oh – what beautiful music this mighty instrument is capable of producing!

Proud history

It seems like the piano has been around for a long time – and it has. But before an Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofo created the piano in the 17th century, many composers (including Bach) played on a look-alike instrument called the harpsichord . Over the next centuries, composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Chopin, and many others, created the most beautiful, emotionally stirring piano concertos , sonatas , and other pieces of music. Later, different styles of music– including jazz , pop , rock , and other genres – took over the piano as well. And though the piano is such a “grand” instrument, it lends itself to some musical whimsies as well!

Let your fingers do the…playing

We hope that all the above exampled have inspired you (or your child) to start taking piano lessons. If you are nervous about having to strap your piano on your back and schlep it across town – don’t. Our teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office – wherever your instrument happens to live. They won’t haul their own pianos but they will certainly teach you how to tickle the ivories on yours!

Photo by Oliver Quinlan

The post The Piano: It’s Always About Hitting the Right Key appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Journalist and commentator Alistair Cooke once said that “New York is the biggest collection of villages in the world.”

He wasn’t wrong. Two of those “villages” are Tribeca and Soho in Lower Manhattan, which have a distinct ambiance of their own.

They are also prime examples of once-shoddy Manhattan neighborhoods that underwent a truly spectacular revival in the past 40 years, becoming two of NYC’s most upscale areas.

Tribeca (acronym for “Triangle below Canal Street”) stretches from Canal Street south to Vesey Street, and from Broadway west to the Hudson River.

Soho (for “South of Houston”) lies nearby, bounded by Houston Street on the north, Lafayette and Centre Streets on the east, Canal Street on the south, and West Broadway on the west.

The two neighborhoods share not only the location and a similar history, but also an impressive shabby-to-chic transformation: gritty industrial facilities that once dominated the local landscape have morphed into expensive real estate that ranks as the city’s priciest.

The fabric of NYC’s life

In the 18th century, residential homes were built in this area, but they were later demolished to make place for factories and warehouses.

That’s because in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, this area became a bustling center of textile industry. However, when these manufacturers and traders began to leave, the neighborhood had turned into a wasteland. Its main food market at that time was described by the New York Times as a “dirty, degraded little rat hole” – not exactly a magnet for well-heeled New Yorkers.

However, in the 1960s, that barren area started to experience a renaissance of sorts. Artists and musicians looking for cheap digs began to notice the potential of the large, empty spaces in the former warehouses. What also attracted their attention was the cast-iron architecture on many of the abandoned buildings. Due to its low cost, this material was used on the exterior facades primarily during the Industrial Revolution (1750 to 1850), before being replaced by steel as a construction material of choice. To this day, Soho has the most cast-iron buildings in the world, which makes this neighborhood a historic landmark.

A lofty idea

The rents in the unkempt neighborhood were low  – after all, who in their right mind would want to live in a “dirty, degraded little rat hole?” Only poor or alternative artists who didn’t care much about material comforts didn’t mind making their homes here.

And that’s what happened: the bohemians started to move into abandoned lofts, transforming the bleakly industrial factories and warehouses into beautiful living and work spaces.

The neighborhood started to boom. The prices of Tribeca and Soho lofts – and real estate in general – skyrocketed to the point that Forbes Magazine listed these two neighborhoods among the “most expensive zip codes” in the United States.

Aren’t you sorry you didn’t buy a Tribeca or Soho property when these areas were still affordable “diamonds in the rough?”

Living it up in lower Manhattan

You may not be able to afford a multi-million-dollar price tag for Tribeca or Soho digs, and you may never become a neighbor of Robert DeNiro, Beyoncé or Jay-Z (all of whom live in that area), but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t explore these neighborhoods’ lively arts and music scene.

As befitting a neighborhood that was once (and still remains) a heaven for all sorts of artists and other creative types, it is brimming with art galleries, trendy restaurants, bars, and shops.

And what about “hot” music venues?”

There is certainly no shortage of those. For example:

• At SOBs (Sounds of Brazil) located at 204 Varick Street you can listen to all genres of music, not just Brazilian.

• Mercury Lounge at 217 East Houston Street and Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, host a variety of live concerts.

• Canal Room at 285 West Broadway also rocks with live music, as does Mudd Club at 77 White Street.

We at Hey Joe Guitar love Tribeca and Soho’s artistic vibe, which is why we are happy to come to your home or office – or a loft! -anywhere in those neighborhoods (as well as other parts of Manhattan) and teach you to play an instrument of your choice.

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Photo Credit: jglsongs

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One of the coolest things about New York City is how neighborhoods with very different vibes blend smoothly into each other – a seamless fusion that you’d expect to experience in this “melting pot” of a city.

Take the Financial District and South Street Seaport, for example. The former is a hub of the country’s economic powerhouses such as the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. On any given day of the week, over quarter of a million people descend upon this part of Lower Manhattan to work in banks and other financial institutions. The latter is a relaxed and laid-back area that looks and feels more like a harbor town than a busy city. And yet both these neighborhoods co-habit side by side on the southern tip of Manhattan, each with a distinct ambiance of its own.

A neighborhood of contrasts The Financial District, also called the FiDi, is located in the southernmost section of Manhattan, between the East River and West Street. With a bird’s eye view, the FiDi looks like a sea of modern mega-skyscrapers. But if you look at the neighborhood from the ground level, you might be surprised to see many old two- and three-story brick buildings. They may be dwarfed by the surrounding high-rises, but they are the important vestiges of New York’s (and America’s) history. The Federal Hall on Wall Street, for example, was the location of George Washington’s inauguration as America’s first president, on April 30, 1789. That was the time when settlers from Europe started to build wooden homes here, giving this part of Manhattan (or New Amsterdam, in those days) the look of a small but growing town, which would eventually morph into the financial nerve center of the United States. History on every corner Just a stone’s throw away from the Financial Center lies a neighborhood that projects a totally different feel – that of an old seafaring town. It is not by accident that this part of the city, wedged into the intersection of Fulton Street and the East River, is called South Street Seaport – it is located in the southern-most section of Manhattan and it does have an atmosphere of a seaport, even though it sits on a river. A fleet of old ships moored by the harbor is a constant reminder that this site was once the busiest port in America and historic (though now renovated) buildings once stood along the cobblestone streets. After the Brooklyn Bridge was built in 1870, however, local merchants and residents moved away and the neighborhood fell into disrepair. It was only in the second half of the 20th century that a group of citizens started to turn this community into an open-air museum. The original Fulton Street fish market is no longer there, but a weekend specialty market occupies the former fish stalls along South Street. Eat, drink (in moderation) and be merry! Yes, the South Street Seaport is a beehive of activity, with music festivals, live performances (including at the historic Pier 17), art exhibits, and plenty of shopping and dining options. What about the FiDi? Once the hustle and bustle of a workday is over, the majority of people leave the business district. However, for over 50,000 people this neighborhood is home sweet home. Fortunately, the Financial District is not just all work and no fun! For instance:

• George Washington might not have slept at Fraunces Tavern on 54 Pearl Street, but he did use the premises of New York City’s oldest building (dating back to 1762) to give a farewell speech to his troops in 1783.

• For live concerts featuring various bands, head to Canal Room at 285 West Broadway.

• John Street Bar and Grill at 17 John Street is a great after-work bar dive, and even the most serious financiers need to relax and let their hair down once in a while!

Let’s play together!

If you live or work in the Financial District or South Street Seaport neighborhoods, you can make your own beautiful music!

How? Hey Joe Guitar will teach you! Our music school is mobile, so we will be happy to come to your home or office and give you music lessons on any instrument that strikes your fancy.

Just call or email us and…make a playdate!

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 Photo Credit: vincent desjardins

The post High-Power Side by Side With Laid Back – That’s Financial District and South Street Seaport appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“My 9 year old son started taking lessons from Hey Joe Guitar in early Feb. 2011 and let me tell you he LOVES it — LOVES his instructor! Even invited our HJG instructor . . .” “My Daughter Loves Her Guitar Lessons with Joe! I could not have asked for a more compassionate and patient guitar teacher for my eight year old daughter . . .” Update: Read our review from MommyPoppins!

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