But you know how it goes: September is here and it’s back to school time. For us at Hey Joe Guitar this means that our wonderful teachers will get real busy giving in-home private music lessons all around NYC.

We have mentioned many times in the past how important and beneficial music education is to kids of all ages https://heyjoeguitar.com/: it improves a variety of learning skills —such as language, reading and math — boosts self-esteem and confidence, and bolsters focus and concentration.

All these skills are not only crucial for the youngsters’ academic achievements, but will also pave the way for future successes in their professional life.

Yes, we’ve said it all before but we’ll never tire of shouting this message from the rooftops: MUSIC TRAINING IS GOOOOOOOOD!

Our Welcome Mat is Out

If your child is a returning student – welcome back! We sincerely hope that he or she practiced playing during the summer, so that they kept making progress and have not lost their proficiency.

We extend a warm welcome to the new students as well. We are happy to have you among us and are delighted that you decided to make music a part of your life. We will do everything we can to make this experience a happy and fulfilling one!

But what about the ones who are undecided?

Maybe your child would like to take music lessons but you are not sure which instrument is the best fit? We can help. Follow this guide and if you have more questions, don’t hesitate to contact us for advice.

We’d like to finish with this quote from the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. These words beautifully express why music training is so important in our children’s lives:

“Music education can help spark a child’s imagination or ignite a lifetime of passion. When you provide a child with new worlds to explore and challenges to tackle, the possibilities are endless.”

Photo: Children Playing Violin Suzuki Institute courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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That’s because until last year, Feingold was not a well known figure, except perhaps to a NYC teenager Brianna Perez, who attends a music program at the Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls.

What brought the unlikely pair together is an old violin. That’s right – an old violin!

A Gift of Music

The inspiring story starts just after WWII, in the displaced persons camp in Germany, where Joe found himself after his mother and brother were killed in a concentration camp.

Before the war, while living in Warsaw, Poland, Joe played the violin. But his beloved instrument was lost. He missed it a lot.

While waiting to be resettled from the camp to the United States, Joe traded a carton of American cigarettes for a violin, which he brought with him when he was finally able to move to America. He lived on the Upper West Side and worked as an architect.

All the while, he continued to play the violin, but eventually it became too difficult for his aging hands.

One day in 2014, Feingold heard about an instrument drive managed by the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which distributes donated instruments to NYC public schools.

He took his cherished violin to the Lincoln Center to drop it off, hoping it would come to life again.

A Musical Bond

The story could have ended there, but it didn’t. When filmmaker Kahane Cooperman heard an interview with Joe on a local radio station, she wanted to find out which student would be practicing on Joe’s violin. So she traced the instrument to Brianna, who was 13 years old at the time.

Joe went to the school to hear Brianna play “his” instrument and was very moved by her performance.

This experience inspired Kahane to make a documentary film about the unlikely musical bond between the nonagenarian and the Bronx teen. Appropriately titled “Joe’s Violin,” the film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival last year.

And in February of this year, the movie was nominated for an Academy Award for the best documentary short subject.

We are glad to share this touching story with you — even more so, because March is the Music in Our Schools Month, which sheds light on the numerous benefits of music programs.

What better example can there be to celebrate this event than to know how one instrument can change the lives of many students? We say “many” because after Brianna graduates, the violin will pass on to another student, and so on.

It’s the circle of life!

Photo: Violin Courtesy of Jason Hollinger on Flickr

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Last month we posted a blog about how some vintage instruments have increased in value over the past decades. Now, we’d like to talk about the musical instruments that are currently considered to be the most expensive in the world and, who knows, maybe even in the entire universe!

Not surprisingly perhaps, in the first place is “The Hammer” violin by who else but Antonio Stradivari. It is so named because it was once owned by a 19th century Swedish collector named Christian Hammer. In 2006, this gem was sold at an auction to an anonymous bidder for over $3.5 million, the highest price ever paid for a Strad. Let’s look at some other highly-priced instruments, all of which just happen to be strings.

Rare and beautiful

It may not be quite as pricey as the Hammer Strad, but Eric Clapton’s Fender Stratocaster guitar is not exactly a bargain either. The instrument he named “Blackie,” which was built in the 1950s and was previously used by legendary musicians like Buddy Holly, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jimi Hendrix, is valued at $959,500. “Blackie” is the most costly guitar but not the only expensive one. In 1930, the renowned guitar maker C.F. Martin and Company manufactured 15 pieces of the OM-45 Deluxe model. One of them was owned by the “singing cowboy” Roy Rogers, who eventually sold the instrument in 2009 for the price that exceeded all estimates – a whooping $554,500! Only slightly cheaper was the price of the rare viola manufactured by the renowned 16th century instrument maker Gasparo Bertolotti da Salo. One of his violas (he only made 60 during his lifetime) recently sold for $542,000. Let’s move on to the violoncello created by the 18th century Italian luthier Gennaro Gagliano: in 2009, this instrument was sold at an auction for $362,500. And then there is the violin made in 1701 by another well-known Italian instrument maker, Carlo Giuseppe Testore. It recently sold for $218,500. These are just some examples of very valuable and expensive musical instruments. There are several more.

We won’t string you along!

Needless to say, the vast majority of musicians and music students have probably never seen such rare and expensive instruments. But the good news is that you don’t have to own a Stradivari, Bertolotti, Gagliano, or Testore in order to appreciate your instrument and become proficient in music. Whether you play one of the above-mentioned strings, or any other instrument, one of our teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office to give you lessons.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License.

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What kind of fool are you? This question is intended with all due respect, but we can’t help asking it because tomorrow is the internationally celebrated annual holiday, April’s Fool Day. Even if you are not a buffoon the other 364 days of the year, tomorrow is a good opportunity to act a bit “foolish,” just for the fun of it.

You wouldn’t be the first person on earth to pull a prank or, for that matter, fall victim to one. Even famous people do, so we thought it would be fun to look at some of the music world’s most clever jokers, pranksters, and hoaxers.

Bring in the clowns

Now, you know that humor is a subjective concept, meaning that what some folks think is hilariously funny, others may find in bad taste. We are not endorsing any of these pranks; we are merely letting you know what some musicians had been up to on April Fool’s (and other days) in years past. Are they funny? You be the judge:

• The Beatles: We know that Paul McCartney is alive and well, and living right here in New York. But back in the 1960s, a rumor surfaced that Paul died in a car accident and was replaced by a double who looked and sounded just like the original (what are the chances of that?). This hoax was hatched by the student newspaper at Drake University. The Beatles themselves had a hand in propagating the rumor; “Paul is dead man/Miss him, miss him, miss him” can be heard when playing “I’m So Tired” backwards, among other mumblings and backwards clues.
• In 1969, reports emerged about the imminent release of a new album compiling a “super-session” with Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. Entitled The Masked Marauders, the album supposedly couldn’t feature the names of the performers because of contractual clauses, but the star-studded lineup was revealed in the October 18, 1969 issue of Rolling Stone. The album turned out to be a prank dreamed up by the then- Rolling Stone editor Greil Marcus.
• Like him or not, but Howard Stern can pull a mean prank. On his radio show, he aired an “unedited version” of Beyoncé “If I Were a Boy,” which he claimed was leaked from her performance on The Today Show in November 2008. He said this was what Beyoncé sounded like “in the raw.” Luckily, the doctored tape was quickly discredited and did not have any negative impact on Beyoncé’s career.

These are just three examples, but there are, of course, many more!

It’s no joke

At Hey Joe Guitar, we enjoy occasional silliness but when it comes to music education, we are very serious. We know that giving music lessons to people of all ages and levels of proficiency is no laughing matter. That’s why we make sure that a teacher who comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, is a master at his or her art – whether it’s the guitar, violin, or any other instrument.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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Last month, a major cinematic event took place, creating a galactic-size explosion right here on Earth: the premiere of the 12th movie in the epic “Star Wars” series, titled “The Force Awakens .” This statement probably elicits two reactions: the rolling of the eyes by some, and the unbridled excitement by others. Whether you are part of the first or the second group, the fact remains that the “Star Wars” franchise is a…force to be reckoned with, and not only for the sci-fi fans.

We will not weigh in on the artistic or other merits of the films, and even less so on the plausibility of the plots (we certainly don’t want the Empire to Strike Back at us!) What we do feel comfortable doing is exploring the soundtracks from these movies.

Space music made on Earth

Here is the background information you may or may not have known: the music of all 12 “Star Wars” films (which were released between 1977 and this year) was written by American composer John Williams and performed by London Symphony Orchestra. Williams said he created the music to “represent the ideas of heroism and adventure” – themes that feature prominently in all the episodes. To achieve that effect, he used a variety of musical styles, culled from, among other sources, 20th century composers like Richard Strauss, Gustav Holst, and Igor Stravinsky. Six of the 12 movies feature the same opening score, “Luke’s Theme ” additional, separate pieces were created specifically for each film. For instance, “The Arrival at Naboo ” is a theme song from “The Phantom Menace;” “Attack on the Clones” featured “Ambush on Coruscant ” and “The Ice Planet Hoth was a score from “The Empire Strikes Back.” What about the most recent movie? Watch Williams himself conduct the opening track . Obviously, we covered only a small fraction of the music featured in all the “Star Wars” movies. Would you like to hear more? Here is a nice compilation .

No Yoda or Jedi – just people!

The “Star Wars” films are set in a far-away galaxy populated by alien creatures, robotic droids, and other characters, both good and evil. Many of our teachers are huge “Star Wars” fans, but their feet are firmly grounded right here, on Earth – New York City, to be more precise. And that is very convenient, because they don’t have to travel through space to land in your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. And, they won’t be carrying light sabers either (that would be too weird!) – just their guitars, violins, or whatever other instrument you are learning to play. Instead of delving into the mysteries of the Force, they will help you discover the wonders of music!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas; Soon the bells will start, And the thing that will make them ring Is the carol that you sing Right within your heart.” Can you imagine the Christmas season without the carols? We are guessing not (unless you have a Scrooge-like disposition), because these songs are an integral part of the holidays. But before we go any further on this topic, this may be a good time for a little historical reality check: did you know that in 1659, Puritans who settled in America actually banned caroling for about 20 years because they associated it with singing, dancing and drinking – all the practices they found reprehensible. In fact, before 1800, celebration of Christmas by singing was regarded as a rowdy and potentially violent activity.

All this to say that caroling did not always enjoy the wholesome image depicted in Victorian art or Normal Rockwell’s paintings. Having said that, most people today enjoy listening to (or singing) Christmas songs, because they reflect the spirit of the holidays. But as much as we love traditional renditions, we are also fond of less conventional, but nevertheless beautiful, versions. Let’s explore some of them.

They did it their way

Many people associate one of the most popular holiday songs, “White Christmas,” with Bing Cosby. However, we also like this more modern version of the old classic, performed here by an Australian group, Human Nature. Then there is this gripping a capella rendition of “Little Drummer Boy,” by five vocalists who form an American group Pentatonix. We also like the way the duo of Sugar & the Hi-Lows bring a retro swag to “Jingle Bells .” And how about the smoky -voiced Nora Jones putting her own touch on “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear ?” Last but certainly not least, we find these two mall flash mobs really great, because they bring an element of surprise to on-lookers: “Home for the Holidays and “Hallelujah Chorus .”

Spreading the cheer (all year round)

Christmas comes but once a year, but we don’t have to tell you that music lessons know no seasons. That’s why our teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office regardless of what time of the year it is. And when they arrive, you don’t have to deck the halls with boughs of holly. The only thing you need is your guitar, violin, or whatever other instrument you play. That and a festive mood!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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

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

Geniuses at play

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

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

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

Prized teachers

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

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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Though at NYC music lessons you can play “real” instruments, spare a thought for those who can’t. When you think about playing music, you probably imagine one of the string, woodwind, or percussion instruments, right?

But if you ask kids who live in Cateura, Paraguay what they play, they will tell you that oil cans, salad bowls, and bottle caps make perfectly good instruments. Not only that, but they will also show you that this motley crew of random household gadgets actually makes pretty good music. In fact, this chamber orchestra of 20 youngsters has been using discarded furniture and appliances to perform the music of Beethoven, Mozart, and the Beatles in South and Central America. All this proves that one person’s trash really is another person’s treasure!

Everything but the kitchen sink Cateura, where these children live, is a vast landfill outside Asuncion, Paraguay’s capital, where about 25,000 poor families – many of them trash pickers – live among reeking garbage. The instruments the chamber orchestra uses are made from recycled materials found in the landfill. Have you ever imagined that an aluminum bowl and strings tuned with forks could make a pretty good violin, and discarded X-rays can be used as the skins of a drum set? The kids from the aptly named “Orchestra of Instruments Recycled From Cateura” (also known as the Landfill Harmonic), are proving that with creativity, imagination, ingenuity, and out-of-the box thinking, we can overcome whatever obstacles and challenges life throws at us. In their case, it is poverty and lack of opportunities that would discourage so many of us from even trying. Way to go, kids!

The many lives of garbage Making music with improvised instruments is catching on in the United States as well. A group of high school kids from Sarasota, FL, who call themselves “The Garbage-Men,” are fashioning their instruments from trash and recycled materials. For example, an electric guitar is made from a cereal box body, yard stick neck, bottle cap pick-up, lipstick bottle bridge, tooth pick frets, and shoelace strap. For the alto saxophone, they used a corn popper toy for the body, a balloon for the reed, and a medicine bottle ligature. In all, these creative teenagers, built 15 instruments out of garbage, which they use when playing charity concerts at their local venues.

Don’t stop the music! What these two examples demonstrate is the importance of music to people everywhere. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to instruments and music education, and that is sometimes as true in our country and city as it is in the slums of Paraguay. In NYC, for example, there are many schoolchildren whose parents can’t pay for music lessons, which is why our non-profit CWB Foundation for Children & Music provides music programs to youngsters in this city’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. We at Hey Joe Guitar believe that everyone who wants to learn to play an instrument should be given opportunities to do so. And we are talking about “real” instruments here, not the makeshift ones – although we are full of admiration for these plucky youngsters who loved playing music enough to find ways to build their own instruments. It’s true: necessity really is “the mother of invention.” Or, as the Cateura kids teach us, hardships inspire ingenious solutions.

Just some “clean” fun Our NYC music lessons are really good, but in certain areas our learning curve is steep: for instance, we don’t know how to fashion a guitar, drum, flute, or any other instrument out of trash or recycled materials (though we do know how to bang pots and pans against each other, if you can call that “music.”) But if you want to learn to play a conventionally manufactured instrument, we’ll be happy to oblige. Just call us, and we’ll come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and teach you – and we promise not to pick through your garbage while we are there!

Photo by Kevin Kern

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