“All music is folk music. I ain’t never heard no horse sing a song.”
– Louis Armstrong

True, horses don’t usually belt out tunes (at least not the kind that are pleasing to a human ear), but there is at least one documented case of a singing equine – the famous Mr. Ed.

But, generally speaking, we have to agree with the great jazz trumpeter – outside of Hollywood, horses are not known for their musical abilities – it’s a definite neigh. Just as you can lead a horse to the water but can’t make him drink, you can also give him the violin, but, in all likelihood, can’t teach him to play it.

Now, the question you may be asking yourself is: do animals respond to “human” music? The answer is yes, and you heard it right from the horse’s mouth.

Monkeying around

As mentioned, animals (at least the domesticated ones) do respond to music but, according to scientists, they have their own specific preferences. A study carried out at University of Wisconsin-Madison found that our four-legged friends don’t like pitches that are too high or too low, which sound too shrill and grating to their fluffy ears.

Common consensus among animal researchers is that our pets are not fans of heavy metal and similar genres, because these types of harsh sounds make them agitated (lots of humans would agree).

One notable exception are monkeys – research showed that, unlike humans and domesticated pets, these primates love loud and shrill music. Now, THAT’s monkey business!

A different “breed” of music

What about the most common household pets, cats and dogs? Animal behaviorists say that Fido likes classical music the best. In studies, dogs that were exposed to this type of music spent less time barking, and appeared to be calmer and more relaxed.

The same is true for felines. Soft and soothing music is the cat’s meow: it seems to keep the frisky creatures from fighting, making them calm and, as far as we can tell…happy as a lark!

Now, having said all that, music is composed by humans for humans.  Let’s not forget that despite the contention that “animals are people too,” in reality they are a totally different breed (need we even say that?) This means that, given a choice, they’d prefer the so-called “species-specific” music that uses pitches, tones and tempos more adapted to their sense of hearing.

Still, there are certain similarities between “animal” and human music. For example:

• Whales use many of the musical concepts found in human music, including rhythms and structure.

• Bird songs follow rhythmic patterns and pitches that are in tune with human music.

The workings of nature are truly fascinating, aren’t they?

“People” skills only

We have news for you: it seems that you CAN teach an old dog new (musical) tricks!

Now, that doesn’t mean we can teach your dog to play the piano, so please don’t even ask! Our Manhattan music lessons do have a bite to them, but we make no bones about this: we draw a line at teaching in doghouses, stables, or barns. So if that’s the kind of lesson you have in mind, you’re barking up the wrong tree!

However, we’ll be happy to come to your (human) home or office and teach you to play any instrument. In our book, that makes a lot of horse sense!

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Photo Credit: Adam Foster

The post That’s No Bull: At Manhattan Music Lessons, We Like “Animal” Sounds appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

What kind of fool are you?

No, we don’t mean to offend you. But, you have to admit, this is a very pertinent question to be asked in a blog about April Fool’s Day.

Fortunately, April 1 comes but once a year so being silly or quirky for a day might be fun (and there is no age limit for silliness – anyone can do it!)

The message here is this: act the fool! There is actually some scientific evidence suggesting that people who are intentionally silly on occasion live longer. So, if you ever wanted to engage in a bit of buffoonery such as kissing the rain, chasing a flock of geese (probably difficult to do in New York) or carving your initials into a tree, go ahead – on April 1, nobody will fault you for being wacky. But please, please, don’t use April Fool’s day as an excuse to get a tattoo of snakes and dragons on your arms!

Do you feel foolish yet?

It had to start somewhere

The origins of April Fool’s Day are not known, though historians suspect that a fool initiated it. Seriously though, some theories have it that it started in 1582, the year France adopted the Gregorian calendar, shifting the observance of New Year’s Day from the end of March to January 1.

However, some traditionalists boycotted the revised schedule and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1, becoming the laughing stocks of their entire villages (we are not quite sure, so don’t quote us on that, but we suspect that’s how the expression “which village is missing its idiot” started).

These holdouts became the butt of jokes, and the name “April’s Fool” stuck. Needless to say, this was not a politically correct era!

It’s no joke!

The only “celebrations” that take place on April 1 are assorted pranks, hoaxes, and other tomfoolery. As long as they are funny and harmless, it can be great fun.

Of course, NYC is not immune to a bit of foolishness, as evidenced by the annual April Fools’ Day Parade, which starts at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street and winds down at Washington Square Park. The only rule is to dress and act as foolishly as possible.  This is, after all, New York!

Now, you might think that you will never be on the receiving end of an April Fool’s prank because you are too clever.  However, many people have been “hoaxed,” not necessarily because they are gullible, but some of these fictitious tales are so elaborate and, at least on the surface, credible, that lots of people are fooled.

There are too many of these “tall tales” to mention here, but one famous one dates from 1957. A British TV station produced a short documentary about spaghetti harvest in Switzerland.

Unless you know for a fact that pasta doesn’t grow on trees, it’s easy to get caught in this plot.

Tricks AND treats

Are you in the mood to have fun on April 1? If you are, here’s a suggested playlist for your celebration:

“Guess I’m Dumb’” Glenn Campbell or Beach Boys

“What a Fool Believes,” The Doobie Brothers

“I Started a Joke,” Bee Gees

“Seven Day Fool,” Etta James

“How Sweet to be an Idiot,” Neil Innes

Do you want to learn more “foolish” songs? With our Manhattan music lessons you can. Even though our repertoire includes serious pieces of music as well, we’ll be happy to come to your home or office and …play the fool! (Remember though – this is your idea, not ours).

Oh yes, one more thing: in the spirit of this holiday, we’ve inserted a little hoax in this blog. Can you spot it?

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Photo Credit: www.Photobotos.com

The post Just a Silly Love Song? You can Play or Sing it, with Manhattan Music Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
~ Dr. Martin Luther King in his “I Have a Dream” Speech.

On August 28, 1963, hundreds of thousands of people from all over America marched on Washington D.C. to demand equal rights in the society that was still largely segregated.

It is difficult to imagine this today, but in those days and in many places across the country, African-Americans had no right to eat in the same restaurants, stay in the same hotels, and use the same restrooms and water fountains as other citizens. These were just some of many injustices and discriminatory practices inflicted on African-Americans one hundred years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

King’s rousing “I Have a Dream” speech, which he had given on that summer day on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, has mobilized millions of people and spawned the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

As the country is celebrating the Martin Luther King Day on January 21 and commemorating the civil rights movement that had changed the political and social landscape of the 1950s and 60s, let’s look at some of the the songs that had inspired people to keep fighting for justice and equality.

Songs of freedom

As President Obama mentioned during a 2010 White House event celebrating the Black History Month, “the civil rights movement was sustained by music.” Singing songs of hope gave people courage and comfort in the midst of the upheaval.

In a show of solidarity and support, black and white artists like Mahalia Jackson, Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez, joined hands in promoting the cause through a variety of uplifting songs. The best known among then was “We Shall Overcome,” which was reportedly one of King’s favorites.  The song, which had been performed by a variety of artists, including Mahalia Jackson and Pete Seeger, expresses the hopes for freedom and equality:

“We shall live in peace someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall live in peace someday.”

Other tunes, which captured both the turmoil and optimism surrounding the civil rights movement, also gained popularity. Among them were Bob Dylan’s famous rendition of “Times They Are a-Changin’,” Shirley Verrett’s “Oh Freedom,” and “Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke.

Many more songs have provided a fitting soundtrack for the struggle that had resonated deeply among musicians and American citizens of all ages and stripes. Here’s a list of the most popular ones of that time: http://newsone.com/1460645/top-10-civil-rights-protest-songs-of-all-time/

Comfort though music

You might be wondering which songs that had inspired civil rights activists were King’s personal favorites. From the historic accounts, we know that, besides the aforementioned “We Shall Overcome” by Pete Seeger, he also enjoyed a traditional Black-American spiritual, “There is a Balm in Gilead,” Mahalia Jackson’s rendition of “Amazing Grace,” as well as hymns like “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” “In Christ There is No East or West” and the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah.”

These songs are not civil rights battle cries as such, but are more spiritual in nature. Let’s not forget, however, that besides being an activist, King was also a Baptist minister, so it’s not surprising that he found strength and comfort in religion.

Could King belt out some tunes himself? His widow, Coretta Scott King, a trained classical vocalist, wrote in her 1969 book, “I never really told him he couldn’t sing. He had a good voice for a choir.”

King’s old friend, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, answered this question in witty yet diplomatic manner: “I refuse to comment on the grounds it might make me sound nasty,” he said. “His gift was speaking more than singing, but he loved music.”

Make a difference through music

Love and appreciation of music are certainly good foundations on which to build musical training.

Our Manhattan music lessons are geared to people of all ages and levels, so whether you’d like to play an instrument or sing any of the songs that came out of the civil rights movement (or any other tunes, for that matter), we will be happy to come to your home or office and teach you.

Please call us soon, and in the meantime, let’s not forget people like Martin Luther King, who had fought tough battles and gave their lives so all of us can live in a more just society.

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The post New York City Guitar Lessons: Paying Tribute to Songs That Changed History appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

You’ve heard the saying “music is universal,” but can you come up with names of famous musicians who have actually proven this to be true?

One person who immediately springs to mind is the Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, who passed away last month. Maybe we wouldn’t even know what the sitar looks or sounds like if it weren’t for Shankar.

We also might not have had many opportunities to hear Indian music which is, both literally and figuratively, worlds apart from the Western sounds that most of us are familiar with.

As Shankar himself explained the difference, “Indian classical music is principally based on melody and rhythm, not on harmony, counterpoint, chords, modulation and the other basics of Western classical music.”

And the sitar, with its light and delicate sound, is the most popular string instrument of Indian music.

A different kind of sound

The instrument that Shankar played so beautifully is, to put it plainly, a long-necked lute with movable frets, played with a wire pick.

Its origins can be traced to the 10th century, when northern India fell under the Persian rule. As Persian culture and music were brought to the conquered land, a sitar-like instrument, most commonly played during religious festivals, appeared on the scene.
Throughout the centuries this instrument had undergone many changes, eventually emerging in its present form in the 18th century.

Over the years, the sitar has crossed over to the Western music. Shankar’s pupil, the Beatles’ lead guitarist George Harrison, introduced this instrument to pop music, playing it on the song “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown”) and on the LP “Rubber Soul.”

Harrison’s sitar playing inspired Rolling Stones’ guitarist Brian Jones to learn this instrument as well, and he played it on the song “Paint it Black,” in 1966, and then a year later with Jimi Hendrix while recording the song “My Little One.”

Drumming it up

While the sitar is the principal string in Indian music, a two-piece percussion instrument called the tabla provides the main rhythmic accompaniment. Unlike the more conventional western drums, the tabla is quite delicate and can only be played with hands, rather than with sticks.

In its present form the kettle-drum-like tabla is a relative newcomer on the Indian music scene and is probably less than 100 years old, though a more primitive version is believed to date as far back as 200 BC.

Do the sitar and tabla play well together? Shankar, who was probably the best judge of the compatibility of these two Indian instruments, thought so. As he said, “the dazzling and rapid dialogue between sitar and tabla has the power to enthrall even the most uninitiated listener with its thrilling interplay.”

East meets West

We get it – the sitar and tabla are not exactly as popular (or well known) in New York City as they are in their native India.

But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t aspire to play either of these instruments or that you won’t find anyone to teach you.

We at Hey Joe Guitar are not limited to just a few most popular instruments. We can come to your home or office and teach you any of the dozens of instruments out there, regardless of how well known they are.

Look at it this way: with New York City music lessons, you can be the first on your block to play the sitar or tabla like the Indians do!

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Photo Credit: Bradley Loos

The post The Sitar: From India With Love appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”  
~Oprah Winfrey

So let’s talk about New Year resolutions. Yes, again! Doesn’t it sound like 2011 all over again – and each year before that?

You know how it goes: you make a list of things you commit to do (or quit doing) in the New Year.  But, by the time Easter comes – or maybe even earlier – all these promises are forgotten.

We are not making it up. There are actually studies showing that only about a third of people stick to their resolutions.

And, in case you are wondering what other people resolve, there’s a government website  that lists the most popular resolutions. Not surprisingly, drinking less, eating healthier, improving education and career, as well as getting fit are at the top of the list.

We are sorry to see that learning to play an instrument is not anywhere on this list. This is not exactly music to our ears!

Be realistic!

One of the reasons that so many of us don’t follow through on our commitments (other than lack of motivation) may be that we are setting the bar too high.

For example, if you decide that in the New Year you are going to climb the Everest, when your physical condition doesn’t even allow you to climb a flight of stairs (and you don’t have any immediate plans to start exercising), then it is clear that you have been too ambitious, not to say unrealistic, in setting your goals.

The message here is that in order to bring your New Year’s resolutions to fruition, you should stick to commitments that are doable.

And of course, you should only plan to accomplish activities that are healthy, pleasant and enjoyable – take up a new hobby (like playing music or singing, for example), participate in a sports activity, visit more museums – whatever strikes your fancy and makes you happy.

That’s the best way to ensure that your resolutions for 2013 are kept.

Music rules!

You knew we would be talking about music here, didn’t you? We genuinely believe that music training is a terrific activity for people of all ages.

Why do we love music? Let us count the ways:

It makes us happier: A number of studies have shown that music reduces stress and anxiety because it releases the “feel good hormones” like endorphin and serotonin in the brain.

It makes us smarter: There is plenty of scientific evidence demonstrating that children who play an instrument not only score higher on academic tests and generally have better verbal and intelligence skills, but their emotional development is also boosted.

It makes us fitter: Yes, that’s right. Playing an instrument for one hour can burn as many as 204 calories (drums), 170 calories (trombone), 136 (rock-n-roll guitar), and 102 (piano).

It makes for a better world: Music has been shown to be a great “people connector,” bringing together hostile nations and communities in peace and harmony.

Have we convinced you yet?

We’ll let you in on a secret: we at Hey Joe Guitar have a resolution too – to continue bringing music education to people in our community in 2013 as we have done in the years past.

We’d be pleased and honored to bring our Manhattan music lessons to your home or office – all you have to do is call us.

We may not be able to motivate you to climb the Everest, but we will teach you a few crescendos anyway!

Have a happy, healthy, peaceful and MUSICAL New Year!

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Photo credit: Abhisek Sarda

The post In 2013, Bring Music Into Your Life – with Manhattan Music Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“Ring out the old, ring in the new, ring, happy bells, across the snow. The year is going, let him go. Ring out the false, ring in the true.” ~Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1850 Christmas and Hanukkah are behind us, and the New Year is almost here. This is not exactly a news flash -we are not really telling you anything you don’t already know, are we? But here’s some happy news: December 21 came and went, and all of us are still here! The Mayan predictions didn’t come true, the end of the world is officially postponed, so we have every reason to rejoice and ring in the New Year in style. Whatever plans you have for the New Year’s Eve, whether it includes watching the ball drop in Times Square, partying into the wee hours of the morning, or spending time with friends and family, you will likely have a wonderful time. And chances are that some form of music will enliven your celebration.

Years come and go, but music is eternal! Fact is, live music has long been a part of New Year’s Eve revelries and some concerts have become legendary. Some of you may be too young to remember this, but for almost half a century (from 1929 to 1976), bandleader Guy Lombardo’s orchestra performed New Year’s Eve concerts, initially at Manhattan’s Roosevelt Hotel and later at the Waldorf Astoria. Broadcast first on the radio and later on network TV, these concerts – Big Band music and couples dancing cheek to cheek – have become a major part of New Year celebrations across the United States. In the mid-1970, in an effort to “rejuvenate” Guy Lombardo’s concerts, music icon Dick Clark, host of the American Bandstand, started his own program, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Even though Clark passed away earlier this year, the show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, is still part of NYC’s annual Times Square celebrations and is aired on television in prime-time. Millions of people have danced to Lombardo’s Big Band and Clark’s pop music over the years, but one of the most grandiose – though less known in the U.S. – musical performances has been the traditional New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic, which is broadcast from Austria to an estimated 50 million people in 73 countries (in America, it can be seen on PBS on January 1). The classical tunes, which always include “The Blue Danube Waltz,” are accompanied, in selected pieces, by dancers from the Vienna State Opera Ballet. It may not be a piece of Americana in the same way as Lombardo and Clark’s concerts were, but you can’t beat these performances for classical music, Old-World charm and elegance. Sing, dance, and be merry Of course, when we think of the New Year’s music, the first song that probably comes to mind is the old tune, “Auld Lang Syne.” Penned by Robert Burns, an 18th century Scottish poet and lyricist, it is the last (and the first) song we sing as the clock strikes midnight. It is said that Burns did not intend this tune specifically to mark the New Year, but it’s title, which means “old long since” or “for old time’s sake,” as well as its lyrics, are especially appropriate for marking the end of the old year and the beginning of the new: “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? 
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne!” While “Auld Lang Syne” might be the most popular and certainly the oldest known New Year’s song, it is not the only one. If you are in the mood for something more recent, you might want to listen to these tunes:

• “Happy New Year,” Abba
• “New Year’s Day,”
U2
• “Another Year Has Gone By,”
Celine Dion
• “Bringing in a Brand New Year,” Charles Brown
• “Funky New Year,” Eagles

Renew your commitment to music “We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called ‘Opportunity’ and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce What opportunity will you seize once January 1 rolls in? We are Hey Joe Guitar hope that learning to play an instrument is at the top of your “to-do” list for 2013. Just as we have done in the years past, in the new one we will continue bringing beautiful music right into your home or office.  And, unlike the “Opportunity,” we will knock on your door more than once! So let’s begin the countdown: TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE… HAPPY NEW YEAR – with Manhattan music lessons!

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Photo Credit: kw~ny

The post Ring in the New Year in Style appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

In the small Austrian village of Oberndorf stands a little, quaint chapel. On a cold and snowy December day in 1818, a local minister and a schoolteacher wrote a song there, which was to be performed at the Christmas Eve Mass that year; it was entitled “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Since that day nearly 200 years ago, this song has been translated into nearly every language and has conquered the world.

Some three decades later, across the big pond, Edmund Hamilton Sears, an American Unitarian minister in Wayland, MA wrote a poem, which he called “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” When the composer Richard Storrs Willis set it to music, it too had become a much-loved Christmas carol.

And in 1865, after a trip to the Holy Land, an Episcopalian rector Phillips Brooks wrote the words to “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” which was then set to music by his organist, Lewis Redner.

And here’s one more interesting tidbit, something you might not have known: James Lord Pierpont wrote “Jingle Bells” (originally called “One Horse Open Sleigh”) in 1857. Though it was intended as a Thanksgiving song, it had become associated with Christmas instead – perhaps because there isn’t much snow for horses to dash through in November.

Why are we bringing up these seemingly disparate pieces of information? Because, even though we tend to refer to these songs in general terms as “Christmas carols,” each one has its own unique history. But no matter how they came to be, they have survived and transcended centuries, and continue to bring us glad tidings each holiday season.

The happiest season of all

These and so many other songs that we sing or listen to year after year are an integral part of the Christmas celebrations.

Whether they are religious or secular, solemn or lighthearted, holiday songs have never lost their popularity or magic. The same old standards re-emerge each year, in good times and bad, among people of all age groups. There are some things that never change!
We bet that nearly everyone has his or her favorite Christmas song, even if it’s comical, like “Grandma Was Run Over by a Reindeer ” (seriously, how often does that happen?)
We hasten to say that choosing the all-time favorite holiday song is not a precise science (actually, it’s not a science at all), but just for the fun of it let it be known that the biggest selling Christmas single of all time is … TA DA!!!!…Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” More than 30 million copies have been sold in the past 58 years. Now, that’s what we call a classic! (Interestingly enough, this song was written by Irving Berlin, who was Jewish).
While we are on the subject of holiday music, you might be wondering what are some of the popular Hanukkah songs? We’ll give you a hint: a song called “Chanukah Bamba” is among the top 10, at least on this list:

Do you hear what I hear?

Whatever holiday songs are your favorite, we have good news for you: if you start learning to play an instrument or take voice lessons right now, by this time next year you’ll be able to play or sing Christmas carols for your friends and family.

Of course, playing an instrument or singing is an enjoyable and relaxing activity all year round, not just when it’s time to rock around the Christmas tree.

Our Manhattan music lessons make it easy and convenient: we will come to your home or office and teach you – comfort and joy all in one!

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Photo credit: Kyle Taylor

The post Joy to the World – With Manhattan Music Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air
There’s a feeling
of Christmas.”

— “Silver Bells”

True, most cities big and small exude their own special charm during the holiday season, but there is no denying that Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years’ Eve in New York is truly magical.

It is not only because the city glistens and glows with millions of sparkling lights and vibrant colors. Whether you are ice skating under the giant glitzed up spruce in Rockefeller Center, or taking a leisurely ride through Central Park in a one-horse open sleigh (which, needless to say, is jingling all the way), holiday time in the Big Apple is as enchanting as a fairy tale.

While we at Hey Joe Guitar love our city at any time of the year, we are partial to the Christmas season. One of the many reasons we love New York during the holidays is because its concert halls, churches, and other venues resound with beautiful music.

No doubt about it, holiday season in New York is the most wonderful time of the year!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

If you love music – as we do – then New York is your kind of town. There is no way we can fit all the wonderful musical performances into this one blog, so we are mentioning just a few to whet your appetite:

• No holiday season would be complete without the legendary Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall’s traditional Christmas Spectacular show (1260 Sixth Avenue). Lavish sets and costumes, as well as magnificent performances, are the quintessential part of New York’s Christmas celebrations.

• What would Christmas be like without the Sugar Plum fairies and other magical creatures? At holiday time, this enchantment comes alive with The Nutcracker. Performed each year by New York City Ballet, it evokes the spirit of old-fashioned Christmases. Lincoln Center, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza.

• The West Village Chorale will perform a number of Christmas concerts during December, including its annual Messiah Sing and Caroling Walk at Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South.

As we said, these are just three of literally hundreds of musical events that take place all over the city during the holidays, which goes to prove that Christmas and great music go hand-in-hand.

The best stocking filler

All you want for Christmas are your two front teeth? Or maybe you prefer two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree? Wait, we have a better idea!

How about a gift that – as the saying goes – keeps on giving, long after the holidays are over? We are talking about Hey Joe Guitar’s gift card for Manhattan music lessons. The recipient of this gift card can have voice or songwriting instruction, or learn to play an instrument. And, leave the traveling to us – we’ll go anywhere in Manhattan to give in-home or in-office lessons (but we’ll ring the doorbell, NOT come through the chimney!)

No matter what holiday you celebrate, this is a useful and practical gift that can be enjoyed the whole year round. And, no batteries are required!

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The post Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – With New York City Music Lessons appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“Give thanks, all ye people, give thanks to the Lord,
Alleluias of freedom, with joyful accord,
Let the east and the west, north and south roll along,
Sea, mountain and prairie, one thanksgiving song.”

If you don’t recognize this tune, don’t worry – most people of our generation do not. It has, however, a historic significance, which is all the more relevant and meaningful with the approach of Thanksgiving.
Called “The President’s Hymn,” the song was written in 1863 to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation issued that year that National Day of Thanksgiving be celebrated every last Thursday of November.

Politicians’ promises are notoriously fickle, but this particular tradition has survived to this day: Thanksgiving is still celebrated in homes across America as a time to be grateful for all the blessings we have in our lives.

We at Hey Joe Guitar are thankful for so many blessings – people, events and experiences that fill our lives each day. And, needless to say, music and our wonderful customers are among the joys that we are always grateful for.

Songs of gratitude

Thanksgiving’s origin pre-dates Lincoln’s proclamation by over 200 years. It goes back to December 11, 1620, when 102 Pilgrims – English and Dutch separatists sailing on the Mayflower – landed at Plymouth Rock.

As history books tell us, the first winter in the New World was harsh, and many newcomers did not survive. But by the following autumn, with the help of native Indians, the Pilgrims learned to hunt, fish, and grow crops. The feast to celebrate their good fortune marked the first, though unofficial, Thanksgiving.

As they established their colony in Plymouth, MA, these early settlers expressed their thanks though hymns, proving that even back then, music played an important part in people’s lives.
At that time, Baroque music was gaining popularity in Europe, but the Pilgrims who sailed to the New World were not – as far as we know – Bach aficionados.

According to historical accounts, they may have brought with them instruments such as wooden flutes, oboes, and virginals (very small keyboard instruments). And their songs of choice included the 16th century Dutch hymn, “We Gather Together,” as well as the ones from The Book of Psalms, written by Henry Ainsworth in 1612.

Sing, sing a song

Today, many families have Thanksgiving rituals of their own – and we don’t mean just turkey and football. We are referring to the “thanks giving” part of the holiday – taking note of and appreciating all the good things that had happened to us, and great people in our lives.
If you don’t have favorite Thanksgiving tunes of your own, these are some of the songs that will bring the true spirit of Thanksgiving to your celebration:

• “Thanksgiving Song,” Mary Chapin Carpenter
• “Be Thankful,” Natalie Cole
• “Give Thanks and Praises,” Bob Marley
• “Gratitude,” Paul McCartney

…and let’s not forget this beautiful classic,

• “What a Wonderful World,” by the great Louis Armstrong.

Let’s talk turkey!

Would you like to be able to express your gratitude, as well as all the other emotions, through music? Our Manhattan music lessons offer a wide range of instruments to choose from

Once you decide which instrument is best for you, we will come to your Manhattan home or office and give you lessons.

As we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving, let’s remember this quote by the 16th century scientist, Konrad von Gesner:

“Let there be for every pulse a Thanksgiving, and for every breath a song.”

The post At Thanksgiving, Manhattan Music Lessons Go Beyond the Turkey Trot appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“Where words fail, music speaks.” 
– Hans Christian Andersen

The Danish author might have had a somewhat idyllic view of the world (after all, he became famous by writing fairy tales), but he was right on this one: music does speak louder and more eloquently than words.

In fact, music is an excellent, though much underused, diplomatic tool, certainly more effective in taming hostilities and bringing people together than harsh words, threats, or use of force.

Yes, music has the power to create peaceful and friendly dialogue among people of various – and sometimes widely divergent – cultures, beliefs, or political systems.

Joy to the world

How is music used to promote tolerance and goodwill – let’s call it “cultural diplomacy?” A recent article in the Washington Post talks about Maya Azucena, a singer from Brooklyn, who is performing in several parts of Russia, a country where anti-U.S. feelings are on the rise.

Azucena, who tours on behalf of the U.S. State Department, reports that audiences from Moscow to the deepest reaches of Siberia were moved by her renditions of rhythm, blues, soul, reggae, and hip, “all quintessentially American with a deeply American message.”

“It’s apparently still okay to encourage justice and love, freedom and self-expression in Russia, as long as you do it with a song in your heart,” the article states.

This is one of many examples of how music can break down the barriers and make a positive difference in uniting people.

Melodies of love

Earlier this year, Peyton Tochterman, a folk singer from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, was asked by the State Department to travel to Afghanistan to show how “diplomacy can be shaped by the musical arts.”

As he relates in his blog, armed with only two hand-made Rockbridge guitars, he and his fellow musicians toured the war-torn country, singing in “most difficult, dangerous and inhospitable places on our planet.”

His take on this musical diplomacy? “We are all connected through music and we must continue to celebrate this connection, this language that is so important not just to our own culture, but also to cultures around this fascinating world of ours.”

Four years before he performed in Afghanistan and Azucena sang in Russia, the famed New York Philharmonic performed a historical concert in Pyongyang, the capital of isolated North Korea, which has been closed to the outside world since the end of the Korean War in the 1950s.

This event marked the first such visit from the United States to North Korea. The groundbreaking performance aired on Korea’s state television and was watched live by an audience of thousands in the concert hall. Millions of people who had been indoctrinated to hate the United States listened with bated breaths as American musicians performed works by Wagner, Dvorak, and even Gershwin.  As Song Sok-hwan, the country’s culture minister said at the time, “We hope this will be a big step toward increased bilateral cultural exchange between our two countries.”

Reach out and touch someone

Have all these musical performances brought about a significant improvement in relations between the U.S. and other countries? You could argue that all these efforts were in vain: after all, Russia is still blaming America for many of its internal problems, and North Korea remains as hostile toward the United States as it has always been.

That may well be, but keep in mind that lasting and sustainable change doesn’t always (if ever) occur overnight and it doesn’t always come from the government. There have been many examples in recent years (one of them is the Arab Spring) of change starting at the grassroots level and spreading to the top.

By making an emotional connection with people across the world, music sows the seeds of tolerance and understanding, heals wounds, and inspires change. As singer Bono said, “Music can change the world because it can change people.”

Playing for change

Now that you know the powerful impact music can have on people and nations, you might like to learn to play an instrument too.

You are in luck: our Manhattan music lessons will take place in your home or office – we’ll teach you any kind of instrument you’d like to learn.

Remember Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s words: “Music is the universal language of mankind.” And that is one message that will never be lost in translation!

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The post Manhattan Music Lessons | Diplomacy, or How to Make Friends and Influence People appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

The answer:  When it is a recorder!

True, to an untrained eye, the two instruments may look a lot alike and, in fact, they do have common roots – the recorder was a forerunner of the modern-day flute.

Although its heyday can be traced back to the late Renaissance and Baroque years (which is why Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and many other composers of that era featured the recorder in their music), it remains, to this day, a popular instrument with NYC Music School amateurs and professionals alike.  Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Billy Joel are among the world-famous musicians who play the recorder.

Should you?

If you like soft and melodious sounds more suited to a chamber orchestra or a solo performance than to a rock band, and if you are looking for an instrument that is relatively inexpensive and easy to learn, then the recorder may very well be a great fit for you. (And yes, we can definitely teach you to play it in your New York City office or home – but more about that later).

Whistling in the wind

You guessed it – the recorder is a woodwind instrument that features a tin whistle. These days the recorders are most commonly made of wood or plastic, but four or five centuries ago, when preservation of wildlife was not yet a hot-button topic, they were often carved out of ivory.

Though there is some evidence that a primitive version of the recorder (made from a sheep’s bone) existed already in the Iron Age, this instrument evolved, and reached its peak, in the 16th and 17th centuries.

If you listen to the music of that era, such as cantatas, sonatas and operas, you will understand why the recorder (and woodwinds in general, along with the strings) was a popular instrument for the composers of that time.

As larger orchestras started to gain popularity, the recorder, which was not loud enough to play “bigger” and richer sounds like the percussion instruments, was slowly phased out and replaced by the flute and clarinet.

But as it sometimes happens with temporarily forgotten artifacts, the recorder got its second wind (no pun intended) at the beginning of the 20th century, and never fell into oblivion again.

Did you know…

… these interesting facts about the recorder?

• Its name came from the old English word recorden, which meant to “sing,” “practice,” or “warble.”

• In the Baroque era, when they were at the height of popularity, recorders were used to mark events such as “miracles,” funerals, marriages and love scenes.

• William Shakespeare referred to music produced by recorders in two of his plays: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Hamlet,” where it was described this way:

“Govern these ventages with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, 
and it will discourse most eloquent music.”

• After the recorder’s revival in the 20^th century, Led Zeppelin used it in their song “Stairway to Heaven;” Jefferson Airplane played the recorder on the albums “Surrealistic Pillow,” “After Bathing at Baxter’s” and “Volunteers;” and Rolling Stones used it in “Ruby Tuesday.”

Learn to play!

As we mentioned before, the recorder is an easy instrument to learn for children and adults alike. It might have become obsolete in the past, but one of the great things about living in the 21^st century is that you can find inexpensive recorders with no hassle, either in NYC music stores or online (if you are not sure where, just ask us!).

What about finding recorder lessons and music lessons in your neighborhood? We are glad you asked! We at Hey Joe Guitar will be happy come to your Manhattan home or office and teach you.

In no time at all, you will become a great whistleblower!

The post Breathe New Life Into Your Recorder appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.