Music Teachers Brooklyn Archives - Hey Joe Guitar

New York When it Sizzles: Manhattan Guitar School is Ready for Summer!

Hey Joe Guitar — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 00:01:58 +0000

Get Ready for “Hot” Music, at Manhattan Guitar School

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

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

The streets are alive…

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

Summer school

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

The post New York When it Sizzles: Manhattan Guitar School is Ready for Summer! appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

New York City Guitar School Will Help You Kick the (Bad) Habit!

Hey Joe Guitar — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 00:01:24 +0000

Learn Good Techniques at New York City Guitar School

Let’s talk about fitness. You go to the gym and work out religiously, but instead of feeling like a million bucks, you are suffering from soreness, muscle pains, or maybe even torn ligaments and other sports-related injuries.

If exercise is supposed to be good for you, why are you feeling like a truck has hit you? Could it be that your workout technique leaves a lot to be desired? Maybe you don’t warm-up sufficiently beforehand, don’t stretch afterwards, or just don’t do the moves the right way?

We are bringing up this analogy as a lead-in to the topic du jour: music lessons. When it comes to playing an instrument, the important thing is not only what you learn, but also HOW you learn it. Just as exercise that is not adapted to your body and strength could harm you, so can bad habits in music training.

Mistakes to avoid

Let’s look at some common mistakes beginning learners often make.

The instrument is not adapted to the player’s age or size: an instrument that is too big or heavy for you (and especially for your child) to handle and use comfortably will not only slow down the learning process, but may also cause wrist sprains and other injuries.
Bad posture and body position while playing: slouching back and shoulders, or an angled and twisted torso will cause pain and tension – and it goes without saying that if you are tense and uncomfortable, you will not play well. (Being flexible and nimble is important when you handle one instrument; imagine how much more challenging it is when you play three simultaneously ).
Playing music that is not adapted to your proficiency level: trying pieces that are too hard for you will not hurt you physically, but it may lead to frustration or lack of confidence in your abilities. In the extreme cases you may feel that you are not making any progress and throw in the towel. (Here’s a thought: maybe you should learn to walk before you can run!).

Obviously, none of these scenarios is conducive to effective music training. Fortunately, all of these bad habits can be prevented or reversed. How? You guessed it: by working with an experienced music teacher.

We’ll teach you right from wrong!

Among the many skills a teacher should have is the ability to convey a good technique. That’s because learning to play an instrument takes more than just strumming or hitting the keys. It is also about good posture, correct body position, dexterity, and the right way to hold an instrument – all of which should be adapted to the student’s age, level, and speed of progress, as well as the specificities of each instrument.

Every one of our teachers is highly trained not only in the music itself, but also in proper practice techniques. Therefore, when a teacher of ours comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, he or she will help you develop good playing habits.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post New York City Guitar School Will Help You Kick the (Bad) Habit! appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

At New York City Music School, We Welcome Parental Guidance

Hey Joe Guitar — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:01:11 +0000

Moms and Dads Rule the Roost at New York City Music School

In May and June we celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day, respectively. Each of these occasions is dedicated – and rightly so – to all our wonderful moms and dads. But did you know that February is National Parent Leadership Month, dedicated to recognizing the important role of parents in raising physically and emotionally healthy families?

If you are a parent yourself, you know what a huge responsibility you have nurturing your children. Not only do you provide them with all the necessities of life – food, shelter and clothing – but you also teach them right from wrong, instill proper values, and generally make sure they are well prepared to face all of life’s challenges. You can never take a vacation from being a responsible and caring parent – it’s a 24/7, non-unionized job!

We are not about to give you parenting advice – after all, nobody knows your child better than you do. But we will say this: from our experience teaching music to kids of all ages, we can univocally state that parents play a key role in helping their kids develop interest in music and encourage them to keep on practicing.

Support system

We see this every day: the most dedicated and motivated students are those who receive their parents’ guidance, encouragement, and support. No, we are not referring here to Leopold Mozart, who tutored his prodigious son from an early age and helped shape Wolfgang’s musical genius. Rather, we are talking about “average” moms and dads who understand the benefits of music education and make sure their youngsters learn, practice, and make progress.

Keeping your child motivated to play an instrument is not always an easy task – some kids lose patience and /or get bored. If you left them to their own devices, many would probably give up after a few lessons. This is where parental oversight and guidance are crucial.

Of course, it’s not always easy to keep a child’s focus and motivation level up – we know that. Here are a few tips to help you along:

Never force your kids to learn a specific instrument – just because you love the piano doesn’t mean they will. Respect their right to choose – and support their choice.
Make sure, however, that your child’s instrument is a good fit for his or her age and size – not too large or too heavy to handle. Likewise, gently steer your child toward an instrument that matches your living conditions. For instance, if your apartment has thin walls, drums may not be the most neighbor-friendly choice.
Getting kids to practice in between lessons is often a daunting task. But without practice there will be no progress, and this is where you can help. Set up a daily practice schedule that is manageable for both you and your child. Also, use your creativity: rather than telling the child he or she must practice 30 minutes a day, set musical goals such as playing the first eight measures of a piece without any mistakes. Next day, have the child play the next eight measures – and so on. It doesn’t matter how long it takes – it’s getting there that counts.
Never forget to praise the child for the effort she is making and tell her how proud you are of her progress.

Remember: behind every motivated child is a parent who inspires!

Let’s work together!

There is no question that you play your parental role very well – not only in helping your son or daughter’s musical development, but also in hiring the best teacher in New York City.

Our instructors know the…score, but when they come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office to give a music lesson in, they are counting on your support. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a great teacher and a caring parent to keep that child enthusiastic about learning.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post At New York City Music School, We Welcome Parental Guidance appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

Drum Up Some Advent Tunes with New York City Guitar School

Hey Joe Guitar — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 00:01:08 +0000

Celebrate Pre-Christmas Season with Manhattan Guitar and Piano lessons

It’s that time of the year again – Christmas spirit is in the air. With Thanksgiving over, the holiday season is officially under way.

But before you start thinking about all the festivities, there is another celebration that is perhaps lesser-known in this country, but nevertheless very important in the Catholic and other Christian churches: the Advent. It starts four Sundays before Christmas and this year falls on December 1. (The Eastern Orthodox Church observes a similar season from November 15 until Christmas).

The lead-in to Christmas

Simply put, Advent is the new year of the Christian church, a time of preparation for Christmas and the celebration of Christ’s birth. It is, therefore, a time of spiritual reflection and anticipation – an aspect that is often forgotten in the pre-holiday frenzy of shopping, eating, and other merrymaking

It is not certain when exactly Advent observances had begun, but historians believe it was in the 4^th century. At that time, it was considered to be a time for Christians to devote themselves to prayer and fasting.

While the churches mark this liturgical observance, it is not perhaps as common among families in the United States as it is in Europe and other parts of the world, where Advent is viewed as an integral part of the Christmas season.

There are two Advent traditions that are observed in many homes: the wreaths and calendars.

The advent of Advent

The origin of Advent wreaths can be traced to folk traditions of northern Europe, where people lit candles on circular arrangements of evergreen branches, bringing light and warmth to the darkest and coldest nights of winter.

To this day, wreaths are an important part of Advent observances, with candles lit on each of the Sundays leading up to Christmas Day.

What about the calendars? They first appeared in Germany in the 19^th century and quickly spread across Europe and North America. This calendar has 24 small doors (representing the December days preceding Christmas), which are opened by children every morning.

In the early versions, the doors opened to reveal images from the Bible. These days, however, most Advent calendars have no religious content and often contain pieces of chocolate.

Celebrating with music

We can’t talk about the Advent without mentioning the music (especially since we are a music school!)

We all know Christmas carols and other traditional holiday tunes, but what about the Advent songs?

As you can imagine, most of them are, for obvious reasons, religious in nature, such as “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,”

“The Angel Gabriel,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pliqObTHxUQ and “Waiting in Silence”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-9s_oG4W9U&w=500&rel=0

But there are also plenty of other songs that are a good fit for this holy season. Here are just some of them:

“Breath of Heaven” by Amy Grant

“Here With Us” by Joy Williams

“The Candle Song”

and, for a lighter and more upbeat tune,

“Getting Ready for Christmas” by Paul Simon

Get ready for Christmas

Whether you want to learn to play Advent songs, or any other kind of music on any instrument, our NYC music school is the right fit for you or your child.

Hey Joe Guitar’s excellent teachers will brave the cold of December and come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale (Bronx) home or office to give you lessons.

So – light the candles on your wreath and start your lead-in to Christmas with beautiful music!

Photo by kosi2801

The post Drum Up Some Advent Tunes with New York City Guitar School appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.