What is your favorite vacation destination? Wherever it is, chances are it’s somewhere on this earth.

Well, get ready! We recently came across an article that mentions significant milestones being made in developing a robot that can safely land us on the surface of the Moon! (But don’t start packing just yet – it will take two or three decades before we’ll be able to board private spaceflights to the lunar surface).

This article made us think about a truly momentous occasion that took place just over 45 years ago: the first lunar landing.

On July 20, 1969, millions of people around the world were glued to their TV sets when Apollo-11 landed in the Sea Tranquility. And they held their collective breath when the spacecraft’s hatch was opened, the ladder was lowered, and astronaut Neil Armstrong slowly climbed down onto the Moon’s surface, which he later described as being “like powdered charcoal.”

As he put his left foot down and became the first human in history to walk on the Moon, Armstrong (who passed away in 2012) uttered the famous phrase: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

All in all, Armstrong and two other astronauts, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, spent a total of 21 hours on the Moon, two-and-a-half of them outside the landing module collecting data, jumping across the lunar landscape, and planting the American flag to mark this historic achievement.

Upon returning to Earth, the astronauts spent three weeks in quarantine to detect the presence of alien organisms (none were found). The following six manned missions to the Moon – before the NASA stopped the program altogether in 1972 – were perhaps anti-climatic, but they, as well as other space treks, have not been in vain. As NASA points out, each journey helps us “discover new worlds, push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits, and address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system.”

Star trek

In view of this epic anniversary, a question that has crossed our minds is whether, on the way to the lunar surface, the astronauts listened to music.

It turns out that they did.

As an NBC News article reported, Neil Armstrong – who, in his teens, played the baritone, a large, valved brass instrument shaped like a trumpet – “found his music soothing and a perfect fit for the occasion.”

Perhaps it was so fitting because the record he listened to in the spacecraft was a mixture of easy, relaxing tunes appropriately called “Music Out of the Moon” .

The third Apollo-11 astronaut, Michael Collins, reportedly brought with him a tape of Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” .

There’s no word on what Aldrin might have listened to, but we do know that he recently asked Snoop Dogg to create the song “Rocket Experience” to promote space exploration to young people.

“Out of this world” music

Twenty or thirty years is a long time to wait for your lunar vacation, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get your playlist ready. Here are some of our favorites:

“Fly me to the moon,” Frank Sinatra

“Rocket man,” Elton John

“Walking on the Milky Way,” OMD

“Venus,” Frankie Avalon

“Blue Moon,” Billie Holiday

“Ground control to Major Tom,” David Bowie

“Across the universe, ” The Beatles

“You are the one who’s out of this world,” Alf

“Twinkle, twinkle little star,” Jewel

When you wish upon a star

Our NYC music instructors are Earth-bound, but when it comes to their experience and abilities, they are…out of this world!

Whatever instrument you or your child would like to learn – whether it is the guitar, piano, drums, or any other instrument– we have excellent teachers for you! When they come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, they will move heaven and earth (figuratively speaking, of course) to give you the best lessons on the planet!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

The post Reach for the Stars, With Manhattan Guitar School appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“When she started to play, Mr. Steinway came down personally and rubbed his name off the piano.”
~Bob Hope

Actually, we at New York music school are pretty sure that never happened, but this very funny quote suggests that tone-deaf people shouldn’t subject their fellow men to their music.

Does this sound familiar to you? Does everyone around you run for the hills, and does your dog hide under the sofa with his paws over his ears when you start to sing or play?

Or maybe you’d like to learn to play an instrument, but you think you can’t because you have been called “tone-deaf?” This is the same as saying you can’t dance because you have “two left feet.”

However, rest assured that neither condition is terminal; in other words, both can be “cured.” Of course, we can’t talk with any level of expertise about the feet, but we do know a thing or two about overcoming the syndrome humorously referred to as  “Van Gogh’s ear for music.”

We don’t actually know whether the great painter could belt out a tune either before or after he snipped off his ear, but we have seen plenty of cases of people who enjoyed singing or playing an instrument, even though they (and everyone around them) believed they were tone / tune-deaf. Fact is, not everyone is a natural talent, but most people can (and do) become proficient at music through work and practice. That’s the truth and don’t let this message fall… on deaf ears!

Tuning in

In its strictest sense, tone-deafness means the inability to distinguish different pitches. We have all heard tuneless warbling or instrumental renditions that sound more like a subway train screeching to a stop than a piece of music.

However, before you call someone (or yourself) tone-deaf, know that this condition is actually very rare – only about 1 percent of the population is truly “amusical.” The rest of the people believed to be tone-deaf actually aren’t, even if they happen to sing / play off-key.

As the late comedian George Burns put it: “”I love to sing, and I love to drink scotch. Most people would rather hear me drink scotch.” (Though Burns was no Pavarotti, he certainly wasn’t shy about singing in public).

So the question is, why can’t some people carry even the simplest of tunes? There may be several reasons for that.

Imperfect pitch

Of course, we can’t generalize because each individual case is different, but some of the common reasons may be:

• Poor hearing: Impaired hearing can certainly diminish our ability to distinguish different pitches, sounds, rhythms, etc.

• Lack of concentration: This happens when you learn to sing or play a particular piece, but you are distracted and not focusing all your mental energies on music. Learning to play is like mastering any subject: you must pay attention!

• Poor control of vocal muscles may be another reason all your songs sound as exciting as a dentist’s drill.

• And perhaps the most common culprit of all: lack of practice. In this particular case, your flat notes are not due to tone-deafness, but, rather, to not having regular practice sessions.

Music to your ears

If the first of the above-mentioned reasons is responsible for flat notes and off-key sounds, we suggest you have a hearing test and follow whatever treatment the specialist suggests. A good hearing ability is essential not only for playing music, but for life in general.

But if you are “tuned out” because of the three other reasons – distracted mind, poor control of vocal muscles, and lack of regular practice (at least half an hour a week with a teacher), our lessons from New York music school can help.

Our teachers will come to your New York home or office, and give you vocal lessons or teach you to play an instrument. You will have an excellent, comprehensive training that includes not only the actual music part, but also all the other essential elements mentioned above. So all the music you sing or play will be easy on the ear!

 ***

Photo Credit: foxypar4

The post New York Music School: Can’t Carry a Tune? We Will Come to the Rescue! appeared first on Hey Joe Guitar.

“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!

***

Photo Credit: Adam Foster

The post That’s No Bull: At Manhattan Music Lessons, We Like “Animal” Sounds 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.

***

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!

***

Photo Credit: Bradley Loos

The post The Sitar: From India With Love 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!

***

Photo Credit: kw~ny

The post Ring in the New Year in Style 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!

***

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