Generally speaking, we like to keep these blogs upbeat because, by its very nature, music – listening to it or playing – is such a positive experience. But sometimes sad topics do come up and we feel that they are important enough to merit further exploring. One such subject is Alzheimer’s disease. Why are we bringing this up now? Because November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, designated as such in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan. It is all the more poignant because just a decade after the proclamation, the former President himself was diagnosed with this terrible illness. Needless to say, we don’t claim to have extensive medical knowledge about Alzheimer’s, and we only know what the research indicates. And one of the findings that we think is particularly interesting pertains to the effect of music on the declining mental abilities of Alzheimer’s patients.

Awakening the memories

Remember Barbra Streisand’s 1975 hit, “The Way We Were” The opening line of that song is “Memories light the corners of my mind.” In a way, that’s what happens when Alzheimer’s patients listen to music. A resent study shows that these people can recall certain memories and emotions when they listen to music that is familiar to them. In other words, they may not respond to the latest hits, but are more likely to react to songs and musical performances they had meant something to them at one time in their lives. A wonderful non-profit program called Music and Memory is bringing personalized, digital music to the elderly, including Alzheimer’s patients. So far, the organization has distributed iPods to over 140 care facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Anecdotal evidence suggests that patients were able to “reconnect with memories triggered by music.”

Remembrance of things past

How does hearing familiar tunes boost the memory? Scientists point to several reasons. One of them is that music stimulates the mind and may re-hash some dormant memories. Also, music is processed in multiple areas of the brain, which, researchers suggest, tend to be less damaged by Alzheimer’s disease. Whatever the mechanism, we are so happy that music plays such a significant role in the lives of so many people. And we don’t have to remind you that exposure to music is beneficial to anyone, at any time of their lives. A teacher of ours will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office to introduce you, your child, or another family member to the joys of music. Please contact us and give your brain a workout!

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We all know how important good education is – as the late Nelson Mandela noted, it is the most powerful weapon, which we can use to change the world.

Subjects such as English, math, and sciences are the backbone of every school’s curriculum. But a nationwide survey released last month shows – to our delight – that parents and teachers alike believe music education in public schools is vital. In fact, the majority of those who were surveyed stated that music should be a required class in middle school, and that students should have a chance to learn an instrument as early as elementary school.

The study in question, called “Striking a Chord, A Public’s Hopes and Beliefs for K-12 Music Education in the United States in 2015” also raised some very important points, one of which is that parents and teachers believe music is critical to a child’s social and emotional development. They are right, of course!

A multitude of benefits

Clearly, parents and teachers know the value of music education. The study has shown what we have always known, both through the scientific evidence and our own experience: children benefit from music lessons in many different ways:

• Music training improves academic performance in reading, science, math, history, and foreign languages.
• It helps build reasoning and cognitive abilities.
• It boosts confidence and self-esteem, leading to better social skills.
• It bolsters focus and concentration, which, in turn, build discipline and perseverance in setting and achieving goals.
• Last but certainly not least, it improves motor skills, coordination, and agility by working all the major muscle groups.

And there is even more: youngsters will carry all these skills and abilities into adulthood, which proves the saying that good education is never wasted!

By the way, these benefits apply to all the instruments: the guitar, piano, flute, or whatever else your child wants to play.

Given all the great advantages of playing an instrument, it is a great pity that music education program in this country’s public schools is not adequately funded.

A child’s play

Many of our students are children and we see first-hand how much they enjoy learning to play an instrument. That’s because kids are naturally curious, enthusiastic, and open to new experiences.

Our teachers love working with children and they are really good at it. They are very patient and know how to keep a child interested and motivated. But that’s not all: the teacher will also ensure that your child learns only the correct techniques, which is an important part of the overall music training.

And we believe is “homeschooling:” lessons take place in your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, so your child can feel comfortable in his or her own environment.

Let’s hear it for education!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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Recently we wrote about some musical instruments of yore that no longer exist The question is: are they lost forever or is there a way to bring them back to life?

We are happy to tell you that modern technology is doing wonders in reconstructing the sounds of some ancient instruments that had not been heard in hundreds – and in certain instances even thousands – of years.

One such long-lost marvel is the epigonion, a stringed, harp-like instrument that was popular in ancient Greece. It had disappeared with the fall of the Greek Empire, as had other once-common instruments like the salpinx (a kind of ancient trumpet), the barbiton (a bass guitar), the aulos (an oboe), and the syrinx (a pan flute). But in recent years they had been painstakingly recreated based on archaeological data such as excavated fragments, pictures on ancient urns, and other historical records.

Lost and found

The fact that these long-lost relics of past civilizations had come to life again is due to the cutting-edge technology, as well as a team of dedicated researchers, historians, physicists, archaeologists, engineers, and musicians.

An international multi-disciplinary team working for the ASTRA (Ancient Instruments Sound/Timbre Reconstruction Application) project used the physical modeling synthesis – a complex digital audio rendering technique – to accurately recreate models of these old musical instruments and reproduce their long-forgotten sounds.

As you can imagine, a lot of work is involved in this process, but it is all worth it in the end, when an ensemble of professional musicians, appropriately called the Lost Sounds Orchestra, gives a concert using the reconstructed instrument. This really brings a new meaning to the phrase “everything old is new again,” doesn’t it?

So what do they sound like? Truly beautiful! It really is a special experience to listen to instruments that had not been heard, literally, in ages .

It’s not lost on us!

At Hey Joe Guitar we are excited to know that (some) old instruments never die – they spring to life again thanks to the convergence of science, technology, and human creativity. You might say that these long-forgotten instruments are getting a second wind!

Now, as amazing as our teachers are, they are the first to admit that the epigonion, salpinx, barbiton, aulos, and syrinx are…all Greek to them. However, they can certainly come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office and teach you to play the modern versions of these ancient instruments: the harp, trumpet, bass guitar, oboe, and flute.

Let’s put it this way: with our music lessons, you’ve got nothing…to lose, and everything to gain.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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“God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.”

~ Rudyard Kipling

That’s certainly one thought nobody can argue with – we all know that moms have eyes in the back of their heads. Just like Santa Claus, they see you when you’re sleeping, they know when you’re awake, and they know if you’ve been bad or good (so be good for goodness sake)!

This brings us to this blog’s topic: Mother’s Day. Traditionally – at least in the United States – this event is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, which this year falls on the 10th.

Celebrations of motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans – all of whom, of course, had mothers. In the United States, this holiday started only at the beginning of the 20th century when a West Virginia woman named Anna Jarvis campaigned, after her own mom died in 1905, to set aside one day each year to honor all mothers.

Her efforts had not been in vain; in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May as a national holiday. And the rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Singing praises to mom

There are many ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, beyond the usual gifts of flowers and chocolates. We are referring to music!

You may think that moms are not your typical muses for songwriters but, in fact, there are quite a few pieces of music that pay tribute to mothers’ love, advice, and devotion.

Take, for example, The Supremes’ 1966 hit song “You Can’t Hurry Love” , which talks about a mother’s wise advice:

“I need love, love to ease my mind
I need to find, find someone to call mine
But Mama said
You can’t hurry love.”

One of the most heartwarming “mom” songs is the Beatles’ 1970 hit, “Let it Be.” As Paul McCartney told it, back in 1968, as he was going through a particularly difficult time in his life and career, he had a dream about his late mother, Mary. “There was her face, completely clear, and she said to me very gently, very reassuringly: ‘Let it be.’”

And how sweet it was when the Backstreet Boys dedicated their 1999 song “The Perfect Fan” to their moms.

A more recent mom tribute is Taylor Swift’s “The Best Day” (2008), where she remembers her childhood and tells her mother, “you’re the prettiest lady in the whole wide world.”

There are, of course, many more songs dedicated to mothers, as this playlist from Billboard magazine demonstrates.

Mom says…call Hey Joe Guitar!

As you can see, Mother’s Day could be a truly musical celebration. But we don’t have to tell you that playing music is not an activity that’s limited to any particular holiday or celebration. Music really is perfect for any day and any reason.

It doesn’t matter whether you want to play the guitar piano, or any other instrument, or perhaps sing your heart out (figuratively speaking, of course). We have great teachers, who can come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, give you music lessons – and maybe even mother you a little!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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What are your plans for the upcoming weekend? We suggest you spend some time at one of the most amazing New York institutions, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Among so many wonderful and varied exhibits is a small one that has caught our attention: entitled “Painting Music in the Age of Caravaggio,” the three artworks – on display until April 5th – portray musical performances depicted by three Baroque artists.

Caravaggio’s “The Musicians” (1595), Valentin de Boulogne’s “The Lute Player” (1626), and Laurent de La Hyre’s “Allegory of Music” (1649) remind us of how different the concerts used to be hundreds of years ago.

For the contemporary audiences, accustomed, as we are, to music that is piped, streamed, and available on demand anytime of day and night, it may be difficult to imagine that until a century ago, music could only be heard live by small groups of (mostly privileged) people.

Music fit for a king

It’s certainly a good thing that symphonies, philharmonics, and all the other kinds of music performances are now widely accessible to people everywhere. But it wasn’t always like this; in fact, for much of the history, “orchestras” and “concert music” consisted of small groups of musicians who played at religious celebrations, festivals, holidays, and similar occasions, using whatever instruments were available to them.

Until the end of the Baroque period, concerts were private affairs – musicians performed for their patrons and sponsors rather than for general public. Even Mozart, whose lifetime spanned the Classical era that followed the Baroque, spent his early years playing for his royal patrons. Interestingly enough, as a teenager, he spent three years traveling throughout Europe and performing at royal courts for various kings, queens, and other nobility. It certainly brings a different meaning to what we now think of as a “concert tour!”

Orchestrating change

The notion of a modern orchestra that performs in a concert hall for the ticket-paying audience started only at the beginning of the 19th century. As a matter of fact, Beethoven debuted his Symphony No. 1 in C major at the Royal Imperial Theater in Vienna on April 2, 1800.

In those days, the strings gained prominence in a standard orchestra, and the keyboard instruments had become less important. The new trend that had developed during this time was for composers to write music for the specific instrument.

Over time, as orchestras became bigger and encompassed new instruments, many composers started to write specifically for sizable ensembles; some of them, like Wagner, Verdi, and Berlioz, became conductors as well.

And just to think that this trip down the musical memory lane was sparked by three oil paintings hanging at the Met!

Start practicing!

As New Yorkers, we are lucky to have so many great orchestras and musical venues. However, keep in mind that, as Jack Benny famously noted, the only way to get to Carnegie Hall (as a performer, not a spectator), is to practice, practice, and practice!

We can certainly help you with that. Whatever musical instrument you have your heart set on – guitar, violin, cello, or any other – we’ll match you with a terrific teacher. He or she will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office to give you Carnegie-worthy lessons!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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It’s not exactly a news flash: January is typically the coldest month in New York. Even if we are lucky enough not to be hit by snowstorms that immobilize the entire city, we still have to put up with crummy weather.

During these bleak winter months, various viruses and germs that lay dormant the rest of the year attack our bodies. Let’s put it this way: the holiday season may be over, but the flu season is in full swing. Whether we are struck by sneezes, sniffles, and nose blowing of a common cold or suffer from shivers, aches and fever, the winter bugs make us feel miserable.

What can you do to stay healthy when everyone around you is sick? Admittedly it’s not easy – after all, cold and flu are called contagious diseases for a reason. However, you can take some steps to bug-proof your body and make it more resistant to the pesky viruses around you.

Be the picture of health

Some of the preventive measures are just common sense: exercise, wash your hands often, drink lots of fluids, and eat right. An apple a day may not always keep the doctor away, but several pieces of fruit might: a vitamin-rich diet is an excellent immunity booster.

Also, as surprising as this may sound, going out for some fresh air (well bundled up, of course) is actually a good way to avoid contagion. That’s because viruses tend to live longer and spread more effectively when you are indoors with an infected person.

There is also another very effective way to strengthen your immune system – music! Although this statement may sound self-serving (after all, Hey Joe Guitar is a music school), we can assure you that it is based on science.

Researchers from several international universities have discovered that exposure to music may, in fact, help you fight off disease. How is this possible? It all comes down to how some of our body mechanisms react to the sound of music.

Here is how this works: listening to music for about 50 minutes a day increases the levels of antibodies, which neutralize bacteria and viruses. At the same time, scientists found that music lowers the levels of cortisol, one of the main stress hormones. Since stress weakens the immunity, it is logical that when less of it circulates in the body, we are less likely to get sick.

That’s the power of music, baby!

Just what the doctor ordered!

Your doctor may not make house calls, but our music teachers certainly do. And when they show up at your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, you can expect an immunity-bolstering experience.

Now, you might be wondering which musical instrument is best for your health. It all comes down to this: whatever instrument “speaks” to you is the one that has – figuratively speaking – your name on it. The sounds of the guitar, flute, saxophone, or any other instrument, really are healing!

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Here in New York, when we think of Christmas, we visualize snow – and lots of it. In fact, all the traditional depictions of the holiday season in the city almost invariably portray powdery and glistening snow blanketing the sidewalks, buildings, and red-cheeked children. (Interestingly, the tableau never shows blizzards, sleet or slush).

On the East Coast and in much of the country, that’s how we want our Christmas to be – a white and magical winter wonderland. But have you given any thought to other places in the world, where Christmas is celebrated in a hot and sometimes even sweltering weather? Can you imagine Santa wearing shorts and sunglasses? And what about this: instead of roasting chestnuts on an open fire and drinking hot cocoa, people cozy up under a palm tree and sip a margarita ?

We personally know some people in Florida, who not only have no idea what real snow looks and feels like, but also can’t imagine shivering on Christmas Day in thick coats, hats, and gloves.

“Hot” music

Obviously, in Florida Christmas is celebrated pretty much the same way as it is here up north – minus the cold – but in other parts of the world, the ambience is much more tropical.

In Hawaii, for example, Christmas is “green and bright” . In the Southern Hemisphere, where December 25 is smack in the middle of summer, barbeque, ice cream and cool drinks are more common than our traditional Christmas fare. And in Polynesia, families often hang out around a lagoon on Christmas Day, roasting a pig for dinner.

What about the Christmas music popular in those tropical climes? It has a totally different beat and vibe than the sounds we are accustomed to. Just listen to some of them:

“Reggae Christmas” – Bob Marley

“Calypso Christmas” – Mark Knauss

“Drink a Rum” – The Merrymen

“Polynesian Christmas” – Tupulaga

Warm up to our teachers!

As mentioned, New York is not exactly a tropical paradise during Christmas, so we are pretty sure that when our music teachers go to give lessons in the dead of winter, they won’t be wearing a Hawaiian hula costume. Their instruments – guitars, saxophones, and such – will also be well protected from the elements in sturdy cases.

However, you can be sure that when a teacher of ours shows up at your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, he or she will radiate warmth and good cheer even in the coldest weather!

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