Two days from now, on November 11, we will celebrate Veterans Day, which honors US veterans past and present. We salute them and thank them for their service. Like cities and towns across America, New York will hold its own parade – the largest celebration of veterans in the country. Every year since 1919, when the 369th Infantry – just back from fighting in WWI – proudly marched up Fifth Avenue, thousands of veterans and other participants re-trace the same route.

This year’s parade will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, and the 25th anniversary of Desert Shield. We think one of the best ways to remember the sacrifices of our veterans is to look back at the music that accompanied them into the battlefield. From the bugles, pipes, and drums of the Civil War to the protest songs of the Vietnam era, the music has been an important part of American history.

Songs of glory

At 239 years, America is a relatively young nation. The first armed conflict it engaged in was the one that actually served to lay the cornerstone of our country – the American Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783. Of course, there are no original recordings of any pieces of music from that era (or until WWI, for that matter), but we do know that one of the most popular songs at that time was “Ballad of the Green Mountain Boys.” During the Civil War (1861 – 1865), the only other battle that was fought on American soil, “The Liberty Song,” originally written in 1768 by Founding Father John Dickinson, was popular, as was “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” And then there was the famous Confederate tune “I Wish I Was In Dixie Land.” By the end of the 19th century, there was another conflict involving the United States – Spanish American War. Even though short-lived (from April to August 1898), it produced patriotic music by John Philip Sousa, such as “Hands Across the Sea.” In the next century, WWI spawned a number of songs, several of which were written by George M. Cohan, including “Over There.” During WWII, Big Band music got the civilian population dancing, but the soldiers fighting overseas were not forgotten. “Remember Pearl Harbor” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” were big hits. Unfortunately, WWII was not the last conflict of the 20th century. The Korean War of the 1950s sparked songs like Jimmie Osborne’s “Victory in Korea” and Wilif Carter’s “Good-bye Maria, I'm Off to Korea.” “Ballad of the Green Berets” was released at the height of Vietnam War in 1966, followed, three decades later, by “God Bless the USA” during the years of the first Gulf War.

Patriotic spirit right in your home

The above-mentioned songs are just a few of many written and performed during various wars. We can only hope that these tunes had provided moral support and some pleasure to our soldiers. You too can learn to play or sing any of these songs. Just get in touch and one of our teachers will march right into your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office to give you lessons.

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In his 1976 hit, “I Write the Songs ,” Barry Manilow sang about putting “the words and the melodies together.” In the simplest terms (although the process can sometimes be quite complex), that’s what songwriting is all about: the blending of lyrics and music.

A question people sometimes ask us is this: what do I create first– the music or lyrics? This is just like the age-old brain teaser of what comes first, the chicken or the egg? We are not about to debate the issue of the chicken versus the egg, but when it comes to songwriting, there is no definite “right-or-wrong” answer. If an idea or a theme strikes you, you will likely write the lyrics first and then create the music that matches the song’s mood. On the other hand, if a melody swirls in your mind, you might want to expand it and then add words to it. Either way, it works!

Words and music

History tells us that various musicians have their own, individual approaches to the process of song creation. For instance, opera composers like Puccini and Rimsky-Korsakov wrote music first, and then had the librettists create words. However, the famed team of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein usually wrote the lyrics before the music. While many musicians may disagree with this statement, English theatre and film director Peter Brook said in an interview, that “never in history has a guy written the tunes, and someone has come along and put the words to them. I once asked Richard Rodgers whether he had any tunes in his bottom drawer waiting for a lyric. He told me that it was only when he heard the lyricist’s precise words, such as Hammerstein’s ‘O, what a beautiful morning,’ that the melodies emerged.” Others may argue with this “lyrics first” approach. For instance, The Beatles’ hit “Yesterday ” began as a melody in Paul McCartney’s dreams. Later, he added lyrics to it. But Elton John reversed the process – at least in this particular case . As you can see, he created an impromptu melody to match an existing text!

In a word…

Whether or not you are interested in writing your own songs or playing the ones already created by others, our teachers can help. When they come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, they will offer their guidance and inspiration, no matter what instrument you play. And if you take voice lessons, you’ll be able to belt out any song – music AND lyrics!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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On August 3, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set sail from the Spanish port of Palos. He was in command of three ships – the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina. The goal of this historic journey was to find a new sea route to China, India, and other parts of Asia.

More than two months later, on October 12, Columbus’ ships found the “New World” – the Bahamas and other Caribbean islands. But despite the myth that had persisted for hundreds of years, Columbus didn’t “discover” America — in fact, he never set foot here. Of course, in the 15th century, America was already settled by Indians; historians are not sure who actually discovered the continent, but we do know it was named after another Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci. Still, October 12 is observed in the United States as Columbus Day, which celebrates the contributions Italian immigrants have made to our country.

Music of the Renaissance

There are some songs that commemorate Columbus’s discovery of the New World . They are decidedly modern, but what about the music that was in vogue in Columbus’ home country of Italy, as well as in the rest of Europe, during his lifetime? The music of the Renaissance era is not as widely known to us as the styles that developed in the next century. Baroque had given us Johann Sebastian Bach, George Handel, and Antonio Vivaldi, whose music is still played and loved to this day. But that is not to say the Renaissance compositions are not worth listening to. A lot of the music from that period, both religious and secular, is based on modes, has a rich texture, and harmony . Among the most popular Renaissance instruments were the cornamuse, cromorne, shawm, clavichord, and virginal. None of them is still commonly used; the only instrument of that era that remains popular to this day is the recorder. We have no idea whether Columbus listened to music while he sailed the ocean blue, or, for that matter, whether he was a music aficionado. But we do know that the music played in churches and royal palaces during his lifetime was really beautiful! That’s the kind of music Europeans were fond of. But what about the inhabitants of North America, which Columbus allegedly discovered? Native American tribes of the 15th century were quite evolved and their music often included drums, rattles, flutes, wood whistles.

That’s amore!

As we said, Columbus Day is a holiday in the United States, a celebration of the rich Italian heritage. In New York, where approximately 1.8 million people of Italian descent live, a parade takes place today (as it does every year) along Fifth Avenue. As always, it’s lots of fun! Even if he didn’t actually discover America, Columbus still went down in history as an explorer and an adventurer. Learning to play a musical instrument is also an adventure of sorts – your curiousity will help you discover new sounds and other musical elements that you never knew before. That’s where our teachers can help. When they come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, your music lesson will be smooth sailing!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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The month of May is coming to an end, and for parents this means school is either already out or soon will be. For high school seniors, it also marks a major event, a rite of passage known as the prom.

Most of us may have forgotten the algebra we learned in high school, but we remember what we wore, who our date was, and what songs we danced to at our prom. These are the memories that last a lifetime.

Sure, there were occasional mishaps and awkward moments, but for the vast majority of seniors the prom night is a special and magical occasion. And it should be, because it symbolizes so much more than just dancing the night away – it is about growing up and moving on to life’s new challenges.

This magic moment

Fashioned after the debutante balls that were popular in the 19th century among the titled and wealthy, the word “prom” is derived from “promenade” – the march of elegantly clad guests arriving for the dance.

With ballrooms and stretch limos, today’s proms are pretty lavish – certainly a far cry from humble school gymnasiums of yore, which were festively decorated with disco balls and streamers. In fact, in the 1930s and 40s, when high schools first started to organize proms (and mention them in yearbooks), they were simple, strictly chaperoned events. Kids wore nice “Sunday best” clothes, but certainly nothing as extravagant – or expensive – as is customary today.

It is interesting to note how proms have changed over the past decades – the fashions, the songs, and the whole experience.

A night to remember

Is it just us, or did teenagers of the 1940s really look older than the current generation ? In any case, proper manners and etiquette seemed to be of paramount importance back then and continued to spill into the next decade as well, at least according to this trailer . But those of us who saw the movie “Grease” know better: the teens of the 1950s knew how to party and push the limits of propriety!

Speaking of movies, here is a great compilation of prom scenes spanning the decades between the 1980s and the present. And if you are wondering which prom songs have been the most popular in the past decade or so, here’s your answer!

Save the last dance for us

We are not sure how good our teachers are on the dance floor (some of them may, in fact, have two left feet), so if you want dancing lessons we suggest you look elsewhere.

However, if you need top-notch music training – on whatever instrument – one of our teachers will swing by your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office and give you lessons. Even without the dancing, we’ll have a ball!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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Did you know that February is the American Heart Month? While cardiovascular health should be among our primary concerns each day of the year, this month is as good a time as any to raise awareness of the importance of heart health, especially since heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

Why are we talking about the Heart Month in this blog? That’s because there is plenty of research suggesting that music can – both literally and figuratively – mend broken hearts.

Heartfelt music

Music has been credited with many beneficial effects on our brain, body and soul – from making us smarter to making us happier and healthier. In fact, unless you play or listen to very loud music on prolonged basis (which can lead to hearing loss), there is nothing negative about music exposure – it’s all good!

At the…heart of the matter are several scientific studies showing that music can actually boost your cardiovascular health.

How exactly does this work? Before we answer this question, let us give you a very brief tutorial. Long-term stress wreaks havoc not only on our nervous system but also, doctors tell us, on the heart. For example, over time chronic stress may increase the heart rate and blood pressure, unleashing the so-called “stress hormones” like cortisol and adrenaline into the body. All these factors could weaken the heart, causing heart attacks, strokes, and other medical conditions.

Music to the rescue

Now for the good news: studies have shown that music is one of the best de-stressors around.

However, let us make it perfectly clear: music alone can’t prevent cardiovascular disease or stave off heart attacks. A tobacco-free lifestyle, which also includes regular exercise and sensible eating habits, is the basis of a strong and healthy heart. We thought it would be important to emphasize this point.

Back to music: just as stress tends to emit harmful hormones into the body, exposure to music releases some powerful substances of its own: endorphin and serotonin. They are known as “feel-good” hormones because they effectively reduce stress and anxiety; playing or listening to music has been shown in studies to maximize the output of these stress-busting hormones.

That’s why many hospitals use music therapy to help their patients recover. At the famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, music is played for heart patients to help them reduce post-op stress, tension, and anxiety.

Just what the doctor ordered

You might be wondering what kind of music is best for your heart.

Let’s put it this way: any music that you enjoy playing or listening to will be beneficial. Generally speaking, classical music is great, but so are jazz, blues, and even rock, if that’s your thing.

However, researchers at Sanford University found that that being exposed to the same music over and over again decreased its beneficial effects on the body, so mix it up – play or listen to different tunes. By the same token, if you don’t like a particular style of music, don’t listen to it because doing so will increase, rather than diminish, stress. And that would be the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish!

Music as you like it

We at Hey Joe Guitar care about your heart – and ours. That is why we make our Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Riverdale music lessons easy and convenient.

Not only do our teachers come right to your home or office, but we also offer a wide variety of instruments – guitar, piano, drums – whatever, wherever, and however you like it.

Any music that pulls on your heartstrings can be yours for the asking!

Photo by Scott Wilson

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Welcome to 2015! We don’t know about you, but to us the New Year feels – at least so far – pretty much the same as 2014. And while the “old” year is still fresh in our minds, let’s go back in time and revisit the music highlights of 2014.

As you know, the music scene is not static; as a matter of fact, it changes so quickly – not just from one year to another but also from month to month – that someone who is not an all-out music fan may not be able to keep up with all the developments.

Ask yourself this: do I remember which songs topped the pop music charts in 2013? More than likely, the answer is “NO!” Let us refresh your memory: that year’s top three songs on Billboard magazine’s list were “We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgrave’s “Follow Your Arrow,” and “Royals” by Lorde. If this seems like ancient history, it is, at least by the standards of the fast-evolving and ever-changing music industry.

The 2014 hit parade

You may have better luck remembering last year’s hits. But if not, we are here to remind you which songs reached the top of the charts and made the proverbial “killing” in 2014.

The first on the “Official Top 40 Most streamed Songs of 2014” is “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne, followed by Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” , and, in the third place, John Legend’s “All of Me” .

Last year’s biggest selling artist albums are: “X” by Ed Sheeran, “In the Lonely Hour,” by Sam Smith, and Coldplay’s “Ghost Stories.” However, interestingly enough, Forbes magazine points out that “in 2014, not a single artist’s album has gone platinum.” Only one album “has managed to sell over a million copies:” the ever-popular Frozen soundtrack.

Enquiring minds want to know: what songs and artists will be most popular in 2015? We promise to update you…a year from now!

We are not quick-change artists!

As we mentioned, music industry is in a constant whirl – what’s “in” today may very well be “out” tomorrow. You may be wondering whether anything in life, other than death and taxes, remains the same – always present and always dependable.

Thankfully, some things never waver. Our music lessons and teachers are impervious to all the changes in the music charts. Therefore, when one of our teachers comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, you can expect the highest quality of instruction – year after year.

Whether they teach the guitar, trumpet, or any other instrument, these talented folks are always “hot” and “trendy.”

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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Hey Joe Guitar might be one of NYC’s top guitar schools, but that doesn’t mean we have no other interests. We do – and we are especially fond of gripping “whodunit” mysteries.

Recently, we came upon a news report that caught our attention. It’s about a Mozart museum in Vienna putting on an exhibit focusing on whether Antonio Salieri had really murdered Mozart – as many people believe.

The article inspired us to look into other music mysteries, which, like the one surrounding Mozart and Salieri, remain unsolved to this day.

Carrying their secrets to the grave

Let’s start with Mozart. Did the Italian composer Salieri poisoned his more famous rival, as the 1984 movie, “Amadeus” suggested? Rumors of intentional poisoning started circulating soon after Mozart’s untimely death at 36 and, in fact, Salieri had allegedly confessed to the act. All this, however, is speculation based on diverging reports, and there is no evidence to prove (or disprove) Salieri’s guilt.

As a matter of fact, there are several different variants of what (or who) might have killed Mozart – including kidney failure, rheumatic fever, and eating bad pork chops – but no definite answer. One thing we are fairly sure of is that the butler didn’t do it.

The plot thickens…

The mystery around Mozart’s death has captured the public’s imagination the most, but it is certainly not the only one. Here are just a few of other unresolved music whodunits:

• Baroque violinist Jean-Marie Leclair was stabbed to death in Paris in 1764. The suspects included his ex-wife and nephew, but that’s all we know.

• Another famous composer whose death is shrouded in mystery is Peter Tchaikovsky, who died in 1893 at age 53. The official cause listed was cholera, but there were some suspicions that Russia’s ruling Tsar had something to do with Tchaikovsky’s demise. We’ll probably never find out what really happened to the composer of “The Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker.”

Enquiring minds want to know…

You might be thinking by now that all the music mysteries relate to suspicious deaths. True, some of them do, including the one about Baroque composer Alessandro Stradella, who was stabbed to death in 1682 but his killer was never found.

Still, there are some mysteries that are not about death at all, but rather about puzzling events associated with renowned composers or pieces of music. For instance, questions are still raised about the identity of Beethoven’s “immortal beloved” to whom the composer sent a love letter in 1812. Or where the 16th century English composer Thomas Tallis was buried – the site remains unknown to this day.

There are also other intriguing music facts that are still inexplicable.

What about mysteries that have been solved at last? Let’s fast-forward to the 20th century, 1972 to be exact. There had been a long-running speculation about who was the subject of Carly Simon’s hit, “You’re so vain.”

The usual list of suspects included past boyfriends Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, and Kris Kristofferson, among others. In 2010, Carly finally shed light on a nearly four-decade-old secret: the “vain” man she sang about was record producer David Geffen. We really didn’t see this coming!

We have nothing to hide!

Here’s one fact that is NOT a secret: the excellence of our New York City music teachers.

Whatever instrument or music style you’d like to learn, a competent instructor will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and give you personalized lessons.

There’s no mystery about that at all!

Photo by: Celisa B.M.Serra

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You may not have realized it (unless you are a history buff), but 2014 marked the centenary of the beginning of the Great War, aka World War I (1914 – 1918).

Why are we talking about this historical event in a music blog? That’s because we just came across a very interesting article published by the National Public Radio (NPR) that talks, very compellingly, about the music created during that time, and how it reflects the moods of musicians caught up in this devastating conflict.

As the article notes, “The extraordinary level of destruction inspired them in myriad ways. Some composers captured the war’s violence while others seemed to counteract it by writing music that soothed.”

We’d like to share with you some of the music composed during and after this terrible war (which, unfortunately, wasn’t the last one).

Music from the trenches

Ravel’s “Le tombeau de Couperin” During the war, the French composer drove a truck near the front at Verdun. The six-movement “Le tombeau de Couperin” is dedicated to Ravel’s six friends killed in the war.

Welsh lyricist and composer Ivor Novello wrote a heart-tugging song, “Keep the Homes Fires Burning (Till the Boys Come Home”) in 1915. Irish tenor John McCormack recorded the song in 1917.

Perhaps the best known WWI song on this side of the Big Pond was composed by New Yorker George M. Cohan, whose statue graces the Times Square. “Over There” “Over There” was written two days after President Wilson declared war on Germany; according to the NPR article, it was “a morale booster, an incentive for men to enlist and the first in a string of patriotic hits that later earned Cohan a Congressional Gold Medal.”

These and other songs, though from another era, beautifully express the emotions and perspectives of those who participated in the war or observed it first-hand.

And even many decades after the war ended, composers continued to commemorate this event, which forever re-shaped the landscape of Europe. One such example is the 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, Silent Night by Kevin Puts.

We come to you in peace!

Obviously, our Hey Joe Guitar teachers are much too young to remember the wars our country had fought in, but they can certainly relate to heart-felt music, whether written during the war(s) or in peacetime.

What is most important to you is that our Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale teachers can relay their love of music to each student, so that your child will have the best instruction possible – no matter what instrument he or she plays.

Photo by The Happy Rower

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‘Tis the season of “fa la la la la, la la la,” and chances are you too are belting out, or at least humming to, some Christmas tunes. Whether it’s about rocking around the Christmas tree, decking the halls with boughs of holly, riding through the woods in a one-horse open sleigh, or poor grandma getting run over by a reindeer, these traditional songs are an integral part of the holidays.

But wait: have you ever wondered what interesting and maybe even wacky tales are behind the most popular Christmas carols? No? Well then, read on…

Holly Jolly Christmas

Sure you know all the seasonal standards, but – do you REALLY? Here’s a list of some curious facts about Christmas music you may have missed along the way:

Christmas is a Christian holiday, but many of the most popular tunes are the creation of Jewish songwriters and composers. For example, the music and lyrics of “White Christmas,” the most recorded Christmas song in history, were written by Irving Berlin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJSUT8Inl14&w=500&rel=0

Johnny Marks was the prolific songwriter of “Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and “Run Rudolph Run”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xNuUEnh2g&w=500&rel=0

“I’ll be Home For Christmas”, was composed by Walter Kent; “Winter Wonderland” is the creation of Felix Bernard; and “The Christmas Song”, was composed by Mel Torme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE8D52xD4uw&w=500&rel=0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOszvL9lgSs&w=500&rel=0

And don’t think that Jewish composers are behind only the 20th century’s crop of songs – the music to “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, was composed in 1840 by Felix Mendelssohn. In fact, there is something very interesting about this particular piece of music. Read on to find out!

Stories behind the songs

“Hark the Herald Angels Sing” has been a traditional Christmas carol for more than 170 years, but Mendelssohn actually composed this cantata – to the lyrics written in the previous century by a Methodist cleric Charles Wesley – to commemorate Johann Guttenberg’s invention of the printing press. Why a prominent composer would mark an invention that had occurred 400 years earlier with a religious song, we do not know. But whatever the reason is, we are happy that he gave the world this wonderful carol, which is still a part of Christmas repertoire all these years later.

Hang on – there are more fascinating facts out there. For instance, “Jingle Bells”, one of the most popular holiday songs, is not about Christmas at all; it was originally written for the Thanksgiving celebrations.

Another typical song is “Do You Hear What I Hear?” You’d THINK it’s a Christmas tune, but in reality, it is a peace song, inspired by the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad7KU9bCTAM&w=500&rel=0

And there is a sweet “awwww” moment associated with the above-mentioned “I’ll be Home For Christmas:” Gemini 7 astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell asked to have this song played for them while they were in space. Their wish did come true: they returned to Earth on December 18, 1965, after two weeks spent in orbit.

Comfort and joy – in your home

We are happy to share with you all these fascinating tidbits and hope they have inspired you to further explore the world of music – Christmas and otherwise. Do you want to be a little drummer boy (or girl)? Or perhaps you’d like to start guitar or piano lessons or, for that matter, learn to play any other instrument in the convenience of your own home or office?

Contact us and one of our wonderful NYC music teachers will appear at your doorstep, whether you live in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale. With music in your life, you’ll never have a “Blue Christmas!”

Photo by The Dolly Mama

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