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The Joy of Spontaneous Expression
Do you remember finger-painting as a child? How fun it was. How exciting to be able to dip your fingers into a color that called out to you and put it on paper. The excitement of it all came from the feeling that you were an explorer, looking into uncharted territories of your own creative source. Now music can be that way too! All that is necessary is to understand that you don't need any special talent or ability to create music with. Two chords are enough to begin experiencing the joy of spontaneous expression. In the lesson "Oriental Sunrise" we have 2 chords to play around with. And two chords are more than enough to create with The problem that most adults have is the ability to relinquish control. They want to be able to make decisions and direct the music to where they want it to go. And of course, they lose the ability to create. Why? Because they believe they must make decisions as to what notes to play, what chords, how fast, etc. It can be very threatening for some to allow for "mistakes." Many adults feel that they must be perfect. But it is this perfectionism that destroys the spirit and stops any creative impetus dead in its tracks. The solution to all of this is to remember the finger-painting child within each of us. Each of us knows intuitively what colors call to us the most. The key is to be able to trust that intuition, and let it guide you! Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic .com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!
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The Dos and Donts of Getting Your Child to Love Learning an Instrument We all know that music can be inspiring, entertaining, and exhilarating. There are few things more enjoyable than listening to good music. If you're lucky enough to be able to play a musical instrument, you know the joy that can come from strumming those strings, tapping those keys, or blowing those reeds. It's immeasurable. But, with all the amazing aspects of music, why is it such a struggle to get your child to enjoy learning how to play an instrument? Some children naturally enjoy the learning process, while others rally against it like it with all their will. Good News for the Musically Untalented Have you ever been told that you were good at something but not good enough to make it a career or life ambition? Especially with music, if you're passion is music you are hopelessly outnumbered right from the beginning. "You better have a back-up job" or "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" are common refrains heard from well meaning adults who inadvertently had their dreams crushed out of them. Play Piano in the New Age Style It's not what you play, it's how you play it. These words summarize the art of piano playing in general and New Age piano playing in particular. You could take 2 chords, and, if you were in the moment and in flow, communicate the utmost emotion and power. Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter? Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to play a musical instrument make your brain grow larger than normal? RIAA Files Second Wave of Lawsuits The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a second wave of lawsuits against users of internet2 (a specialized high speed version of the internet that makes it ideal for file sharing). By adding 20 new schools to the list, RIAA has greatly expanded the number of students involved in the case. Anglican Arrogance: Small-Minded Choirmembers What is "Episcopal" music? Health and Beauty Tips for Your Brass: Keep It Shiny! Did you know that the health and beauty of your brass instruments require extra special attention? It's true-their wellbeing and happiness depend upon it. While we're not talking about putting your tuba on a weight-loss program or taking your trumpet to the spa for a makeover, you do need to treat your brass instruments with care or they'll refuse to come out and play. So, grab that brass and get ready for a workout-it's time to clean! What All Do I Have to Know to be a Really Good Piano Player? Many students ask me a question that goes something like this: "What all do I have to know to be a really good piano player?" Music & Emotions: Can Music Really Make You a Happier Person? How many times have you turned to music to uplift you even further in happy times, or sought the comfort of music when melancholy strikes? Composing George Winston Style If you're a fan of New Age piano, no doubt you've listened to some of George Winston's music. What I find fascinating about his songs is how he creates them. Most improvisers/composers start with the melody, usually because it's the easiest way to begin. 6 Tips for Organizing Your Music Files If you're a digital music fan, you probably have problems organizing your music file collection. For me, I used to have hundreds of MP3 files lumped in one folder in my hard drive. Can you imagine the pain I had to go through to find one specific tune to listen to? The Ostinato - What It is and How to Use It Ostinato means "repeating pattern" and is used frequently in all types of music. For New Age piano players, it provides a great way to lay down the background of the piece while the right-hand improvises a melody! Home Run Gigs Are you still playing your heart out to small audiences on gigs at unappreciative dives (excuse me, I meant to say nightclubs) that feel paying you a couple of hundred dollars for a 3-4 hour gig is also paying you about $150 too much? Getting the Best Performance From Your Artist So now you've decided to record your songs. Good for you, except that you will need people to play the instruments for which your music calls for. If you can play all the instruments on your own, then all the better. You will have less people to argue with! Other wise, you will have to hire (read: bribe with beer/food/hockey tickets) session musicians and vocalists to play and sing for you, putting you in the producer's chair. Learning the Piano and Playing the Piano Many piano students spend much time learning how to play the piano. Years upon years of study time devoted to perfecting technique, tone, dynamics, etc. All the while, many of these same students have never really played the piano. That is, they have spent their time practicing in preparation for the moment when they can "perform" for others. Creating Caverns - an Improvisation Exercise In a recent post to my Yahoo group, I mentioned that I created the piece "Caverns" using one chord. I'd like to explain how I accomplished this. Getting Rhythm - Three Tips for Guitar Beginners If you are just starting out learning guitar one of the hardest things can be getting a good rhythm and keeping that rhythm going while you change chords with your left hand. Is it Possible to Download Music Legally Anymore? Throughout the past few years downloading music on the internet has increased in popularity. At the same time though, it has become illegal through many companies to download music as musicians and artists have been losing money on their CD sales. With many people being sued in the past couple years for downloading music, is it really possible to download music legally anymore? If so, at what price will it cost you to download music? If Setting The Gain Correctly is So Important, Why Dont Mic Preamplifiers Have Meters? When you first learn how to use a mixing console, you will be shown how to set the gain. Your instructor - either in audio school or in the workplace - will emphasize the importance of this and kick your ass every time you get it wrong, until you can't do anything other than get it right. Say Something The music of Rush influences and inspires, at least that's what it's done for me over the past 25 years. Now, the question is, is the music that powerful, or am I just too easy to inspire? Both I guess.
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