Music Is Freaking Magical

Monday, March 21, 2016 No Comments
“Music is freakin’ magical. In 40-some years I have never gotten over it — you take some seemingly random marks on a page, you blow air through a carefully constructed tube, and what comes out the other side is a sound that can convey things that words cannot. And you just blow air through a tube. Or pull on a string. Or whack something. And while we can do a million random things with a million random objects, somehow, when we just blow some air through a tube, we create sounds that can move other human beings, can reach right into our brains and our hearts. That is freakin’ magical.”
~ Peter Greene, “Stop ‘defending’ music education,” The Huffington Post, June 11, 2015.

Music Is About Communication, Creativity and Cooperation

Friday, March 18, 2016 No Comments
“Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and by studying music in schools, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.”
~ Bill Clinton, Former President of the United States

Music Education Opens Doors

Thursday, March 17, 2016 No Comments
“Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them – a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.”
~ Gerald Ford, Former President of the United States

10 Tips From Our Repair Shop II

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 No Comments

We posted these tips once before on this blog, but they’re still relevant so we’re posting them again!

mouthpiece-puller

  1. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. It is best to have your instrument serviced regularly in order to keep it in good playing condition. We recommend at least once a year but twice is better. Especially for woodwind instruments. With all their intricate key work and pads/corks that wear out from just regular use they need a little more TLC.
  2. The hole in the bottom of a brass instrument piston IS NOT for a screwdriver or a pencil! It is a vent hole and sticking anything in there is liable to damage the port in the piston and cause a more expensive repair.
  3. We pull stuck mouthpieces for FREE. However, we do charge to re-install mouthpipes. When in doubt…..let us do it. (Pictured above)
  4. When wiping off your flute or piccolo to keep it nice and shiny be careful to not rub the edges of the pads. The pads are covered with a thin membrane which tears very easily leading to an earlier than normal complete repadding.
  5. Bari saxes do not bounce! Not really a repair tip but more along our amazement of the condition of the bari saxes that come in for repair.
  6. When an instrument gets wet from one of Mother Natures surprises just carefully wipe it off and then let it air dry completely before putting it back in the case. Putting it back in the case wet can lead to mold/mildew and major problems
  7. Never use alcohol to clean an instrument. It can damage the finish on string, brass and woodwind instruments.
  8. One UN-repaired solder joint…… leads to another.
  9. Extend the life of your bow hair by releasing the tension on the hair after rehearsals and concerts.
  10. Completely filled out repair tags are our umbilical cord to the customer. Without a telephone number we can not call. Without an address we can not send a postcard. If specific problems are not notated we may not find them.

We Study Politics So Our Children Can Study The Arts

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 No Comments
“I must study politics and war, that my sons may study mathematics and philosophy…in order to give their children the right to study painting, poetry, music and architecture.”
~ John Q. Adams

Participation In The Arts Improves Concentration And Focus

Monday, March 14, 2016 No Comments
“The ability to focus is a key skill developed through ensemble work. Keeping a balance between listening and contributing involves a great deal of concentration and focus. It requires each participant to not only think about their role, but how their role contributes to the big picture of what is being created. Recent research has shown that participation in the arts improves children’s abilities to concentrate and focus in other aspects of their lives.”
~ Lisa Phillips, “The artistic edge: 7 skills children need to succeed in an increasingly right brain world,” ARTSblog, Americans for the Arts, 2013.

Music Teaches Perseverance

Friday, March 11, 2016 No Comments
“When a child picks up a violin for the first time, she/he knows that playing Bach right away is not an option; however, when that child practices, learns the skills and techniques and doesn’t give up, that Bach concerto is that much closer. In an increasingly competitive world, where people are being asked to continually develop new skills, perseverance is essential to achieving success.”
~ Lisa Phillips, “The artistic edge: 7 skills children need to succeed in an increasingly right brain world,” ARTSblog, Americans for the Arts, 2013.

Music Helps Kids Practice Creative Thinking

Thursday, March 10, 2016 No Comments
“Being able to think on your feet, approach tasks from different perspectives and think ‘outside of the box’ will distinguish your child from others. In an arts program, your child will be asked to recite a monologue in 6 different ways, create a painting that represents a memory, or compose a new rhythm to enhance a piece of music. If children have practice thinking creatively, it will come naturally to them now and in their future career.”
~ Lisa Phillips, “The artistic edge: 7 skills children need to succeed in an increasingly right brain world,” ARTSblog, Americans for the Arts, 2013.