We interviewed students from the Symphonic Youth Orchestra of Greater Indianapolis and asked them to tell us a few of their favorite things about being in band or orchestra.
Common goals, relationships, and making beautiful music were just a few of the answers that they gave. Check out the video below to hear all of what they had to say.
Over the summer of 2018 we visited the Symphonic Youth Orchestra to interview some of their students. We were curious to find out how music has influenced them throughout their school careers, as well as how it has prepared them for the future. Our interview for today is with Ethan Lehman from Fishers High School. Take just a few minutes to get to know him and how music has made a difference in his life.
A big thank you to Shawn Goodman and the rest of the staff at the Symphonic Youth Orchestra. To learn more about the SYO please visit their website at https://www.syogi.org.
The staff spotlight for June is a montage of past spotlights answering the question, “What’s your favorite thing about working at Paige’s Music?” Cake, coffee, and friends are a few of our favorite things. Watch below to hear all the answers!
“Students of all ages – that includes adults – generally find that music helps them focus more clearly on the task at hand and puts them in a better mood for learning.”
In the summer of 2012 I attended the Skidmore Jazz Institute in New York where I had the privilege of working with some of my biggest musical heroes. In addition to coaching and classes with greats like Pat LaBarbera and Todd Coolman I was also able to study privately with Curtis Fuller and Jim Pugh.
The article below is written by Mr. Alex Keim, band director, at Noblesville East Middle School. When we asked him if we could post it here, he mentioned “It is geared toward 6th grade band, but it is definitely applicable to all middle school students returning to 7th or 8th grade.” We felt like it was great advice that all middle school band and orchestra students could benefit from.
Research indicates the brain of a musician, even a young one, works differently than that of a nonmusician. “There’s some good neuroscience research that children involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training. When you’re a musician and you’re playing an instrument, you have to be using more of your brain.”
Regina in Encore Orchestral Strings has some great advice for all of the string players out there. Keep reading!
We’re approaching the time of year where temperatures are averaging above 75 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity levels in Indiana. We all know that cold winters present it’s own challenges, but the summer heat can create just as many issues. Wood is an organic material that will always react to the temperature, which is why we have to be careful about where the instrument is being stored.
We have seen fingerboards come unglued, necks pop out of place, and varnish essentially melt. With the high levels of humidity and scorching temperatures that we endure in Indiana, you want to be careful with how you store your instrument and where it is being stored. One of the most common scenarios that we hear about from our customers involves leaving an instrument in the car on a hot summer day.
No matter what the temperature outside is, it is safest to bring the instrument inside with you wherever you are. We recently had a cello come in that suffered quite a bit of cosmetic damage due to it being left in a hot car for an extended amount of time. Not only was the varnish ruined by the heat, but the cello itself was stuck to the inside of the case which caused even more damage to the back of the instrument. My best advice to give is to keep your instrument close to you… if you’re uncomfortable with the temperature where your instrument is being stored, more than likely the instrument is uncomfortable too!
Have a look to see what an excessive amount of heat can do to a cello:
