Take Care Of Your Instrument This Summer

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 No Comments

repair-brad

In our last blog post we mentioned that now is a good time to get your instrument serviced. However with schools out and possibly no summer program going on it can be difficult to get your instrument in to the shop when you live a distance away. Here are a couple of tips for those of you this effects.

Brass instruments – At the very least make sure you grease up the tuning slides and move them in and out a few times to spread the grease around. Keep the valves oiled and make sure you get the instrument out from time to time to move the valves and slides around. Clean your mouthpiece out!

Woodwind instruments – On reed instruments make sure you take the reed off the mouthpiece and clean it out with some mild liquid detergent soap and lukewarm water (not hot!). On flutes you can also clean out the headjoint (not the main body) with some mild liquid detergent soap and lukewarm water (not hot!). Be careful to not move the head crown assembly or it will have to be reset.

String instruments – Make sure and let the tension off on the bow to keep the hair from stretching. Use a soft cloth and wipe the rosin off the top. Do not try and use generic home cleaners as they may damage the finish.

These tips and more are covered under our “care and maintenance” videos which you will find on our website and in previous blog posts.

Above all make sure the instrument is stored in a dry climate controlled area. Too much heat and/or moisture can cause mildew and mold in just a short time.

As always, please contact us if you have any questions.

Music Skills Are Vital

Monday, June 13, 2016 No Comments

The skills gained through sequential music instruction, including discipline and the ability to analyze, solve problems, communicate and work cooperatively, are vital for success in the 21st century workplace.

~ U.S. House of Representatives, Concurrent Resolution 355, March 6, 2006

The Arts Enrich

Thursday, June 9, 2016 No Comments

“In the push for quality math, science, technical, humanities, and other programs, please be sure that the arts are not ignored or pushed to one side. Provide your political support for the total curriculum. The arts enrich all of us.”

~ Dr. Richard Miller, Executive Director American Association of School Administrators

Urban Play by the Buffet Group

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 No Comments

urban-play-post

As one of the premier manufacturers of wind instruments, there is a great deal of knowledge and craftsmanship behind the music of the Buffet Group. With all of this expertise, the Buffet Group created the free, fun app: Urban Play.

Urban Play gives the user the opportunity to play along with some of the top musicians including Camille Chapelliere (Clarinet), Regis Moreau (Flute), Al Naniscalco (Saxophone), Fabien Cyprien (Trombone), Michael Rambaud (Trumpet), and many more world class musicians!

All of the playable tracks come in different difficulties and you can start at any point in the track and utilize either just the accompaniment and/or the soloist music track. Another great feature of the app it includes the opportunity for improvisation over a background groove.

Every instrument track is performed by a professional musician so you can not only play along, but have a guide for the musicality and tone to strive for!

Urban Groove is available for iPad and iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/urban-play/id886668420?mt=8) and Android 4.1 or higher (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.buffet_group.UrbanPlay).

Music Provides Freedom

Monday, June 6, 2016 No Comments

“Teens indicate making music provides the freedom for teens to just be themselves; to be different; to be something they thought they could never be; to be comfortable and relaxed in school and elsewhere in their lives.”

~ Shehan Campbell, Patricia. Adolescents’ Expressed Meanings of Music In and Out of School

Music Is The Easiest Means In Which To Express

Thursday, June 2, 2016 No Comments

“I would say that music is the easiest means in which to express, but since words are my talent, I must try to express clumsily in words what the pure music would have done better.”

~ William Faulkner

David Owen – Staff Spotlight

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 No Comments

This month’s staff spotlight is on David Owen. David is our purchasing manager and has been with Paige’s since the early 80’s. He has a unique perspective on just how much things have changed since he started.

 

Plato Would Teach Music

Monday, May 30, 2016 No Comments

“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”

~ Plato