If learning an instrument is important to you, it is critical that you make time for practice. Here are some tips for making the most out of your practice time 🙂

• Make a schedule of all of your activities to find the down time you might not have considered. You’ll be surprised at how much free time you may have.
• Something as simple as scanning over your music before bed and/or after waking up can increase familiarity with your music, thus making your next practice session a little easier.
• Try picking up your instrument and running through your practice material during the commercials of your favorite TV show.
• Turn your phone off! Doing so increases attention span and focus for practice.
• Recording your practice sessions enables you to go back and listen, helping you to identify the things you need work on and appreciate the things you excel at!
• Always challenge yourself! If you have accomplished your assigned homework, don’t be afraid to accelerate forward.
• Even just imagining how to play your exercises in your head can help build familiarity while away from your instrument and music.
• Remember that practice alone doesn’t make perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect. Be cognizant of how you practice to ensure you aren’t learning improper technique or instilling incorrect patterns.
• ALWAYS be patient with yourself. Sometimes it can frustrating learning a new piece that seems overly challenging, and in those moments, it is wise to take a step back to breathe before diving into the piece again. Music is rarely mastered quickly.
• Start slow! We all want to immediately play as quick as possible because playing fast is fun but starting slow lets us recognize more than just the notes and rhythms. It helps make the music in front of us sound, well, MUSICAL!!

Keep these few tips in mind and soon you shall notice great strides of improvement in your playing!

 

 

 

Music is Medically Powerful

“We are just starting to understand how powerful music can be. We don’t know what the limits are.” says Michael De Georgia, director of the Center for Music and Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He leads

1. A team of Canadian researchers found that playing music to preemies reduced their pain levels and encouraged better feeding habits, which in turn helped with weight-gain. This is now common practice in many NICU’s.

2. Listening to and playing music increases the body’s production of the antibody immunoglobulin A and cells that attack invading viruses and boost the immune system’s effectiveness.

3. Doctors are currently working to develop “dosable” and “prescribable” music therapy and music as medicine protocols that serve specific neurologic functions and attend to deficits that result from many neurologically based conditions.

Music Has Power over Performance

4. Listening to music during sports training can boost athletic performance by up to 20 percent. (That’s roughly equal to the boost some athletes experience from illegal performance-enhancing drugs… except exposure to music doesn’t show up on a drug test.)

5. When given a rhythm to walk or dance to, the beat serves as a footstep cue for the brain, allowing people with neurological damage caused by stroke or Parkinson’s disease to often regain a symmetrical stride and a sense of balance.

6. Lifelong musicians process sound better than non-musicians. A 70-year-old musician understands speech in a noisy environment as well as a 50-year-old non-musician.

7. Kids with regular music education score significantly higher, especially on vocabulary tests.

Music Has Power over People

8. Playing music from a specific region boosts sales of products from that region. (Playing French music boosts sales of French wine in liquor stores, etc.)

9. Fancy venues often play music that young folks don’t like to discourage loitering because music impacts teenagers’ attitudes and behavior. When the brain hears something it dislikes, it suppresses dopamine, (the pleasure chemical) and as teenagers’ moods fall, they go elsewhere to find something to bring it back up.

10. Shops often play background music to encourage spending in their stores. Classical music produces a higher level of sales than top 40 music, no matter the age of the customer. The interesting twist is that no more items were sold but instead, the customers opted for more expensive items when listening to classical music.

Music Junkie Camp is just around the corner! This year, we’re offering two week options: June 19-23 and July 17-21.

Both camps are Monday through Friday from   9am to 2pm. 

For Ages : 4 (potty trained) – 16 years old. (Campers will be split into groups based on age and skill level)

 

Pricing at sign up: 

Before March 1: $250.00 per camper          Before April 1: $265.00 per camper

Before May 1: $275.00 per camper               Before June 1: $300.00 per camper

50% Due at sign up. Remainder due by the first day of camp. Deposit non refundable, but may be applied to the other camp week.

Campers will be exposed to many different types of modern music, play and learn about different types of instruments, and participate in a performance at 1pm on Friday!

Campers will need to bring a sack lunch each day. Water and light snacks will be provided.

 

 

 

Merry Happy Christmas Hanukkah Kwanzaa, Music Junkies!

The holidays are a busy time for everyone, especially musicians! Pull out your calendars and make sure to take note of the following:

1.) Music Junkie Winter Jam

Our students will be performing the holiday music they’ve been practicing for MONTHS!  Be sure to bring friends and family, because just like ALL Music Junkie Student Performances, the concert will be FREE ADMISSION. 

Friday, Dec. 23rd at the Winehaus on Park Place.  4:00PM-6:30PM

2.) Holiday hours

We will be open during regular business hours except for Saturdays, Dec. 24th and Dec. 31st. If you plan on missing lessons, please give us a call ASAP so we can schedule a make-up lesson!

3.) Holiday giftcard sale

Give the gift of music this year! Right now we’re offering $10 off Music Junkie Giftcards through Friday, Dec. 23!  Use code GIVEMUSIC at online checkout or stop in to the store and mention the promo.

As always, thank you sincerely for your support and business. We LOVE our clients! See you at Winter Jam!

-K