Tag: MPR

dear students

Thursday Music Class: String’s Club Special

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Dear Students,
Just because we can’t have in real life practices doesn’t mean that we should be putting ensemble practice to the side. I’m working on a set of lessons we can do together that will help our group play skills, and this mini project is a hint at things to come.

MPR has their new daily music lesson up, and I was thrilled to see that its focus connects to some of the things we had been discussing in our February rehearsals. Do you remember when we played tag with a solo? One member played a measure from a piece of music, at at the following measure, the next musician had to be ready to take over – repeating through the group until the entire song had been played. The goal was to make it sound like one one instrument was playing instead of (in our case) five by matching the rate of decay for each last note in a measure. It was a really great exercise in reading music, counting together and listening carefully to match the tone and volume of the other players. What you might not know is that we were also experimenting with melodic contouring – the shape that is created with a line of music.

Today’s assignment = head over to the MPR lesson on Melodic Contouring. Take a careful look at the line drawings they posted, then pick one of the listening samples. Create a basic line doodle of what you think the melodic contour of your chosen clip looks like. Take a picture and send it to me. (Make sure your song title is on your doodle so I know which clip to listen to!) Then – and this is the really fun part! – get ready to see how visual artists get creative with melodic contouring.

There is a growing movement of animators to create line riders – tiny cartoon characters that ride a line of music. A year ago there was barely a handful of videos on YouTube and it was strictly classical music. At this point, there are line riders for pop songs, techno, soft rock, and even the mashups made popular by The Piano Guys. The ability to see the shape of music changes the way we hear it, as well as how we play it.
Watch the video for Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King and leave me a comment telling me if you thought the animator did an accurate representation of the music with their line drawing. Remember that harmony and rhythm combined with the melody make a three dimensional shape, so remember to listen to how the piece changes around the melody as you watch the line move.

I can’t wait to see what you create!
Miss Cara

PS – Bonus tip: sometimes the melodic contour can be a hint as to the quality of music. Think about the shape of one of the songs on your current play list – is it complex or is it simple? Is it repetitive or is it varied?

dear students

Monday Music Class

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While we’re waiting for MPR to release today’s music lesson, we can catch up on the Dance Party we missed yesterday. What a fun way to start the week! Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite classical piece in the lesson was and if you’re working on any dance music for your lesson. (This is almost a trick question – almost all music can be danced to, but which pieces in your lesson assignment were written specifically for dance?)

Monday morning also seems like a good time to lay out some expectations for practice under the absence of formal class schedules. So as an encouraging note to students, especially mine: homework is important, but so is lesson practice. Social distancing is an opportunity to catch up progress in music lessons that was delayed during the finish of the winter sports season. I’m very sorry that spring sports have been put on hold and extra curricular activities have been canceled because I know how much you enjoy them – but know that outside of dire circumstances (the kind where emergency calls are made and lessons are canceled) I will not be accepting “I didn’t have time” as the reason you didn’t practice. Every student, no matter their age or level of advancement, should have no problem practicing consistently for 30 minutes every day this week. (Notice I said practicing: this is intentional effort to improve your lesson material, not time spent experimenting with YouTube videos which is that is playing. Play is important, too, but needs to take secondary priority to practice.) I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes practice isn’t fun and doesn’t seem like it gets us very far very fast. But getting good at the basics is what makes music extra fun later; it is what lays the foundation for all those hard things we wish we could do now. Practice, even when it isn’t fun, is well worth the effort.

I don’t agree with Yoda’s insistence that the only options are “Do or do not – there is no try”. Try is how we learn. So keep trying students! If you are putting full effort into your practice you are going to be amazed by your progress when you compare where you are now to where you were in September!

You know where I am if you need me. You are always welcome to send me a text or a message on Google Hangouts if you get frustrated with part of your assignment, or you need just a little bit more to do. 🙂 I’m here to help.

students

Friday Fun

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Minnesota Public Radio has today’s music lesson up, and it is so much fun! Different sound techniques makes music richer and paints a more vivid picture. MPR put together sound clips and videos that highlight the difference between arco (using the bow to create sound) and pizzacato (plucking the strings with fingers) on string instruments. My challenge for my students today is to take one of the solo pieces you’re working on and adapt a section by utilizing pizzacato even if it isn’t specified. Leave me a comment and tell me which piece you chose, where you moved from arco to pizzacato, and how you think it changed the song as a whole. Be specific – and have fun!

Uncategorized

Believe it or not . . .

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. . . moving violin lessons to an online platform works surprisingly well. I haven’t quite gotten my studio re-set for the transition of working from home again, but technology has come a long way since the last time I experimented with this platform of connecting with and encouraging students.

I strongly believe that music is a good coping mechanism for uncertainty, it is therapeutic, and any degree of stability and normality I can bring to this unusual situation will (I hope) be seen as a benefit to the students. Online lessons may not be ideal, but they will maintain forward motion and a community connection that is becoming increasingly important.

I am also convinced that the music that shapes our environment is a key component to our general outlook. I’ve found that streaming Minnesota Public Radio’s classical station during my work hours has made a distinct impact on my ability to focus as well as remain calm in stressful situations.
When Minnesota’s governor announced the temporary closure of all schools, MPR launched a new page dedicated to musical activities for students – Classical Kids Music Lessons. There is a current backlog of about four music themed activities and each one explores a different idea connected to music. (I will be utilizing their lessons to review specific concepts with my students in the next few days.)

MPR’s Classical station also has a wonderful selection of live-streams to integrate music into your day. I tend to gravitate toward their classical stream, but they also have a choral stream, or relaxing piano music. And just for fun, they have a program called Friday Favorites at 3:00 p.m. where you can request your favorite classical pieces . . . which I might have done on behalf of the Double Sharp Strings Club. Listen in tomorrow and see if our request gets played on air!