Spring Into Music

Ah, spring..the vernal equinox. A time of rebirth and growth. Plants are sprouting, the air is warm and the sun shines bright. This weather makes me want to sing, outside and out loud. How about you?

Music soothes the soul, awakens the spirit and keeps the mind agile. Ever thought of taking up an instrument? How about singing lessons? This time of year, we see a good amount of seasoned adults coming in to learn a new skill or hone one that has been laying dormant. Can we help you do the same?

Meet Adam Kelly, our newest hire. Adam is an accomplished singer, guitarist, and music business consultant. He worked in the industry for many years as back up singer for Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie. Adam works on Monday, Thursday and Friday. He is available for both beginners and more advanced students.

Is piano or organ more your interest? Meet Colin Bradley. Colin comes to us via the Daniel Byrnes Band. Colin is a Berklee graduate with many years of experience playing professionally in bands on the South Coast. He is currently available for lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Summer Music Camp

AH, Summer...or as we say around here. SUMMAH. The time of year when the schedule relaxes a little, the sun shines bright and the kids are home from school! Wait, the kids are home from school? How is that relaxing?

Why not let Music of the Bay and Cranberry Coast Concerts help educate and entertain your children for a few weeks this summer to keep that relaxation quota up? Enroll the kids in CampCCC for a 2 week or a 4 week session.

•  Session I July 8- July 19
• Session II July 29 - August 9

Click here for a detailed summary of CampCCC.

Why send your kids to CampCCC? Here are the top 5 reasons:

1. It's being run by Michelle Bowlin, owner of Music of the Bay and local K-4 music teacher. So you know it will be developmentally appropriate for your kids and musically sound. 
2. The staff is made up of the area's leading musicians and music teachers, like Alex Duff from Peebles Elementary and Kat Jones fro the Onset Summer of Love Concert Series. 
3. Camp runs from 9-4 daily with drop-off at 8:30 am and pick up as late as 5:00 pm.
4. Music Camp is not all work and no play. Camp is held at Onset Campgrounds which has many outdoor venues for sports, hiking and swimming daily. And there is a concert every day for kids to enjoy. 
5. Music makes you smarter! Check out this study that talks about the benefit studying music has on the brain. 

Back to School Blues

Well, it's that time of year again. The time when kids are getting antsy and parents are ready to send them back to school. I am getting antsy, too. I can't wait to get back to school. I know, I know, not what you would expect to hear from a 25 year veteran teacher, right? Well, I think I love school more every year. It's an opportunity for me to share my love of music with more kids and perhaps ignite that spark in them that keeps me excited about music.

What is it about music that keeps me wanting more? It's the creativity, the open-mindedness of the artists. It's the emotional release you can get from listening to just the right song at just the right time. It's the buzz I get from performing music for others. It's that moment when a student understands for the first time and you see their entire being light up. That's the "it" I am addicted to. That's why I can't wait to get back to school.

Taking the Summer Off? Think Twice

Ah, summertime! Long, lazy days at the beach. No schedule to stick to. Sounds great, doesn't it. Now what if you are a student spending the entire school year studying an instrument? You take weekly guitar lessons or piano lessons and then summer comes. You decide to take the summer off. Relaxing, yes. Smart? Maybe not. Especially if we are talking about a child. Taking two months off from studying an instrument most likely will result in losing skill. When the student resumes music lessons in the fall, the first two months will be spent relearning skills that were lost. Now what if the student never took the summer off and instead relaxed his or her approach to the lessons. What if the teacher used the summer to expand on skills already taught but maybe not mastered? What if the practice schedule was modified instead of the lesson schedule? I would venture to say the student would continue to learn and love music. And the fall would be a productive time of new learning, not relearning.

When is the best time to start music lessons?

I am frequently asked by parents at what age should they enroll their child in music classes. The answer varies. If you are talking private music lessons on a specific instrument such as guitar or piano, my answer is dependent on the child. Can they attend to a task for 20-30 minutes? Can they track across a page? Do they know their alphabet (at least A-G!) and can they count meaningfully to 4? If the answer is yes to these questions, then the child is ready for lessons. If the answer is no, perhaps a group music class which is based in rhythm and singing is best.

"Rockin Rugrats" is such a class. It is held Monday mornings at Music of the Bay from 9:15 to 10:00. Grave Morrison is the teacher. She uses live music, rhythm instruments, call and response games and game songs to engage children ages 3.5-5 years in meaningful music play. Students will experience steady beat, rhythmic patterns, melodic patterns and creativity in an upbeat, engaging 45 minute class.

Call 508-759-2214 to register. Class starts Monday, June 4, 2012. Tuition is $100 for 4 weeks. Drop-in fee of $25 per class. Visit www.musicofthebay.com to read Grace's biography and learn more about Music of the Bay.

To Read Or Not To Read

One of the main debates in private guitar lessons is that of tabs versus traditional notation. Tabs are a system of numbers and dots on a guitar neck grid that show the player exactly where to play the pitches in a given song. There is no rhythmic notation included in this code, thus one needs to either practice with a recording or know how the song sounds beforehand. Private lesson teachers and students can access tabs quickly and easily on line, thus making them a good tool for instruction.

Traditional music notation is the language of music, including melody, harmony, rhythm and dynamics. It is all inclusive, allowing the musician to know all that is necessary to play a given piece of music. It is not as "instant" as tabs, however. One must study music notation to be able to read it fluently. That is the one drawback as I see it for guitarists.

At Music of the Bay, our teachers use a combination of traditional music notation and tabs in their lessons. We do require that all beginning students learn music notation so that they will be able to play any song from any sheet music. Tabs are used as a tool to help students access songs they hear on the radio or on CD's quickly. This keeps the student motivated to learn and interested in their lessons even more.

Every Song Has an Introduction

So here is mine. Hi. My name is Michelle. I am the mother of 3 teenaged sons and the wife of a wonderful man. I am also a school music teacher and the owner of a successful music store. In my spare time, I direct a community chorus known as the Saints and Singers (not sinners, although we just might be!). Music is the lifeblood of my existance. It is my work, my refuge and my joy. Teaching music is my way of sharing this joy with the world. It's what makes my heart sing. What makes your heart sing? How is music a part of your life? I'd love to hear from you.