Summer...the death of practicing?

As a musician, I know how hard it can be to keep that musical momentum going through summer. Many people don't take lessons during the summer, as it can be hard to schedule with vacations, camps, and other activities. You don't have classes, the weather is beautiful, and fall and music lessons are months away. But when fall comes, you might find you have fallen behind were you were in May.

So how to you keep your musical skills up without locking your self in a practice room?
There are many ways, and everyone is different, but I'll share a few strategies here.

1.) Set Weekly Goals

If you set small goals for yourself, like your teacher would, then you are more likely to practice. It helps if you write them down. You might even post them on sticky notes and hide there around your room.

2.) Go to a Music Camp

This is a way to combine camps and fun with music and lessons. Music camps come in many different sizes, levels, and types. There are band camps, classical camps, blue grass camps, rock camps, chamber music camps. With a little research, you are sure to find a camp that suites you.
Going to a camp gives you a goal to practice up for, and is a way to learn things you never would have otherwise. I highly recommend this strategy. (I'll post a blog in a few days about how to pick the right camp for you.)

                                                 3.) Play Music with Friends

Set up a weekly jam session where you are some friends play music. This will encourage you to practice to keep up with your pals.
Make sure that this is not the only time you see these people, so that you won't spend the whole time talking and hanging out.
 Set aside some time after the jam session to hang out and talk.







4.) Go to Concerts

Feeling tired of practicing? Then take in a Summer music concert. Lots of cities hold them for free, and you can just sit in a park and listen. You will also find discounts on classical concerts too. Going to concerts will encourage you to practice, introduce you to new pieces and new genres of music, and is just plain fun.

5.)  Start your Fall music lessons early
If you've been unable to practice all summer (it happens, don't stress!) or just feel your are not where you want to be when school starts, then begin you fall music lessons before school starts to give yourself a head start. It's a great way to cover lost ground, and make it seem like you've been living and breathing music all summer long! You can contact your private instructor, or even search out another one for a single lesson, just to boost your confidence.

These are some ways to help keep your interest and chops up during those warm sunny days. What strategies have you used?

Behind even great musicain is...a mother.

This Mother's Day, I have been thinking of how much my mother has supported me as a musician.
Moms have a HUGE impact on their children's musicaly aspirations and ability. Some musicians had great mothers, some not so great. But they all had an impact on the importance of music in their child's life.

Pyotr Tchaikovksy

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky loved his mother dearly, and when she died of cholera, he was devastated. The

only way he could cope with his grief was to write music. His love for his mother transferred itself to music.

Robert and Clara Schumann

Another important mother is Clara Schumann, who was the wife of composer Robert Schumann, and a famous pianist herself. She has eight children, and balanced her performance career and her time with her children. She was devoted to them, and spent her life playing piano.

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

Fanny Mendelssohn was the sister of Felix Mendelssohn, and was a gifted composer. She married and had a son, whom she named Sebastian after her favorite composer. She spent much of her life reviving the work the work of this composer, who you may have heard of, Johannes Sebastian Bach. 

The "Limelite" website has a great list of pieces written for and about Mothers, which I reccomnd you check out here. This website has a list of more famous and influential mothers in music.
Thank you all you mothers out there!

Has your mother had a profound effect on your love of music? Tell me about it here.

The MVYSO SPice of Life Concert was last Friday, and was a sucess. Jackie Hickman's performance of the Greig Piano Concerto in A minor was flawless, and the audiance agreed, springing to their feet for an entusiastic standing ovation.
All of the ensembles performed, from the young students who only picked up their instruments last fall, to the students who have been in the Youth Symphony for years.
It was a joyful occasion, yet bittersweet. As the last concert of the year, many good-byes were mixed in with the excitment. Haley Kovach is one of the students graduating this June. She plans to attend Whitworth college and study music. Please help her win a scholarship by following this link  http://www.hsnation.com/voting_ballot.php%20and voting for her!
Yet the season isn't completely over. There is still a chance to see friends as SummerStock rehearsals begin this coming Monday. A select group of students will be performing all around Maple Valley, at Farmer's Markets, ball games, and the Maple Valley Fourth of July Pinic.
I will be blogging about these events, so don't forget to check back in!
And don't forget about MVYSO Summer Camp...this years it's going to be OUT OF THIS WORLD!
*Literally. We are hiring a space shuttle to fly the kids to the moon. I am totally serious.*

The Spice of Life

There is a lot to life besides classical music. Even as a music nerd, I know this. There are movies, books, sports, parks, and just being around people in a million different ways. But classical music is persuasive, pervasive, and seeps its way into every other part of our lives, whether we notice it or not. The MVYSO concert on Friday is celebrating this, celebrating how classical music has become a part of every facet of our lives.There are more pieces being performed this Friday them I have room to talk about, so if you can, come and check out the concert!
As mentioned briefly in the Bugs Bunny blog, classical music is often used because it's free to use. That would explain why so many movies, commercials, and sporting events use classical music. The don't need to pay for it, and can use it without hassle. In this, I think that human greed has done us all a favor, because it has ensured that classical music is liberally sprinkled through our culture. I guess the flip-side is that the classic music that is used is often not taken as seriously BECAUSE it was used in a commercial or cartoon. But it my opinion, it's a price worth paying,  if it helps people to know great music.
I've grabbed a couple examples of music that will be performed at Friday's concert, and put them below.
Charo is a Latin singer and guitar player from the 1970's, well known for her outrageous costumes and antics. Here is Charo's take on Espana Cani, a Spanish song traditional played during bullfights, and also during baseball games. The theme to Espana Cani begins at the 1:20 mark.

Charo doesn't like Bullfights, and encourages us to dance with them instead. :)

Here is an example of the "Beef, it's what's for dinner," commercial which uses the Rodeo by Aaron Copeland, just one of many classical peices to be used in commercials.

Can you imagine a different piece of music beinging used for this commercial? Or even (shudder) a jingle?!?  

Life is better because of the additions of classical music. Commercials are more memerable, movies more dramatic, ball games more traditional, and videos funnier, all because of classical music.

So even though there is more to life than classical music, classical music also adds more to life! So shake it up, add a little classical spice, simmer, and enjoy!