Free Christmas Carol Ebook (the songs, not the story)

By Deborah Lee | December 5, 2009

Christmas time has officially begun, it’s time for some music.

I discovered this handy little ebook in an online search and have found it to be a great resource of free Christmas sheet music.  It has well known Christmas carols and many that are not so well known. It’s called The Caroler and can be found at…
http://www.christmasgifts.com/christmas-music-book.html

It has the lyrics, sheet music, and a midi recording of each song–everything you need except guitar chords.

One drawback is that it only has older songs that are  in the public domain. The newer songs like The Christmas Song, Jingle Bell Rock, etc. are still under copyright so you will need to purchase them.  A fake book or songbook of Christmas songs is going to be a better value than individual sheet music unless you truly need only one song.

The music of the season is truly one of life’s great meaningful pleasures.

Deborah

P.S.  Do you know of any free Christmas music goodies? Please share them with us in the comments section below.

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How to Choose a Musical Instrument as a Gift

By Deborah Lee | November 30, 2009

Musical instruments are a classic gift. Instruments come in all shapes and sizes. You can go from large and expensive like a piano all the way down to a simple stocking stuffer. You don’t have to give a full sized instrument. There are many other options including that can be fun or even whimsical. One year we gave all of my husband’s co-workers kazoos.

Here are a few pointers for getting the right gift for the right person.

Choosing a quality instrument

If you are not familiar with musical instruments, this will take some effort, but don’t let that discourage you.

Instrument Ideas
Here are a few instrument ideas and resources for finding them.

An additional tip, if you can afford it, add music lessons as part of the gift. If you can’t afford to add lessons, do some research and give them the name of one or more teachers to contact. Instruction books and videos can be helpful, too.

Hoping you have musical holidays,

Deborah

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Musical Christmas Gift Ideas

By Deborah Lee | November 10, 2009

If you are like me, you have already started your Christmas shopping. If you aren’t shopping, you may already be thinking about it. Musical items are classic Christmas gifts.  You can find something for people at all ages and musical levels.

Don’t worry if you don’t know much about music, you can get some advice from someone who is.  Ask a lot of questions and you can grow in your musical knowledge, too.

Here are some musical gift ideas for you to think about. (Stay tuned for more in depth discussion about some of these topics in future posts)

Resources:
Here are some trustworthy businesses that carry musical items

Hoping you have a very musical Christmas,

Deborah

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Our Strategy For Our Son’s Music Education

By Deborah Lee | October 12, 2009

I often get into discussions with other parents about music lessons and classes for kids. We have a very definite plan for our five-year-old son that grows from our musical training and experience, our work as music teachers, and our passion for homeschooling.

We are both firm believers in general music classes for young children, followed by a foundation in piano, and then private study and ensemble experience with the instrument of their choice. Up until about age 8 or 9 music is more developmental and process oriented, and we don’t believe in structured private lessons at too young of an age.

We have taken him to Kindermusik classes since he was about 15 months old. (The Kodaly and Orff music education methods are also good). He has two more years of Kindermusik and then he will begin keyboard training through a program called Music Makers at the Keyboard. It is a wonderful program where the kids learn to hear music first then write it–just like language is learned. In St. Louis we enroll him in Community Music School, but these classes are offered across the country (and possibly internationally).

We will begin private piano instruction when these classes are over or toward the end. We really have to assess it as it goes. Somewhere in the process he will most likely choose a different instrument he wants to be his focus of study.

As part of our homeschooling we will soon begin playing music from a single composer. We will have the music playing in our home for several weeks with some of the time spent actively listening and discussing the music. We will tie it in with other things he is learning such as history, geography, science, art. It will change over time. Since he is only five, much of what we do will be learning through play and through reading.

The goal is so he can build a relationship with the music and the composer.  We will begin with Tchaikovsky since we are seeing The Nutcracker ballet in December.

This is our approach for our structured music training. There are many ways you can tailor this in your own family and we have seen many approaches.  This is not a set in stone plan, either. For instance, if our son had a super focused interest in a particular instrument we would have weighed that in with our decision making.

When it comes to activities for our son, music is our priority. If we can’t afford anything else, we will have music class–even if it is a sacrifice.

Our main goal is to create a musical foundation for him that he can stand on no matter what his musical choices are later. That foundation includes developing musical skills, understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation. The added brain and motor development is a big plus, too.

Musically yours,

Deborah

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Six Tips for Non Musical Parents Who Want to Grow Musical Kids

By Deborah Lee | October 5, 2009

It can be difficult for a parent to know the right decisions about music for their child, especially if the parent doesn’t have a strong musical background.

Here are a few tips to help you

Don’t wait for your child to show an interest – music is an innate part of being human and plays important roles in brain development, emotional health, motor development, and more.

Many parents take a wait and see approach to music and will often only go to the effort for children who are showing some interest or aptitude. However, just like learning a language, music is best learned at a very young age.

Consider it as important as the 3 R’s.  Since music helps improve a child’s abilities with the 3 R’s, then it’s really a win-win.

Potential Outcomes – Remember that music is as much about the process as it is about outcome. A musical activity may seem small or inconsequential, but it’s is usually very significant. Every small task creates an imprint. It’s like a musical bank account. It develops the brain, it creates muscle memory, it helps make an emotional connection…. These are all very important. Music is not an instant gratification process and that’s a good thing. Encourage your child to strive to do better, but find the balance so music can blossom rather than become a ride on a treadmill.

Where to Start – Don’t rush your child into private study of a musical instrument too soon.  Many parents want to start their kids in piano at 3, 4, or 5 years old. Unless your child has such an interest in a particular instrument that they can’t think of anything else, it is best to start them in general music classes. There are many classes like this for young children. They focus on helping the child learn to listen, how to feel the beat, how to interact with music. As the child gets older they slowly progress adding things as they are developmentally ready.

If a child starts on a musical level before they are developmentally ready it can backfire. The child can get frustrated and may become determined never to play the instrument again.

You are not too late – Even if your child is already school age or a teenager, go ahead and get them started. It’s not like an invisible window closes and you’ve completely missed it. It is ideal to start young, especially to give your child the opportunity to develop enough for advanced study, but don’t get discouraged if you didn’t understand that sooner.

Practice makes experience - One of my husband’s cello teachers often said “Practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes experience”.  The point of practice is to build skill and understanding. The amount of time spent in practice should be in line with goals and developmental levels.  For most young and beginning musicians teachers expect about a half hour a day.

Studies have shown that short bursts of music practice are as effect as long sessions. Even six focused five minute sessions are very beneficial. It may be difficult for you or your child to sit down for half an hour with the busy schedules families have these days. Scheduling five, ten, or fifteen minute sessions is very doable for most people.

Remember to keep the time focused. Help your child decide what they are going to work on when they sit down and guide them to spend the session doing that.  It can be anything that isn’t quite right including mastering a tricky measure, improving tone or keeping the tempo steady.  Be sure to spend time looking at the music more deeply, not just playing through it.

Time for fun – Be sure to allow time for fun. There’s a time for discipline and a time for play. The beauty of discipline is that it makes the play much richer. The danger of discipline alone is the joy of the music is often lost. Many times the challenges we place on ourselves as we are having fun are some of the best practice experiences.

Just remember to keep things in perspective, continue to find the balance between discipline and fun. This is a growing process in itself.

Deborah

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Dueling “Nessun Dorma”

By Deborah Lee | May 15, 2009

The TV show Britain’s Got Talent has had two very distinct performances of “Nessum Dorma” from Puccini’s opera Turandot. First was Paul Potts who meekly came on stage and then brought down the house with his impassioned traditional version.

Recently, Greg Pritchard, sporting a wild-haired rocker look, wowed everyone by showcasing his counter tenor voice. Counter tenors sing very high and it’s always a little freaky to me when watch them sing.

I enjoyed both performances very much. I love music done well and I love when false perceptions about music are broken.

Even though I can here that Paul lacks training and has room for improvement in that area, I am moved by the passion of his singing. It’s not just a voice that is heard in good singing, it is soul as well.

I was amazed at Greg’s control and skill as a singer as he effortlessly placed those notes in all the right places. Something I’ve always struggled with.

Of course, you’ve got to give kudos to Puccini for writing such a beautiful piece of music.

People often say that getting musical training takes away your ability to enjoy music because you start to analyze it. That hasn’t been true for me. I find increases my love for it even more. I love how one song, written by one person, can live so many different lives through the voices of many. It’s one of the awesome things about music.

Look below for videos of the two “Nessu Dorma” performances. Very different and very beautiful.

Live Musically,

Deborah

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Sadly, Music Is the First To Go

By Deborah Lee | May 13, 2009

The State of California is in a budget crisis. They were refusing to pay tax refunds to people who moved out of state unless they moved back. Now they are laying off teachers. Of course, the arts teachers are the first to go. One county laid off every single music teacher.

Many school leaders make these decisions based on the requirements of testing even though students who have experience in the arts generally do better on standardized tests.

The problem is that these decisions are being made in a black and white, linear fashion without making the connection that learning is a process and not just a regurgitation of facts. Any computer can spout out facts and make calculations. Being human means we can reason, create and grow. It’s what brings innovation and makes for a better world.

One of the sad things about the layoffs is that it takes many years to build a strong music program. It also takes many years to build music in a person. When it goes away, it has to be rebuilt.

It’s not the kind of thing that will spill over into the private arena either. Many parents don’t see the value in giving their child a solid music and arts education, so if the schools stop, the music stops. Even if they see the value, they may not value it enough to put money  behind it.

I think it will be a long time before schools see music and the arts as more of a priority. It is my hope that the community will begin taking up the slack, but that will take time, too.

I grew up in a very small town. We didn’t have strong music education where I went to school, but the difference was made up for it at church. The state of music education in the church has really diminished as well. The days of traveling music teachers are pretty much over and most churches don’t even have children and youth choirs anymore. Many have given up adult choirs, too.

I’m not worried for my son because we homeschool and we will seek out or create our own opportunities. I’m concerned for the increasing number of people who will grow up without understanding the value of music in education and in all of life. It is more than recreation–it’s part of human development.

Live musically,

Deborah

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Make Some Music This Summer

By Deborah Lee | May 7, 2009

Spring is here and our garden is growing quite nicely. I’m enjoying the start of a new season. One of the things I’m spending my time on is deciding what activities to sign my 4 year old up for in the summer months. For my family music is always a priority when making these kinds of plans.

Summer is a good time to work on music. It’s a time when most people are making a shift in their lives due to changes in routines.  Use that change in routine to your musical advantage. Here are a few ideas…

Do a Quick Change
If you or your child are already in lessons you might consider making a shift in the music you are studying. Go with something more light-hearted or choose a theme. You could learn a bunch of camp songs or beach songs. If you’ve been studying more serious classical music, mix it up with some pop, jazz or show tunes for the summer.

Pick up a new instrument
Learn your first (or your 14th) instrument. It’s all for fun and you can leave serious decisions for the end of the summer. Just let yourself explore.

Dust off an old instrument
Where’s that high school band instrument hiding these days? Dig it out, get it worked on if necessary, and find a place to play. Feeling insecure and out of shape? Play a lot at home. Also look for a summer band or orchestra that lets anyone join.  There are plenty of groups that let anyone in.

Create a Your Own Opportunities
If you live in a rural area, you may have to create your own opportunities. You don’t have to start your own music group, but you could have reading party or a jam session. This was very popular in the days before recorded music. You could do it one time or create a club. Just make sure it is a no pressure event. No critiques allowed and lots of good times.

My summer music plans are simple. I have decided to spend more time just playing piano and guitar from my fakebooks and trying to get back into my songwriting groove. I want to build up the number of songs I know and to just have more live music filling our home.

What kind of plans are you pondering?

Live Musically,

Deborah

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Autism and Music

By Deborah Lee | April 28, 2009

In my years of music teaching, I had the opportunity to teach piano to two kids with Asperger’s Syndrome–a high functioning form of Autism. I learned a lot from teaching them as well as from my student with learning disabilities.

I taught in people’s homes back then and observed a lot of what their mom, Phyllis, did to help them. She strongly believes in the importance of music for people on the autism spectrum because she has seen the benefits with her two Asperger’s kids and her autistic brother.

The benefits are many. I recently wrote article about it called “Autism Symptoms & Music – 5 Ways Music Can Make a Difference With Autism”. In it I discuss ways that music can help autistic people have a better quality of live physically, mentally, and socially.

You can read get the full article by clicking the “articles” tab above. You can also get there by clicking
www.ourmusicalhome.com/blog/articles/ or www.articlesbydeborah.com

I hope it helps. I’d love to hear your thoughts. The comment area is open 24/7.

Until next time,
Deborah

P.S. My friend, Phyllis, has written a book titled “Nurturing Your Asperger’s Child”. If you are caring for someone with Asperger’s or even PDD-NOS it’s worth checking out. Just go to www.myautisminfo.com

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Back from my other life

By Deborah Lee | April 28, 2009

It’s been too long since I’ve posted. The reason is that one of the hats I wear in my crazy life is that of a tax professional with H&R Block (www.mytaxhelplady.com). Tax season is a busy time for me and really exercises my brain.

Now my focus is back on wearing my music hat. Right now I’m working on an ebook that I think is going to be helpful for a lot of people. It’s based on some basic lessons I always gave to my guitar students. The whole focus is to provide the tools and knowledge to simplify the music and make it more playable for their skill level. It’s an easy process to learn, but for some reason it’s not being taught anywhere that I know of. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

I’m starting to get my brain cells back from tax land, so expect more musical posts. In the meantime, I’d like to leave you with a little fun with an instrument called a vibraslap. One video is a serious lesson. The other is tongue in cheek.

Live musically,
Deborah

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