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.

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

• Know the Person – As with all gift giving, think about the person you want to give the gift to.
  • Has the person expressed an interest in playing an instrument?
  • Are they desiring a specific instrument?
  • What is the person’s musical experience?
  • What style of music do they love?
  • What are their reasons for wanting to play?

Choosing a quality instrument

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

• Know Your Limitations and Get Help-
  Ask lots of questions of knowledgeable musicians who play the instrument you are considering. Be sure to ask them about facts to look for and brands they recommend.
• Online Reviews-
  Do an online search for reviews. Include the word review along with things like the type of instrument, brand, and/or model. Amazon and are a great resource for personal reviews from people who have owned the product.
• Return Policy-
  Make sure there is a good return policy just in case the instrument is not a good fit.
• Use Gift Cards-
  An instrument can be a very personal decision. A gift card allows the recepient to choose what is best for them.
• Avoid buying used or from online auctions-
  If you are not familiar with an instrument, you may want to avoid buying a used instrument or buying from online auctions. Stick with a reputable company with a good return policy.  Even the new items on the online auctions can be suspect. Many are poor quality instruments imported cheaply from overseas.

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

• Simple to Learn Instruments-ukelele, dulcimer, recorder, harmonica, kazoo and many percussion instruments
• Instrument Families
  • Brass – trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba…
  • Woodwind – flute, clarinet, oboe, sax…
  • Classical Strings – violin, viola, cello and bass
  • Other Strings – guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo, dulcimers…
  • Percussion – Snare drum, drum set (standard or electronic), xylophone, glockenspiel, world percussion, handheld percussion…
  • Keyboard – piano, digital piano, keyboard

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

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)

• Musical Instruments
• Music Lessons
• Accessories for Instruments
• Music Magazines
• Sheet Music
• Books about Music
• Biographys of Musicians and Composers
• Music Themed Gift Items (tote bags, clothing, jewelry, nick nacks, etc.)

Resources:
Here are some trustworthy businesses that carry musical items

• The Woodwind & Brasswind – Don’t let the name mislead you. They carry a full array of instruments and accessories not just wind instruments. I’ve purchased from them for over 20 years. Plus they have a 110% low price guarantee and free shipping for orders over $49.
• Sheet Music Plus – A large selection of sheet music, songbooks and guitar tabs.
• Amazon has many musical options and offers free shipping for orders over $25 (for most items)
  • Books About Music
  • Musical Instruments
  • Music Gifts
  • Music Magazines

Hoping you have a very musical Christmas,

Deborah

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

One of the most fascinating discussions was with a scientist by the name of Dr. Gregory Simpson. We spent several hours discussing how both music and science apply to all of life.

He started thinking about this connection when he observed some students he was tutoring in science. He saw that the kids who had studied music were able to understand the scientific process extremely quickly.

It doesn’t surprise me. I’ve known for a long time that majoring in music is one of the best things you can do if you want to go to medical school. Actually, 66% of music majors who apply to medical school are accepted–more than any other group. The second group is biochemistry majors at 44%.

Other countries see the importance, too…

The world’s top academic countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science achievement and have strong commitment to music education. All three countries have required music training at the elementary and middle school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades. The centrality of music education to learning in the top-ranked countries seems to contradict the United States’ focus on math, science, vocabulary, and technology. –http://www.amc-music.com/research_briefs.htm

This is one of the many reasons I know music is not just a pastime, it is an important part of being human. It is essential to who we are physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Deborah

P.S. Gregory and I are joining together to write more about the science and music connection–so stay tuned.

What’s the difference?

Well, noisemakers make noise. They thud and clink, but the sound doesn’t really go anywhere.  Musical instruments, on the other hand, produce a sound that resonates. That means the vibrations move and carry through the air. They don’t just stop like the clinking of a rusty pipe laying on the ground.

The sound is also heard upwards through something called harmonics or overtones. I’ll try not to get too technical about it, but basically a good musical note will activate other notes in its harmonic/overtone pattern and create a tower of sound. It’s usually only heard by those with a trained ear, and only then if the person is listening for it.

Just because you can’t consciously hear it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. It matter’s greatly. It separates a poor quality sound from a high quality sound. A high quality instrument will be crafted in such a way that the sound will be at it’s best through the harmonic/overtone series and lots of others factors which boil down to rules of physics and acoustics.

Please don’t get sucked into some non-musical marketing scheme that tries to sell you a pile of noisemakers being passed off as instruments. The best way to know is to listen to them. If the monster of modern day packaging is preventing that, make sure you get a referral or be sure to buy from a trusted name like Remo for drums or Hohner for harmonicas.

When looking at reviews on Amazon and other places, don’t assume that 4 or 5 stars is necessarily good. A lot of people don’t know the difference. Read the reviews from people who say they are musicians. Also, look for descriptions of their sound quality.

The instrument set I told you about before actually has 4 stars on Amazon, but if you read the reviews carefully, those that praised the set never mentioned the sound quality and it was apparent that their kids were using it as a noisemaker. I’d like to encourage you to strive for higher goals in your instrument selection.

There are good choices even in student quality and other less expensive instruments. I’ve found some noisemakers at music stores and some good sounding instruments at Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrel, and Hobby Lobby. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Take it slow. Consider it an exercise in learning how to hear music.

I didn’t pay much attention to the game, but I sure loved playing to get the fans going and doing the half time show.

Even today when I hear “My Girl” I always think about the “Rude Tubas” at Delta State doing their own arrangement during the football games. Hearing about homecoming reminds me of standing on the field at Marengo Academy playing the theme from Ice Castles while the homecoming court passed between us. We did that song every year.

On a different level, the sound of Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” from The Planets always catches my ear because a hymn based on that tune was sung as I walked down the aisle to marry my wonderful husband. Even as I write this, the music is filling my mind and bringing me back–not just to my wedding, but my whole marriage.

I wrote an article for a Christmas themed ebook that is coming out soon. It is titled “Getting Personal with Your Christmas Music”. In the article I wrote “We all know that music can tell a story, but music also has a story.”

At the time I was thinking about what went behind the creation of the music– particularly Christmas music–that is so special to us. I thought about songs I knew and the history of the composer or writer, the circumstances that inspired them to write and the ways music has affected culture .

As I’ve pondered it for a while I’m reminded that the story in music is living. It’s not just the creator’s story or a tale of history. Its story is being rewritten by the listener and added to their own story. Their stories go one inspire the stories of others.

Music from every part of our lives act as markers to bring us back to a something that is beyond the intellectual self. It goes to the root of our soul. I think that’s why there are so many controversies around music. It is amazing the life that music has on every level of who we are–mind, body, and soul.  It’s amazing how much we miss of that reality everyday.

Deborah

For the most part, we just make music a casual part of how we live. He has had the benefit of playing with his toys while string quartets rehearse in our living room and he goes to Kindermusik class every week. Even with all of that, most of his musical education at home is very casual at this age.

We sing the Barney clean up song when picking up around the house. We also have lots of musical instruments (real ones and quality toys) all around for him to experiment on. 

Today, a friend came over and the boys had a sword fight with our boomwhackers. These are plastic tubes that are tuned to different pitches. They didn’t realize they were playing an interval of a major 2nd when they hit them together, but I believe these small experiences have helped my son grow musically. 

One thing I do is tap the rhythm on his back when we hear music, even from TV.  Sometimes I will tap the rhythm of the song and sometimes I’ll tap the underlying beat.  It really internalizes the beat for him and will hopefully develop a more natural sense of timing. I struggled with keeping time in my younger years, so I want to make sure he has a solid foundation.

Most of the music making is impromtu, but we do have one regular routine at bed time. We will all pile into bed for family devotion time. We start singing Gloria Patri followed by a Bible story. After that we say our prayers and end with the doxology. He almost always falls asleep after the Doxology.  It’s a great routine for us and it teaches him music of the church. At some point we will add other music from the liturgy. 

If you don’t have kids, you can still incorporate things for yourself.  Try to tap out the beat and the rhythm while you are listening to music.

Keep your instruments in plain sight. You are more likely to sit down and do something with them if they are easily accessible.

If there is a song at your place of worship that you are stuggling with, bring it home and learn it a little at a time. Sing it as you do things around the house. Maybe even memorize it.

There are lots of things you can do to make music part of your daily life. Just remember it is about growth and experience. Little things do mean a lot when it comes to music.

Deborah

I am quick to set them straight. Musical ability is something that can be developed. It is not the only indicator of what a person is capable of musically. A person doesn’t follow a path based mainly on their abilities in that area. What drives the person is their passion and desire to follow that path.

This was true in my family. My sister was one of those people who picked up music quickly and had a good ear. In my family she was considered the musical one even though I was the one who practiced all of the time.

It took me longer to develop my ear and sense of rhythm. As a matter of fact, I was told that I should never sing and my band director wouldn’t let me march my first year because I couldn’t stay in time with the music. To add salt in the wound, my younger sister was marched that year even though she was only in 6th grade.

I didn’t quit, though. I ended up with a music degree and professional acknowledgement that I do have an excellent singing voice. I also became band director of the band where I wasn’t allowed to march my 8th grade year.

Music was so important to me that I pushed through despite the setbacks. Aptitude and talent did not do it. I was able to develop those things in myself through hard work and proper training fueled by my passion for music.

This is why I am so passionate about helping others find their musical voice. My circumstances could have robbed me of something very meaningful in my life. Many others are being robbed. Music belongs to everyone and no one should go through life believing they if they don’t have “it” then they have nothing. It’s not an all or nothing proposition.

I encourage you to be careful. Don’t take the joy of making music out of your life or the life of your children.

Deborah 

He just said “Happy, Sad”.  He’s been talking a lot about happy and sad lately. He’s at a stage where he’s putting words to his emotions and starting to grasp opposites about abstract ideas.

I just started singing the words happy and sad for him making the music sound happy on the word happy and sad on the word sad.  He then said his tummy was happy, his mouth was happy, then his tummy was sad.

I just made up words about how his tummy and mouth were happy because his food was good and then it got sad because he ate too much.

I sang it 3 or 4 times and the melody ended up being different every time. We were having fun being silly and had a little music lesson to boot.  .The best lessons are the ones that don’t feel like lessons.

Deborah