Feb

Music Lessons for Valentine’s Day

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Stuck on what to get your loved one for Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and everyone buys the typical flowers, chocolate and jewelry. Music lessons may be the perfect gift for your significant other who loves to sing in the shower, or your son who plays the air guitar along to the radio. Valentine’s Day is the day to give gifts to show people they are special to you, and music lessons could be that perfect gift.

This Valentine’s Day, show your loved ones that you think outside the box and give them the gift of music!

Music lessons with Lesson Match are easy and convenient because our instructors come to your home on your time. To have a Valentine’s Day gift card sent to that special someone, or to schedule music lessons, contact Lesson Match. Our Lesson Coordinator does all the work, so you just need to let us know when you’re available and what lesson you want to learn, and we take care of the rest.

This year give a Valentine’s Day gift that will stay with someone for a lifetime!

Feb

Benefits Of In Home Music Lessons

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Parents interested in signing their children up for music lessons, may have a difficult decision to make as to whether or not to travel to a studio for lessons or to have in home music lessons.

Here are some of the benefits of in home music lessons.

1. Probably the most obvious benefit is convenience. It’s incredibly convenient to have an instructor come to your home for a half hour (or however long the lesson is) to teach a lesson and then leave. In home music lessons can be squeezed in right after school before homework, or between homework and dinner, the possibilities are ended. In home music lessons are ideal for busy parents that don’t have the time to waste 20+ minutes driving to and from lessons.

2. Parents can become involved. Typically in a studio, the student and teacher are the only people in the room. With in home music lessons, parents can observe and learn tips to help their child practice.

3. Students retain information better when they are able to practice and have lessons in the same designated area. That way they are able to visualize the lesson and revert to that during practice time.

4. Students are always prepared for in home music lessons. Think about all the times you are rushing to get somewhere and you forget something. This happens all the time with studio lessons. Parents and students are rushing to get to the lesson and a lesson book or part of the instrument is forgotten at home. This would never happen with in home music lessons because all the materials are at the lesson area.

5. In home music lessons may seem more expensive, but are they really? Think about the time and gas money it takes to drive to the studio, drop off your student, drive around until the lesson is finished (unless you’d like to wait bored at the studio for the duration of the lesson), then drive back to the studio to pick up the student and finally drive home. In home lessons cost a little more in the beginning, but think about the gas money you’ll be saving by not having to drive anywhere (especially if you drive an SUV).

For information on private in home music lessons with Lesson Match, call now!

Jan

Practice Without Picking Up An Instrument

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Learn how to practice your instrument when you don’t have it with you! Learning an instrument and becoming a musician is as much mental as it is physical (if not more).

That means you can “practice your instrument” wherever you are.

Concepts and Techniques. In music, there are many concepts and techniques that need to be memorized, and this is possible to master without using your instrument.
•   Ear training
•   Rhythm
•   Harmony

Visualize. Whenever you’re bored or have some downtime (and you don’t have your instrument), mentally visualize your instrument and play it. Try to visualize your fingers actually pushing down the notes or plucking the guitar strings. This may sound silly, but it can be an effective technique if you’re serious about it.

Remembering to Practice. Remembering to mentally practice can be difficult, especially at first. Try to pick something you do often throughout the day (taking a drink of water, doing a specific task etc.) and use that to remind yourself to practice. If you pick one simple thing to practice (humming a note, visualizing a chord etc.) every time you hang up your phone for a week, eventually you’ll have mastered it.

Listen. Music surrounds us in our daily lives; it’s everywhere from grocery stores to elevators. Listen to the music playing and study it. Try to listen for a concept you’ve been working on or find the harmony. This will fine tune your musical ear and enhance your playing.

These simple tips get rid of any excuses you might have about how you’re too busy to practice.

Dec

10 Reasons to Give a Musical Instrument as a Gift

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An Instrument makes the perfect gift!

Having trouble deciding on a gift for someone this Holiday season? Give them a musical instrument! Many people are interested in learning an instrument but either do not have that instrument or just haven’t taken the steps to begin learning to play.

Here are some reasons why a musical instrument could make the perfect gift.

1. Cost. Buying a used instrument or music lessons for someone is not as expensive as you may think. A used instrument could be the perfect way to turn someone on to music so they will want to invest in a higher quality instrument. Click here for some tips about buying used instruments.

2. Bonding. You’ll often hear that someone comes from a “musical family” and that’s because people bond over shared interests. Families that can play or learn instruments together will naturally bond over the shared interest.

3. Depression. Studies show that music affects people’s moods. Keep your family’s spirits up by giving them music lessons.

4. Age. It’s a myth that you have to learn to play instruments while you’re young. While it may be easier to retain information at a young age, adults have the discipline and attention span necessary for learning an instrument. You’re never too old to learn to play an instrument.

5. Caroling. Do you have friends or family that love to go Christmas caroling? This year, get them music lessons so they will be the talk of the town with their vocal talent.

6. Nostalgia. Many people have a certain instrument they associate with their childhood. Whether they loved listening to jazz or their grandpa played the guitar, they probably have some pastime that involves music. The gift of memories could be the perfect gift this year.

7. Regret. Odds are if you know people that do not play an instrument, they wish they did. Make those regrets a thing of the past by giving them an instrument for Christmas this year.

8. Stress. Music and playing an instrument are shown to fight off stress. Music is often associated with relaxation. If you know someone who gets stressed out easily, give him/her an instrument and watch the stress melt away.

9. Value. All gifts have a different value to the receiver. While your kids might request certain gifts within this year’s fad, an instrument could be the gift they didn’t know they wanted. The gift of music is one that lasts a lifetime.

10. Want. Give someone an instrument for Christmas because they asked for it and they want it. It may seem like a big investment, but if people want to learn an instrument, they will.

This year, give someone the gift of music by giving them an instrument.

Nov

The Perfect After School Hobby

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Why music lessons make the perfect after school hobby.

School has already begun and children might be starting to get restless with their after school routines. Music lessons are a great way to keep kids busy and out of trouble. Tighter budgets have forced many schools to cut or severely decrease the funding for music programs. This means students may no longer have the opportunity to take music as part of their school curriculum. Music in an important part of childhood development and just because schools have cut the program does not mean children should not have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. Lesson Match offers private in-home lessons that work during your schedule. Even if you’re a busy parent, we’ll work with you to schedule a time to bring music into your child’s life. Here are a few benefits to private music lessons.

Sports and Music
Children who play a musical instrument are shown to have better hand-eye coordination than those who do not. If your child is interested in playing sports, but does not feel like they have the motor skills necessary to play, enroll them in music lessons. Music lessons can prepare children for many other activities later in life.

Achievement
Popular after school activities for many children involve video games. Children love video games because they have a sense of accomplishment when they reach a new level or overcome an obstacle that had been evading them before. Learning to play a musical instrument can have the same effect on children. Once they master a difficult piece or technique, they will feel a similar sense of achievement to when they were playing video games.

Relaxation
School can be stressful for children and sometimes they just want to come home and relax. Music can help with their relaxation. For many people, playing an instrument is a relaxing activity, especially if they’re playing a soothing song. After a stressful day at school, children can come home and practice the techniques they learned in their music lessons and the stress will melt away.

Keep your kids busy and out of trouble after school by enrolling them in music lessons with Lesson Match.

Nov

10 Drum Tips

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Interested in taking drum lessons? Or do you already play the drums but are looking for some drum tips?

Here are a few tips to refine your technique and keep your drum set sounding great.

1. Keep your drum clean. Use a can of compressed air to get the dust out of hard to reach places like in between lugs.

2. Listen to different kinds of music. This will boost your creativity and allow you to learn new techniques. The more styles and techniques you can master, the more interesting your sound is.

3. Warm up. This is important for all instruments including the drums. Always warm up before lessons, practicing new songs, gigs etc.

4. Air drums. You don’t always have to have a drum set to practice the drums. If you’re sitting around bored with nothing to do, play the air drums. This can help refine patterns and increase your muscle memory.

5. Check your form. Make sure you’re using correct form for optimum sound. Are you holding the sticks at best place? Are you hitting the drums straight up and down?

6. Stick twirling. All crowds love stick twirling and it’s a great form of showmanship. If you don’t know how to twirl your drumsticks, there are how-to videos all over the Internet.

7. Learn to read music. Even if you are able to play the drums perfectly without reading music, reading music is a great way to expand your ability. Reading music allows you to read a song out of a book and be able to play it without having to continually take drum lessons.

8. Write down what works for you. Keep a log of practice techniques that work for you. You can also write down ideas that you’ve heard about and want to try. Keeping all these ideas together will assure you don’t forget about them and they are readily accessible.

9. Record/Videotape yourself playing. This will help you understand your form and see things you cannot see when you’re playing. Do you have a snarl on your face when you play? Is your snare drum titled?

10. Take lessons. While it may seem like you can learn anything online these days, there are things that will be easier for you to learn from an instructor. Drum instructors have been where you are and may have some helpful practice tips and techniques.

Music Lessons for Valentine’s Day

Stuck on what to get your loved one for Valentine’s Day?

This Valentine’s Day, show your loved ones that you think outside the box and give them the gift of music!

This year give a Valentine’s Day gift that will stay with someone for a lifetime!

Benefits Of In Home Music Lessons

Parents interested in signing their children up for music lessons, may have a difficult decision to make as to whether or not to travel to a studio for lessons or to have in home music lessons.

Here are some of the benefits of in home music lessons.

For information on private in home music lessons with Lesson Match, call now!

Practice Without Picking Up An Instrument

That means you can “practice your instrument” wherever you are.

These simple tips get rid of any excuses you might have about how you’re too busy to practice.

10 Reasons to Give a Musical Instrument as a Gift

An Instrument makes the perfect gift!

Here are some reasons why a musical instrument could make the perfect gift.

This year, give someone the gift of music by giving them an instrument.

The Perfect After School Hobby

Why music lessons make the perfect after school hobby.

Keep your kids busy and out of trouble after school by enrolling them in music lessons with Lesson Match.

10 Drum Tips

Interested in taking drum lessons? Or do you already play the drums but are looking for some drum tips?

Here are a few tips to refine your technique and keep your drum set sounding great.

For more information about drum lessons with Lesson Match, call us at 612-460-7653.

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