April 16, 2021
Learning the clarinet isn’t easy! If your child is playing on an instrument that doesn’t fit their needs, succeeding in music becomes far more challenging. Everything from finding the motivation to play to mastering clarinet fundamentals becomes more difficult when they outgrow their current instrument. Stepping up to a more advanced instrument will inspire your clarinet […]
April 15, 2021
Whether your child has been playing the trumpet now for only a few months or quite a few years, you may be asking yourself the questions ‘Should I upgrade their trumpet?’ and “When is the right time to upgrade a trumpet?” When a child first starts learning the trumpet they generally begin with lessons on […]
If you’re a parent with limited experience in music, it can be hard to tell the difference between a student model saxophone and an intermediate or professional instrument. The truth is, details that seem small or insignificant actually make a difference in the sound quality and playability of these instruments. This means that your child’s […]
April 11, 2021
Introducing improvisation is one of the most important exercises a music educator can share with their students. Whereas drills, sight-reading exercises, and playing through sheet music develops a budding music student’s discipline and technique, improvisation is vital because it prioritizes and celebrates their creativity. When music educators don’t take improvisation seriously, students miss out on […]
April 7, 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic has upended most aspects of everyday lives, from the way we work to our children’s summer vacations. The good news is that Music & Arts is proud to resume safe in-person instruction for most instruments at a store near you. As much as we love music, we value health and safety even […]
April 6, 2021
Compared to hitting a crescendo with a band or orchestra, the topic of instrument cleaning is decidedly less thrilling. But the truth is that the best moments in music can’t happen without regular instrument maintenance, and cleaning is a huge part of that. Frequent instrument cleaning needs to be a part of your life as […]
April 5, 2021
To a musician, sound couldn’t be more important. Countless hours are put into learning, playing, and practicing, all with the goal of improving the quality of sound that’s produced. To be sure, you can’t properly express yourself with a musical instrument unless you have the ability to produce the best sound. For musicians who play […]
April 4, 2021
by John Kuzmich, Jr., Ph.D. Computers, tablets, smartphones, DVDs. CDs are all great learning tools. Let’s look at how our students can maximize learning and fun in their jazz playing experience. Perhaps the most user-friendly, interactive practice experience is with new and improved play-along recordings. Digital innovations have lifted old drill-n-practice play-alongs into great improvisation […]
April 3, 2021
To the non-musician eye, there’s no difference between a student trumpet and a professional one. But there’s a universe of difference between brass instruments designed to introduce students to music and those designed for professional or passionate musicians. There comes a time in every musician’s journey when upgrading to a better instrument is necessary to […]
April 2, 2021
Musicians, regardless of their instrument of choice, are always looking for ways to improve their sound, especially once they’ve nailed down the basics and have the time to experiment. Sometimes that means working on their technique and other times it means investing in a premium mouthpiece or a new set of reeds. Whether you’re looking […]
