Former Flute Player

When I was a girl I played the flute. It was one of the more popular choices for girls back then. I really wanted to play the drums, but NO girl at our school did percussion. We rented at first, then my Dad bought the flute for me. And of course I quit playing as soon as it was purchased because it was a choice of chorus or band in middle school, no room in the schedule for both, and I love to sing.
So my sister inherited my flute. She played longer than I did, and my Dad traded it in for a nice silver flute instead of the student model I started on. I wish I could say that I love flute music, but it really isn't my favorite instrument anymore. The French horn is. But I wish all the flute players out there the very best!

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What Has Happened To All The Piano Players?

When I was growing up, it seemed that every kid I knew took piano lessons. Some dropped out pretty fast, but most of us stuck with it for years, working our way from method books to classical pieces and if we were fortunate, some popular pieces as 'rewards' for sticking out the daily finger building exercises and classical music assignments.
My children had a wonderful piano teacher who trained at Peabody School Of Music and who taught at least some of them to become accomplished pianists who play regularly in their adult years. But as a child, my piano teacher lived just around the corner in our neighborhood, a stay at home Mom making a few extra dollars for her family by teaching the neighbor kids how to tickle the ivories. That was the norm where I grew up and there seemed to be a piano teacher in every neighborhood. None of us learned to play very well in the end perhaps, but in addition to learning to play the piano itself, a piano student learns important things like:

Music Appreciation. Getting an exposure to the great Classical Composers like Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and Debussy. Who didn't learn to play at least a simplified version of Moonlight Sonata?

The importance of daily practice. Filling in that little practice notebook to take to your piano teacher at next week's lesson was tantamount to avoiding a scolding for not taking practicing seriously enough.

Memorization. Years ago kids did a lot of memorizing and oral recitation in school but that seems to be a thing of the past. But a piano student works to memorize their musical selection for the spring recital. Memorizing is an important mental task in my opinion.

The importance of Perfection. In a world where parents are encouraged to tell kids they are great at everything they do to build their self-confidence, working on a piece of music to perfect it can be a rare skill. Our children's piano teacher used to put a little check mark on a piece if they had not practiced it well enough, indicating it needed repeating for another week. Sometimes, they might have 4 or 5 check marks on it before finally passing it off to her satisfaction. And finally they would receive a star for a job well done in perfecting it. Of course it isn't necessary to be perfect at everything in life, but I believe there is value in working to perfect some things.
So let me ask, where are all the piano players these days? I do know some children who still take piano lessons but is it becoming a thing of the past? I hope not!

The Sing Off

This past fall, our family really got turned on to a show called The Sing Off! Some of the groups were absolutely fantastic, others not so much. But what a wonderful thing to watch talented performers singing their hearts out hoping to win an album contract and some money. The harmonies and dynamics were magic, and one performer with the Dartmouth Aires, Michael I think his name was, made the show worth watching every week. I expect we'll hear more from him in future years on Broadway or touring as a solo performer. Some groups were as small as quartets while others were large college show choir ensembles. The group we were rooting for were Vocal Point from Brigham Young University, where our kids all go to college. They were super, but didn't make it to the top 3 in the end. I'm looking forward to next season's show!

Music Talent Competitions

Due to the recent success of vocal talent shows on TV I have wondered if there might be a market for additional musical talent competitions on TV. Granted there is something special about singers and singing groups but what about a show which features other instruments. Could there be one that focused on a certain instrument like the piano or guitar. I wondered if they have thrown around the idea of having a rock band competition with America voting for their favorite new band in the end. These type of shows enable new performers to have instant access to a large crowd and I would bet that there are enough garage bands out there to find enough talent for a show.

Concert Choir Robes

It is traditional for many choirs to wear choir robes when they perform. This tradition is rather interesting. Having worn quite a few myself I find them usually to be uncomfortable and rather silly looking. I'm not sure where the tradition started but I am guessing it is from the religious tradition of robes in church. I would be happy to see this tradition replaced with another. Wouldn't it be simpler for shirt and ties for guys and skirts and blouses for girls? Or for more casual performances even personalized choir t-shirts . I think it would save a lot of the hassle of dry cleaning the robes, matching sizes and keeping a constant inventory of robes and making sure that you get them back from the students or choir performers.

Live Music Festivals

There is nothing better than live music. True one can sit back and listen to volumes of music and performances on CD, but there is still something enlivening about hearing a live performance. Maybe its being able to not only hear but feel the crash of the cymbals or see the emotion on the faces of the performers. Across the country there has been an increase in music festivals, everything from bluegrass and country to Mozart Festivals. These festivals bring to a community added exposure and a chance for residents of these communities to embrace and host visitors from outside of their community. If you are wondering if there is a music festival you are missing out on check out this music festival finder to find local music festivals. For example we live in Pennsylvania, and I recently found out that Gettysburg hosts a bluegrass festival in May and August. What a fun weekend excursion to hear live music and visit historic Gettysburg and of course dine out at the local establishments. So if you are looking for a great weekend out or looking for a great gift idea for a musician , look for a local music festival and explore a new part of your community while at the same time experiencing live music.

Broadway Spectacles

The much anticipated Broadwayshow "Spiderman The Musical" is supposed to premiere this summer. Much of the publicity surrounding this such has been on its extravagance as well as the injuries involved with the stunts performed. Broadway shows and musicals in general have to find ways to compete and draw viewers to see them. In my opinion ,not matter how amazing the spectacle musicals are driven by the story they tell and music which helps tell that story.
Looking at recent successes like "Wicked" or even classics like "The Phantom of the Opera" they both have tremendous scores and compelling stories and characters. True there are breath-taking and memorable scenes performed on stage an (like seeing the Wicked Witch "defy gravity")which add to the splendor of the event. However Broadway musicals which become "classics" generally have solid characters and sweeping and memorable lyrics and scores.
Now don't get me wrong, the creative and ingenious minds which have continually recreated and pushed the bounds of what can be done on stage should be encouraged and applauded. I love to see the creativity involved in sets, lighting, special effects as well as the other technical aspects which help shows come alive.
However strong shows also help support local theater companies and high school music programs. These less technically dependent musicals can be performed on a local level and enjoyed by both amateurs and professionals.