Music

For good reason, music is considered to be a universal language. Without a doubt, it is considered to be beneficial for children too. And which is why it would be a good idea to let your child learn to play an instrument.

Here are 4 clear reasons why children should learn to play an instrument of their choice:

#1: Confidence Builder

When children discover that they can develop a skill on their own and even get better at it, their confidence improves greatly. So, this clearly points to learning an instrument being a clear confidence builder.

#2: Contributes to their social skills

When children become part of a social group so as to learn musical skills, it will help them come out of their shell. Apart from this, they will also learn how to work as a team, relate with one another as well as develop discipline and leadership skills. This is especially so when they play as part of a musical ensemble or orchestra.

#3: Teaches patience

When you play as a musician in a group, you have to develop patience so as to play your parts at the right time. If you do not develop this, then the music you play will sound like noise or out of sync. It’s obvious that you need patience and work together as a group in order to play music.

#4: Improves brain power

Studies have shown that there is a direct co-relation between learning a musical instrument and the improvement of brainpower. In fact, when children are exposed to music, their academic grades tend to improve greatly. This is for the reason that music stimulates music, math and emotional development.

Just about anyone who has listened to a lot of pop on the radio would have realized that a lot of pop music actually sounds much the same.

In fact, a recent study has reached the conclusion that pop music has become more and more homogenous and they also know why.

This study which surveyed almost 500000 albums across a number of genres, concluded that simplicity sells best and which is why it “dumbs down and becomes formulaic”.

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna actually came to this conclusion by studying almost 15 genres and 374 subgenres while comparing their complexity to that genre’s sales. It was found that complexity turns people off, thanks to genres such as alternative rock, experimental and hip-hop becoming complex.

If that’s not enough, very few genres have been able to retain a level of complexity over time. As for the one that do, such as experimental music, folk and folk rock, aren’t the best earners in the business.

Without a doubt, the study’s findings hit the nail on the head since we crave familiarity and which is why it’s isn’t surprising that Top 40 stations throughout the United States have played the 10 biggest songs twice as much as compared to 10 years ago.

The music industry understands this best and caters to this cravings for particular sounds and which is why we also end up listening to similar sounding songs over and over again.

Of course, all this changes once we’re tired of it and the space opens up for something completely out of the ordinary. Yet this points to the need that we should deliberately, no doubt, think about supporting original rather than blindly listening to formulaic music.

There’s no doubt that in order to become a musician of repute, practice is something that is imperative. There can be no excuses. The more you practice, the more acquainted they become with the instrument they are in the process of mastering.

However, there are ways to speed up this process faster. That said, here are 4 tips to get more out of practice time:

#1: A Quiet Place

Since practice time involves not only playing an instrument but also thinking about what you are doing, this is why it is imperative for you to find a quiet spot such a bedroom where you can enjoy some peace and quiet.

#2: Arrange for Music Supplies Prior to Practice

Music supplies and accessories are important if you want to make the most out of your music session. Whether it’s sheet music or even a ready-to-use instrument among other accessories, it’s wise to keep them ready before practice.

#3: Create Your Own Practice Schedule

If you play in a band, practice apart from the time you come together is necessary. Not doing so means falling behind and wasting everyone’s time as a result. So, for this, schedule a time, whether in the afternoon or evening, until it becomes a serious habit.

#4: Use a Music Stand Always

One little detail can improve your music practice sessions greatly. In other words, standing up would be what you have to do in order to make a real difference. For this, place your music on a rack and this will not only improve your posture, help you read music better, breathe easier but also help you work your instrument better.

A number of successful people have been trained in playing music. A few names include Condoleeza Rice, Bruce Kovner and Alan Greenspan come to mind.

What this points to, thanks to a number of studies, is that academic achievement is strongly linked to serious music training.

What is also clear is that this correlation isn’t a coincidence and goes beyond the math-music association. A number of high achievers are sure that this kind of training opens their mind up to think more creatively.

Probably the best answer as to why this connection exists is because it gives you the confidence that you can create something of value. But that’s not all: it helps you to look beyond what exists at the moment while giving an outlet to express yourself differently.

Apart from this, if you put in years of practice while being competitive, this creates a “drive for perfection” too. Also, if you play in an ensemble, it helps you to work collaboratively with other people – another key aspect to success.

Finally, music, according to a number of amateur musicians who are successful in their fields, works as a hidden language that enhances one’s ability to make connections between disparate or even contradictory ideas.

Yet most of all, probably the biggest advantage to studying music even if you work in another field is that it proves that you can be better than most people if you outwork them – practicing that piece one more time in order to get it absolutely right.

Even if 2014 is now officially over, there are a number of albums that might have been missed from the 350 albums that were released during this time.

That said, a number of these albums could be titled “local music” but definitely deserve attention. So, here are 3 albums that still deserves your time even if we are in 2015:

#1: 3 AM Rendezvous by Tetris Fingers

With elements of hip-hop, juke, house beat and electronica, Tetris Fingers is considered to be one of the trippy DJs in Utah. At first, it might seem a little jarring or even abrasive but if you spend more time, you’ll find that it is structurally sound.

#2: It’s All For You by The Salt, The Sea And The Sun God

Being a three-piece band, they have the reputation of being an experimental folk pop group in the Provo music scene. This is their debut album and they drift through a number of music styles be it psychedelic to even shoegaze. It’s very art-rock and imitates Pink Floyd in their early days.

#3: Bad 4 the Tooth by 90s Television

Known as an SLC indie pop group, the recent EP that they released shows promise. Previously, the band released albums that were considered a cacophony of lo-fi recording sessions and sound effects that might have put off a number of people. This album mixes a number of genres and effects but it’s worth a listen if you are patient enough.

A growing trend is that school children listen to music while doing their homework. In some cases, some of them who choose to listen tend to see a drop in their grades as a result.

According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, it was found that between the ages of 12 to 17, almost 53 percent of these teenagers are doing something else while studying and which include watching television, instant messaging and emailing as well.

As for listening to music while studying, this number stood at about 87 percent, thanks to this generation being surrounded by the likes of television, computers and iPods as well.

Unfortunately, it has become clear that when you try to do too many things at the same time, you cannot completely focus on one task. In a number of studies, it has shown that playing pop music has not only hindered students taking reading comprehension or memory tests either.

On the other hand, it also depends on the type of music that one listens to while studying. Classical or soothing music can actually help some students focus better. Known as the Mozart effect, IQ scores of test takers went up by 8 to 9 points. Also, when playing Baroque era music to assist students learn a foreign language, retention went up by 92 percent as a whole.

So, finally, it all depends on the kind of music and student. For the most part, playing quiet music really helps while loud music only distracts children from concentrating on their homework, take tests or focus on any school-related task.

One of the best ways by which you can gain exposure as well as fans as a musician is to have a strong social media presence.

Doing this will help your band stand out especially if you keep your pages updated regularly.

That said, with a number of social media platforms that are present, it can be difficult to pick just one for this reason.

So, here are 3 ways by which you can carry out a comprehensive social media strategy to promote your music:

#1: Don’t rely on Facebook only

Even if Facebook is the dominant social media site, its new timeline will prevent most of your audience to see your posts. This is despite the fact that you will be paying out so as to promote your page. A number of other sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Soundcloud are at your disposal.

#2: Consistency

If your website looks well-designed but your Twitter page doesn’t reflect the same designs, then your audience might get confused. For this, make sure that you keep your presence consistent across all social media platforms. Be it colors or fonts, this will assert who you are as a band and will be instantly recognizable too.

#3: Post as much content as possible

If you need to stay updated across a number of platforms, you can do this by using certain software that makes sure you don’t have to visit all these pages one at a time. However, there’s a downside to this – if all your social media pages have the same type of content posted, then this will discourage fans from following on all different social media pages that you use.

It goes without saying that mixing is a big balancing act. A lack of experience in monitoring, acoustics as well as experience can really affect any sound’s characteristics when in the act of mixing.

So, here are 4 tips that will help you with visual mixing:

#1: Import your favorite mixes

If you import your favorite commercial mixes for referencing purposes in WAV form (and not MP3), you might get a handle on how this can work for your own mixes that you produce. Visual analysis tools can help you to carry basic waveform inspection, RMS metering, stereo metering and frequency analysis.

#2: Use two but not one analysers

In most cases, a dedicated plugin can provide visual information about the curves of each element on any given track on a single analyser display. However, if the frequency analyser you use doesn’t have this feature, then you will have to open two analysers side by side so as to compare the curves.

#3: Use Presets

You can create presets of your favorite metering settings so that it helps save time as soon as you might have to recall them for different situations. Some examples includes fast analysis for drums as well as slow analysis for mastering. In most cases, your meter plugin will already have presets, so check on that first.

#4: Combine the tools

Equalisers and frequency analysers go together. It always comes across as handy when you are able to see what’s happening frequency-wise when creating a mix with EQ. Better still, there are a number of plugins such as FabFilter’s Pro-Q, DMG Audio’s EQuilibrium and EQuality that can help you with this.

If the vocals you’ve recorded sounds great on tape, then the music production that you’re working towards is going to end really well.

But for those who are just getting started, here are 4 tips that can help you record that perfect vocal sound:

#1: Ensure that the singer is not only physically comfortable, focused but also under no psychological pressure too. In general, most singer perform best standing up in a room where the temperature is not too warm. If they’re feeling distracted, then have the other band members or even the sound engineer out of the room.

#2: An excellent headphone mix helps the vocalist give an excellent performance. This means getting it right (in terms, of what they want!) while giving them a bit of reverb as well. Better still, if they can adjust their own monitor level, life will get a whole lot easier.

#3: Pick the mic that will suit the singer. For example, those singers with think or bright sounds could do with a dynamic mic much like the Shure SM58. For those with more open sounding voices, a back electret or capacitor mic should work just as well.

#4: A pop shield is vital to getting the vocalist to sound right. If you fail to do this, when syllables such as ‘p’ and ‘b’ are sung, pops that sound unnatural will not be eliminated once the recording is over. You can find a commercial model if you like or create one yourself which consists of stocking material hanging over a wire coathanger frame.

Thinking about how to go about music practice is a good way to ensure its effectiveness. Obviously, this will make you feel much better and encourage you to continue to practice more.

This applies to about anyone who either plays an instrument or sings. So, that said, here are 4 ways to make your music practice more effective:

#1: Use technology to your benefit

Technology can work to your benefit as long as you don’t spend too much time with it. For instance, finding a metronome, tuner and timer as apps can be especially helpful, if you want your practice session to be as effective as possible.

#2: A quiet place

Finding a quiet place might prevent you being interrupted by a number of noises that will disturb the flow of your practice. However, just being in a specially designated place will ensure that get into that mindset to practice as well.

#3: Set clear goals

Before beginning practice, ask yourself what you would like to accomplish in today’s practice session. If you aren’t able to create clear goals, then ask your teacher to make a few for each session.

#4: Challenge yourself physically

If you’re struggling to play an element or two, then it’s a good idea to challenge yourself. This can be done, in a physical sense, by playing that part either by walking or even while standing up. Once you’re done doing this with that physical challenge, then play that piece without the challenge. It’ll feel easier!