History books will tell you that the violin is actually an Eastern European descendant of the Japanese Kyoto. They’ll say something about Marco Polo bringing the idea of the violin back to Eastern Europe after his highly publicized jaunt to the Far West in the 1200’s where he enjoyed a Kyoto concert with Kubla Khan. […]
Blog
Air Guitarist Chad Cooper to give drums a shot
Dudes: So, I’ve finally done it. I’ve invested in a set of drums. I set ‘em up and started pounding the skins right away in my mother’s basement/my bachelor pad. Man, I’m rockin’ now! I’m thinking I might start up a rock band once I get my timings down. How do you feel about […]
We teach air guitar too!
Dudes: I know that you guys offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, violin lessons, flute lessons, ukulele lessons…basically lessons for every instrument known to mankind. But, I’m writing to find out if you offer air guitar lessons. I mean, I love the guitar and all its intricacies but, what I want to be able […]
Pave the way with music
This past July, I attended the The Guild of American Luthiers’ Twentieth National Convention/Exhibition in Tacoma, Washington. Beyond learning a plethora of new and interesting information, I discovered something very simple that I keep thinking about. The convention was held on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University (for that week it became Pacific Luthier University), […]
Rkr Mom tells her story
Rock Band Jam Camp (Part I) Ok, so I don’t know what possessed me. Well, actually, I do: It’s called Summer Vacation. This is the time when us at-home RkrMoms (Rocker Moms) need to find something to entertain our kids so they don’t end up [{in the basement} on the street, {playing video games} getting […]
Open Mic Night @ Andrew’s on the Corner
Join Bobby McManus and friends for what is sure to be a tuneful evening on Friday, September 16th at Andrew’s on the Corner. Bobby will host an acoustic open mic event which will start at 9pm and go until at least 12pm. This event will happen every other week. Dates for the remainder of the […]
Music Academy in Canton
It seems like parents love the first recital. When their kid gets up there in front of a crowd for the first time and strums out his or her first guitar solo, that’s a moment a parent will never forget. But someone else is beaming when they see that child conquer their inhibitions and […]
Pre-Piano Group Classes for ages 4 and 5
Welcome to Piano Transitions! The purpose of this class is to further the development of skills in music and piano in children 4 and 5 years of age. Children at this age learn best through play, exploration, and creativity, which is reflected in the structure of the class. There will be times for playing […]
Join the Guitar Ensemble at Grosse Pointe Music Academy
Metro Detroit guitarists now have the chance to play in a group with other six-stringers. You can have the same experience that middle school or high school band and orchestra students so vitally benefit from. Guitar Ensemble class is not designed to replace your private lesson instruction. Instead, it is meant to be a supplementary […]
Social Network for written music
Check out noteflight.com. Noteflight allows you to write music and share it easily on the internet. Noteflight is a free software that gives you high power music scoring tools on the internet for free. Score music for virtually any instrument and share it easily by emailing links or embedding into your web pages or blogs. […]
All about Drumming
Did you know that late night talk show host, Craig Fergueson, is a drummer? So is actor, Billy Bob Thornton and the Mindfreak himself, Criss Angel. It seems keeping steady rhythm on a set of skins would be pretty easy if Criss Angel can pull it off without the aid of mirrors or camera tricks. […]
Stolen Guitar! Please Help
Friday, September 16 at 9:00pm – September 17 at 12:00am Message from Bobby McManus: As some of you may have heard my main Seagull acoustic guitar which I use for my original music (the one with the Band-Aid) was recently stolen. While this is a major setback to my plans of recording an album Im determined […]
Extras needed for a Movie Starring Ethan Bortnick 10 yo Piano Prodigy. Attend concert for Free
Hey Everyone, The staff, parents, students, and friends of Grosse Pointe Music Academy have been invited to a free concert by the producers of a movie starring Ethan Bortnick. I received a call this afternoon from the movie set of Ethan Bortnick’s new film. He is having a concert at the Redford Theater on Thursday […]
Sing Like You Mean it
Sing Like You Mean It Karaoke is a great way to expose yourself to singing. A microphone and a karaoke machine turns a typical party into American Idol. It seems like everybody thinks they can sing when they get behind the mike and have a full Karaoke band behind them. Truth is, not everyone […]
Use What Talent you possess
“Use What Talent you possess: The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best” Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American scholar, educator, lyricist What do you think the quote means? I like this quote because I think he’s telling you to open up and let it out. Don’t wait […]
What Makes Music Together Unique?
What is it that makes Music Together unique? I’d love to share about it. There are many programs for early childhood music, all of which I’ve researched, and I strongly believe in these specific points about Music Together: – Based on Dr. Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, the most current research about how we learn when […]
Learn Guitar Chords on just three strings
If you’re a beginning guitar player or a guitarist with experience, you will no doubt have fun playing the different inversions of chords on just 3 strings of the guitar. It is very common for guitar teachers to teach the chords using 6, 5, or 4 strings during beginner guitar lessons. This is a good […]
Free Demo Music Class with Free Gift
Music Together of Grosse Pointe at the Grosse Pointe Music Academy invites you to participate in an upcoming FREE Demo class. Music Together is a fun family music program for parents and children ages birth to kindergarten. Parent participation – regardless of the parent’s own musical ability – is essential for creating the stimulating musical […]
Build Your Music Vocabulary through Piano Lessons
As your Piano Insider of the Grosse Pointe Music Academy, it’s important to me that I share with you my inside information on making piano lessons work for you or for your child. These are lessons I’ve learned after succeeding in teaching lessons and learning from my mistakes as a […]
Experience Success in Piano Lessons
August 27, 2011 You’ve come to the right place. I’m the “Piano Insider” and I’ll be here blogging for the Grosse Pointe Music Academy about all things piano and music lessons. I’m a passionate music teacher who loves learning and loves seeing success in music students. I’m bringing my 10+ years of experience of teaching […]