Tag: piano instructor

Take a rock rhythm on the drum set, a simple 4/4 beat. What do you start it with? The bass drum! That’s right. The order is almost always bass/snare-bass/snare. Millions of people have boogied with that simple and efficient combo. Are you looking for a new style, something unusual to do? Then reverse the order.…

I always recommend to my students to explore the instrument they’re interested in. By that, in the simplest terms, I mean this: mess around. Every time I give this advice, though, I imagine the player on his drums pouring speed from his wrists while pouring sweat out of his forehead and producing an incredible mess…

If you’ve been following the news, you know that the music industry is on hold. No concerts. No studio sessions. No albums being produced. No shows on Broadway or anywhere else. And, insofar as we know, the summer has been cancelled. No festivals, no weddings, no form of live entertainment. I could go into how…

Three! The question is how many voices on the drums? Let’s count them: Bass drum 1, snare drum 2, hi hat 3. Three. In rock’n roll,  that’s it. It’s always three. Wow, that one was easy. Not quite. Let’s suppose you move your right hand (if you are right handed) to the ride cymbal and…

This question can seem naive but it needs to be taken seriously. On the internet it is the most asked question about the piano. Or about the drums. Or about any instrument. People want to know how long it takes before they can play. The answer is not easy for two simple reasons: 1: what…

What is the difference between teaching in person and teaching online? A few. First and foremost, technology has to work. If your connection isn’t good, you waste time, time for which you are paid for, go get a new modem. Second is what you see. A lot of students use laptops or phones. They try…

Here are a few more information that might be helpful. Be safe out there.   ILLINOIS RESOURCES    MUSICIAN-SPECIFIC RESOURCES (State-by-state guide):    Billboard Magazine: https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9337908/coronavirus-resource-guide-music-professionals-help   Teaching Artists Guild – Resources for Covid-19: https://teachingartistsguild.org/covid-19-resources/   INCOME / HOME / FOOD   Unemployment benefits application & FAQs: https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/Pages/default.aspx   Emergency Rental Assistance: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fss/provdrs/serv/svcs/how_to_find_rentalassistanceinchicago.html   Temporary…

Gas is affordable. Bills are extended. Kids are at home with their families. Parents are home taking care of their children. Fast food is replaced by home cooked meals. Hectic schedules are replaced by naps. The air seems cleaner. Wild animals are visiting our cities. The world seems quieter. Crime is down. People are conscious…

On every TV channel we get the counter for cases or for worse. The economy is tanking. A lot of business disappear or shrink, a lot of people lose their job.  Looking out the window, the streets are same as make no difference empty. If you talk to anyone on the phone or on an…

Hello everyone, I will compile in this blog some information to try to ease the pain of this situation.   If you get laid off in the State of Illinois or if you get a reduced pay check, this website could be precious:   https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/Pages/default.aspx   It is updated everyday with new information on how…