Posts Tagged ‘lessons’
Wow I’m So Proud!
This is a quote from a current B&B Teacher and it is awesome to hear this kind of feedback:
B&B is a great company to work for. Brad and Bhagwan have always treated me great, and they’ve always been helpful and encouraging. Being a musician, I meet a lot of other musicians, and they are well known in the DMV area. Everyone that I’ve talked to about them always say positive things about them. I’m glad to see the company continue to grow and improve over the years. I’ve stayed with them for so long because they work with my schedule; if I need more students, they give them to me. I can honestly say that B&B is the best company I’ve ever worked for.
Drummer Cat
When should my child start taking private music lessons?
When should my child start taking private music lessons?
Student plays guitar.
Parents eager to expose their children to music education often wonder how old little ones should be before enrolling in private music lessons. While there’s no definitive answer, B&B generally starts students at the age of 5 or above. Here are some indicators that your child is ready for one-on-one music instruction.
Attention span
If your child can remain attentive and follow directions for 20 – 30 minutes, he may be ready for individual music lessons. Being able to stay on task is also essential, since kids will need to be able to focus during regular practice sessions at home.
Reading and comprehension
Sheet music generally contains musical directions, like fast, slow, soft, or loud, in addition to song titles and lyrics that students may struggle with if they’re not yet reading. So, younger kids may want to hold off on lessons until they can read and understand the information written on their music and in any practice workbooks they are given.
In-home instruments
It’s important that students have instruments that they can use for practicing at home. Inexpensive or shared instruments are fine, especially for beginning students. But it’s important that students have regular access to an instrument, instead of just relying on weekly lessons.
Parental Involvement
If you can commit to driving your child to lessons, buying an instrument and instructional materials, paying for lessons, and helping your child stick to a practice schedule, your child already has a great foundation to start! (And of course, with lessons from B&B, you can leave the driving to us.)
By making sure your child is ready before starting music lessons, you can help learning an instrument be a rich and rewarding experience, the benefits of which will last a lifetime.
B&B Music Lessons. Making the world a better place, one lesson at a time!
Chris Z.
Chris Z | B&B Flute Teacher Potomac Md
Instruments:
Flute, Piano, Violin, Guitar
Genres:
Classical, Contemporary, Rock, Pop, Folk
Location:
Rockville, Potomac, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Olney, Maryland
Why I work well with kids?
I have experience with teaching students from as young as 5 and as old as 70. The average age of my students is about 9. My lessons are very structured, 2/3 technical development and 1/3 music. For my beginners, the music portion will be method books until I feel they are capable of repertoire. I stress the importance of repetition and slow practice. With all students, there is a window of opportunity which usually occurs within 3-4 weeks of taking lessons where if they don’t see progress, they quit. Technical development (achieved by slow, repetitious practice) accomplishes this. My systematic approach has achieved vast improvements in all my students, so much that 85% of my students are referrals from parents who are impressed with my work.
Jill M.
B&B Teacher Jill M. | Drum Lessons Fairfax VA
Instruments: Drums, Beginning Guitar and Bass
Genres:
Pop, Rock, Punk, Indie
Location: Fairfax, Reston, Alexandria, Vienna, McLean, Arlington, VA
Why I work well with kids?
B&B Student Recital: July 8, 2012 (Group C)
The attendees, parents and friends of our students, of July 8, 2012′s recital.
*scroll down to view videos
B&B’s 2012 Summer Recital, Group C
This Sunday, our students took to the stage for B&B’s 2012 summer recital at the Strathmore Mansion. All of the performers had a blast entertaining the crowd with their own renditions of some incredible jazz, pop, and classical numbers. Plus, they got solid experience playing in front of people – and that’s what music’s all about!
“They’re casual, low-pressure events in a fun, friendly atmosphere.”
Well, I guess it’s not all about the performing because music’s also about having fun. From weekly lessons, to personal practice time, to listening to MP3s, students should enjoy the process of learning music. And we treat our recitals the same way. They’re casual, low-pressure events in a fun, friendly atmosphere. After all, performing in front of people is stressful enough on its own!
“…we know that a four-hour recital can be a lot to sit through.”
Music aside, one of my favorite parts about our recitals is that they’re such social functions. I finally get to meet our parents face-to-face. And the students get to hang out with one another and see what their peers are up to. Our busy parents like that we break our recitals into four mini-sets, instead of having one big show. So they can just come for their child’s set. (We love music, but we know that a four-hour recital can be a lot to sit through – especially if you have toddlers in tow.)
Enjoy a few videos of the event below…
If you made it out on Sunday, thanks so much for coming! I hope you had a fantastic time as we did. You can now enjoy a few videos of the event below. Enjoy!
Because music matters,
Bhagwan Khalsa
B&B Music Lessons Co-founder
*Be sure to click the word “playlist” in the bottom left hand corner of the video player below.
Student Recital: July 8, 2012 (Group B)
The attendees, parents and friends of our students, of July 8, 2012′s recital.
*scroll down to see the videos
B&B’s 2012 Summer Recital, Group B
This Sunday, our students took to the stage for B&B’s 2012 summer recital at the Strathmore Mansion. All of the performers had a blast entertaining the crowd with their own renditions of some incredible jazz, pop, and classical numbers. Plus, they got solid experience playing in front of people – and that’s what music’s all about!
“They’re casual, low-pressure events in a fun, friendly atmosphere.”
Well, I guess it’s not all about the performing because music’s also about having fun. From weekly lessons, to personal practice time, to listening to MP3s, students should enjoy the process of learning music. And we treat our recitals the same way. They’re casual, low-pressure events in a fun, friendly atmosphere. After all, performing in front of people is stressful enough on its own!
“…we know that a four-hour recital can be a lot to sit through.”
Music aside, one of my favorite parts about our recitals is that they’re such social functions. I finally get to meet our parents face-to-face. And the students get to hang out with one another and see what their peers are up to. Our busy parents like that we break our recitals into four mini-sets, instead of having one big show. So they can just come for their child’s set. (We love music, but we know that a four-hour recital can be a lot to sit through – especially if you have toddlers in tow.)
Enjoy a few videos of the event below…
If you were able to make it out on Sunday, thanks so much for coming! I hope you had as incredible a time as I did. But, even if you missed it, you can enjoy a few videos of the event below. Enjoy!
Because music matters,
Bhagwan Khalsa
B&B Music Lessons Co-founder
* Be sure to click on the word “playlist” in the lower, left hand corner of the video player below.
Student Recital: July 8, 2012 (Group A)
The attendees, parents and friends of our students, of July 8, 2012′s recital.
*scroll down to see videos
B&B’s 2012 Summer Recital, Group A
This Sunday, our students took to the stage for B&B’s 2012 summer recital at the Strathmore Mansion. All of the performers had a blast entertaining the crowd with their own renditions of some incredible jazz, pop, and classical numbers. Plus, they got solid experience playing in front of people – and that’s what music’s all about!
“They’re casual, low-pressure events in a fun, friendly atmosphere.”
Well, I guess it’s not all about the performing because music’s also about having fun. From weekly lessons, to personal practice time, to listening to MP3s, students should enjoy the process of learning music. And we treat our recitals the same way. They’re casual, low-pressure events in a fun, friendly atmosphere. After all, performing in front of people is stressful enough on its own!
“…we know that a four-hour recital can be a lot to sit through.”
Music aside, one of my favorite parts about our recitals is that they’re such social functions. I finally get to meet our parents face-to-face. And the students get to hang out with one another and see what their peers are up to. Our busy parents like that we break our recitals into four mini-sets, instead of having one big show. So they can just come for their child’s set. (We love music, but we know that a four-hour recital can be a lot to sit through – especially if you have toddlers in tow.)
Enjoy a few videos of the event below…
If you were able to make it out on Sunday, thanks so much for coming! I hope you had an incredible time, as I did. But even if you missed it, you can enjoy a few videos of the event below. Enjoy!
Because music matters,
Bhagwan Khalsa
B&B Music Lessons Co-founder
* Click on the word “playlist” in the lower, left hand corner of the video player below.
Lessons and the Economy
Choosing The Right Music Lesson Company in a Tough Economy
Times are tough. The economy’s still sluggish, and summer expenses – camps, vacations, reunions, weddings, etc. – are hitting all of our pockets pretty hard. Looking for ways to cut back, parents often have to prioritize their spending budgets. This isn’t an easy task with our high paced lives.
As we all know, learning music is invaluable, especially for kids. Taking music lessons helps students develop parts of the brain that control language and reasoning, enhance creative thinking, and promote perseverance. Most parents have come to realize that quality music lessons are just something their children can’t live without.
B&B Music Lessons’ s flexible music program may be just the thing for the fiscally prudent parent. Unlike most music programs that require weekly payments whether students receive lessons or not, at B&B, as long as you give 24 hours’ notice, you can skip a lesson and not be charged for it. This can translate to huge savings, especially during the summer when travel plans may interrupt regular sessions. And since our teachers are more than willing to accommodate students’ changing schedules, it’s always easy to stay on track and get the most out of your time with B&B!
So enjoy your summer, and keep practicing — “Because Music Matters”.
Are Drums Really “Musical” Instruments?
When we think of music, we think of harmonious, pleasing sounds that create or recall emotions and memories. In that sense, it may be hard to think of banging on a drum as “music”. Few of us would want to sit through an entire performance of drum solos; yet, drums and other percussion instruments play an important role in any performance; as much as the piano, the violin or guitar.
Drums set the tempo and rhythm of the music, adding emotional shadings and emphasis to the music being played. Drums in an orchestra are like the sound track in a movie; always in the background — adding color, emotion and tempo to the scene — but only rarely, if ever, becoming the scene or the performance itself. Traditionally, drums and percussion instruments play supporting roles to the “musical” instruments; they provide rhythm, shading and texture, but are not the music itself.
Yet, despite its supporting role in traditional music, it is an integral part of the performance itself.
The emergence of Jazz and Rock n’ Roll has often put drummers in the forefront of the performance. They are not just “bit players” doing backup, but star performers, virtuosos in their own right. Who has not been thrilled by a drum solo from such legendary drummers as Gene Krupa, Keith Moon, Mick Fleetwood, or Ringo Starr?
Like any other instrument, playing a drum badly is just making noise; but playing a drum with style; in sync with other instruments or as a solo performance, is a skill that rivals the virtuosos of any other instrument. But does a drum “make music”?
The dictionary defines “Music” as:
- The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.
- Vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm.
Drums are all about rhythm. They don’t create melodies or harmonies. The sound of a drum is as basic and visceral as a heartbeat. Drums interpret the rhythms of nature into musical forms: the ominous rumble of thunder from the Tympani, or the pattering of raindrops on a roof from a snare drum. That is what we sense when we hear the beat of a drum: the rhythms of life itself.
Why Choose Guitar For Your Child
Four Reasons to go with the Guitar
We all know it’s a good idea to sign kids up for music lessons. Countless studies have shown that studying music heightens math and verbal skills, improves memory, and helps build social skills. But if you’re still not sure which brain-boosting instrument to choose for your child, you may want to consider the guitar. Here are the top four reasons why parents like it for their kids.
Variety – Guitars come in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Choosing a ½ or ¾ sized guitar gives little hands easier access to all of the frets on the fingerboard, so smaller kids have an easier time playing guitar than they would with say a trombone. Plus, guitars are available in countless colors and designs that are cool enough to entice kids to practice.
Portability – Guitars are easy to pack, take, and tune on the road. Whether the road leads your child to the playground for an outdoor jam session, a neighbor’s garage for band practice, or the backyard for some time strumming in solitude, the guitar is easy to pack transport. And it can be store in super-small places, which is ideal for the city dweller.
Popularity – Some of the most popular songs on the radio feature the guitar. And in turn, some of today’s most celebrated musicians are guitar players. The appeal of being able to play the same instrument as his or her favorite rock star can give a child who’s just starting out an incredible incentive to keep at it.
Proficiency – Mastering the guitar, like mastering any instrument, takes time and effort. But since it’s easy to learn quick tags to most popular songs, students can feel and sound accomplished even early on.
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