Jonathan S. Blues Guitar

Meet Jonathan, King of the Blues

Look out B. B. King. B&B officially has its very own resident “King of the Blues.” Jonathan Sloane is not only B&B’s newest all-star instructor, but he’s also winner of the Guitar Center’s 2011 Washington regional “King of the Blues” competition. And as a guitar instructor well-versed on teaching students how to read music notation, build chords, play scales, and learn rock and blues progressions, we couldn’t have asked for a better addition to the B&B team!

But if you think Jonathan’s only into Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, think again. He’s also plays lead guitar for Yellow Dubmarine, a reggae/dub Beatles tribute band that’s toured extensively throughout Canada and the U.S. The group, which also includes B&B’s own Robbie Cooper on drums, has even opened for the Wailers, Burning Spear, and Sonny Landreth. The band recently released their first recorded album, “Abbey Dub,” an imaginative interpretation of the Beatle’s classic, “Abbey Road.” To hear a few tracks from the album, check out their Web site: http://yellowdubmarine.com/

And then, be sure to take a look at Jonathan’s B&B teacher’s profile to see all of the other cool projects he’s been working on. If you’ve been thinking about guitar lessons for your child, he may just be the perfect teacher for you. After all, who better to teach students how to play guitar than the king?

One of B&B’s own rock star instructors, Laura Tsaggaris, is hitting the studio to produce her fourth album, Everyman. A singer/ songwriter/ guitarist based in Washington, DC, who’s been aptly likened to Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell, and Suzanne Vega, Laura’s well known for blending elements of rock, pop, blues, and jazz, giving a diverse group of music lovers cause to celebrate.

And upcoming Everyman, which focuses on Laura’s vocals and her killer skills on the acoustic guitar, promises to strike a chord with fans as well. As the title suggests, Laura hopes listeners will be able to find themselves in her lyrics, which touch on universal themes like love, loss, fear, and courage. Transcending race, sex, and gender, Laura’s new album aims to unite audiences with the rallying cry, “we are all Everyman.”

At the beginning of May, Laura packed her bags and headed to Los Angeles, where she’s spending the month recording with Grammy nominated producer, Jamie Caniloro, who’s worked with artists like R.E.M., Ryan Adams, Willie Nelson, and the Eagles. They expect the completed album ready in early fall.

To learn more about Laura, check out her B&B teacher’s profile or visit her Web site at http://www.lauratsaggaris.com.

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Hello ,

Adam was very excited about his first lesson. It went very well.

Thanks,

Jeff

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SNAP! is a rock band from the DC area who has been garnering increasing popularity as they continue to develop their sound.  From their first performance at a B&B recital, in which they stole the show with an amazing rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama“, SNAP! has continued to ‘wow’ local audiences. Their pristine vocal harmonies and crisp rhythms are a tribute to the fact that these girls have been a tightly knit unit for years.

Music can come in many different forms so including it in your children’s lives can be quite easy.

Very young children and their parents may attend classes such as Kindermusik http://www.kindermusik.com and a program called Music for Young Children http://www.myc.com. Participants are encouraged to sing, move, play musical games and even create sounds and rhythms on children’s musical instruments. Each child has a parent present to help facilitate the program to those of such a young age.

Dance classes for children often start as early as three years old and involve active participation in moving to different types of music. Beware of studios whose teachers are mere children themselves (ie: young teens), however, because teaching little ones of this tender age requires the skill and insight of a highly trained professional. Little children may be included in dance recitals that, if presented properly, can be a fun experience that helps develop confidence at an early age.

Today’s retailers boast a wide variety of stimuli for kids of all ages from videos to CD’s to interactive musical toys and books. Some products stem from children’s television programs and their familiarity makes them quite popular. Others encourage kids to sing along or introduce them to new repertoire to which they have not yet been exposed.

Television itself can be a wonderful tool through which to introduce your children to music and have them actively participate. Parents are encouraged to watch children’s television and choose programming they deem appropriate for their kids. Little ones continue to love Barney, the big purple dinosaur, as well as Sharon, Lois and Bram and other children’s entertainers. And don’t worry if you don’t have the latest cable channels. Public television stations carry a lot of quality children’s programming as do many local networks, however, don’t assume that because the program is categorized as a children’s show that every parent will approve of every show. Be selective and decide what it is that you want your child taking away from their viewing time.

One of the easiest activities to introduce kids to music is simply to sing with them. They love repetition so songs with a chorus, even if not familiar to them, will soon become a favorite. Parents don’t have to know all the latest songs – there are external sources such as CD’s and videos that contain these. Anything, as familiar as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and other such songs will get the job done. Remember the songs you knew and loved as a child? Well, your kids will love them too!