Category Archives: Instrument Spotlight

Presidential Musicians

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As we all await the decision that will decide our next President, I pondered to myself… how many of our Presidents have been musically talented? Of course we all remembered Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on late night television, but there had to be others.

Interestingly enough, only 13 of our 45 Presidents have been able to play an instrument. The first was Thomas Jefferson, who played both cello and violin. Tyler and Lincoln both also played the violin. John Quincy Adams was the only woodwind player in the group. Flute was his instrument of choice. These were all common “parlor” instruments of the time.

As time wore on, the instruments changed. Chester Alan Arthur played the banjo, Roosevelt and Wilson were both competent singers, while Coolidge and Reagan both enjoyed playing the Harmonica. Truman was an accomplished pianist whereas Nixon was the lone accordion player in the group.

My favorite was Harding though. He was a true musical bi-partisan. As 29th president of the United States, he organized the Citizen’s Cornet Band, which would perform at both Republican and Democratic rallies. He once remarked that, “I played every instrument but the slide trombone and the E-flat cornet.”

Gov. Bill Clinton, sitting with the band, turns out an impressive version of "Heatrbreak Hotel" as Arsenio Hall gestures approvingly in the musical opening of "The Arsenio Hall Show" taping at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, June 3, 1992. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Sources: https://nafme.org/the-most-musical-united-states-presidents/

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Guitar Lessons, Everything You Need to Get Started!

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Guitar lessons are one of the most popular choices for beginning and adult students. It’s a very approachable and portable instrument, and can quickly become an accessory, depending on how much you like to play. There are just a few things to know if you are interested in taking guitar lessons at Nashville Music Academy; physical expectations, notation, type of guitar, and genre.

One thing all guitar players know, is that the instrument will physically change your fingertips. Callouses and tenderness are to be expected. For this reason, it is important to understand the commitment of practice and the pain (however so slight) it might cause, especially with very young students. The types of strings you choose for your guitar will also make a difference. Your instructor can guide you through all these decisions.

Unlike piano, guitar is notated with tablature. Tablature is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches. You can learn more about tablature HERE. If a guitar student is interested in crossing over to other instruments, such as voice or piano, it is important that they understand the sight-reading approach of tablature only applies to the guitar. Your guitar instructor can teach you the other methods if you plan on being a multi-instrumentalist!

Most folks know there are two types of guitar – electric or acoustic. The guitar lesson will vary depending on what type you choose. Acoustic is commonly associated with the genres of classical, bluegrass, country, Americana, singer-songwriter, and world music. Electric is often associated with Blues, Funk, Rock, and Punk. Both Pop and Jazz have crossover with both acoustic and electric. Knowing what kind of music you would like to learn will play a large role in which you choose.

At Nashville Music Academy, we have teachers that teach all styles, genres, and types of guitar lessons. Adam Korsvik, Rebecca Frazier, and Michaela Neller are all excellent teachers well versed and waiting to share their years of expertise with you. Call today, 615-521-1937 to set up an appointment.

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Guitar Lessons & Visually Impaired Students

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Guitar lessons at Nashville Music Academy are available for all abilities. We have a long history in Nashville of making music lessons accessible for people with disabilities. In 2013 we received an award for Nashville Mayor Karl Dean for our outstanding work with special needs individuals. So what makes all of this possible?

The first thing to understand about people with “disabilities” is that they have other really special abilities and gifts that compensate for the challenges they face in their everyday lives. For example, visually impaired students often have an amazing aural (ear) ability that allows them to learn songs quickly by just listening. The ear becomes the eye, and guides the fingers along the ever constant guitar neck. We have had several visually impaired students experience success with guitar lessons at NMA for that reason.

In addition to the natural abilities of our students with special needs, our staff makes all the difference. An intuitive music teacher can coach any student to success by finding their strengths and building upon them. The rapport that’s developed between student and teacher largely determines success, second only to practice! If you know someone who could benefit from music lessons at Nashville Music Academy, please have them call 615-521-1937 today to set up an appointment.

Click HERE to learn about famous blind musicians!

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The Guitar, a Historic American Instrument

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The Guitar is undeniably one of the most recognizable instruments in American Music. Whether acoustic or electric, this instrument of West African origin, has become a defining element for Country, Blues, Rock, Jazz, Gospel, and more. As a resident of Nashville, I have been several times to the site of the Nashville residence of Jimmy Hendrix (now an empty overgrown lot about to become a parking lot). He said of Nashville, “That’s where I learned to play the guitar.” When Hendrix set his Stratocaster on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival, he explained it as an act of love. “You sacrifice the things you love,” he said. “I love my guitar”.

A days drive from Nashville is the music history rich city of Memphis, whose Rock fame is already known. The confluence of talent and history surrounding the guitar are breathtaking at the very least. From Dolly Parton to Jimmy Hendrix, this country has a diverse history with the instrument.

At Nashville Music Academy, we have instructors that represent every style of guitar, for both acoustic and electric. Adam Korsvik, Michaela Neller, and Rebecca Frazier offer a wide variety of styles and techniques. Their profiles can be viewed on the Music Instructor tab of the home page. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Slideshow/Source: Rolling Stone

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Spotlight on Violin Lessons!

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Violin lessons have long been the first instrument studied by many great performers. Elton John being one of those. What is it about this instrument that gives beginning musicians such an edge? It’s all about the ear. Learning the violin requires intonation, which is a very intuitive and self-sharpened skill where the ear is the only true measure of correctness. It also requires the mastery of emotion and performance technique, whereas other instruments strictly start off with technical and sight-reading components.

If you’re considering violin lessons for yourself or a child, we have two great violin instructors at Nashville Music Academy: Maria Kowalski and Lauren Douglas (see our instructor page for bio’s). Both have great experience teaching classical and fiddling styles. The violin and viola performances at the annual recital are always a crowd favorite. Often students start seeing beginning mastery of the instrument after six months.

Here are some interesting facts about the violin that you may not have known (compliments of sheetmusicplus.com):

  1. The modern violin has been around for roughly 500 years. It was said to have been designed in the 1500’s by Andrea Amati.
  2. Playing the violin burns approximately 170 calories per hour. Forget about your workout and start practicing harder!
  3. Violins are typically comprised of spruce or maple wood.
  4. Violins come in many different sizes. Typically, students will start learning violin at a young age with a 1/32 or 1/16 size violin. As the student ages they will graduate up to a full sized violin.
  5. Violins are very complex. Over 70 different pieces of wood are put together to form the modern violin.
  6. The word violin comes from the Medieval Latin word vitula, meaning stringed instrument;
  7. The world record in cycling backwards playing a violin is 60.45 kilometres in 5 hours 8 seconds.
  8. The most expensive violin in the world was made by Giuseppe Guarneri in 1741. This extravagant violin was appraised with a value of $18 million.
  9. Violin bows typically contain 150 to 200 hairs. They can be made up of  a variety of materials including nylon and horse hair.
  10. Violin strings were first made of sheep gut (commonly known as catgut), which was stretched, dried, and twisted. Other materials violin strings have been made out of include: solid steel, stranded steel, or various synthetic materials, wound with various metals, and sometimes plated with silver.

 

http://blog.sheetmusicplus.com/2013/06/12/10-interesting-facts-about-the-violin/