The MusicMaster™ Group

STEM vs. STEAM

1/1/2016

STEM VS. STEAM

Have you been encouraged that some are advocating that the ARTS be added to the
STEM acronym (STEAM)

There is still apparently a problem. ARTS does not refer to the PERFORMING ARTS. They're NOT suggesting the inclusion of music lessons. This is a direct quote: "What is STEAM?
In this climate of economic uncertainty, America is
once again turning to innovation as the way to ensure a prosperous future.

Yet innovation remains tightly coupled with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – the STEM subjects. Art + Design are poised to transform our economy in the 21st century just as science and technology did in the last century.

We need to add Art + DESIGN to the equation — to transform STEM into STEAM."

STEM + Art = STEAM

The objectives of the STEAM movement are to:

transform research policy to place Art + Design at the center of STEM
encourage integration of Art + Design in K–20 education
influence employers to hire artists and designers to drive innovation

They still don't have it right!

GRAPHIC DESIGN IS NOT THE SAME AS MUSIC LESSONS!

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Play it by ear ( or Brain)

12/23/2015

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What is an "ear player". You'll get a different definition from different sources. There are some whose capability to create spontancous
music is apparently genetic. We like "Playing by Brain" because the skill can be learned and can be a rational experience. In other words, anyone can learn and/or be taught to do it.

We think we've developed some very effective techniques that can be used by teachers or parents to teach the skill to their students or children.

We can supply that information to others. One thing for certain: "If You Don't Know the Chords, Nothing Else Matters". We have completed our presentation(s) called "Becoming a Chord Building Expert™. It's a 10 lesson presentation. Lesson #1 (Six Major and Six Minor triads is available as a FREE download at www.musicmastertraining.com > downloadables OR www.mormonmoms.net> downloadables.

Contact me directly if you have further questions or need help. roger@themusicmastergroup.com

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if you don't know the chords, nothing else matters

11/12/2015

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Obviously not a complete lifestyle philosophy but if you want to be a more complete musician and learn to improvise and be creative vs. just playing what someone else has written, the chords are crucial.

We have uploaded the first segment of our "Becoming a Chord Building Expert". It's FREE for you to download. You can learn 12 Chords in about that many minutes +-

You can download it for FREE!

Try it with your children, try it yourself. It's not that hard.

We will also upload an 8.5 by 11" document that describes how to make (build) 52 three tone chords (triads). If it can be described on a 8.5 by 11" document, how hard can it be?

This is current music theory, not 17th Century. But not just "theory" but useful information that can make the difference between a musician and just a piano player.

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Making Music Matter

11/12/2015

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It's obvious that Music Matters. Go to a church meeting with no music. Go to a movie with no music. Watch your favorite TV show with no music. In these moments music serves an important purpose. Whether it adds texture and meaning to the images we view or it helps us emotionally connect with what is going on, music has a capacity to affect us in a powerful way. In all the instances described all we are is a spectator to music, but we can also be a participant.

The non-musical benefits connected to music come from learning how to play it - not just listening. Music is a way for people to express themselves. It is an emotional outlet. It is an exercise for both the creative and analytical parts of the brain.

The point is, music matters. It is up to us to remember that and to spread the benefits of music to all that we can.

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Thank You!

9/11/2015

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A special THANKS to all of you who have let us send you our FREE Newsletter (Lines & Spaces). And our new teachers. We've always
known that we won't appeal to everyone. We've done enough presentations and displayed in enough "annual meetings" and been in
enough forums and chat rooms to know that there are (1) teachers who are quite content with their curriculum and (2) parents who don't
understand that there can be an enormous difference in piano lessons AND the outcome of those lessons.

We're grateful to those who have jumped on board - the outside teachers and the students in our studio. There are so many things and people to be impressed by.

We've always been concerned about the enormous drop-out rate of piano students - how many times we've heard comments that started
with "I wish. . . " Most have to do with not continuing - quitting, etc. But there are some who "wish" that their piano lessons had been
different - that they had been more fun or rewarding or that someone had been able to teach them how to improvise and style music
using current chords theory.

So we keep "working through the numbers" until we have a refined list of MusicMaster™ Insiders for whom we have something to offer.
Our big-sounding arrangements, learned very early, have always been appealing.

Now we have 3 new websites and a custom made USB drive (for our digital products) and feeling excited and some stress because we don't seem to be able to keep up.

We will be sending a questionnaire to all of our Insiders to help us determine what free stuff we've sent to you and what we still need to
send.

So, thanks again. And thanks for reading.

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Slogans vs. landmarks

8/20/2015

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NAMM show

1/27/2015

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Just returned from my 5th visit to the NAMM show. The Baskin-Robbins for musicians. Hundreds of exhibits. Thousands of people. A lot of opportunity to be informed. A lot of information about web sites, content marketing, social media, the threat to brick and mortar stores from on-line retailers. We learned that we can't out-Amazon a company like Amazon, out GC a company a company like GC (Guitar Center) and out E-Bay a company like E-Bay, etc.

The good news: Our materials are still more relevant and desirable than any others and they will always be because if anyone is going to make our products obsolete, it will be us that does it.

Small and nimble on purpose.

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Baskin robbins for musicians: the namm trade show

12/8/2014

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I wrote this from Anaheim, California at the NAMM trade show which is four days of looking at over 1500 exhibits of musical products and being surrounded by thousands of people from the music industry. This show is not open to the general public.

I was sitting at a table in the Hilton Hotel drinking some cranberry juice (“less than 10% juice”) and chatting with an electronics engineer from Poland who was in the U.S for the first time. He is trying to help market a switch that won’t effect the life of any piano player that I know. He’s talking about the size of the show (too big), the advantages of doing business in the U.S (unrestricted travel and no tariffs from state to state, and a few other things that I’ve obviously taken for granted).

I brought my granddaughter’s husband who has recently graduated as a recording engineer. The whole experience has made him (according to one report) giddy. I remember my first time attending the NAMM trade show in 2004. Way too many interesting things to see. If you stop to talk about a few of them, there are other things you’ll just never find.

If you’re a music teacher or publisher, attending NAMM gives you new insight into the music industry. Pianos and piano teachers are not even close to being in the majority.

Why do I go? First, I “believe in music” which is sort of like a NAMM motto. I believe in the intrinsic (musical) benefits of learning to play a musical instrument and I believe in the extra-musical benefits (the cognitive contributions, the social benefits, the health and wellness benefits).

Secondly, I go because I see new things. Some of those things I want to buy to resell to our organization of MusicMaster™ Insiders. I hope to find ideas that improve the musical experiences of the private music teacher and his/her students. I’m always a little disappointed that the people from NAMM seem to be trying to solve the financial and logistical dilemmas in the school systems and overlooking the problems that are created for the music industry by the inadequate approaches and curriculum materials used on and by private students.

Watch for details about some of the new things, especially things that help those of us who teach and publish to be better at what we do.

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"52 chords in 90 minutes"

11/6/2014

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We don’t know why but modern day chord theory and improvisation doesn’t seem to be part of many teacher’s curriculum. We teach a jazz improvisation seminar for players who can read music but have insufficient “theoretical” information and awareness of the process needed to become an improviser. Players need to learn some chords that someone neglected while they were taking lessons. They also need access to some scales that they may have only thought of as finger exercises. We decided that we needed to create a program that would allow people inside and outside of our studio to have access to this kind of skill.

We have created a presentation called “52 Chords in 90 Minutes”. As an improviser, “if you don’t know the chords, nothing else matters”.

We have been teaching chords (along with music reading) for nearly 20 years and we don’t think it can get any easier than this. It’s a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation that enables a teacher or piano player or anyone with an interest, to learn 52 chords.

We are offering a free sample of our “52 Chords in 90 Minutes” presentation to those of our readers that are interested in developing this skill. Whether you are a beginner, an experienced player who missed learning this skill, or you yourself are a teacher, this program will provide you will increased understanding and application of modern day chord theory.

If you are interested in this free sample please respond to this post with the following:

Name
Email address
Musical background
Whether or not you are a music teacher

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A Few Things that a Traditional Piano Teacher Might Not Know or Want You to Know.

6/4/2014

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On days that we’re feeling confrontational and wondering why there aren’t millions of teachers and piano students visiting our websites, we try to cause trouble. Well, at least we try to cause dissatisfaction. Why? Because we believe, along with one of the James boys (William, Henry or Jesse), that “every good thing results from a dissatisfaction.” If you really think about it, isn’t it true? Those that are satisfied don’t seem to be interested in fixing or correcting or improving anything. Remember the milk ad? “Our milk comes from contented cows”. A competitor responded: “Our cows are never contented. They’re always anxious to do better”.

That’s how we feel about the products and processes that are used to teach piano. We’ve often said, if anyone is going to make our products and processes obsolete, we want to be the ones to do it.

We hope to make some teachers and some parents of music students dissatisfied or at least “anxious to do better!”

So here are a few things that a traditional piano teacher might not know or want you to know.

That you can learn to improvise and play by ear while you’re learning to read music…

That you can start lessons as young as 4 years old…

That in the first few weeks you can play big-sounding pieces that are two or three years earlier than expected…

That you can learn useful chords and improvisational theory in a few lessons – 52 relevant chords in a very short period of time . . .

That a 1/2 hour private, living room lesson might not be the most effective or efficient…

To learn more about our method and the way we teach and operate our studio, click below.

About the Program

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Author

Roger Lewis -
Owner and Sr. Editor
The MusicMaster™ Development Group. Find out more.

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our ideas

"THE TYPICAL PIANO LESSON METHOD IS ALL WRONG": This was the comment from an experienced Broadway pianist when talked with him about developing the musical skills that he had. He was a proficient reader and an improviser.

We offer a unique lesson format that is exciting, competitive and affordable in a high-tech studio environment. We promise that you will be learning big sounding pieces 2-3 years in advance! Our method is perfect for adults too!

PIANO STUDENTS SHOULD LEARN MORE THAN MUSIC READING: Learning to read music is critical but we want out students to be able to create and improvise as well! We want to produce musicians not just piano players. Our materials emphasize ear training, improvisational skills how to learn and use the chords that an experienced stylist or arranger would know.

WHEN IT COMES TO LEARNING MUSIC, THE EARLIER THE BETTER!: We have proven that a child at the age of 4 is able to learn serious musical skills and concepts through our Early Childhood program. Currently, 1100+ articles that describe the research suggest that there are non-musical benefits to learning music at an early age.

YOU COULD TEACH IT YOURSELF: Whether you are familiar with music or not, our easy to follow materials in addition to our free teacher training will allow you to teach yourself or your child in your own home. You could even open your own studio!
It’s easy to become your child’s 1st music teacher. (Title for some emails?)
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