The Benefits of Music

We know that learning music gives numerous health and mental benefits for the one who’s studying it. But what if you’re just listening to a tune? Do you gain something from music as well? Surprisingly, yes; you do, even if you’re just listening to it on the radio, your mp3 player, or at a bar. So, if you want to know the benefits of music to the listener, then read on and find out.

Say you’re just lounging at a café. Do you hear that smooth, jazzy sound playing in the background? That, our friend, helps you relax. See, music acts as a natural pain killer and a stress reliever. Hearing relaxing music makes your body produce endorphins, causing you to mellow down and feel more laid-back. Now, on the other hand, music also pumps you up. Ever wondered why only up-beat music plays at a gym? This is because fast-paced music stimulates your brain into the point of alertness. The more you feel alert and pumped-up, the more adrenaline your body makes. And as you may know, adrenaline causes your body to endure and perform better in physical activities.

Lastly, one immediate benefit of music is an increase in optimism. It lessens the risk of depression, headaches, confusion, and loss of concentration. Listening to music gives you better mental well-being, making you feel more confident which then boosts your self-esteem. As a result, you’ll have a better outlook on life. So go on, turn up the volume and enjoy!

Acting Lessons Los Angeles

Los Angeles, the home of the American film industry, is where stars are born. But then again, to be known in the realm of Hollywood, you’d have to know a thing or two about acting first. However, you’re in luck because we here at TakeLessons have set up shop in an area near you. And yes, we’re offering acting lessons Los Angeles style.

You might ask yourself why you should enroll here at TakeLessons. Well, we’re happy we could answer that. This is because here at our center, we are proud to host the best acting teachers in the country. In this way we guarantee that not only will you learn the theories and techniques behind acting, but you’ll also get to know who the best is. Not only that, we’ve already scoured Los Angeles and have found the nearest teachers in your area; this way you wouldn’t have to find them by yourself. On top of that, our acting programs are all customizable. Here, you can pick who your teacher will be, what time your classes are, how long they would take, as well as where your acting classes would be! Nifty now, isn’t it?

And, to top it all off, our acting lessons are backed with our TakeLessons guarantee. If you don’t find your first experience with us excellent, then we’ll gladly refund you the amount you paid. So, if you can’t wait to hit the stage, make sure you check our acting lessons here at TakeLessons today!

How Learning Piano Music Benefits Your Child

Learning piano music provides so many benefits for your child. Apart from him learning the theories and techniques behind the noble instrument, your child would also learn more things than just musical mastery. What are these things, you ask? Well, our friend, read on and find out how the piano can impart so much to your loving child.

Despite learning Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, the piano teaches your child a lot about life. In school, scientific studies have shown that children who take piano lessons score higher in standard and spatial cognitive developmental tests. On top of that, they also score higher in math. On top of that, the piano also helps raise your child’s self-esteem. Since learning the piano requires time and dedication, your child is able to learn self-mastery, not to mention the recital that also boosts your child’s confidence. Aside from boosting self-esteem, piano lessons also enhance your child’s concentration. See, reading a musical piece causes your child to interpret a note, translate it into hand movement, and then move on immediately to the next—a task that requires a great deal of focus.

Lastly, the piano makes your child well-rounded. It doesn’t matter if your child takes piano lessons for a month or for a lifetime, the instrument’s long-term would still affect your child. Your child gets to learn about the greatest musicians while learning technical and mental skills that would help him in the future. Truly, the piano is one of your child’s best teachers.

Dance Lessons and You

Apart from knowing how to express yourself through motion, taking up dance lessons offers so much benefits. Sure, you’ll find moving through the beat fun, exciting, and even exhilarating, but to tell the truth dancing provides health benefits that you may not even think of. What are these benefits, then? Read on and find out how dancing can build a bigger, better, healthier you.

As a form of aerobic exercise, dancing is widely known to let you lose a lot of weight. It lessens the risk of developing heart diseases as well. On top of that, you’ll also feel lighter and have a better sense of well-being. Performance-wise, taking up dance lessons also greatly improves your body’s flexibility, strength, and endurance. This said, you’ll be able to move faster, breathe longer, and even work harder the more you keep on dancing. Through long and constant practice, your body could even recover from asthma, premature fatigue, and even stress. And yes, all it takes is for you to put on your dancing shoes and have a great deal of fun!

To top it all off, taking dance lessons boosts your confidence and self-esteem a lot. As a result, you’ll feel a lot better about yourself. So not only will you be physically healthy, you’ll also be psychologically pumped as well. So, if you’re still hesitating, don’t. Instead, feel the beat and try out some dance tutorials today. We guarantee you’ll be in shape and have a lot of fun as well.

Fiddle Lessons: How to Clean Your Violin

If you’ve enrolled in a couple of our fiddle lessons, chances are you’ve just bought a new violin. Though it might look spotless now, there’s a good chance that it won’t stay that way in the long run. After all, you’re going to spend a lot of your time playing with it. This said, here are a few tips on how to properly store your violin in your home.

There are two things violins hate most: severe humidity and temperature. This is because extremely dry weather could cause your violin’s wood to crack. While too much humidity, on the other hand, could also cause the violin’s varnish to bubble and—eventually—pop. However, what violins hate they equally love as well—strange as it may be. We’re talking about a good mix of humidity and heat. So, to keep your violin at a stable temperature, it’s best that you store it in an air-conditioned room. Now, if you don’t have an AC, then you can simply keep a wet paper towel in a punctured plastic bag inside your violin’s case.

Lastly, you might want to polish your violin from time to time. And, by that we mean polishing it at least once a year.  Not only will it make your violin look like the day you bought it, but it’ll also improve your instrument’s sound as well. Now if you don’t want to, that’s okay, just be sure to keep your violin dust-free by wiping it with a soft cloth.

Clarinet Lessons: Big Breaths

The clarinet, aside from your fingers, requires strong lungs to be played properly. After all, you can’t make smooth note transitions if you can’t blow air properly, smoothly, and in a continuous manner. Worse, you won’t be able to improve if you keep breathing that way. This said, if you find yourself being short of breath, here’s a nifty tip on how to improve your body’s air support system.

The secret to good clarinet playing is being able to produce big breaths. Most of the time, beginners tend to crunch up their shoulders and slouch when they inhale. When you do that, you’re not breathing properly. When you’re slouching, your diaphragm won’t have enough space to expand and contract—which, then, causes you to have shortened breaths. Instead, try breathing with your shoulders and back straight. This will let air to move in and out of your lungs in a smooth, easy manner. On top of that, you’ll also have an easier time taking in and exhaling out air. The result: you’ll be able to blow more air through your clarinet without too much effort.

This takes time to practice. So, before and after your clarinet lessons, be sure to practice breathing exercises to let your lungs adapt. You should also try breathing this way even if you’re not playing. This way your body would “think” that breathing in this manner is already second nature. So, practice big breaths and you’ll be playing the clarinet without getting short of breath.

How to Learn Guitar by Ear

The epitome of the rock star, the guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments today. Though this instrument is hard to master, the rewards are always worth the sweat.  It requires dexterous fingers and fast hands; plus, it also requires a sharp ear. If you’ve got the former and not the latter, then read on and find out how to learn guitar by ear.

 

To be technical about it, playing by ear is a process of audiation. It’s when your brain hears a sound and then tries to recreate it by using an instrument (in your case, the guitar). You can practice audiation by tuning your guitar. By using an electronic tuner, find out what E, A, D, G, B, and high E makes. Then, try to recreate that sound by slowly tuning your guitar without the help of your tuner. Once you have that, you can then move on to simple notes. Remember the song “Mary had a Little Lamb?” Try to recreate its melody by experimenting on various strings. The more complex the melodies you practice, the better you are at audiation.

Obviously, not everyone can read musical notations. And this, our friend, is where playing by ear shines. By simply hearing a song, you wouldn’t need to read through music sheets or tablatures just to know how the song is played. Instead, all you need is a guitar and you ear to figure things out. With practice, you’ll be doing exactly this in no time.