ACTIVE LISTENING - WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT
I encourage all of my students (and their families!) to spend some time doing active listening each week and to reflect on various aspects of what they hear. Every Saturday I will update my website with a link to a new song/piece of the week along with a question relating to the music. I ask that students write down their answer(s) to the question(s) and any other observations in the space provided in the lesson planner. Have fun with this and also feel free to share your own musical discoveries with me throughout the year!
October 1-7, 2023
Jeremy Dutcher performs "Honour Song".
"This track is all about lateral love -- respecting our Indigeneity and helping each other; so let's get to it."
"Jeremy Dutcher is a Two-Spirit song carrier, composer, activist, ethnomusicologist and member of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in Eastern Canada. He gained international acclaim for his album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, which earned him the 2018 Polaris Music Prize and Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the 2019 JUNO Awards. His musical style blends the songs of his community with neoclassical, jazz, and pop influences, and has led him to collaborate with such iconic artists as Buffy Sainte-Marie and Yo-Yo Ma."
This week, I encourage you to explore Jeremy Dutcher's music. Also, I encourage you to take some time to learn about the varied and rich music of Indigenous artists in Canada, both past and present. You could read here as a starting point:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_music_of_Canada
Perhaps you know about Indigenous artists/musicians that you would like to share with me?
"This track is all about lateral love -- respecting our Indigeneity and helping each other; so let's get to it."
"Jeremy Dutcher is a Two-Spirit song carrier, composer, activist, ethnomusicologist and member of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in Eastern Canada. He gained international acclaim for his album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, which earned him the 2018 Polaris Music Prize and Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the 2019 JUNO Awards. His musical style blends the songs of his community with neoclassical, jazz, and pop influences, and has led him to collaborate with such iconic artists as Buffy Sainte-Marie and Yo-Yo Ma."
This week, I encourage you to explore Jeremy Dutcher's music. Also, I encourage you to take some time to learn about the varied and rich music of Indigenous artists in Canada, both past and present. You could read here as a starting point:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_music_of_Canada
Perhaps you know about Indigenous artists/musicians that you would like to share with me?
September 24-30, 2023
One of the best things you can do to improve your musical 'ear' is to transcribe. This can mean listening to music and figuring out how to play it, and ideally, also notating the music (write it down).
My challenge to you this week: transcribe the melody for "Little Blue" by Jacob Collier from the beginning until 0:51. Can you play it? Can you write it down? What is the time signature? What key is it in?
Have fun!
My challenge to you this week: transcribe the melody for "Little Blue" by Jacob Collier from the beginning until 0:51. Can you play it? Can you write it down? What is the time signature? What key is it in?
Have fun!
September 17-23, 2023
Your task this week is to watch this performance of "Op Reis (Traveling)" by Jorn Swart. Make a list of the chord names that are shown above the staff notation and then tell me the notes that make up each of the chords. I'll get you started...
Am = A, C, E
C/G = C, E, G (G bass note)
F = F, A, C
etc.
Have fun!
p.s. Here is my introduction to Jorn Swart, thanks to my wife, Stephanie.
Am = A, C, E
C/G = C, E, G (G bass note)
F = F, A, C
etc.
Have fun!
p.s. Here is my introduction to Jorn Swart, thanks to my wife, Stephanie.
September 10-16, 2023
I was at my cousin's wedding today (September 9) and during the signing of the register, the song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" was playing. Check out this performance by Stevie Wonder (see the video below).
Your assignment this week is to answer these three questions:
1) What is Stevie Wonder's real/birth first name?
2) How old was Stevie Wonder when he had his first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100?
3) Is Stevie Wonder blind?
Your assignment this week is to answer these three questions:
1) What is Stevie Wonder's real/birth first name?
2) How old was Stevie Wonder when he had his first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100?
3) Is Stevie Wonder blind?
May 28 - June 3, 2023
Go behind the scenes of the regenerated Deep Note and see the new Eclipse being made by its original creator, Dr. Andy Moorer. Can you think of other sounds that are similarly recognizable and iconic?
May 21-27, 2023
Vinheteiro demonstrates ten different types of pianos! Which do you like the best? Can you think of other keyboard instruments that are not included in this video?
May 14-20, 2023
It's Mother's Day! What song comes to mind when you think of your mother? For me, it is "I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole King, or a number of other Carole King and James Taylor songs, which my mom would often listen to when I was younger. Have you heard this song before? Do you like it?
May 7-13, 2023
Caroline Potter got a tour inside an ondes Martenot with Stéphane Vaiedelich, Laboratory Manager at the Musée de la Musique, Cité de Musique, Paris. Discover this magical, early electronic instrument which features in Messiaen's Turangalîla-symphonie and was invented in 1928 in Paris by Maurice Martenot.
What are your impressions of this instrument? Have you heard it before?
What are your impressions of this instrument? Have you heard it before?
April 30 - May 6, 2023
Nahre Sol has some fantastic music-related videos. Here are her best tips for learning how to read music faster and easier!
1. Rhythmic divisions - The trick is to get fast at finding the division points in each measure. - Train your eyes to look for the large beats. [...] You can sort of eyeball where the midpoint is, for example, for each measure.
2. Interval faces - The trick is to pay attention to the lines and spaces. >> If two notes are both on lines or both on spaces, then those are odd number intervals (1, 3, 5, 7, 9...). >> If two notes are one on a line and one on a space, then those are even number intervals (2, 4, 6, 8, 10...). - Once you master this, you can really monkey-branch from note to note. If you have a starting point, you can read the notes by intervals. - This is particular useful when you have a lot of ledger lines. >> If a note is on a high ledger line, you can make an educated guess of what note it is by thinking in terms of odd or even intervals from your reference note. >> You can also think backwards: Your reference note can be several notes ahead of the one you're trying to guess.
3. Tiering - An important extension on the topic of intervals is to layer your reading: if a phrase of music has two layers (some notes much lower, some notes much higher), divide your reference notes, one for each layer. - The important thing is that, by monkey-branching and tiering, you're combining different types of information: absolute information (your knowledge of what a note is upon first glance) and relative information (using reference notes and intervals).
4. Key signatures - For sharps, look at the last sharp to the right: that will be a half step below your major key signature. - For flats, look at the second to last flat to the right: that will be your major key signature.
5. Clumping - Clumping is looking at a larger pool of notes and information instead of reading note by note. - Some common ways to clump notes together are to recognize scales, intervals and chords.
*Which of these tips do you find most useful? Try them out the next time you do some sight reading! Let me know how it goes!
1. Rhythmic divisions - The trick is to get fast at finding the division points in each measure. - Train your eyes to look for the large beats. [...] You can sort of eyeball where the midpoint is, for example, for each measure.
2. Interval faces - The trick is to pay attention to the lines and spaces. >> If two notes are both on lines or both on spaces, then those are odd number intervals (1, 3, 5, 7, 9...). >> If two notes are one on a line and one on a space, then those are even number intervals (2, 4, 6, 8, 10...). - Once you master this, you can really monkey-branch from note to note. If you have a starting point, you can read the notes by intervals. - This is particular useful when you have a lot of ledger lines. >> If a note is on a high ledger line, you can make an educated guess of what note it is by thinking in terms of odd or even intervals from your reference note. >> You can also think backwards: Your reference note can be several notes ahead of the one you're trying to guess.
3. Tiering - An important extension on the topic of intervals is to layer your reading: if a phrase of music has two layers (some notes much lower, some notes much higher), divide your reference notes, one for each layer. - The important thing is that, by monkey-branching and tiering, you're combining different types of information: absolute information (your knowledge of what a note is upon first glance) and relative information (using reference notes and intervals).
4. Key signatures - For sharps, look at the last sharp to the right: that will be a half step below your major key signature. - For flats, look at the second to last flat to the right: that will be your major key signature.
5. Clumping - Clumping is looking at a larger pool of notes and information instead of reading note by note. - Some common ways to clump notes together are to recognize scales, intervals and chords.
*Which of these tips do you find most useful? Try them out the next time you do some sight reading! Let me know how it goes!
April 23-29, 2023
I read a funny story about the recording of "Hey Jude" by The Beatles:
"We were at Trident Studios in Soho, and Ringo walked out to go to the toilet and I hadn’t noticed. The toilet was only a few yards from his drum booth, but he’d gone past my back and I still thought he was in his drum booth. I started what was the actual take, and ‘Hey Jude’ goes on for hours before the drums come in and while I was doing it I suddenly felt Ringo tiptoeing past my back rather quickly, trying to get to his drums. And just as he got to his drums, boom boom boom, his timing was absolutely impeccable. So I think when those things happen, you have a little laugh and a light bulb goes off in your head and you think, This is the take! and you put a little more into it. This has got to be the take, what just happened was so magic! So we did that and we made a pretty good record." - Paul McCartney
Can you list all of the instruments/voice parts that are in the recording at at what time each one enters?
"We were at Trident Studios in Soho, and Ringo walked out to go to the toilet and I hadn’t noticed. The toilet was only a few yards from his drum booth, but he’d gone past my back and I still thought he was in his drum booth. I started what was the actual take, and ‘Hey Jude’ goes on for hours before the drums come in and while I was doing it I suddenly felt Ringo tiptoeing past my back rather quickly, trying to get to his drums. And just as he got to his drums, boom boom boom, his timing was absolutely impeccable. So I think when those things happen, you have a little laugh and a light bulb goes off in your head and you think, This is the take! and you put a little more into it. This has got to be the take, what just happened was so magic! So we did that and we made a pretty good record." - Paul McCartney
Can you list all of the instruments/voice parts that are in the recording at at what time each one enters?
April 16-22, 2023
Duke Ellington teaches us the cool way to snap your fingers and tilt your earlobe! Take a few minutes to learn and practice this lesson from Duke! What do you think of the way the audience claps at the end? Did they understand the lesson?
April 9-15, 2023
The new Super Mario Bros. movie just came out. Let's celebrate with some ear training! My challenge to you this week is to listen to the "Underwater Theme" (which loops over and over in this video for an hour!), and I want you to figure out how to play the melody on your instrument just by listening -- no sheet music. Bonus points to notate it (write it down). Even more bonus points to tell me what the time signature is and the exact tempo (in beats per minute (BPM)). Have fun!
April 2-8, 2023
John Mayer teaches his pentatonic equator concept. This one is for the guitarists out there. Break free of rigid ideas about pentatonic box shapes and experiment with these ideas on your own. The video has really helpful animation on a fretboard diagram to help you see what he is talking about. Try it out and let me know what you think!
March 26 - April 1, 2023
This week I would like to you learn about Carol Kaye. Please browse through this information about her.
I encourage you to look up some videos about her on YouTube. My favourite is a clip where she demonstrates how she practices with a metronome. Try it out and show me how it went at our next lesson! You can try it with a piece you are working on or with some technical exercises (scales, triads, etc.).
I encourage you to look up some videos about her on YouTube. My favourite is a clip where she demonstrates how she practices with a metronome. Try it out and show me how it went at our next lesson! You can try it with a piece you are working on or with some technical exercises (scales, triads, etc.).
March 19-25, 2023
It's ear training time! This video doesn't require much explanation -- just listen to the intervals and see if you can come up with the correct answers. Let me know how it went for you and we can talk about various strategies for doing this at our next lesson.
Here is a video showing one way to think about it (song references).
Here is a video showing one way to think about it (song references).
March 12-18, 2023
Keith Jarrett is a pianist that I hope you know about, and if you don't, here is an opportunity to get to know him! In February 2018, Jarrett suffered a stroke and has been unable to perform since. A second stroke, in May 2018, left him partially paralyzed and unable to play with his left hand.
Rick Beato recently interviewed Keith Jarrett and if you have time, I would encourage you to watch the entire video. If you are short on time, please watch from 31:00-39:23. You'll get to see and hear Keith performing "Solar" by Miles Davis in the 1980s, and also watch current-day Keith listening to his old recording.
What are your impressions of this style of improvised music? Can you pick out elements of melody and harmony? Are there musical details/structures/forms/chords/rhythms that you can name and point out to me?
Rick Beato recently interviewed Keith Jarrett and if you have time, I would encourage you to watch the entire video. If you are short on time, please watch from 31:00-39:23. You'll get to see and hear Keith performing "Solar" by Miles Davis in the 1980s, and also watch current-day Keith listening to his old recording.
What are your impressions of this style of improvised music? Can you pick out elements of melody and harmony? Are there musical details/structures/forms/chords/rhythms that you can name and point out to me?
March 5-11, 2023
I am very excited that at our next student recital we will have a stellar house band, with the following instrumentation:
Trumpet, Saxophone, Trombone, Bass Guitar, Drums
(the recitals are scheduled for June 4, 2023 -- 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. show times at Bethel Lutheran Church in Camrose)
With this in mind, please check out this video all about arranging for three horns. Perhaps you are a student who is not keen on performing, but maybe we could have a composing/arranging project where your work is performed by the house band and you can hear your work played live. Or, help me arrange the parts for your piece(s) and also play with the band!
Some songs that come to mind for me when I think of this instrumentation are:
"Spinning Wheel" - Blood, Sweat & Tears
"Sir Duke" - Stevie Wonder
"September" - Earth, Wind & Fire
"Get Down On It" - Kool & The Gang
"Superstition" - Stevie Wonder
"25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago
And, of course, these instruments can be used in a variety of styles/genres. Help me brainstorm -- what should be included in the June 4 recital? Will you help me with arranging the tunes?
Trumpet, Saxophone, Trombone, Bass Guitar, Drums
(the recitals are scheduled for June 4, 2023 -- 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. show times at Bethel Lutheran Church in Camrose)
With this in mind, please check out this video all about arranging for three horns. Perhaps you are a student who is not keen on performing, but maybe we could have a composing/arranging project where your work is performed by the house band and you can hear your work played live. Or, help me arrange the parts for your piece(s) and also play with the band!
Some songs that come to mind for me when I think of this instrumentation are:
"Spinning Wheel" - Blood, Sweat & Tears
"Sir Duke" - Stevie Wonder
"September" - Earth, Wind & Fire
"Get Down On It" - Kool & The Gang
"Superstition" - Stevie Wonder
"25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago
And, of course, these instruments can be used in a variety of styles/genres. Help me brainstorm -- what should be included in the June 4 recital? Will you help me with arranging the tunes?
February 26 - March 4, 2023
Here is your harmony lesson for the week, thanks to Nahre Sol! At our next lesson, see if you can teach me all of the things that you learned in this video! Sometimes the best way to tell if you understand a concept is to teach it to someone else.
February 19-25, 2023
In a career that has spanned seven decades, John Williams has composed some of the most popular, recognizable and critically acclaimed film scores in cinematic history.
I encourage you to browse through this list of his compositions. Which one stands out as a favourite for you?
Watch here as he conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in a memorable performance of his "Imperial March" from Star Wars during a gala to celebrate his 90th Birthday.
For more information about John Williams, click here.
I encourage you to browse through this list of his compositions. Which one stands out as a favourite for you?
Watch here as he conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in a memorable performance of his "Imperial March" from Star Wars during a gala to celebrate his 90th Birthday.
For more information about John Williams, click here.
February 12-18, 2023
With Valentine's Day on Tuesday, I thought it would be a good time to share this song with you. "The Book of Love" is a song by The Magnetic Fields and covered here by Rose Cousins and Rose Polenzani. This version is one that I would listen to often with my then-girlfriend (now-wife), Stephanie, around the time that we got engaged -- way back in 2007.
Music can have meaning for all sorts of reasons, not least of which is its association with particular people, places, memories, and emotions. This song will forever transport me back to that time in my life, living in Vancouver and planning a wedding. What is a song that has particular meaning for you?
Music can have meaning for all sorts of reasons, not least of which is its association with particular people, places, memories, and emotions. This song will forever transport me back to that time in my life, living in Vancouver and planning a wedding. What is a song that has particular meaning for you?
February 5-11, 2023
I'm not going to try to explain this video, you just need to watch it! The band is called Walk off the Earth.
If you were to take the place of one member of this band, which person would you be? Also, which of the 12 songs did you like the best?
If you were to take the place of one member of this band, which person would you be? Also, which of the 12 songs did you like the best?
January 29 - February 4, 2023
When I go to YouTube, the recommended videos are almost all related to music, and when I see a title that says "The Most Beautiful Piano Solo", I can't help but click on it! I guess clickbait tactics work on me.
Brad Mehldau is a master at the keyboard and this is certainly worth a watch/listen. Which is your favourite moment? Since notation is provided at the bottom, could you learn to play a short section from this video? Try it out and show me! In which 'voice' (SATB) is the melody?
For another Brad Mehlau video, check out this one.
Brad Mehldau is a master at the keyboard and this is certainly worth a watch/listen. Which is your favourite moment? Since notation is provided at the bottom, could you learn to play a short section from this video? Try it out and show me! In which 'voice' (SATB) is the melody?
For another Brad Mehlau video, check out this one.
January 22-28, 2023
"Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. Its composition is intended to musically evoke the seemingly chaotic and rapidly changing flying pattern of a bumblebee. Check out this incredible performance by Yuja Wang!
Learning technical exercises includes playing various scales. What type of scale is featured in "Flight of the Bumblebee"? Practice playing it on your instrument to show me at our next lesson! How fast can you play it while maintaining a steady tempo?
Learning technical exercises includes playing various scales. What type of scale is featured in "Flight of the Bumblebee"? Practice playing it on your instrument to show me at our next lesson! How fast can you play it while maintaining a steady tempo?
January 15-21, 2023
Are you familiar with Max Martin, the ultra-successful Swedish music producer? Martin has written or co-written 25 Billboard Hot 100 number-one songs. He is the songwriter with the third-most number one singles on the chart, only behind Paul McCartney and John Lesson. Watch this video to learn a bit more about him and the question of whether there is some sort of formula that he uses to craft hit song after hit song. It's got to be easy, right? Just use his formula and try writing your own pop song. Maybe the next top songwriter will come from central Alberta!
January 8-14, 2023
Helma van den Brink started out studying violin and piano but after several years took up the cello. She ultimately chose the bassoon. Please watch this video to hear a bit about her story and how she came to play this charming instrument. If you could choose any instrument to play, what would it be? If you have a hard time thinking of instruments beyond the piano, guitar, ukulele, and bass guitar, check out this list for ideas!
*go to YouTube settings to turn on subtitles, unless you happen to speak Dutch!
*go to YouTube settings to turn on subtitles, unless you happen to speak Dutch!
January 1-7, 2023
It can be fun to make your own instruments at home! There are many ideas and tutorials online, including guitars, recorders, shakers, drums, and more. Here is a video showing how to make a pan flute. I encourage you to try making your own instrument at home, whether it be a pan flute or something different. If you give it a try, tell me all about your process. I would love to hear you play it when it is all done!