Blog | Music To Your Home

Think you can’t sing? I disagree.

By kate theis / 10.16.2018 / No Comment

Think you can’t sing? I disagree.

If you struggle to carry a tune, chances are you aren’t tone deaf, but that some part of your voice is just a bit out of whack. Your voice is an incredibly complex system that requires all its parts to be in balance to function smoothly. Think of it like a machine with a network of gears- if one gear breaks it will alter the function of the whole machine. Fortunately, you have the ability to change the function of the “gears” that make up your voice. With help from a knowledgeable teacher, some patience, and some practice, you can put your voice into balance and sing.

Here is a list of five of the reasons you may not sing in tune:

Air: Singing requires a LOT of breath, in and out. This may seem obvious, but many of us really underestimate how much air we really need to sing.

Shape: Unlike a flute, trumpet, or clarinet, the voice is a malleable instrument. You can change the position of your tongue, lips, throat, and the layrnx itself, and some positions just won’t work as well as others.

Tension: Do you tend to hold your stress in your shoulders or neck? If the muscles around your larynx are tense it can make it difficult for your voice to function freely.

Vibration: Pay attention to where you feel vibration when you sing. If it feels like it is concentrated in your chest or throat, odds are it could cause trouble.
Fatigue: We use our voices to do all kinds of things besides to sing (to speak, laugh, cry, cough, yell, etc.) The teeny tiny muscles that make up your voice can become tired with overuse, and just like any other muscle, they will not work as well if they are fatigued.

These are just five of myriad factors that can impact your ability to sing. If you have a song to sing but have always thought of yourself as “tone-deaf,” I hope this article encourages you not to write yourself off. Singing is a skill, and like any other skill it can be improved with repeated, focused practice. We all can sing, and I think we all should.

Kate is one of our incredible vocal coaches and is available for private voice lessons in your NYC home. Call us today to schedule your first lesson!

Improvisation - Violin

Here’s why every music student should learn to improvise!

By Omer Ashano / 10.4.2018 / No Comment

So you thought improvisation is only for Jazz musicians? Think again.
When talking about improvisation in music, the styles that are most likely to pop in people’s minds would be Jazz, Blues and occasionally Rock n’ roll or Bluegrass. As a matter of fact, most people who grew up on western music and pop culture are somewhat oblivious to the fact that musical improvisation is based in the foundation of almost every musical tradition around the world, Classical European music included.

Lessons - Voice

5 OTHER things you will discover from your voice lesson…

By Ilana Goldberg / 9.27.2018 / No Comment

While there are many reasons to start voice lessons, a stronger instrument isn’t the only thing you’ll leave the room with every week. At any age, the added benefits of developing your singing instrument are numerous, but I’ll start you with 5 things you will also be learning while attending your voice lessons.

guitar - Jazz - Lessons

Top 5 Jazz Standards for Beginner Guitar Players

By Reid Riddiough / 9.26.2018 / No Comment

Top 5 Jazz Standards for Beginners

Learning jazz can be a daunting task. With literally hundreds of iconic recordings of hundreds of different jazz standards it can often feel overwhelming to decide where to begin. But have no fear! We’ve compiled a short list of jazz standards that are commonly performed by jazz musicians and great for jazz beginners:

Lessons - Piano

The 5 First & Easiest Songs You Should Learn on Piano

By Vincent Reina / 8.2.2018 / No Comment

Whether it’s for enjoyment or a career choice, playing the piano can be very rewarding — not just for you — but for your audience as well– if you’re good, that is.

Inspiration - Lessons

How To Decide What Song To Learn Next

By Tracy Reina / 7.18.2018 / No Comment

When my students are trying to decide which song to learn next, I offer as much guidance as possible. However, I know that this can be an overwhelming decision that’s ultimately up to the students. No matter what instrument you’re playing, the same considerations need to be made when choosing a new song.

Inspiration - Instruments - Lessons - Perfomance - Piano

5 Ways Playing A Musical Instrument Can Benefit Your Health

By Vincent Reina / 2.8.2018 / No Comment

Besides being fun, learning and playing a musical instrument can have many positive effects on your health and mental wellness. Research shows that these benefits can occur at any age and come from playing any instrument. Keep reading to see why people are playing instruments to improve their general health.

Instruments - Lessons - Perfomance - Piano

3 Reasons Why Your Child Must Take Piano Lessons

By Music To Your Home / 2.6.2018 / No Comment

Between baseball, soccer, karate and cell phones, our children’s schedules are packed with fun activities. If you were on the fence about adding piano lessons into the weekly grind, here are a few reasons why piano lessons might be an important activity for your child to be involved in.

Inspiration - Instruments - Lessons

The 3 Most Important Electric Bassists That Every Bass Player Should Know and Study

By Maximilian Gerl / 12.8.2017 / No Comment

So you want to play bass, huh? Well, let me be the first to welcome you to the club, and if you’ve already spent some time with the bass or are a seasoned player, that’s beautiful too! As a beginning, intermediate or advanced player of the bass, I think we can all agree that there’s always more to learn, and that we’re never done in our pursuit of mastering this wonderful instrument.

Inspiration - Instruments - Lessons

The “Should Syndrome” And Learning To Play Like a Child

By Rianne Mision / 11.17.2017 / No Comment

Rianne M.

There exists in my adult students a special phenomenon that I have affectionately labeled The “Should” Syndrome. Symptoms of this syndrome include excessive self-doubt, narrow judgment regarding what is going well with their playing, and when their frustration is at its peak, passive aggression toward their teacher when she tries to give them a compliment.