10,000 Screaming Fans In Their Underwear?

Your brain means well, but....

What’s happening in our brains when we experience stage fright? Science has reveled that when your brain determines that you are facing a threat or under stress, it releases high levels of adrenaline among other chemicals to create high levels of energy to assist you in a fight or flight situation. Other parts of the brain that are not needed, including memory, temporarily shut down. When a person is struck with stage fright, it’s the temporary memory shut down that results in the performer forgetting their lines, dance steps, or music.

How can a performer overcome stage fright?

Reducing stress is very important in order not to trigger the chemical reaction in the brain that causes the memory loss. Bob Harris had an opportunity of a lifetime that could yield him thousands of dollars. It involved a high pressure, high stakes public performance. In his book Prisoner of Trebekistan, he talks about how he prepared for his appearances on the game show Jeopardy! and has gone on to win over 2-million dollars on the show. Bob explains that he prepared by rearranging his living room to look just like the Jeopardy! set and even going as far as wearing the same clothes as he would on game day.

Bob’s was a public speaker and performer before his appearance on the game show and used a preparation technique taken out of the “performer’s playbook”. It is called a dress rehearsal and it helps our brain prepare for the stress of a performance by living through the experience and knowing what to expect. Our brain learns that the performance is not a stressful or a dangerous situation and we avoid the chemical changes that block our memory. Even if you are already familiar with your parts, it is important to continue a practice and rehearsal routine. The more times you have reviewed your parts the more confident and comfortable you will be during your performance.

If you still have some butterflies backstage on performance night, use these secret performer "tricks" that will help calm your nerves. The audience will never know how queasy you were once they see you deliver a great performance.

Tips from professional actors and musicians that don't involve imagining an audience in their underwear

• Avoid caffeine. Don't consume caffeine on the day of the performance. You may think that it will make you perform with more energy, but it will actually make you feel more nervous and jittery.
• Chew gum. Chew gum to ease the tension but remember to spit it out before you go on stage. JAlso, chewing gum can make you hungry, so having some food in your stomach is helpful too.
• Put some fuel in the tank. Eat a banana before you perform. It will lower that empty or nauseous feeling in your stomach but won't make you feel too full either.
• Live in the moment. Once you're on stage, just focus on your words, your body, and your parts. Don't over think the situation and enjoy your performance. If you give your full attention to the present moment and turn off mental distractions, you allow your art and talent to take center stage and deliver your best performance

Do you have a story about an experience you had with public speaking or performing. Share how you overcome stage fright or public speaking anxiety in the comments below.

They say you can’t teach an old dog a new trick. Did I just call you old? Maybe, but the important thing here is that I’m telling you that you have a few advantages over your kids when it comes to learning an instrument. I know that it is said that kids are like sponges, but most parents can relate to my frustration of having to tell my son to put his shoes on at least 15 times before he actually does it. This makes me think that kids are not soaking up information as fast as some would have us believe.

Music lessons would not only be fun for you but it would help your child too. Kids mimic their parents and seeing you might inspire and motivate them. It also puts you in a position to help them when they are practicing at home. If you pull down the shades so their friends and neighbors won’t see they might actually want to have some fun “jamming” with you.

Your age isn't an obstacle rather an asset in learning an instrument. Here are 5 reasons why your age is an advantage in learning some new tricks.

1. You understand cause and affect. Kids often ask “why”. For example, “Why do I have to practice?” “Why do I go to lessons every week?” “Why cant playing Rock Band on the PlayStation count as practice time?” Adults understand that you need to put something in to get something out.

2. A kid’s brain may be like a sponge but an adult’s brain is like a supercomputer. Let’s face it, kids don’t absorb and process information on the same level as adults. With adult students, teachers can go deeper into certain topics and move faster where kids don’t have the ability to handle that level of information. Adults can easily comprehend ideas and make connections to other topics while children haven’t fully developed this ability. For example, I can quickly make the connection that if I don’t put my shoes on right away I will be late for work. My son on the other hand doesn’t seem to have grasped that concept yet.

3. You can focus for longer periods of time. With young students teachers often break the lesson time up with several activities to keep the child’s focus and attention. The first 10 minutes of a lesson is often the most productive as attention spans begin to fade. Most adults have no problem remaining engaged for the full lesson without interruption.

4. You ask good questions. Adults understand the teacher/student model of learning. When adults need clarification they have the ability to ask the right series of questions to work in tandem with the teacher to present the material in a way that can be understood. Many times a teacher will ask a young student if they have any questions and receive an answer like, “Ummm yes, do you like pepperoni?”

5. You can drive. You’re free to schedule lessons after work, during lunch breaks, or a time that corresponds with your child’s lesson time. When you hold the minivan keys you control your destiny. So tell your kids to drop the leash because this old dog is going to music class.

Now that you have read this article, are you going to take the next step and register yourself for music lessons? Give yourself some accountability by leaving a message in the comments sections below and tell the cyber world that you’re going to learn to play an instrument. Also, leave some encouraging words for an adult reading this that is scared to try something new and needs a little push to do something fun for themselves.

www.keymusiccenter.comhttp://www.keymusiccenter.com/contact-us.html

Acoustic vs. Electric Guitar - What's the difference?

A common question I get from students is on the subject of acoustic vs. electric guitars.

Here are the answers to the top 3 questions I get on this subject. 

Q: What's the differance between acoustic and electric guitars?
Acoustic guitars are lighter but bulkier. It has a natural and organic sound and you don't need to plug it in to an amp. Electric guitars have thinner bodies but weigh more. Their tone can be sculpted using tone knobs and effect pedals and processors. They need to be plugged into and amp so while great for playing in bands they are not suited for campfire sing-a-longs.

Q: Should I start out on an acoustic or electric guitar?
Start off on the guitar you are more likely to play. It doesn't matter which you start on because the skills you learn as a beginner apply to both forms of guitar. The techniques are the same, the strings are tuned the same, and the fretboard is laid out the same. As a matter of fact, most guitar players own both. The most important thing is that you own a guitar that you want to play everyday.

Now having said that, there are some other factors to consider such as budget, style of music you prefer, and lifestyle.  I write more about this is my blog post titled, "Guitars are like shoes".  Click here to read more about buying a guitar.

Q: Do you teach acoustic or electric guitar lessons?
Anybody who plays the guitar should be able to teach on either. It's a matter of tone and feel but like I said, it's the same layout.

Are you in the market to buy your first guitar? Click here before you buy to get some great tips.

What's a Van Halen?

A few years ago a young guitar student of mine walked into the room looked at my concert t-shirt and said, “Van Halen?  What is that, some kind of band or something?”

 
My jaw dropped as I couldn’t believe that this guitar student had never heard the name Eddie Van Halen.  Ok, I understand that pop music stars rise and fall as the decades pass but I think most of us at least know the names of the big stars like Bon Jovi, Beatles & Beethoven.  Come on now, this is EddieVan Halen we are talking about and this is guitar class.

Here are 4 facts about this guitar wizard that even fans might not know.

1. One of the most famous guitar solos ever recorded is called Eruption. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Eddie revealed that the legendary guitar solo track was never supposed to be recorded. He and the band were at Sunset Studios in Hollywood and their engineer Donn Landee recorded some of Eddie’s rehearsals on accident. That accident became Eruption, one of Van Halen’s most well-known tracks.

2. Van Halen's drummer is his brother Alex. As kids Alex started out on guitar and Eddie was a drummer.

3. Gene Simmons of KISS "discovered" Van Halen and financed their first demo recording.  He also wanted the band to be renamed Daddy Longlegs.

 

4. That's Eddie Van Halen playing the guitar solo to Michael Jackson's Beat It.

 

I know that Eddie Van Halen isn't the only guitar player to change the musical landscape.  Feel free to throw out some of your own guitar heros in the comment box below.

 

 

If we can save just one guitar...

Guitar Maintenance - 4 easy tips to care for  your guitar

In my last post we learned what to look for when shopping for your first guitar. Now that you took the time to learn about guitars, let’s talk about how to take care of your new baby.



Photo: Gregg O'Connell

• Don't leave your guitar in the car for several hours in hot or cold weather. The extreme temperatures can cause big problems. Guitars are made of wood so environmental changes can make the wood expand and contract leading to warping and cracking.
  
  
• When you finish playing or practicing your guitar, wipe the strings and fret board with a soft lint free cloth. Our skin has oils and sweat that can cause the strings to wear out or rust. All guitar strings will wear out sooner or later but a simple wipe down after each use will buy you some extra life and save you a few bucks.
  
  
• Keep your guitar in a case or on a guitar stand. I have seen too many guitars with broken necks, bent tuning pegs, and chips in the body due to being left on the floor or because they were just leaned up against the wall.
  
  
• Little brothers and sisters alert! Have you ever had a child get a hold of a pair of glasses, model airplane, a framed picture of Grandma, your favorite book, or just about any item you don’t want broken? For the love of God, please be careful when letting a toddler near your guitar.

If taken care of properly you should be able to sell your guitar once you out grow it or give it away to let another budding guitarist enjoy it. If you don’t follow these tips, you may end up buying a replacement as the trash man hauls the abused instrument off to the heap.

If you have any other tips feel free to leave them in the comments below. For information about guitar lessons click here.

Guitars Are Like Shoes : A Guide To Buying Your 1st Guitar

When shopping for a guitar you will quickly notice that there is more to it than a block of wood with some strings on it.  When looking to buy a guitar either for yourself or a child, think about shoes.  You want the right guitar for the occasion. 

Size:  Have you ever seen a child try to wear their parent’s shoes?  My kids do that & end up tripping all over the place.  Just like it’s hard to walk in shoes that are too big, it’s also difficult to play a guitar that’s too big. 

Here is a chart that will help you match the guitarist with the right guitar.

Style: While some people prefer boots & others prefer sneakers, most people own both.  That’s how I feel about acoustic guitars vs. electric guitars.  The difference is in style & tone but you don’t have to commit to just one or the other.  The basic layout of the two is the same and most guitar players will hop from one to the other depending on mood or to compliment the style of a particular song.  So if the guitarist prefers to play Taylor Swift, then an acoustic guitar would be a smart purchase.  On the other hand, if AC/DC is your inspiration then look into an electric guitar. 

Budget: I already mentioned that acoustic guitars are generally more affordable.  An entry level model can purchased for $100-$200. 

With Electric guitars keep in mind that they are more versatile than acoustic guitars but require an amplifier & instrument cable.  This means that you will need to invest in some additional equipment & you won’t be playing it around the campfire since the amplifier will need to be plugged in.  You can find package deals & save a few bucks, but expect to pay $200-$400.

In either case you can spend less but you also can easily spend more. Be careful going too cheap as these low quality guitars can be more difficult to play resulting in the student quitting in frustration.  Of course you can buy used off craigslist.org or even some retail shops.  My students often email me links to what they find to get my input before they buy.  If you have an instructor, ask them if they would be willing to help you too.

So basically the guitar needs to be the right size, fit your personal style, and fit your budget.  Choose the right guitar for your situation and get with a great instructor that will walk you through the steps in learning to play it.

I have so many more great tips I want to share with you.  Subscribe to this blog and I will help you on your musical walk. 

 

 

Is My Child Too Young For Guitar Lessons?

Here is a topic that is very close to my heart.  Not only have I have made my living teaching guitar to students of all ages for the past 20 years, but I am the father of three small children.

Who wouldn’t want to learn the guitar?  It doesn’t take long to realize that guitar players get most of the glory and are often the coolest people in the room.  You don’t have to be a fan of Guns N Roses to know the name Slash but how many people can tell you the name of their drummer?

 

Yes, you can go on YouTube and see videos of preschoolers that would make Eddie Van Halen question his own achievements, but these kids are prodigies and your kid more than likely is not.

Don’t feel bad though.  Most great and successful musicians were not child prodigies either.  They just practiced and worked at it.  So, back to the question at hand; at what age is a child ready for guitar lessons?

I have taught thousands of guitar lessons over the years, and from my experience children under six have hurdles that make learning the guitar challenging.  Now before you close out this screen and decide to wait before registering your child for lessons, please read on as the answer to this question isn’t as simple as throwing out a number.

 Here are 3 common problems and solutions to consider:

1. Whose idea was this anyway?  There is a difference in guitar lessons being the child’s idea versus the parent’s idea.  Obviously dragging your kid to their first lesson no matter how old the child, is a sign that that things may not go well.

             Solution: Talk to your child about music.  Listen to a song they like and talk about the different sounds you both hear.  Go online and watch live videos of fun child friendly artists and talk about the different parts of the performance.  Point out the guitars, drums, microphones, etc.  Don’t be pushy and don’t dominate the conversation.  Let your child talk and make observations.  This will develop a curiosity and maybe motivate them to try something new.

 2. Motor skills: This is the big one. Undeveloped motor skills is the top reason younger kids struggle with guitar lessons.  It's also the reason that you want a good teacher and not pick some guy with a Craigslist ad. 

           Solution: At our teaching studio, we have teaching techniques that we use to combat this.  It’s about understanding the student’s limitations and knowing how to adjust for them.  Let me say it again…Get a professional teacher! 

 

3. The bad experience: Once a child is open to the idea of music lessons, we don’t want to put out that fire.  If the child’s first foray into music lessons is with an instrument that is too cumbersome or requires cognitive skills that are not yet developed, it could lead to the student quitting. Some will leave feeling that music is not for them.  The truth is that kids of any age can benefit from music classes, but the path they were on was not right for them.

          Solution: This is an area once again where a professional teaching studio is the way to go.  At Key Music Center we offer free evaluations of students before they register in order to offer advice for the path that would best serve them.  For very young students I also recommend introducing piano into the weekly lessons as well.  There are many benefits to this. Chief among them is that it allows the student to have an “out” if the guitar doesn’t work out while leaving a great option to continue with the piano.  I have had students gravitate towards one instrument or the other but I have also have seen students fall in love with both instruments.  The important thing here is that we don’t extinguish that fire for music.

Bottom line is that you want to introduce your child to a fun and friendly environment with a teacher that can nurture their inner Beethoven. This can be done at any age. The tool may be guitar, piano, drums, or singing but more importantly it's who's teaching them.

Check out my 5 tips on making the most out of music lessons by clicking here

 www.keymusiccenter.com