|
It's hard to believe that 2022 is already here, but a new year is always a great time to set new goals, especially those of the musical variety! To help our students get the ball rolling on their musical goals for 2022, we put forward a series of "Would You Rather?" questions for them to answer. We received a lot of great responses that clued us in to the interests and priorities of our students, and we're excited to share them with you now!  To help kids think about their preference and goals in relation to composing and performing we asked: Would you rather...
Asher S. Asher seems to value composing above all else. In her opinion,"songwriting is the most important part of guitar. " Miller F. Miller prefers the act of playing over songwriting, and simply stated that it was "because I want to be a musician." Nora U. Nora, who specifically requested that we mention her nickname, "Eating Machine," also prefers performing to composing. Her reasoning for this is "because if I write songs then I can't play them." Louisa B. Louisa seemed saddened by the idea of being unable to play her instrument, and said she wouldn't want to just be a talented songwriter "because my guitar practice would go to waste."  Sharing music with others is an important part of the process of learning any instrument, so to help kids think about their performance goals we asked: Would you rather...
Kaleigh X. Kaleigh is more interested in playing for people outside of her family as she wants to share her talent with others and demonstrate what she's musically capable of! Corban M. Corban "would feel more comfortable" playing a song for her family than people she doesn't know, and would prepare for the performance by practicing before dinner. Eloise F. Eloise "loves singing in front of new people," and said she'd rather perform in front of a group that she didn't know. Louisa B. Louisa would rather play a song for her family. In her words: "I know them better and I get stage fright. Ahh!" Sloan H. Sloan also preferred to play a song for family. Playing music with others is a wonderful experience for a musician at any age or skill level, which is why Orpheus offers group Musicianship classes and many ensemble opportunities. To help our students think about their collaborative goals we asked: Would you rather...
Louisa B. Louisa would much rather play with a group. She said, "I would like to play music with my friends" and that by playing with others the performance "sounds more full like the actual song." Louisa does enjoy playing alone though, and likes that she doesn't "have to stop and wait for everybody to start." Lizzie D. Lizzie prefers to play music alone, but didn't specify why. Corban M. Corban thinks that "it would be funner to play in a group," and likes the collaborative process and sharing the spotlight with others. In Corban's own words: "If I make a mistake it is covered up-ish." At the same time, Corban enjoys the "freedom in picking what the songs are" when performing alone. Johnny K. Johnny unfortunately hasn't had the chance to play with a group before, but would very much like to. While he feels that playing music alone "is peaceful," he really likes "the sound of two or more people playing" together.  It's important for young musicians to begin to gauge their priorities, and to also think about how they can put a plan in motion to accomplish their goals. We asked: Would you rather...
Alex W. Alex definitely seeks a challenge, as he believes learning "the five songs just okay would be easier" and therefore would prefer to play one song perfectly. Louisa B. Louisa had an interesting response, and said that "there's no way (to learn a song perfectly), nothing's perfect." Instead, she believes the option of five songs just okay would be better than one. Asher S. Asher would rather play one song perfectly, and says this is because "I can already play five songs just okay." When asked about her plan of action, she says she would perfect a song "by practicing a lot and working hard!" Nora U. Nora also recognizes the importance of "practicing a lot and working hard," but says she would rather strive for perfection "because I could be famous from my song." Conley R. One song played perfectly is more appealing to Conley because "it sounds better." Landon H. Landon thinks learning five songs just okay would actually be a great starting point rather than an end goal, as "you can learn from your mistakes and make it better." Presley S. Presley would value playing one song perfectly because it would make her feel happy, and has a great multi-step plan to achieve this goal! She says she would "get help from her teacher, practice, listen to a recording and follow along," and would try each part of the song song by itself.  Harper N. Harper is 10 years old and attends Hill Elementary. She has been studying violin with Ernesto since the fall of 2019. Harper loves music because it’s fun and challenging at the same time. She enjoys being able to express herself musically and loves playing for family and friends. - Harper I wanted to nominate Harper for my student of the month. Harper's critical listening has improved so much especially over the past month, but what I wanted to celebrate the most is her perseverance in each lesson to work through to improve her playing. I will give Harper challenging solutions weekly to improve the things that she hears that she wants to fix and she takes them with stride and doesn’t give up on her first attempts to learn them. As we’ve started to finish up our CD project it’s been such a joy really seeing her transition from a beginner to an intermediate musician. She’s held her composure with the sometimes difficult self awareness of our playing that comes with recording a lot of music and I’ve really seen this especially in working with her on her composition. Very happy to nominate her for our Cedar Park Student of the month. - Mr. Ernesto Heeral A. Thank you so much! - Heeral Heeral is a fantastic new member of the Orpheus community. She has not taken lessons very long but impresses me every week with her fantastic progress and enthusiasm. Her eagerness to learn is apparent in every lesson and her joyful personality is present in her music making. I am so happy to have the opportunity to work with Heeral and I am excited to see what else we can accomplish! - Mr. Jeremy Ben W. Ben loves playing violin and making music because he thinks music is beautiful. He likes the way the sounds follow a specific order and pattern. - Ben Ben is 7 years old and is in his second year of playing violin. He is bright and silly and also very focused. Ben has been playing violin frequently and is currently playing songs in the middle of Adventure Through Sounds, Book 2! Now, he's memorizing his songs and really enjoys playing for an audience. Keep it up, Ben! - Mr. Xavier Martha N. Music is very interesting and I really like the way it makes me feel while making music.
- Martha I'm so proud of how hard Martha has been working in her lessons! She's exhibited great curiosity and creativeness in her piano studies. Keep up the great work! - Mr. Mike Now that the holiday season is officially upon us, we decided to ask some of our students for their opinions on holiday music, and what their favorite holiday songs are! We got some very unique answers, in addition to a surprising amount of love for “Jingle Bells.” Read on to hear more from our students!  Kelly C. Kelly had an interesting response, and told us that her favorite holiday song is "Skin and Bones," a funny piece she had actually learned for Halloween. After clarifying that we meant a winter holiday song, she responded (quite contrarily) with "Summer," a song from Frozen, "because Olaf sings it." Finally, she told us that her favorite Christmas song is "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" and that she likes it "because it's funny." Johnny K. Johnny had a hard time thinking of a holiday song that he really likes, but eventually let us know that he enjoys "The First Noel,” in part because his elementary music class is singing it together. Then, during his guitar lesson, Johnny worked with his teacher to identify the key of the song and was able to write out its notation by ear! Vaughn V. Vaughn was quick to respond with “Jingle Bells,” but specifically the “Batman” version because it says “Batman smells.” Vaughn thinks Batman is better than Superman because of his gadget arsenal, and in particular likes Batman’s “boomerang thing that explodes and then comes back.” Vaughn then regaled us with a wonderful rendition of “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells.” "Jingle bells, Batman smells |
 | Michael K. Michael needs a little more rock & roll with his jingle bells, and said his favorite holiday song is “Jingle Bell Rock” because “it’s groovy!” Aura T. Aura’s favorite is “Jingle Bells,” but said “I don’t exactly know why though.” Presley S. Presley’s favorite is also “Jingle Bells,” but she’s a big fan of the music from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” as well. In fact, she and her family recently re-watched the special and went to a concert where all of the music was played live! |
Louis F.
Louis decided to choose "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" as it features the one and only Rudolph, his favorite Christmas character.
Ethan D.
Ethan went with the tried and true "Jingle Bells," but specifically because "it has bells in it and the bells are beautiful."
Otis J.
Otis likes "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah!" Hanukkah is his favorite Jewish holiday because "it's the only one where you get presents." This year, Otis's grandparents got him a wooden ventriloquist doll "that looks just like the one from Goosebumps." Otis thinks the doll is creepy so he named him Mr. Creepy.
Louis decided to choose "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" as it features the one and only Rudolph, his favorite Christmas character.
Ethan D.
Ethan went with the tried and true "Jingle Bells," but specifically because "it has bells in it and the bells are beautiful."
Otis J.
Otis likes "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah!" Hanukkah is his favorite Jewish holiday because "it's the only one where you get presents." This year, Otis's grandparents got him a wooden ventriloquist doll "that looks just like the one from Goosebumps." Otis thinks the doll is creepy so he named him Mr. Creepy.
Wishing you and your family a happy, music-filled holiday season!
Aayan S.
I love music because it brings me joy! I just love the keys.
- Aayan
I am happy to nominate Aayan as the Student of the month! His love for music motivates him to practice every day and enjoy every piece and song that he learns. He finished Piano Adventures I and II, and now he is an excellent sight-reader for his age. His mom mentions that he is so happy every time that he practices at home, and sometimes he practices twice a day. When we play a new music piece, the happiness on his face is priceless. He is always excited about his piano lesson and learning new songs and music pieces!
- Ms. Rut
- Aayan
I am happy to nominate Aayan as the Student of the month! His love for music motivates him to practice every day and enjoy every piece and song that he learns. He finished Piano Adventures I and II, and now he is an excellent sight-reader for his age. His mom mentions that he is so happy every time that he practices at home, and sometimes he practices twice a day. When we play a new music piece, the happiness on his face is priceless. He is always excited about his piano lesson and learning new songs and music pieces!
- Ms. Rut
Arthi D.
I joined Orpheus just over a year ago for vocal lessons. I have become more confident in expressing myself through music. Ms. Chelsea is an awesome teacher and helps me grow constantly. Thank you Orpheus!
- Arthi
I have had the pleasure of working with Arthi for a little over a year now, and although I haven't gotten to meet her in person yet, I've been so proud of the work that we have accomplished together online. Arthi has an infectious positive attitude, keen attention to detail, and strong work ethic which is a formula that makes our lessons both super productive and tons of fun at the same time! It's been such a pleasure to see her really grow in her confidence both vocally and as a performer in our time together. Looking forward to seeing what the next year brings! Thank you for sharing your voice with the Orpheus community.
- Ms. Chelsea
- Arthi
I have had the pleasure of working with Arthi for a little over a year now, and although I haven't gotten to meet her in person yet, I've been so proud of the work that we have accomplished together online. Arthi has an infectious positive attitude, keen attention to detail, and strong work ethic which is a formula that makes our lessons both super productive and tons of fun at the same time! It's been such a pleasure to see her really grow in her confidence both vocally and as a performer in our time together. Looking forward to seeing what the next year brings! Thank you for sharing your voice with the Orpheus community.
- Ms. Chelsea
One of our goals here at Orpheus has always been to use the power of music to help others and create positive change. I’m happy to announce that we will be launching an exciting new opportunity for our students to do just that, a "Practice-a-Thon" fundraiser to raise money for pediatric cancer research.
This is an incredibly important cause that’s very near and dear to our hearts, and is something that our own community has been directly affected by.
Since my wife Wendy and I founded Orpheus Academy over 18 years ago, I’ve seen literally thousands of students come through our doors, and every single one of them has been special to me in some way. Today though, I want to talk about just one student of mine, Theo, who has really meant a lot to me and changed my life in a big way.
Before Theo started his first lesson with me, his mom, Chloe, told me that while his cancer wasn't entirely in remission, he had a lot of success with his most recent treatment and was able to start doing some regular activities again. Theo started his first guitar lesson on the day of his fourth birthday. For Theo the biggest birthday present was getting to get his hands on a guitar. He just took right to it, loved to sing— it just was something that obviously brought him great joy and made a big difference in his life.
"For Theo the biggest birthday present was getting to get his hands on a guitar ... it just was something that obviously brought him great joy and made a big difference in his life."
Over the year and a half that I got to work with Theo, he showed incredible dedication to the guitar. He would come to the lessons sometimes with intense stomach aches or lack of focus because of medications he was on, but he always did his best. He really loved feeling strong, like one of his favorite poses was just putting his muscles up, and you could really see how playing music made him feel capable. Frequently people would be just blown away by how many songs he could play, and I think that really helped him to feel powerful and strong.
Of course Theo's cancer did make it hard for him to play guitar sometimes. Sometimes there just was too much pain, but he practiced whether he was at home, or in apartments in Houston, or even sometimes in the hospital he would still play his songs on step bells.
Like all of our students, Theo’s lessons went completely online starting in March of 2020. It was actually something that he took to a little better than a lot of students because he had already experienced having to kind of live his life in a bubble, but he also brought that ability to play his music for other people, and he even gave an incredible home concert for his friends and family that June.
One of the things I remember most about Theo's home concert, aside from the fact that he played incredible and he had a big smile on his face the whole way through, was the reaction. One of the people that attended that concert wrote in to say, "I thought I was going to see one hero today, Theo, but I actually saw three." He was referring to Theo's mom and I putting on the concert and giving Theo that chance to have his voice heard. And I think that that's truly something we're always striving for here at Orpheus, is to let kids' voices speak, and it was truly amazing how many people's lives he was able to touch with his guitar playing.
One of the things I remember most about Theo's home concert, aside from the fact that he played incredible and he had a big smile on his face the whole way through, was the reaction. One of the people that attended that concert wrote in to say, "I thought I was going to see one hero today, Theo, but I actually saw three." He was referring to Theo's mom and I putting on the concert and giving Theo that chance to have his voice heard. And I think that that's truly something we're always striving for here at Orpheus, is to let kids' voices speak, and it was truly amazing how many people's lives he was able to touch with his guitar playing.
"You could really see how playing music made him feel capable. Frequently people would be just blown away by how many songs he could play, and I think that really helped him to feel powerful and strong."
Over the next year, Theo continued his guitar lessons. Theo learned all of the folk songs in our Books 1 & 2. He loved to play "Old MacDonald" and "Hot Cross Buns" and "Witch, Witch Fell in a Ditch." But his absolute favorites were the "Batman" and "Spider-Man" theme songs because he was a huge fan of all super heroes.
In his year and a half of guitar lessons, Theo's music brought joy to so many people. Learning music brought joy to Theo as well because it gave him something to work towards, something to focus on, something to put his energy into when he was stuck at home all day long.
I keep this picture of Theo over my desk, so I can look at it every day and remember that music can make a difference. It reminds me of the real reason that I wanted to teach guitar. It's not just about fingerings, or learning notes, or even learning beautiful pieces of music. It's about making a difference in another person's life.
I hope every music student can achieve the ability to share joy with the world, to make a difference with their world, and to connect with their world. But above all, I want them to know that they have a voice, they have value. We know every kid wants to be a hero, to make a difference, and to make beautiful music, just like Theo.
I hope every music student can achieve the ability to share joy with the world, to make a difference with their world, and to connect with their world. But above all, I want them to know that they have a voice, they have value. We know every kid wants to be a hero, to make a difference, and to make beautiful music, just like Theo.
If you would like to join in this amazing cause, here’s how you can participate:
- Register for our fundraising event.
- Reach out to your friends and family.
- Let them know you’ll be sharing your music with them and invite them to join you in raising money for the fight against pediatric cancer.
- Start practicing! Submit videos of your best practice performances and share your progress with your donors.
Please join us in sharing beautiful music and raising money to fight cancer. Thank you!
Every day, 43 children just like Theo will be diagnosed with cancer. In the last 20 years, only four cancer treatments have been specifically developed and approved for children with cancer. More research is desperately needed to find better treatments for kids like Theo — the funding of which is largely dependent upon philanthropy.
 | Dr. Klondike Steadman Dr. Steadman is the executive director and co-founder of Orpheus Academy of music with his wife, Wendy Kuo. In addition to teaching guitar at Orpheus, he is the father to a teenage daughter, who is also an accomplished musician. He has authored several books including The Complete Guitar and The Complete Guitar For the Older Beginner, as well as Loving Practice, Developing Discipline. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis, and hiking with their corgi dog, Momo. |
Rishabh K.
I love music. Music is something that, if played well, is one of the most beautiful art to ever be heard. This is not the only reason though. When I hear a song like Fur Elise, the music will calm and soothe me. When someone plays a song like “In My Red Convertible'', or Maple Leaf Rag though, I feel more excited and have an urge to dance. Both types of music make me feel good. Music’s ability to create different ways to entertain me, whether by exciting, calming or doing something else to me is another reason I love music. One other great part of music is what it is inspired from and/or what it leads to in the future. Fur Elise, for example, was a song created for Beethoven’s first love. One other song, “This Is My Planet Earth” would go on to inspire the song “My Country Tis of Thee”. The history and impact of music is fascinating to me. I love history. The purpose of songs and their meanings are very fascinating, whether it’s out of love for a person, patriotism, to send a certain message, or something else. These are the main reasons that I love music.
- Rishabh
I’m so happy to nominate Rishabh as a student of the month. Rishabh is a very hardworking student. Moreover, he also actively participates in any performance opportunities at Orpheus Academy. I am impressed by his enthusiasm and attentiveness during the lesson. Keep up the good work!
- Mr. William
- Rishabh
I’m so happy to nominate Rishabh as a student of the month. Rishabh is a very hardworking student. Moreover, he also actively participates in any performance opportunities at Orpheus Academy. I am impressed by his enthusiasm and attentiveness during the lesson. Keep up the good work!
- Mr. William
Gautham M.
I like music because it is fun. Thank you everyone!
- Gautham
I will be happy to nominate my student Gautham for November Student of the Month.
Gautham is a very hard working young student. He is very musical!
His dad is very supportive, attending every lesson and interested in his son's music development.
- Ms. Anastasiia
- Gautham
I will be happy to nominate my student Gautham for November Student of the Month.
Gautham is a very hard working young student. He is very musical!
His dad is very supportive, attending every lesson and interested in his son's music development.
- Ms. Anastasiia
Imagine that you've spent weeks rehearsing together as an ensemble, fine-tuning your skills and playing in sync until you are in perfect harmony with one another... then the whole world shuts down and you can no longer meet up in person. Now, you suddenly have to grapple with new technology and try to replicate the ensemble experience online, as you deal with internet lag and audio problems.
That was the experience for the Orpheus Honors Quartet, which is made up of four high-level guitar students: Allen, Brandon, Mei Yin, and Michael, as well as their teacher, myself!
Together, we rehearsed virtually for many months, and learned some tips and tricks for how to collaborate effectively along the way. Our hard work paid off when we participated in the Southern Guitar Festival and Competition in May, where the quartet took home 3rd place!
Following the competition, we spent time preparing for the Southern Guitar Fest's showcase in North Carolina, and I truly believe all four members of the quartet could now be considered experts in working together online. I took the time to interview the Honors Quartet about their collaboration, and what advice they have for others looking to connect and make music with others virtually.
That was the experience for the Orpheus Honors Quartet, which is made up of four high-level guitar students: Allen, Brandon, Mei Yin, and Michael, as well as their teacher, myself!
Together, we rehearsed virtually for many months, and learned some tips and tricks for how to collaborate effectively along the way. Our hard work paid off when we participated in the Southern Guitar Festival and Competition in May, where the quartet took home 3rd place!
Following the competition, we spent time preparing for the Southern Guitar Fest's showcase in North Carolina, and I truly believe all four members of the quartet could now be considered experts in working together online. I took the time to interview the Honors Quartet about their collaboration, and what advice they have for others looking to connect and make music with others virtually.
Stephen: You're all experienced performers and you've participated in many, many ensembles being at Orpheus for so long. What is the difference between rehearsing with others in person versus virtually?
Allen: Well rehearsing virtually, there's just a lot of problems that come with it. You can't really play together. There's also all the problems with like wi-fi, mic quality, noise cancellation, echo, “Original Sound.” It's kind of just hard to hear good guitar playing over Zoom calls.
Brandon: Online, it's a little bit harder to communicate with everyone. If you're communicating offline there’s at least better synchronization because we can all see each other well, and therefore a better performance.
"Being aware of every aspect of your playing and your setup before you enter a group situation. Yeah, everyone as individuals, your preparedness and how set up you are and ready to go really has a big impact on the dynamic of a rehearsal, especially when it's online."
Stephen: Being the high-level performers that you are, and working together virtually as long as we did, what advice would you have for other students who want to collaborate or play virtually?
Allen: Try to listen to your playing as much as possible when you're having those online rehearsals. Sometimes your mic can have problems or your wi-fi could go out and stuff like that, and you might not hear some problems with your playing. So if you see something just address it, you could get it fixed or [otherwise] you could just have it as a bad habit for a long time until an in-person rehearsal. Also, turn “Original Sound” on.
Stephen: Yeah, so “Original Sound” and a little bit more self-aware practice. Being aware of every aspect of your playing and your setup before you enter a group situation. Yeah, everyone as individuals, your preparedness and how set up you are and ready to go really has a big impact on the dynamic of a rehearsal, especially when it's online.
Stephen: Mei Yin, have you or the group encountered any technical issues while rehearsing over Zoom, and what workarounds did we find?
Mei Yin: Internet connectivity problems, and we used ethernet and yeah, usually ethernet and stuff and sometimes upgrading wi-fi to get better connections. And then also playing individually, so our sounds wouldn't overlap and sound bad and distorted because there’s usually lag.
Stephen: Yeah totally, upping our internet connection, I think. Having a good internet connection made everything more fluid, and microphones I think. Pretty early on Mei Yin you all invested in a nice microphone, and Brandon and Allen too have nice audio setups. Definitely helped.
Stephen: We rehearsed virtually for a recent competition for many weeks, if not months, and then finally we were able to actually meet in person and rehearse outdoors. What was that like, being able to come together after all that time?
Mei Yin: I think it was a lot easier and more connected and fluid when we came together in person, because we could all play together, as opposed to online when we each had to play individually.
Stephen: Yeah, totally. Was it weird having your part learned and knowing how it fits into the ensemble as a whole, but never having played it in person? And then all of a sudden, being in person and able to play it with everyone, and everyone else knows their parts. Was that kind of strange?
Mei Yin: I wouldn't say it was strange, but I thought it was nice to hear all the parts together as one in person.
Stephen: Allen, this question is for you. What were some of the things that you did individually to keep up the energy while we were rehearsing online?
Allen: When someone else's mic is unmuted and they're playing I would just play with them with my mic muted, so I could get a sense of what it would sound like in person.
Stephen: Interesting, so you had the opportunity to play along with other parts without affecting that person. Because we had the option of muting/unmuting, that gave you a little flexibility to practice along with other people or practice your parts during a lull. Whereas otherwise I would get a little mad at you if you were practicing your part while I was talking [laughs]. Good!
Stephen: Brandon, can you tell us about the process of preparing for the competition and what pieces we played?
Brandon: Well, getting ready for the competition for me was a little bit uneasy, but eventually yeah we pulled through. We played the songs “West Side Story” by Bernstein, and “A Poem” by you.
Stephen: Allen, this is for you. What was it like working with the composer of one of the pieces, myself, while we were rehearsing. From your point of view was I more picky with that song in particular, or was it different? And no pressure, you can say whatever you want about working on my piece, my feelings will not be hurt.
Allen: Okay. You weren’t pickier, but I feel like you just had a more clear view of what you wanted the piece to sound like. Like in other pieces, you would experiment more to see what sounded better. But you generally knew what you would intend for the piece to sound like.
Stephen: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I hadn't actually thought about that difference myself, but I guess it makes sense that when you write a piece you generally have a pretty good idea of how you think it should go.
Stephen: Mei Yin, another one for you, can you tell us about the Southern Guitar Fest that the Trio, now Quartet, recently participated in?
Mei Yin: So it was originally held online, and we submitted videos. Yeah, I guess it was practice of running through it many times. Then, I also think listening to each other and listening to our playing to help us improve the recording for the next time.
Stephen: I think that's big. We did two back to back recording sessions: do one and then listen and then do another one after having listened and made a bunch of notes. And I think both of the times, the second one was always better because you guys made so many improvements.
We did two back to back recording sessions: do one and then listen and then do another one after having listened and made a bunch of notes. And I think both of the times, the second one was always better because you guys made so many improvements.
Stephen: Mei Yin, how did you feel the competition went? What was it like waiting for the results to come in after we had submitted our videos?
Mei Yin: I think the competition went pretty smoothly because it was online. We just submitted the video and there wasn't much, like hassle to it or anything. Personally for me, waiting for the results wasn't that bad. Like I don't find it as bad when it's online compared to in person, because in person you have to like, sit there through the concert before they announce the results. I personally didn't find it that nerve-wracking waiting.
Stephen: Brandon, how did you feel coming in third place, and how did you celebrate after we got that great news?
Brandon: It was very exciting when I heard that we received third place, when so many people participated in the competition. So I celebrated by being happy for around one to two hours.
Stephen: That's a great way to celebrate, it lasted one to two hours, that's it?
Brandon: Yeah, that's pretty long for me.
Stephen: [laughs] So two hours and then just back to normal?
Brandon: Mm-hmm.
Stephen: Gotcha.
Stephen: What's next for the Orpheus Honors Quartet, what are you currently working on and what's the next goal? Michael, maybe you can take this one.
Michael: I know we're working on two pieces right now, I think “La Follia.” And then there's the Vivaldi one I think. There’s another one called “Quest.” And then we're obviously playing in [North] Carolina for the performance thing.
Stephen: You joined the group fairly recently in the last couple months. You had to learn a lot of music really fast. What was the process of learning all that music like?
Michael: I took it like how I take any new piece: I don't think about the whole piece, I think about just certain sections, like a few measures, play them really slow and try to make every single note perfect. And when I feel comfortable, I just speed it up. I repeat that for other sections and then eventually I put them together and then get them up to speed.
Stephen: Great. Those are all great practice strategies: doing slow practice, working in small sections, and just doing everything very gradually.
Stephen: The Quartet has played a few different styles of music. We’ve played Baroque music in “The Telamon,'' we've played some contemporary music in the “La Follia” and “The Quest.” What kind of pieces do you enjoy playing the most with the group?
Michael: Probably right now it's “La Follia,” just because I feel like it's different than anything I play. It kind of tells a story if you think about it, and then there's so many different types of textures. Just sounds really different, in a good way.
Stephen: Michael, I like what you said about it telling a story. That piece does kind of morph over time and change in beautiful and unexpected ways, like a story.
Stephen: Another one for you Michael. What aspect of ensemble music is most enjoyable to you?
Michael: Probably a little bit of everything. I've been in previous ensembles like a few years ago, they weren’t anything compared to this. All those other things were just like a few weeks, maybe a few months I think. But I mean we kind of just played and then kind of got it over with. There wasn't really any bonding. [Now] it's kind of enjoying what you play rather than just playing it to play.
Stephen: Totally. That is so cool.
Stephen: Okay, and this is the last question for everybody. The four of you were invited to perform live at the North Carolina festival called Southern Guitar Festival and Competition, after receiving a top prize in an ensemble competition. Is there anything that any of you are looking forward to in particular about that trip?
Mei Yin: I always like to travel for competitions, I think it's fun. Yeah I think it will be interesting to go to the festival as well, because I usually like going to other festivals and going to master classes and stuff and seeing other people.
Allen: I'm looking forward to just listening to the other people play, since they were extremely good at guitar, the ones that we competed against.
Following this interview, the Orpheus Honors Quartet performed at the Southern
Guitar Festival, where Allen, Brandon, and Mei Yin each entered the festival's solo competition and all won prizes!
Guitar Festival, where Allen, Brandon, and Mei Yin each entered the festival's solo competition and all won prizes!
 | Stephen Krishnan Stephen Krishnan is the Director of Guitar and String Studies at Orpheus Academy, and believes music making should be a joyful and natural part of life. He has performed throughout the country in award-winning guitar ensembles including the University of Texas Guitar Quartet and the Global Guitar Duo, and earned his Master's in Music Performance at the University of Southern California. |
Kaiya J.
I love learning with Ms Wendy because she is always very helpful when I am stuck on a piece and she teaches really fun, great songs. The reason I love playing the piano is because you can be creative and compose your own music. And music makes me feel happy and relaxes me!
- Kaiya
Kaiya has accomplished so much during her 3 years of piano studies. She completed Musical Journey level 1 and 2 and often participated in performance classes and recitals. This summer she learned the Indian National Anthem and performed it as a duet with her older brother, Ishaan!!
Kaiya always brings a never-give-up attitude to every piano lesson and because of this she has learned many fun and challenging pieces. I know that music will be a big part of Kaiya's life for a very long time!
- Ms. Wendy
- Kaiya
Kaiya has accomplished so much during her 3 years of piano studies. She completed Musical Journey level 1 and 2 and often participated in performance classes and recitals. This summer she learned the Indian National Anthem and performed it as a duet with her older brother, Ishaan!!
Kaiya always brings a never-give-up attitude to every piano lesson and because of this she has learned many fun and challenging pieces. I know that music will be a big part of Kaiya's life for a very long time!
- Ms. Wendy
Carly S.
Four years ago I started doing piano, and as my love for piano grew so did my love of music. Then a friend came over and showed me her violin and I loved it. A few months later I asked my parents if I could take violin lessons. Then after weeks of waiting we got my violin and started lessons and here I am about a year later getting student of the month! Thank you Orpheus!
-Carly
I am pleased to nominate Carly as October’s student of the month. Carly has a tenacious attitude and comes to lesson ready to tackle any challenge I throw at her. She has a great musical ear and is becoming quite the talented young musician. Keep up the good work Carly!
- Ms. Mackenzie
-Carly
I am pleased to nominate Carly as October’s student of the month. Carly has a tenacious attitude and comes to lesson ready to tackle any challenge I throw at her. She has a great musical ear and is becoming quite the talented young musician. Keep up the good work Carly!
- Ms. Mackenzie
Gabriela M.
I love music because it’s exciting; it turns the simple act of sitting and listening into an adventure.
- Gabriela
Every lesson begins and ends with a smile. She is willing and happy to learn at any moment. Gabriela has a variety of interests that keep her motivated and our conversations exciting. Not only is Gabriela a wonderful violinist, but has chosen to learn about sports medicine in school this semester just for fun. Gabriela's lessons are always productive and motivating. If there was ever a student who could brighten an entire ensemble, it's her.
- Ms. Kenzie
- Gabriela
Every lesson begins and ends with a smile. She is willing and happy to learn at any moment. Gabriela has a variety of interests that keep her motivated and our conversations exciting. Not only is Gabriela a wonderful violinist, but has chosen to learn about sports medicine in school this semester just for fun. Gabriela's lessons are always productive and motivating. If there was ever a student who could brighten an entire ensemble, it's her.
- Ms. Kenzie
Learning to read notes and sheet music is an essential part of any musical education, but doing so can also be a somewhat dry experience. Thankfully, there are many existing apps that "gamify" this learning process to make it more fun and interactive, which a lot of our students enjoy and find helpful.
Orpheus guitar student, 11-year-old Michael K., created the following reviews of some note-reading apps that he used to practice with, so hopefully you can find one that works for you too!
(Michael's reviews have been edited for clarity.)
Orpheus guitar student, 11-year-old Michael K., created the following reviews of some note-reading apps that he used to practice with, so hopefully you can find one that works for you too!
(Michael's reviews have been edited for clarity.)
Flashnote Derby
Review:
In this game you play as a jockey and practice note-reading by racing your horse against other horses. While you are racing the app gives you notes to play, and the more notes you correctly identify the faster your horse runs. Once you play a certain amount of notes the race is finished!
What I like about this app is that it offers a lot of options, such as the ability to change the amount of notes that make up one horse race, and whether playing wrong notes penalizes your speed. This game works great with most instruments, and you can even select the specific notes you want to practice with. For example, I used the app when I wanted to work on just b, g, a, e, and f notes. Also, at the end of each race you can check which notes you got incorrect, which allows you to identify and learn from your mistakes.
Pros:
Cons:
In this game you play as a jockey and practice note-reading by racing your horse against other horses. While you are racing the app gives you notes to play, and the more notes you correctly identify the faster your horse runs. Once you play a certain amount of notes the race is finished!
What I like about this app is that it offers a lot of options, such as the ability to change the amount of notes that make up one horse race, and whether playing wrong notes penalizes your speed. This game works great with most instruments, and you can even select the specific notes you want to practice with. For example, I used the app when I wanted to work on just b, g, a, e, and f notes. Also, at the end of each race you can check which notes you got incorrect, which allows you to identify and learn from your mistakes.
Pros:
- You can change the amount of notes per race.
- It works for most instruments.
- You can select specific notes to practice with.
- At the end of the game, you can check which notes you got wrong.
Cons:
- Less features available to Android users.
- Some users report occasional freezing.
- Costs $4.99.
NinGenius Music Ultimate
Review:
In this game you play as a ninja, practicing note-reading, fingering, theory, & rhythm while advancing through different "belt levels," ultimately working towards a black belt. The app is divided into a practice mode and a test mode, and it tracks different elements of the student's performance such as speed, accuracy, and overall score.
Similarly to Flashnote Derby, this app also offers the ability to choose specific notes to practice with. While I think this app is great, from my experience it did not actually work well with guitar despite being designed for "all instruments." And as an additional word of warning: NinGenius includes in-app purchases, so parents should be mindful of the ability to buy virtual items within it.
Pros:
Cons:
In this game you play as a ninja, practicing note-reading, fingering, theory, & rhythm while advancing through different "belt levels," ultimately working towards a black belt. The app is divided into a practice mode and a test mode, and it tracks different elements of the student's performance such as speed, accuracy, and overall score.
Similarly to Flashnote Derby, this app also offers the ability to choose specific notes to practice with. While I think this app is great, from my experience it did not actually work well with guitar despite being designed for "all instruments." And as an additional word of warning: NinGenius includes in-app purchases, so parents should be mindful of the ability to buy virtual items within it.
Pros:
- Fun and motivating for all ages, including adult beginners.
- Runs smoothly.
- Great for practicing.
Cons:
- Does not work well with guitar in my experience.
- App can sometimes crash.
- In-app purchases.
- Costs $4.99.
Staff Wars
Review:
In this game you pilot a spaceship and identify notes as they appear by clicking on their corresponding names. If you do so correctly, your ship shoots the note and you level up. Incorrectly identifying a note causes you to lose a life however, and if you lose three then you get a "game over."
This game is a lot of fun and is very reminiscent of Star Wars, which is a big plus for me. Unfortunately though, the app doesn't offer the ability to select specific notes to work on. Also, the rate at which notes appear on-screen increases in speed as the game goes on, making it potentially better suited for older kids or those that are more experienced at note-reading.
Pros:
Cons:
In this game you pilot a spaceship and identify notes as they appear by clicking on their corresponding names. If you do so correctly, your ship shoots the note and you level up. Incorrectly identifying a note causes you to lose a life however, and if you lose three then you get a "game over."
This game is a lot of fun and is very reminiscent of Star Wars, which is a big plus for me. Unfortunately though, the app doesn't offer the ability to select specific notes to work on. Also, the rate at which notes appear on-screen increases in speed as the game goes on, making it potentially better suited for older kids or those that are more experienced at note-reading.
Pros:
- It's like Star Wars.
- User friendly.
- Only $0.99.
Cons:
- It only lets you tap the notes, not play along to them.
- Does not offer the ability to work on specific notes.
- Not available for Android devices.
About the Author:
Michael K., 11 years old, has been taking guitar lessons at Orpheus Academy since November 2020, and is currently studying with teacher Trevor Black. Michael's brother, Johnny, also studies guitar at Orpheus.
