Merry Christmas!

Post by Interesting Things.

What Music Should I Allow My Young Child To Listen To?

This is a question that we hear very often. But we also hear from the parents how proud they are that their children know the lyrics of some very adult songs as well.

Music lyrics are another form of language. A language that children pick up very quickly due to it being connected to music. Just like you would be selective as to what the language  usage is in movies that your children watch, you probably should be careful as to what songs are playing on the radio in the car going down the road. Just when we think they are not listening, they generally are.

Music for children abounds the market in the stores and by digital download. But even though some profanity has been removes, parents need to listen closely to the meaning of the lyrics. Ever wondered where your child "got that?". Check the music that YOU are listening to.

Music should be age appropriate, entertaining and have a learning situation attached to it. But don't forget to introduce a few of the classics and music that is instrumental and calming as well.

Yes, there are many options for music for your children. And most parents make wise decisions in selecting their child's music that they intend to allow their children to listen to. It is when, as adults, we have adult music playing for our own enjoyment that we forget about the child size ears and brains that may be listening too.

For more information regarding ways of selecting music for your young children to listen to, we suggest this PBS site article:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/what-music-should-my-child-listen-to/

Angelina Ballerina Holiday Break Party!

Join the Fun!

 

Angelina Ballerina Holiday Break Party

 

December 23rd Woodward Location

January 2nd Enid Location

 

10:00-11:30 am Ages 2- 4 yrs

1:00-3:00 pm Ages 5-9 yrs

 

Dancing Fun, Movie, Popcorn, Crafts,

games, nail painting and more!

 

Limited in enrollment!

Finish your wrapping and shopping while they spend some time with us!

 

For more information and registration

visit our website events & parties page at

www.academyoffineartsok.com

 

580-256-3262  Woodward Location

580-747-4799  Enid Location

 

The Connection Between Arts Education and Academic Achievement

"If they're worried about their test scores and want a way to get them higher, they need to give kids more arts, not less," says Tom Horne, Arizona's state superintendent of public instruction. "There's lots of evidence that kids immersed in the arts do better on their academic tests."

For more on this article, click this link  http://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development

Then call us to find out how you can help your child take a step forward in their academics by adding the arts to their after school activities. 580-256-3262 (Woodward) 580-747-4799

New To Dance Classes?

New to dance classes?You will find very helpful information in this article. If your questions are not fully answered, then please call our office or visit our FAQ page. You have our promise we will answer all of your questions!

5 Things Every Parent Should Know
 Before Choosing A Dance School

If most dance studios and schools have qualified, friendly teachers, experience teaching children and a big show at the end of the year, aren't they all pretty much the same? Does it really matter which place you decide to enroll at? Yes. There are four very important things that can make a huge difference in the quality of instruction your child receives, the amount of extra work and hassels that must be dealt with and the overall enjoyment and satisfaction of being involved with a dance program. Here are fou things that every parent should consider before deciding on a studio for their child.
1. The type of dance floor used.
  Dance is a very physical activity that requires alot of jumping, which can put stress on bones and joints. Most dance footwear does not provide enough cushioning or support, so the shock of dance movement can place alot of pressure on the knees and back of the dancer.The best wayto prevent against potential injury is by choosing a studio with a professional "floating floor". A floating floor rests on a system of high density foam to absorb the shock of jumping.
 The top layer of the floor is also important. A specialized vinyl composite "marley type" floor is accepted worldwide as the best surface layer for recreational to professional dance. A marley floor allows dancers to slide, with a degree of controlled slip, but is not slippery so there is less risk of slips and falls. Very few studios offer a marley floor due to the expense and opt for tiled floors instead.
At our facility, the dance floors are of the highest quality and rest on closed cell foam that allows the floors to actually move with the student. Thus lessening the possibility of injuries to growing dancers. 
2.Size of Class
   If a dance class has fewer students in it, then each child will receive more personalized attention, learn more and have more fun. With younger students, it is easier for a teacher to maintain control over the class and make sure each student understands the concepts and instruction. This also allows teachers to spot incorrect technique faster so that it can be corrected before bad habits, that can cause injury, are developed.   Our school offers classes that are limited in size for better instruction of your children. Classes for ages 6 years and up are limited to only 12 to a class. For our very young students of ages 2 to 5 years, the class is limited to 6 per class.
3.Organized And Well Planned Events
    We understand how busy families are these days. That is why we offer well organized recitals, open house, students appreciation days and bring a friend weeks. Paretns receive newsletters via their email address so that they alwayd know what is going on. The website offers a student page with a calendar and other special notices so that parents can plan well in advanced. We attempt to meet all of a families information needs through our website, courteous office staff and student mail boxes in the school.4. A Well Designed Curriculum In PlaceMovement instruction is technical from the very beginning. A well designed curriculum should be challenging and inspire the student to move further through the training. The balance between a challenging and insiring program must contain proper technique, sequence and terminology at all levels. The mixture of fun, creativity, energy and the proper music are also factors when determining if a program has been designed for optimal learning and enjoyment.
Our school offers a class schedule with a broad range of movement instruction for ages 2 years and up and at all levels. We offer a specific curriculum designed to create and capture a students attention and enthusiasm while emphasizing proper technique, sequence and terminology. 5. The Ability To Get Immediate Assistance
In many studios, the teacher conducts classes and does the administrative work as well. Sometimes at the same time the classes are being conducted. By trying to do two jobs at one, the quality of the classes may suffer while the teacher is conducting customer service. To have a good experience, it is wise to choose a facility that can offer customer assistance when you need it.    We offer a variety of ways that busy parents can contact us for information. Office staff is available to assist with questions and needs on a daily basis. Our office opens at 10:00 am Monday through Friday and not just when classes start. Information about classes and events are always being updated on the website, and e-postcards and newsletters are sent directly to our parents email addresses. E-notices are filtered to the classes so that when a parent receives information it is for their child's classes purposes.     

Drum Lessons Now Offered!

 

Drum lessons are now being offered in our Woodward location! Boys and girls will love learning to play the drums under a qualified music educator. Class days and times are limited. Early registration is recommended. Ages 7 yrs and up.

Mouth and Reed Guide

Mouthpiece and Reed GuideBy Lindsey Berthiaume

Every band director wants to improve the sound of his or her reed section for timber, control, and tone production. The single best way to do this is through mouthpiece and reed education so that students are able to identify and improve their own sound without direction from the conductor. The first step in educating students is becoming informed, yourself, so that you are able to pass on knowledge and insight.

Mouthpiece and reed combinations are a bit of a Pandora's Box. In fact, the topic may be totally overwhelming unless you have experienced reed playing for a number of years. My suggestion is that you focus on a few basics, mouthpieces, the components of them, and reeds. By understanding the basic construction and selection techniques, you will be able to better assist your players in making sounds decisions with their own playing equipment. Look for a few main themes to focus on within your reed section for each half of the year. It may be reed selection, reed care, and preparation or perhaps mouthpieces will be where you direct your focus. Take this theme and teach them the basics, so that they are able to make better choices for themselves while playing and crafting their talents.

Mouthpieces

Plastic

The mouthpiece is one of the most important parts of the instrument and should be treated accordingly. Often students use the mouthpiece that comes with the instrument, which is great for beginning students as they learn how to care for and feed their instrument. This plastic stock mouthpiece will quickly have served its purpose and students will need to move to a better quality mouthpiece within the first year or two.

You might ask, "Why move them to a better mouthpiece so soon?" Plastic mouthpieces are in fact cheaper in price, which makes them great for the beginning band student; however you will quickly discover that they are cheaper for a reason. These pieces will often produce squeaks and squawks outside of normal student playing, produce mediocre tone, at best, and lead to an imbalance of the registers. Not to mention the warping, cracking and chipping on impact. Plastic mouthpieces are a good deal initially, but certainly not the right tool for developing good tone, timbre, and register balance.

Hard rubber and metal

A good hard rubber mouthpiece will serve you and your students well for many years. These mouthpieces are more durable than plastic and stand the test of time. The tone production is much improved, creating a warmer and more balanced sound for the player. Also, you don't have to purchase the top of the line hard rubber mouthpiece. In fact, Vandoren and Selmer produce excellent quality and performance pieces that are moderate in price and really do last. A middle of the road mouthpiece, such as Selmer's C* series is a reliable piece at a good price. When you get your reed section to seek out a better quality mouthpiece you will find that not only their playing improves, but also their motivation increases ten fold. It is a rite of passage as students move up to a better quality mouthpiece and their response to the improvements will be dramatic.

What to say about metal mouthpieces...? Well, it's not something that I suggest. I will beg and plead with parents and students not to buy them until they're ready. Not only is the sound scary - and it really is - but they're hard to control and produce unreliable sounds and results. I think that there is some confusion surrounding metal mouthpieces. People want the edgy bright sound, but don't realize that they can get a hard rubber mouthpiece with the right construction and configuration that will produce the same effect. I think it's great that students recognize that they need a different sound for various genres of music, but we need to educate them as to how to get these sounds, so that they can make decisions that will help them grow as players.

Mouthpiece construction basics

The best way to change your sound is to know a little bit about the construction of a mouthpiece and seek out the appropriate type for you needs.

Let's start by discussing the chamber of the mouthpiece: this is the inside part that is shaped like a hollow tube. This tube can be small, which produces higher and brighter tones that are used for jazz, rock, and pop. On the other hand, it can be a large chamber, which highlights the low tones that are more appropriate for classical music. The facing of the mouthpiece is the curved flat part that is covered by the reed. Where the reed and the tip of the mouthpiece start to move away from each other is known as the tip opening. The tip opening affects the tone and timbre of the sound. A larger tip opening uses a softer reed and produces a darker sound appropriate for classical music. A smaller tip opening uses a harder reed and produces a brighter sound more akin to jazz. Within the chamber, facing and tip opening categories there are endless combinations. You'll need to identify the sound that you are trying to obtain and then look for the various construction elements that will lead you to this sound.

Overall

A good mouthpiece, which does not mean an expensive mouthpiece, will serve you, your students and the band well. It will help the students produce a better tone quality, even registers and improve their control. A middle of the road mouthpiece would be optimal as it can work well in both classical and jazz settings. One such mouthpiece would be the Selmer C* series. Students will find the results almost instantaneous and be motivated by their improved sound and equipment.

Reeds

Introduction

There are some days where it seems as though there is no rhyme or reason to reeds and their responses. Reeds are the single largest variable for any wind player or director and they have a huge impact on sound production and, more importantly, morale.

The best cane is grown in the south of France and is sold here by various manufacturers. The response and reliability is good, but you pay a little more for this. The inexpensive reeds are good for young and beginning students as they learn how to care for them, but it would be advisable to move to a better quality reed once they have discovered that breaking in new reeds isn't that much fun. A better reed quality means extended life, better tone production, and response - the price increase is well worth these benefits.

Selection

Choosing the right reed for the job is half the battle. The first issue is selecting a "good reed," with the second being selecting the "right cut" of reed for the music you are playing.

Selecting a good reed comes down to knowing the criteria: creamy bark and an even cut. I teach this to my students from the very beginning to ensure that they know the difference between a good reed and a bad one, empowering them to decide for themselves what will and won't work. Often we play a game: dump out a box of reeds, and separate the good from the bad. This shows me that they know the difference and shows them that within a box of ten there may only be four or five reeds that are truly good.

With more advanced students, they can learn about and discover the various cuts of reeds and when to use them. There are really two cuts of reeds: a rock-jazz-pop reed that is thinner at the heart producing a brighter tone such as Vandoren's Java; and a more classical reed that is thicker at the heart producing a darker tone. Knowing the difference between the two types will allow more advanced players to select not only a good reed, but also the appropriate cut of reed for the job. Sometimes as an experiment, I have the students play the classical reeds on the jazz tunes and vice-versa so that they can feel the difference between the two cuts, firsthand. Knowledge about their equipment is empowering - it gives students responsibility and ownership over their choices.

Preparation and Breaking-in Tricks

Breaking-in a reed is a process that we all must go through to get to the true sound and heart of a reed. This process involves having at least three reeds to rotate at any given time. The first step is to soak the reed in warm water for two minutes or so and then to play it for a short timeframe, such as twenty minutes, and then to move to another reed and repeat the same process. By rotating the reeds, we are breaking them in gradually and extend their life, as no one reed is played more than the others. Breaking a group in means that you will have not one, but three good reeds to chose from on any given day.

If the reeds are unresponsive, there are a few tricks you can use. One option is to sand the back of the reed - the side that connects with the facing - with the finest sandpaper you can find to even out the surface. A few strokes across the sandpaper will even out the reed and improve its response to air flow. Another option is to smooth the reed out while it is on the mouthpiece. Lick your thumb and rub the reed with the grain, from bottom to top until you feel as though the reed is getting smoother. It may feel like there are tiny grains coming off the reed and this is the feel that you want. You will need to rub the reed with your wet thumb about twenty-five times before it starts to get smooth, but it works for any stiff reeds.

Care and Maintenance

There is nothing grosser than reeds that have never been washed. You should wash the reed just with lukewarm water at least once a week, so that they don't become slimy. This practice prolongs the life of the reed and reduces the amount of bacteria. Be sure to have students store their reeds on a flat surface such as a reed guard to reduce warping and protect the tip. Eating before you play is the single largest killer of reeds across the nation. Do your part to prevent this by not eating before you play. If you do eat before you play, be sure to brush your teeth or rinse you mouth with water at the very least. The sugar in your saliva breaks down the reed and also dries and hardens in your instrument.

Overall

With good knowledge of reeds, what a good reed is, how to store them, and what types to use when, your students will be able to make choices about their own performance and preparation. This knowledge really gives them the power to improve their sound and tone on a moment's notice and without the benefit of your words of wisdom. They can pass on this knowledge to others in the section or even within the class to create a well-informed reed section with improved tone production and timbre.

Conclusion

Reeds and mouthpieces are a huge factor in performance. The variable combinations the right setup of reed and mouthpiece creates a better tone, timbre, and free blowing through the instrument. By teaching your students about reeds and mouthpieces and looking for further resources, you become better informed. Hopefully, this information allows you to take back the control from the reeds and give that control to the student. Their newfound knowledge will serve them well as they will be able to better adapt to reed and playing conditions and improve as budding musicians.

Ms. Berthiaume holds a B.F.A. honors in music from York University, a MAED in adult education and distance learning from the University of Phoenix and is currently finishing a B.E.d from the University of Toronto (May 2005).

Lindsey has been doubling on woodwinds for the past 10 years on saxophones, flute, clarinets, oboe, ney, mey and xiao. Her specialty in ethnomusicology has enabled her to go beyond the normal reed doubling and expand into the world music scene. As a performer she has been able to use her instrumental doubling skills in a variety of western and non-western playing idioms. Ms. Berthiaume is a sought out private teacher and clinician in the Toronto area.

Princess Ball Was Magical!

If you missed the Princess Ball, then you missed a very magical time! Every princess enjoyed the event by dancing with their escort (dad's and gradfathers), making jewelry, painting their nails, doing the limbo, playing musical pon poms and I'm A Little Princess, breaking a pinata and enjoying refreshments.

We hope to make this a yearly event! So plan ahead to next years Princess Ball.

Jazz Class For Teens!

CONTEMPORARY JAZZ CLASS

6th-12th grade Teens

TUESDAYS 6:00-7:00 PM

Join Ms Shannon for a class you just will not believe!

You won't get a class like this one anywhere else!





Online registration is available through your portal or though our website at
http://www.academyoffineartsok.com/

See more details on our website!
Class limited to 12 members

Red Earth Tobacco Dancers-Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Indian Council website has an interesting article on how they are using dance to educate about the dangers of tobacco smoking to their young people. The article addresses ceremonial tobacco and commercial tobacco. You might find this an interesting approach as to how dance is being used to educate about tobacco use and health.

Mishquock Wuttamauog - Red Earth Tobacco Dancers

The Red Earth Tobacco Program was designed to educate Native American young people and adults on the issues of tobacco use. It is designed to build youth empowerment to develop peer leadership in the hopes that this will stop the initiation of commercial tobacco use among Native American young people and elders. It is also our aim to decrease second-hand smoke exposure, and to increase smoking cessation, and cessation support programs, so that we all can live a healthier tobacco-free lifestyle.

Our approach in dealing with this issue is to recruit young Native Americans between the ages of 10-19, and to form a Native American Dance Troupe. Through dance interpretation, these young people send out anti-smoking messages in order to explain the difference between ceremonial tobacco and commercial tobacco. As the young people dance, they ask themselves “why do I dance?” The answer is: “I dance to stomp out commercial tobacco addiction, and I pray with sacred tobacco to give me strength! You can beat it if you try, but if you don’t, you’ll just die!”

Native American people gave Europeans the sacred gift of tobacco. The Europeans enjoyed the tobacco and began to sell it around the world. Through the commercialization of tobacco, chemicals were added to preserve and enhance its flavor. Today, commercial tobacco contains thousands of chemicals. Forty of these chemicals are carcinogenic and include ammonia, formaldehyde, and cyanide. Sacred tobacco has remained chemical free.

The use of sacred, or "ceremonial tobacco" has been passed down from generation to generation. According to studies done by the University of Columbia, there is no conclusive evidence that smoking sacred tobacco, used only at ceremonies is addictive. On the average, sacred tobacco is used four times per month, or 48 times per year. In comparison, an average commercial tobacco smoker, who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, will smoke 14,400 cigarettes per year! Worse, commercial tobacco contains very harsh chemicals which lead to addiction and serious health problems.

http://www.riindiancouncil.org/red-earth-tobaco-dancers/

Smoke Free Facility For A Reason-Protect The Children

Our school facility is a non-smoking environment to allow for a healthy learning environment for our students and staff. More and more information is available on the health problems that even young children develop because of second and third hand cigarette smoke. Respiratory infections, ear infections, asthma, sinus infection and more can be developed by children and adults by being in an environment filled with second and third hand smoke.

A recent article in the Enid News even reported that infants growing up in a home with a parent smoking are at a greater risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrom). Illnesses in infants and toddlers of parents that smoke can also have delay of lung growth according to the article.

For more information about second and third hand smoke, you can go to www.cdc.gov and the Enid News article at http://enidnews.com/localnews/x191085303/Children-feeling-the-effects-of-2nd-hand-smoke

Come and Celebrate!

Come and help us celebrate! On October 15th we are holding a student appreceiation day and a 30th anniversay celebration! The public is allowed to attend on October 15th from 10 am-2 pm. Enjoy refreshments, games, 15 minute "try it " classes and more! Tour our facility, get information about classes or just meet up with friends that are students with us. In any case, we do hope you will come and enjoy our event.

Trying To Find Money For More Classes?

Every family only has so much income to use for those special things such as classes for their children. But with some creativity and examination of a familie spending habits, they just may be surprised to find that there is extra money just hidding in their home that would allow for classes in ballet, music, tap, guitar, voice, art, karate, etc.

Mary Myers overs insights into where you can look within your own home and foind where hidden money is available. We encourage you to read this simple document that can help you to start thinking about where the Hidden $$$$ is in your home. You can find a copy of the document at www.youpublish.com