February 8, 2012

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Music for Children

There are so many genres of music. The fantastic part is that there is creativity and innovative sound at every turn. However, despite updated sounds, recording techniques, and new music, the truth remains that classical music is the inspiration for it all. Developing music theory is the brain child of the original artists like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart. There are many more countless others, but these are some of the leaders of classic music innovation.

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Music Design

The design of music is something that has been proven to be not just musical, but to be mathematically sound. It has been proven that children that listen to classical music have shown drastic improvements in their grades, test scores, and in their capability to process information. The other link that children have is that with language.

Some of have suggested that music works in conjunction with the language part of the brain, and that it stimulates the processing of the information developed during the formative years. The key is that the systematic function of the music design has provided a unique way for children to open a learning door.

Music Incorporated in the Beginning

When parents incorporate music into the normal part of their child’s lives, it has been shown to help cognitive development. The genres of music do create a diverse type of music to listen to, but nothing tops the original composers and true classical music. This means that children can have a rounded a variety of music to listen to while learning.

 

 

 

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The Red Priest: Celebrating the Man Who Gave the Seasons Sound

violin scroll 

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The violin bows tease their strings, filling the air with an aural tension, a frigid, musical bridge that makes way for one bow, which suddenly breaks from the others and dances with furious energy on strings. Who could have created a violin concerto that so masterfully mimics the  tumult of winter? Antonio Vivaldo, naturally.

 

The Violin Master

 

Vivaldi was born in Venice, the son of a barber turned violinist who toured Italy with young Antonio in tow. By age 25, Vivaldi had become a maestro di violin (master of violin), and became highly regarded for his astounding skill. Although he studied to become a priest and was ultimately ordained, picking up the nickname the Red Priest for his striking hair, Vivaldi never pursued religion professionally; he taught at an orphanage and honing his immense musical talent.

 

The Four Seasons

 

In the years that followed, Vivaldi became an accomplished composer, and in 1723 composed his most famous work: The Four Seasons. Comprised of four violin concertos, each based on a sonnet and representing a season, The Four Seasons was considered revolutionary in its time for being inspired by nature. Although the popularity of The Four Seasons dwindled, it now rests steadfastly amongst classical masterpieces.

 

 

The Violinist’s Legacy

 

Antonio Vivaldi was a prolific musical author, in his lifetime composing at least 500 concertos and 46 operas. Sadly, Vivaldi’s death was not nearly as graceful as the works he composed: he died penniless at age 63 of an infection. However, Vivaldi’s beautiful creations lived on; as inspiration for Haydn and Bach, and for countless music lovers who thrill with every stroke of a violinist’s bow.

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The Instruments of an Orchestral Woodwind Section

Philharmonic Orchestra of Jalisco (Guadalajara... 

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An orchestra contain four sections; brass, strings, percussion and woodwind. These four parts make up what is referred to as an instrumental ensemble. A full size orchestra will contain about 100 players.

The woodwind section of any orchestra contains instruments that make sound via a reed. This reed will cause the instruments resonator to vibrate as air is pushed into the mouthpiece. A reed is usually made out of a very thinly cut piece of plastic or cane. If a woodwind instrument does not create sound with a reed it will have a sharp edge.

Although the name of the orchestral section is woodwind, don’t let that fool you into thinking every instrument in it is made of wind. Although indeed many are made of wood, there are also instruments made of metal and plastic. Instruments in a woodwind section include flutes and reed instruments.

Reed instruments are divided into the categories of single reed and double reed. Single reed instruments use just one reed to create sound and include instruments such as the clarinet and saxophone. Double reed instruments create sound when air is passed through two reeds which come together at the base. There are two subcategories in the double reed section. These subcategories are the exposed double reed instruments, where the reed sits between the player’s lips, and the capped double reed instruments, which requires the player to blow through a hole in a covering cap. Exposed double reed instruments include the oboe and the English horn. Capped double reed instruments include the cornamuse and crumhorn. Other instruments in this section include the bagpipes and accordion.

 

 

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A Tchaikovsky Fact Sheet

The classical music composer Tchaikovsky is probably one of the most well-known classical composers of all times. Despite the fact that he is well known for many various symphonies and ballets his history is not so well known. Here’s a fact she that looks at some of the various facts surrounding Tchaikovsky’s life and times.

  • Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840. He was born into a middle-class family and was prepped to work as a civil servant in Russia.
  • Tchaikovsky was never encouraged to pursue a musical career. His family raised him with the belief that he would become a civil servant. Despite his family’s objection to him becoming a musical artist Tchaikovsky entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory and graduated in 1865.
  • There are many rumors surrounding Tchaikovsky’s sexual orientation. It is believed that although Tchaikovsky was married he was actually a closeted homosexual. This led to extreme emotional distress and chronic periods of depression. In fact, they’re often rumors that Tchaikovsky’s death was actually a suicide and not of natural causes is commonly believed.
  • Tchaikovsky’s music was discredited by many American critics when it first came over to America. These critics believe that it lacked a certain death and emotional feel they should be attributed to classical music.
  • Tchaikovsky’s music has been used in several ballets and some of the most recognizable music. Examples of his music include those in the Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty for ballet. Tchaikovsky also wrote and composed the 1812 Overture which is one of the loudest noisiest classical music pieces to date.
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What Makes up an Orchestra

When you visit an orchestra or symphony orchestra you’ll notice that the set up of the stage is In a specific formation. This is because all instruments need to be grouped together based on the instrument family that they are in. Here’s a look at the basic set up of an orchestra or symphony orchestra.

Full Orchestra. To be considered a full orchestra the orchestra must contain at least 30 members. However, most orchestras contain over 90 musicians and members of the various instrument families.

The string family. The string family is divided into two sections. The string family is also known as the main component of the orchestra and has been this way since the 16th century. The first section of the string family includes the violins. The instruments in the second section are basses, violin cellos, and violas.

The Woodwind Family. There are various instruments that are included in the woodwind family. These instruments include bassoons, clarinets, English horns, piccolos, flutes and oboes.

The Brass Family. The brass family includes instruments that are typically made of brass. These instruments include trumpets, horns, tubas and trombones.

The Percussion Family. The Percussion Family is often the largest and most diverse section of the orchestra. This section includes symbols, chimes, as woodblock, bass drums, snare drums and other instruments.

While there are various families of instruments each section fits together with each other and is based off of the crucifix of the center. This allows the instruments to play better as they can hear them play off of one another.

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Facts And History on Orchestras

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Classical music is often played by a symphony or an orchestra. While it may feel as if classical music has been around for centuries that is not always the case with symphonies orchestra. Here is a look at the history of symphony orchestras and interesting facts regarding orchestras or symphonies.

Egyptian Influence. Historians have found the first signs of any type of orchestra being formed in ancient Egypt. These signs came from hieroglyphics and showed that the ancient Egyptians may have gathered in groups and played various musical instruments that were native to the area.

Information of Instrument Families. In the 11th century musicians started to separate themselves into musical families that were related to each other. If the musical instrument was similar in nature they form musical families that allowed them to play together and play off of one another.

Development of an Orchestra. It wasn’t until the 16th century that composers started to compose actual pieces with the thought of a combined orchestra in it. Until then composers solely composed pieces for individual instruments and did not combine them to form an orchestra.

The Focus on Stringed Instruments. Due to the fact that many of the instruments are not as they are today many of the composers focus solely upon the string instruments. This means that many of the orchestra music that was composed focus solely upon these instruments. This resulted in the string family are coming the main focus of any orchestra. Even today with all the instruments that are used the string instruments are still considered the main focus of the orchestra.

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Ways Experts Use to Identify Classical Music Pieces

Many classical music experts like to sit down and listen to a piece of classical music and be able to identify the composer or the musical time period in which that classical music is from. However, it could take years to develop this type of ability to identify classical music. Here is a look at some ways people are able to identify classical music by just sitting down and listening to the various elements of classical music.

Various Time Periods. Classical music has very distinctive time periods. Each part plays a major influence in the way that the classical music comes across to the listener. For example modern classical music often has a lot of symbols and triangles played throughout the piece as well as a wilder unrefined tone. On the other hand classical music that was in the romantic period often has a lot of piano sounds as well as slower more rhythmic music. By listing for these cues you can identify the timeframe of when the music was composed.

Instrumental Influence. Each musical piece has a lot of instrumental influence. The types of instruments that are used in a musical piece will often include a listener in to what timeframe the piece was. For example, the piano was often used during the romantic timeframe while stringed instruments are part of the classical timeframe baroque time. Harpsichords are also very popular during the Baroque time. By isolating and identifying the major instruments that are used in each classical music piece the musical expert will able to isolate the timeframe as well as the composer and musical influence of the musical piece.

Once the musical expert has isolated the time frame as well as the instrumental influence they will be able to figure out what classical music piece is playing.

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The World Music List Website

There’s a website that every serious musician should know about. It’s called the World Music List and they link every instrument, player and country to network and share. When a user gets there, the first thing they see is a long row of flags across the top. They service every country in the world, however not every country has posted anything there. Take a few minutes to go through the site and see just what’s there.
The site has lists and lists for people to go through, and on the front page there’s a list of musical instruments for sale, with a link for each instrument. Most instruments are named, but not all have listings in the link. The site offers free music banner ads, free listings in all categories, and portals for the USA, World and Categories, and there’s a link to Legal FAQ, too.
The World Music List Includes a Lot More Than Just Music

Here’s one of the lists to choose from:
  • Internet radio stations
  • Music clubs/concert hosting
  • Original CD/MP3/music software
  • Music universities
  • Music professional organizations
  • Music schools
  • Sound system retail
  • Concert sound providers
  • Recording studios
  • Musical instrument manufacturers
  • Music industry wholesalers
  • Other/music listings and classifieds sites
Below is a list of link-list titles on the page. As any user can see, it’s got good potential for a lot of information inside each of these link-lists. One of them even has a link for sheet music in it’s list.
  • Music industry jobs
  • Bands and musicians for hire
  • Pianos for sale (benches and stools, etc.)
  • Instruments for sale
  • Teachers and lessons
  • Professional services and craftsmen
  • Music stores
  • Music industry news
And there’s a lot more there. It’s a one-stop site for musicians and composers and the people who repair and build instruments as well. There’s a lot of interaction going on between the world’s musicians and anyone who wants to be someone should know about this site.
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Ways Teachers Can Influence Students to Listen to Classical Music

Many students in this day and age are unfamiliar with classical music. It is up to teachers and school districts to introduce classical music to the students. The introduction of classical music to the student is not an easy one. Many students are reluctant to learn about this new style music. Here’s a look at how teachers can introduce classical music to their students in a way that will encourage them to learn about classical music.

Field Trip. The best way to fill your eyes students with classical music is to take them directly to classical music experience. Many teachers will take their students to an orchestra event. This allows the students to see first hand classical music in action and could encourage them to learn more about this style music.

Pictures of Instruments. While the best way to familiarize students with classical music is introducing them to the various instruments first hand is not always possible to arrange a field trip or to get all the hype the classical music instruments into the classroom. Teachers can print out pictures and show students on the Internet the various types of classical music instruments.

Classical Music Themed Movies. Students love to watch movies in the classroom a great way to introduce classical music into my movie watching is to allow the students to watch classical music-based movies. This will encourage them to learn more about classical music and allow them to enjoy watching a movie.

Playing Classical Music in the Classroom. Teachers can subtly introduce classical music by playing classical music before and after school in the classroom. This is a great way to influence the students by playing this type of non-offensive music in the classroom. Students will become familiar with it and start to adapt with.

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Examples of Studies That Show Classical Music May Help in Learning Verbal Language

Many students and professors believe that classical music can have an effect on what the students learn. While there is no scientific evidence that classical music actually enhances the brain many preliminary studies have been conducted and showed that classical music does in fact have an effect on the brain. Even though there is a lack of scientific evidence some professors have done well known studies that look at whether or not classical music could have an effect on the students in the classroom. Here’s a look at two of the case studies that were performed using classical or baroque style music and classroom study.

The Foreign Language Professor. A professor who taught students a foreign language developed a course of study that involved using baroque or classical music in the background. This professor designed a course that focused on half of the semester’s vocabulary terms in one day. He would teach the class the new language and terms in one day while playing classical baroque style music in the background. The discovery of the study was that students who had this style of teaching learned all the terms within 85% accuracy. Some students even had a 100% accuracy of learning the terms just after one day.

Verbal Tests. A study that was conducted in Hong Kong looked at students between the ages of six and 15 who had previously learned how to play a classical instrument. These students were tested on their verbal scores. They showed that students who have learned how to play classical musical instrument scored higher on vocabulary and verbal tests than those that had no previous knowledge of any classical musical instrument.

These studies show that classical music or baroque style music may actually have an effect on learning and the brain.

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