Well, it's a little short notice but for those of you who didn't know there is a concert tonight in the new Kelly Middle School Auditorium at 7pm. I only found out about it on Sunday, but I'm still planning to attend tonight.
Tonight's performance is from the Norwich Public School Chorus & Band Concert. "All families with students attending Kelly or Teachers' Memorial Middle School next school year with an interest in music are encouraged to attend an Open House and Concert on Wednesday June 6 at 7pm at Kelly MS where they can find out more about registering for music lessons."
The program is run by the Norwich Public Schools Education Foundation, whose goals include "to support the Norwich Public Schools in providing a challenging and enriching educational experience that maximizes the learning potential of every student and prepares them to succeed in the 21st century."
For those with middle-school aged children in the Norwich Public School system interested in having their children experience music education, which unfortunately is not present in all city schools, the NPSEF has an After-school Music Program that provides once a week lessons for a small fee ($10/month) with bus transportation provided to ensure your child makes it home. No experience is required to join the program, and students are encouraged to provide their own brass or woodwind instruments (many area music stores have rent/lease/own options) as donated instruments are limited .
Interested in signing up your child? Or perhaps you'd like to donate your time or maybe an instrument to the program?
Christ Church School of the Arts, Inc, is looking for a talented, energetic guitarist to teach privately and build up a strong studio within the school. We are a small 501(c)3 non-profit organization, dedicated to high-quality one-on-one musical instruction, and to the importance of beauty and creativity in the life of our community. Instructors at CCSArts set their own hours, have the freedom to teach in their own manner and style, and are given the opportunity to perform on our popular Chamber Music Series. We are housed at Christ Episcopal Church, centrally located near both the downtown district and the highways. Our school office manages all student contacts, schedules, payments and policy, leaving the instructors free to do what they do best: make music!
For more information on who we are and what we do, please contact us at 860-425-0663, or at ccsartsmail@yahoo.com. Letters of interest and resumes may be sent to CCSArts, Inc, 78 Washington St, Norwich, CT 06360 (attn: Executive Director).
I know... I know.. I haven't written in a bit.. but sometimes life happens and I just didn't have the time and/or energy to post. I've been trying to keep my ears open to any events coming up in the area but not much has surfaced. I thought I heard something on the radio about Mystic Arts Council but when I went online, I found their website to be not very helpful.
Well I suppose for now I could go back to the ever-so exciting fundamentals I have neglected to discuss in quite some time.
Y'know, that really is very boring and from what some readers have told me also very much over their heads, so I'll stick with history and if you have any fundamental or theory related questions please comment or email me and I will do my best to provide you with an answer.
We use the word style in reference to everything from clothing to cooking, cars to paintings. In music, style refers to a characteristic way of treating the various musical elements: melody, rhythm, tone color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form. The particular way these elements are combined can result in a distinctive or unique sound, and we can speak of the musical style of one composer, a group of composers, a country, or a period in history. Compositions created in the same part of the world or at about the same time are often similar in style, but individuals using the same musical vocabulary can create a personal manner or expression.
Musical styles change from one historical era to the next, but these changes are continuous, so that any boundary between one stylistic period and another is only approximate. Although there are some sudden turning points, even the most revolutionary new styles are usually foreshadowed in earlier compositions; and few changes or style sweep away the past entirely.
Western art music can be divided into the following stylistic periods:
Middle Age (450-1450) Gothic (1150-1450)
Renaissance (1450-1600)
Baroque (1600-1750)
Classical (1750-1820)
Romantic (1820-1900)
Twentieth century to 1945
1945 to the present
Music is not created in a vacuum. To fully understand the style of a composition, one has to be aware of its function in society. Is a piece meant to provide entertainment in an aristocrat's castle, a concert hall, or a middle-class home? Is it designed to accompany singing, dancing, religious rites, or drama? Musical style is shaped by political, economic, social, and intellectual developments as well. And often, similar features of style can be found in different arts of the same period.
Music is probably as old as the human race; and we know - from art and other evidence - that it existed in ancient Egypt, Israel, Greece, and Rome, but hardly any notated music has survived from these civilizations. The first stylistic period to be considered is the Middle Ages, from which notated music has come down to use - allowing compositions created more than 1,000 years ago to come alive today.
Well now that we've had our own duration between posts (yeah I know that was awful), I'll tell you about musical duration.
Notation of Duration
The notation of duration is illustrated in the following chart:
The Tie
The tie is a curved line that connects two adjacent notes of the same pitch into a single sound with a duration equal to the sum of both note values. In other words, it will make the note sound longer.
The Dot
placed to the right of a note head, the dot lengthens the value of the note by half again its value. A second dot (yes they do that sometimes just to mess with us) lengthens the dotted value by half the length of the first dot. Dots may also be used with rests and affect them the same way.
Irregular Division of Notes
A note value may be divided and subdivided into any number or equal parts, as shown in the chart below. Those divisions and subdivisions that require added numbers are called irregular divisions and subdivisions.
Rhythm
Rhythm is a general term used to describe the motion of music in time. The fundamental unit of rhythm is the pulse or beat. Even a person untrained in music generally senses the pulse and might tap their foot or clap their hands.
Meter Signatures
Meter can be defined as a regular, recurring pattern of strong and weak beats. This recurring pattern of durations is identified at the beginning of a composition by a meter signature (time signature). This may also change throughout a composition, and is identified at every change.
The upper number indicates the number of beats per measure, and the lower digit indicates which note gets the beat (2 signifies a half note, 4 refers to a quarter note, 8 for the an either note, etc.).
For instance:
3 beats per measure, and quarter note gets the beat
Forgive my crooked pictures, I haven't perfected the art of scanning yet haha. I'll pick up next time with simple and compound meter, they require more room and attention that I really should force into this one entry.
Read this and other blog entries at my blog: http://watercolorhalfnotes.blogspot.com
Where did I leave off? I think it was accidentals, intervals, enharmonics, and duration.
Accidentals: Accidentals are symbols used to indicate the raising or lowering of a pitch, they are placed to the left of a notehead.
Sharp ( ♯ ) raise the pitch a halp step
Flat ( ♭ ) lowers the pitch a half step
Natural (♮) cancels any previous sharp or flat and returns to the natural, or unaltered, pitch
Double Sharp ( * ) raise the pitch two half steps (or whole step)
Double Flat ( ♭♭ ) lowers the pitch two half steps
Intervals:
Although the movement of half steps and whole steps would make a lot more sense if I explained intervals.
An Intervalis the relationship between two tones. If you think of a piano keyboard, a half step is the interval between any two adjacent keys (black or white). This is the smallest interval used in Western music.
the interval between every note is a half step
Enharmonic Equivalents:
Remember the scene in The Goonies, when Andy has to play the organ made of bones and she gets stuck and says "I can't tell if the next note is an A#(sharp) or a Bb(flat)!" Well really it doesn't matter, since they are actually the same note, they are enharmonics. (these 2 notes are shown in the 3rd pair shown below) Enharmonic equivalents are tones that have the same pitch but different letter names.
To see and hear enharmonics, click the play arrow in the upper left corner of the window below:
Half Step Motion:
In passages of music involving half-step motion, a flatted note is followed most often by a note with a different letter name a half step lower.
A sharped note is followed most by a note with a different letter name a half step higher in passages involving half-step motion.
I think I'll leave duration out for now. It is very detailed and requires special attention. I should probably spend a whole entry discussing just notation of duration so until next time...
Read this and other entries on my blog: http://watercolorhalfnotes.blogspot.com
The front page of their website provides a lovely little bit of information about the school: "Charles’ Music School offers affordable one-on-one private lessons for guitar, bass, piano, voice, drums, flute, saxophone, trumpet, violin, oboe and clarinet. Half hour private lesson rates are only $25 and you pay by the month so there’s never a long commitment and registration is always free! We also have rentals for most popular instruments and offer a 10% family discount when enrolling more than one family member."
But I'm mainly trying to draw attention to their Adult Music Workshop.
If you play the guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, or can sing, with little to no performance experience then this is the ensemble for you. Heck, you don't even need to know how to read music.
Charles Domler, the school's owner, leads this group who meet once a week for eight weeks. All materials are provided, this includes drums, amps, cables, music stands, mics, a PA system, and sheet music.
Students not only become more familiar with their instruments, they will also learn to put together a set list, and learn about tempo and how to count basic beats.
With the end of each eight week duration, the class holds a live performance and each student receives a DVD of the performance.
Cost: $150
Duration: 8 week program – (1) 60 minute class ea. week
Time: Usually starts around 7:30pm
Day of the week: Determined once we have a full group signed up
There’s no registration fee and you won’t pay until we start so call
us at (860)460-9183 and sign up today!
As if it doesn't get any better, the Charles' Music School also carries new and used instruments and accessories for sale and rentals.
Charles’ Music School
24 Main Street, Unit D
Centerbrook, CT 06409
(860)460-9183
Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri 12:00-9pm
Sat 8:00-2pm
Have questions about music lessons or
sales? Please take a moment to write us
and we’ll get back to you in a jiffy. Please
include a phone number. Thanks! charles@charlesmusicschool.com
Are you an adult that has little or no musical experience? Maybe you're just rusty, or want to learn a different instrument?
Well, in Essex is the Centerbrook Music School.
The school was established in 1983 and has been a place for voice and instrumental instruction for children and adults. They are a non-profit providing music classes and private lessons for students in more than 25 area towns.
Now for those adults I spoke of, you would be looking for the New Horizons Band. "Launched in 2009, New Horizons at CMS is quickly becoming a popular favorite. Under the direction of Patricia Hurley, the New Horizons Band is a supportive group for beginners or those who have not played an instrument in years. There are no auditions and everyone is welcome! Band rehearsals are twice a week with performances scheduled during the semester. Standard band literature graded level 1-2 in all styles and genres will be performed."
This ensemble meets Tuesdays and Thursdays: 11 am – 12 pm; 16 weeks; $250
The Community Music School gives some brief history on New Horizons:
"The New Horizons music program was introduced in Rochester, New York in 1991, the brainchild of Roy Ernst of Eastman Conservatory. Today there are about 150 New Horizons bands, choruses and orchestras in the United States and Canada, with thousands of participants. These organizations provide an entry point for adults who have either never studied music or who have been away from it for many years, allowing them to share the joyful experience of recreational music making. As it was first developed, members had to be at least 50 years old, but we have opened our program to any adults who are available between 10 and 12 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for group lessons and band rehearsals.
New Horizons bands are always nurturing, non-competitive and supportive in style. There are no auditions or chair tryouts. Everyone is welcome! As long as the band exists, there will always be space for new beginners to join the ranks and discover the joy of making music together.
The national New Horizons organization even sponsors several adult band camps each year, where participants come from all over the country to meet each other and make music together. The groups often perform in a variety of community venues, sometimes joining forces with other community bands or orchestras.
We invite you to join the recreational music movement — you’ll be glad you did! Be a part of the New Horizons Band of the Connecticut River Valley."
Whether you're an adult looking for some musical instruction for your self or perhaps for your children, and are interesting in more information or perhaps want to register, you can contact registration by mail, phone, or in person. (Note: newly registered students will be placed based on student interests and teacher availability.)
By Mail: Send a completed registration form with required fee and deposit to CMS.
By Phone: Call the Business Office at 860-767-0026 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
In Person: Visit CMS at 90 Main Street, Centerbrook to complete the process.
Well, now I am officially linked to the Bulletin's site so my posts will reach more than 3 people.
Also! That book I ordered has finally arrived! Who ever had this book before must not have been a music major, because there is a LOT of highlighting in it hah.
So to recap, I have talked about the materials of music being sound and time; the elements that make up sound: pitch, intensity, duration, and timbre (tone color), and a few basic fundamentals of notation.
I left off on The Clefs, and have so far explained the treble clef, the bass clef, and the grand staff. But, I bet you didn't know that it doesn't stop there. Oh no! There is another clef. The C clef, and it the most versatile of them all. It is the only clef than can move up and down the staff, where it gains a new name so as to identify each of the possible positions. It is called the C clef, because where the 2 backwards c's (or sideways mustache :-P ) meets is designated as middle C.
The alto clef is a C clef that designates the 3rd line of the staff as middle C. It is the standard clef used in music for viola (so yes, I am quite familiar with this clef haha).
The tenor clef is a C clef that designates the 4th line of the staff as middle C. This clef is occasionally found in music written for cello, bassoon, or trombone (all of which generally read in bass clef).
The soprano, mezzo soprano,and baritone clefs are used less often than the alto and tenor clefs.
Octave Identification
Since the pitch spectrum is so wide, it is often necessary to identify a specific note by the octave in which it appears. But realistically, it's not something that I find used very much in my music so I'll just give you the jist of it and move on.
Think of a piano keyboard, repeating the pattern of CDEFGABC throughout the whole length. Each pattern set makes up an octave, and each octave gets a number in order to identify how high or low it is.
the exclamation point shape was not intentional.
Side Note: Although it may look written differently, middle C will always sound the same. Here is Middle C in all clefs, looks different but if you closed your eyes and listened, they would all be the same pitch.
Middle C is identified as C4.
The octave above an indicated note is sometimes abbreviated 8va, and the octave below 8vb. This is used when a large number of ledger lines make note reading difficult.
Ledger Lines
Pitches that go beyond the limits of the staff are written by adding ledger lines above or below the staff. Ledger lines, which parallel the staff, accommodate only one note.
We'll stop here for today and pick up with more notation next time. ie: accidentals, intervals, enharmonics, and notation of duration.
Did everyone watch the playoffs tonight? Yeah, me neither hah. But I didn't need to since I practically had a play-by-play on facebook all night.
Any who, lets talk about notation.
Music notation is much more precise and complicated than written language. when we notate music, we use symbols that show three of the four properties of sound we previously discussed: pitch and duration are given accurately, and relative intensity is indicated. Furthermore, pitch and duration are shown simultaneously.
In music notation, pitches are represent by symbols positioned on a staff and identified with letter names.
The Staff
The staff consists of five equally spaced horizontal lives
The various pitches are named by the first seven letters of the alphabet A B C D E F G (unless youre in Germany where they use H for a note but that's another story) For the record, although the alphabet starts with A the musical alphabet starts with C.
The Clefs
A clef is a symbol placed at the beginning of a line of music that establishes the letter names of the lines and spaces of the staff.
The treble clef (or G clef) is a very ornate letter G. The curved line ends at the second line of the staff, which designates the letter name of a note on that line is G.
The bass clef (or F clef) has its name because it is derived from the letter F. The dots are placed above and below the fourth line of the staff, designating this life as F.
(if you haven't already noticed, the lines are always counted from bottom up)
Together, the treble and bass staves make up the (taadaaa!) grand staff.
This staff is usually associated with keyboard music.
It gets a bit more complicated when we really dissect the staff, which I'll do with my next lesson.
Remember the other day when I said I'd explain that thing? Yknow, harmonic series? Yeah, well I'm making good on that deal.
A harmonic series includes the various pitches produced simultaneously by a vibrating body. This physical phenomenon results because the body vibrates in sections as well as in a single unit. a string, for example, vibrates along its entire length as well as in halves, thirds, quarters, and so on.
The pitches produced simultaneously by the vibrating sections are called partials or harmonics. The first partial, often called the fundamental, and the series of partials constitute a musical tone. since the fundamental is the lowest frequency and is also perceived as the loudest, the ear identifies it as the specific pitch of the music tone.
Although the harmonic series theoretically goes to infinity, there are practical limits; the human ear cannot detect frequencies over 20,000 hertz.
the individual partials that make up a musical tone are not distinguished separately but are heard by the human ear a blend that characterizes timbre (remember that word?).
Music is and art of sound and time, and the basic characteristics of musical tone - pitch, duration, intensity, and timbre - are the fundamental elements.
Stay tuned for more on the fundamentals, including notation.
So we had our little meeting with Mr. Konrad at the Bulletin Tuesday discussing the whens, the wheres, and the hows of this community blogger business.
I purposefully waited until today to really start, seeing as Sunday is the first day of the week it will help me establish consistency in my posts.
For those of us just tuning in, which at this point is just about everyone, Welcome aboard! My Name is Michelle Kenny. I'm writing this blog with the intention to keep anyone that is interested up to date about the Arts; specifically any shows/performances in Eastern Connecticut, also I'll be sharing lessons I've learned through my formal training as a musician and performing arts student at Eastern Connecticut State University.
As for local upcoming events in January, you can catch up by reading my last post here.
During my time as a student, I have become familiar with quite a few topics pertaining to the Arts; such as: Music Theory, Music History, Popular Music, Ethnomusicology, Theater History, and Music Cultures of the World. I'll have to turn to outside sources for any information requests on art-art (painting, sculpture, etc.).
I'd like to get into the habit of making Sunday's learning days where I enlighten my readers (be it few or many).
The Basics: The Materials of Music
The basic materials of music are sound and time. Sounds are used to structure time in music. time occurs in the duration of the sounds and silences between sounds. Sound is the sensation perceived by the organs of hearing when vibrations (sound waves) reach the ear. Vibration is the periodic motion of a substance. when you play and instrument, parts of the instrument (the strings, sounding board, etc.) and the air inside and around the instrument vibrate.
Compression and Rarefaction- these terms refer to the alternation of increased (compression) and decreased (rarefaction) pressure in the air caused by an activated (vibrating) surface or air column. one complete cycle of compression and rarefaction produces a vibration, or sound wave. Frequency refers to the number of compression-rarefaction cycles that occur per unit of time, usually one second. Audible sounds for the human ear range from 20 to 20,000 cycles per second.
The Four Properties of Sound
sound has four identifiable characteristics: pitch, intensity, duration, and timbre. Pitch is the highness or lowness of a sound. variation in frequency are what we hear as variations in pitch: the greater the number of sound waves produced per second of an elastic body, the higher the sound we hear; the fewer sound waves per second, the lower the sound.
A tone is a musical sound of definite pitch. Intensity (amplitude) is heard as the loudness or softness of a pitch. in acoustics (the science of sound), intensity is the amount of energy affecting the vibrating body, and is measured on a scale of 0 to 130 in units called decibels. In musical notation, gradations of intensity are indicated with the following Italian words and their abbreviations:
Italian Word Symbol Translation Average Decibels Pianissimo pp Very soft 40 Piano p Soft 50 Mezzo piano mp Moderately soft 60 Mezzo forte mƒ Moderately loud 70 Forte ƒ Loud 80 Fortissimo ƒƒ Very loud 100
Duration is the length of time a pitch, or tone, is sounded. Patterns of duration are called meter and rhythm. Meter describes regularly recurring pulses of equal duration, generally grouped into patterns of two, three, four, or more with one of the pulses in each group accented. these patterns of strong and weak pulses are called beats.
Duple (two-beat) meter and triple (three-beat) meter are the two basic meters. All other meters result from some combination of these two.
Operating in conjunction with the meter, rhythm is a pattern of uneven durations. while the steady beats of the meter combine to form measures, a rhythm may be a pattern of almost any length.
Timbre (tam-bur) is the tone quality or color of a sound. It is what helps us distinguish the difference between the sound of a clarinet and an oboe. Example: the boy is playing the oboe which sounds like a duck (sorry oboes but that's the easiest way to describe it) and the girl is playing the clarinet which has a more airy/breathey quality to its sound.
This sound quality is determined by the shape of the vibrating body, its material (metal, wood, human tissue), and the method used to put it in motion (striking, bowing, blowing, plucking).
I can continue to bore you by rambling on about how timbre can also sound different as a result of a person's perception of the harmonic series; and explain what makes up the harmonic series but I'll leave that for another day.
I'll try to supplement these entries with a second for any vocabulary definitions.
