Ennio Morricone - Cinema Paradiso (In Concerto - Venezia 10.11.07)
One of my favorite movie scores from one of my top five favorite movies put to pictures of one of my top five favorite cites. Please enjoy the love theme from Cinema Paradiso and these beautiful images of Venice Italy.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
1 Year Anniversary Studying with Ed Rose of The Rose Center for Music. Audubon. NJ
I've just completed my first year under the musical tutelage of Mr. Ed Rose. More grateful I could not be.
Dear Ed,
Thank you for taking just another fat Italian guy from Jersey who thought he could sing the standards and making him truly understand how to pay homage to, and expertly perform, this beautiful music. Here's hoping that the years ahead will be as fruitful and enriching as the one that has just passed. Thank you also for your friendship. I'm a better man for having met you and to have had the privilege to study with you. You are the heart and soul of The American Songbook.
Bravo Maestro!!!
Dear Ed,
Thank you for taking just another fat Italian guy from Jersey who thought he could sing the standards and making him truly understand how to pay homage to, and expertly perform, this beautiful music. Here's hoping that the years ahead will be as fruitful and enriching as the one that has just passed. Thank you also for your friendship. I'm a better man for having met you and to have had the privilege to study with you. You are the heart and soul of The American Songbook.
Bravo Maestro!!!
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
If You Don't Know what the Song is About You Can't Sing it.
Whenever I'm tasked with learning a new song for a performance there's one scene from the movie, Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), that never fails to get me in the right frame of mind.
Mr. Holland, a high school music teacher played masterfully by Richard Dreyfus, reluctantly accepts the role of director for that year's school play. The daily auditions of one average talent after another leave him weary and frustrated. Then, as fate would have it, a young lady named Rowena Morgan (Jean Louisa Kelly) takes center stage and stops Mr. Holland dead in his tracks.
When Holland looks up to see where this angelic voice is coming from he sees Rowena and knows immediately he's found the star of his production. While Rowena possesses amazing natural ability she's still raw and lacks training. At one point, while singing the classic Gershwin tune "Someone to Watch Over Me", Mr. Holland notices that while her tone is pure as silk her demeanor is much too bright for this song. He stops and asks her if she knows what the song is about. When she says no, he begins to tell her that this is a song about a young girl who is alone in a big city for the first in her life. It's a wistful song about someone who is anxious and afraid and wants only one thing at that moment, someone to watch over her. Holland then very fatherly proceeds to tell Rowena, "If you don't know what the song is about you can't sing it."
How very true.
This is a thought I have pounded into my head weekly by my voice instructor and one I try to keep in the forefront of the minds of my students as well. My teacher has what he calls his 8 rules of being a great vocalist that he holds me to on every song I sing. They are posted on the wall of his studio and read as follows.
Mr. Holland, a high school music teacher played masterfully by Richard Dreyfus, reluctantly accepts the role of director for that year's school play. The daily auditions of one average talent after another leave him weary and frustrated. Then, as fate would have it, a young lady named Rowena Morgan (Jean Louisa Kelly) takes center stage and stops Mr. Holland dead in his tracks.
When Holland looks up to see where this angelic voice is coming from he sees Rowena and knows immediately he's found the star of his production. While Rowena possesses amazing natural ability she's still raw and lacks training. At one point, while singing the classic Gershwin tune "Someone to Watch Over Me", Mr. Holland notices that while her tone is pure as silk her demeanor is much too bright for this song. He stops and asks her if she knows what the song is about. When she says no, he begins to tell her that this is a song about a young girl who is alone in a big city for the first in her life. It's a wistful song about someone who is anxious and afraid and wants only one thing at that moment, someone to watch over her. Holland then very fatherly proceeds to tell Rowena, "If you don't know what the song is about you can't sing it."
How very true.
This is a thought I have pounded into my head weekly by my voice instructor and one I try to keep in the forefront of the minds of my students as well. My teacher has what he calls his 8 rules of being a great vocalist that he holds me to on every song I sing. They are posted on the wall of his studio and read as follows.
To be a great vocalist you must: THINK
1) Breathing
2) Good Posture
3) Pitch/Intonation
4) Pronunciation
5) Open Throat
6) Jaw Relaxed
7) Know The Exact Melody and Words
8) Sell the Song - Remember – Every Song is an Act... and Every Song should be Acted.
Obviously the scene above from Mr. Holland's Opus is most closely associated with rule number 8. Before I utter the first note I must know the lyrics, the melody and the story inherently and intuitively. Not until I can convince my teacher that I understand what the song is about and can sell it to an audience that it's my very own, does he say it's ready to be performed publicly. The audience must believe that this is truly happening to me at an emotional level and I'm letting them in on my secret by how I sound, what I say and how I act. There is no better example of this than when Frank Sinatra sings "One for My Baby". Well at least that was the case until this morning when, in our weekly Saturday morning lesson, my niece's sang Taylor Swift's, "Love Story" after a month of me driving rule # 8 into their pretty little heads.
Please stay tuned for more Musings from Studio 618, and if you like them please tell a friend.
Have an amazing weekend and Happy Mother's Day!!!!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Wax On Wax Off ? Perhaps Not.
One of my favorite scenes from The original "Karate Kid" movie is when Daniel (Ralph Macchio) first learns why he has been spending weeks doing mundane household chores for Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). Throughout that whole period of painting fences, waxing cars and sanding floors it was never made evident to Daniel why he was continually being tasked with these duties. Pushed to his wits end, one day Daniel decides to corner Mr. Miyagi. With determination spawned by frustration he confronts his master on why everyday a new list of obligations awaits him, none of which have anything to do with the Karate lessons he was promised.
In one of the most entertaining scenes I can remember, Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel to look into his eyes with total concentration. He then instructs Daniel to go through the motions he learned while painting the fence, waxing the cars, and sanding the floors. While Daniel begins to perform these movements, now so instinctively programmed into his muscle memory, Miyagi begins to assail him with blows from every angle. As the attempted strikes reign down Daniel blocks every one with grace and dexterity using the very motions he'd learned from doing those chores he thought so meaningless at the time. In that one revelatory moment it becomes clear to Daniel and the audience that he was actually learning the fundamental movements of defense and attack that will ultimately serve so aptly as a student of and competitor in the science of martial arts.
Wow, that's great hollywood stuff right there. But does it work that way in real life learning? Is it the best way to motivate?
Perhaps not. Or at least not for everyone. From my own personal experience I can say with conviction that had I been Daniel and knew why I was being put through those paces I would have certainly, put that much more into my form and concentration. When that fateful day arrived that I'm called on to perform those moves in a dramatic show of self- defense I would have been infinitely
more prepared to execute them flawlessly.
I know that different people process learning new things in different ways and what works for me may not work as well for others. So please understand that this musing is proffered for the sole purpose of getting you to think about what works best for you. In my experience, beginning with the end in mind has always been my quickest path to adopting new concepts. When I know why it is important to practice scale after scale and memorize which scale plays most pleasantly over which chords then those exercises have that much more meaning to me and I tend to approach them with more vigor and musicality. Knowing how and why any rote exercise will be applied down the road adds purpose to the exercise. Intuitively your approach is more attentive knowing that some day you will be called on to execute the skills learned in a musical situation. Practicing them in fun ways by making them sound musical and tonally pure, or faster or slower will make you sound so much better as you develop into an accomplished musician. All because you knew why you were doing it in the first place.
Which gets me back to a previous blog entitled "What Keeps Children and Adults from Staying with Music Education? (May 8, 2013)
If I know why I am doing something, even in the most simplest terms, it keeps me that much more interested in why I need to do it and do it well. If the goal is to some day shred through Eddy Van Halen's guitar solo on "Eruption" then a real good place to start is knowing my scales, my fretboard and developing the speed and dexterity to do so. With that end in mind practicing scales now becomes something I can make fun, musical, and effective. Just the slightest suggestion of why an exercise is important at the outset changes the receptivity of the student, It gives them a point of reference. A goal, a purpose.
Just last week I was giving my nine and seven year old nieces their third guitar lesson. It was time to teach them their second three note chord. A very simple one at that. It didn't even require them to change their fingering on the fretboard. Only that they take the position they were currently in and move it up by two frets. OK...easy enough right? I could have asked them to take that information home and practice it all week long and they probably would have. But my challenge as a teacher who wants to motivate was how do I make them WANT TO practice. At that point I simply showed them where I was headed with this exercise. By doing this drill they were learning the first two chords of one of their favorite Taylor Swift songs. When I demonstrated that for them on my guitar their soulful little eyes lit up with excitement and their hands went right to the playing position. They couldn't wait to start playing. Now when they pick up their little guitars this week to practice they know they are one step closer to playing one of their most beloved tunes. It would have been very easy, and probably much more Miyagi-like and dramatic to have waited to show them this somewhere down the road...but to what end? My goal is to get them to love playing music sooner rather than later so that their passion makes them want to learn all they can above and beyond what they get from me in their weekly lessons. When you've done that then you've truly done your job as a teacher.
In one of the most entertaining scenes I can remember, Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel to look into his eyes with total concentration. He then instructs Daniel to go through the motions he learned while painting the fence, waxing the cars, and sanding the floors. While Daniel begins to perform these movements, now so instinctively programmed into his muscle memory, Miyagi begins to assail him with blows from every angle. As the attempted strikes reign down Daniel blocks every one with grace and dexterity using the very motions he'd learned from doing those chores he thought so meaningless at the time. In that one revelatory moment it becomes clear to Daniel and the audience that he was actually learning the fundamental movements of defense and attack that will ultimately serve so aptly as a student of and competitor in the science of martial arts.
Wow, that's great hollywood stuff right there. But does it work that way in real life learning? Is it the best way to motivate?
Perhaps not. Or at least not for everyone. From my own personal experience I can say with conviction that had I been Daniel and knew why I was being put through those paces I would have certainly, put that much more into my form and concentration. When that fateful day arrived that I'm called on to perform those moves in a dramatic show of self- defense I would have been infinitely
more prepared to execute them flawlessly.
I know that different people process learning new things in different ways and what works for me may not work as well for others. So please understand that this musing is proffered for the sole purpose of getting you to think about what works best for you. In my experience, beginning with the end in mind has always been my quickest path to adopting new concepts. When I know why it is important to practice scale after scale and memorize which scale plays most pleasantly over which chords then those exercises have that much more meaning to me and I tend to approach them with more vigor and musicality. Knowing how and why any rote exercise will be applied down the road adds purpose to the exercise. Intuitively your approach is more attentive knowing that some day you will be called on to execute the skills learned in a musical situation. Practicing them in fun ways by making them sound musical and tonally pure, or faster or slower will make you sound so much better as you develop into an accomplished musician. All because you knew why you were doing it in the first place.
Which gets me back to a previous blog entitled "What Keeps Children and Adults from Staying with Music Education? (May 8, 2013)
If I know why I am doing something, even in the most simplest terms, it keeps me that much more interested in why I need to do it and do it well. If the goal is to some day shred through Eddy Van Halen's guitar solo on "Eruption" then a real good place to start is knowing my scales, my fretboard and developing the speed and dexterity to do so. With that end in mind practicing scales now becomes something I can make fun, musical, and effective. Just the slightest suggestion of why an exercise is important at the outset changes the receptivity of the student, It gives them a point of reference. A goal, a purpose.
Just last week I was giving my nine and seven year old nieces their third guitar lesson. It was time to teach them their second three note chord. A very simple one at that. It didn't even require them to change their fingering on the fretboard. Only that they take the position they were currently in and move it up by two frets. OK...easy enough right? I could have asked them to take that information home and practice it all week long and they probably would have. But my challenge as a teacher who wants to motivate was how do I make them WANT TO practice. At that point I simply showed them where I was headed with this exercise. By doing this drill they were learning the first two chords of one of their favorite Taylor Swift songs. When I demonstrated that for them on my guitar their soulful little eyes lit up with excitement and their hands went right to the playing position. They couldn't wait to start playing. Now when they pick up their little guitars this week to practice they know they are one step closer to playing one of their most beloved tunes. It would have been very easy, and probably much more Miyagi-like and dramatic to have waited to show them this somewhere down the road...but to what end? My goal is to get them to love playing music sooner rather than later so that their passion makes them want to learn all they can above and beyond what they get from me in their weekly lessons. When you've done that then you've truly done your job as a teacher.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
What keeps Children and Adults from staying with music education?
Music education must first be fun. The rest will follow.
My style of teaching is to get a student playing simple songs as quickly as possible. Especially songs from an artist they love. While this might not always be possible with styles like classical or jazz it is not always as difficult as it may seem. Many popular songs throughout time have been made up of three simple chords. Take U2's hit Bad for example. That haunting melody makes me grin each time I play it. It's one I taught myself to play a long time ago and it's yet to lose its hold on me.
As teachers we have a responsibility to keep our students engaged and interested from the very first lesson. Once you've gained that trust, convinced them that playing music is well within their grasp and fired that spark in their soul, you have captured their attention and made them receptive to more advanced concepts that will ultimately round out their studies. Before long they will be playing more complex pieces, understanding the theory behind those charts, yearn for more education, and begin to write and perform their own tunes.
Start with basic chords. Chords that ultimately turn into songs they love. They don't need to know the theory behind those chords at this point in their education. All they need to do is feel the spine tingling satisfaction that comes from playing music they love. A few sips from that magical chalice and they will return to the font with little or no provocation.
It pains me to think how many more lives may have been enriched by a life of playing music if only more teachers had taken the time to make music study fun first and technical further down the road.
Playing music should be just that...play. I'm yet to have the student ask me to teach them to work music. They want to learn to PLAY music.
Remember, make it fun. Earn their interest, make them play.
Stay tuned for more on how to make music instruction fun.
Thanks, from Studio 618.
This is Anthony Caraffa, and that's a wrap.
My style of teaching is to get a student playing simple songs as quickly as possible. Especially songs from an artist they love. While this might not always be possible with styles like classical or jazz it is not always as difficult as it may seem. Many popular songs throughout time have been made up of three simple chords. Take U2's hit Bad for example. That haunting melody makes me grin each time I play it. It's one I taught myself to play a long time ago and it's yet to lose its hold on me.
As teachers we have a responsibility to keep our students engaged and interested from the very first lesson. Once you've gained that trust, convinced them that playing music is well within their grasp and fired that spark in their soul, you have captured their attention and made them receptive to more advanced concepts that will ultimately round out their studies. Before long they will be playing more complex pieces, understanding the theory behind those charts, yearn for more education, and begin to write and perform their own tunes.
Start with basic chords. Chords that ultimately turn into songs they love. They don't need to know the theory behind those chords at this point in their education. All they need to do is feel the spine tingling satisfaction that comes from playing music they love. A few sips from that magical chalice and they will return to the font with little or no provocation.
It pains me to think how many more lives may have been enriched by a life of playing music if only more teachers had taken the time to make music study fun first and technical further down the road.
Playing music should be just that...play. I'm yet to have the student ask me to teach them to work music. They want to learn to PLAY music.
Remember, make it fun. Earn their interest, make them play.
Stay tuned for more on how to make music instruction fun.
Thanks, from Studio 618.
This is Anthony Caraffa, and that's a wrap.
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