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practice - it has to be fun! - charles

22/4/2014

2 Comments

 
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What does it mean? It comes from the ancient Greek word “praxis”, meaning “To Do”. If you look at some fields or work, the word “practice” is contained in the job description. A doctor practices medicine, a barrister practices law. So as musicians we are not alone when it comes to that word. To some students it brings feelings of dread, as in awh, do I have to, again? I did it last week. To the other spectrum, of life is meaningless if I can’t do it every day.

Practicing is going to be part of the rest our lives if we are going to continue to play an instrument. In my humble opinion, if we are going to 
continue to practice there are two main things we should focus on.

1. It has to be FUN!
2. Learn something NEW!

This is just one example, but there endless things you can do, and it doesn’t always have to be at your instrument. This one is aimed at guitarists, but it can be transferred to the instrument of your choice..

Step 1. Imagine a fretboard in front of your face. It doesn’t have to be your one. Make it big if it helps. Picture the nut where the strings are held, see where the dot markers are, 3rd fret, 5th fret, 7th fret, 9th fret, and two dots at the twelfth. Repeat for the second octave if your so inclined.



Step 2. In your head call out a string, and a fret number. Try not to think about it, just call it out. So you would say something like, 3rd string, 7th fret. 

Step 3. Then see if you can work out what the note is. So the third string is a G at the open. A is at the second fret, B is at the 4th, C at the 5th, so our answer is D. Voila!

If you have difficulty at first that’s fine, new things can be tricky, but stick at it, and in no time you’ll see the whole fret board in it’s entirety, and it’ll be with you your whole life. And you can do it anywhere.

That’s all for today, folks! Practice, practice, practice.

I have a beauty for you next time.

2 Comments

Are you nervous? - alex

22/4/2014

2 Comments

 
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Think back to last years concert, or even the last time you had to be on stage. What do you remember feeling, moments before you walked on stage? Heart pounding in your chest? Butterflies in your stomach? Cold, clammy hands? Feeling light-headed, tight, weak, or shaky?

If this sounds familiar you are certainly not alone. What you are experiencing, is what we might call nerves, stage fright or performance anxiety, and guess what? Everyone experiences it at some point in his or her life. Even top selling international musicians like John Mayer and Adele have reported that they still suffer from the occasional bout of Nerves. 


However, this is not entirely bad news, even though it does sound like a pretty grim experience. Its commonly thought between all different types of performers, whether they are musicians, dancers or comedians, that if you are not nervous your not going to give a good performance. This is very true because if we go on stage believing that nothing can wrong, most probably, our confidence will get the best of us and we will make a major mistake because we weren't concentrating. 


You might be asking yourself now, ‘if everyone app
arently suffers from nerves, why do rock stars look so confident when they strut onto the stage?’ Well the funny thing is that it is all an act. Because we are so lucky to be musicians, as long we as we keep a straight face and don’t let the audience know that something has gone wrong, they will never know. 

If you hit the wrong note and throw your head back and display a look of annoyance or disappointment, the audience will realise that something has gone wrong. But if you were to hit that wrong note and act as if everything is peachy and that’s how the song goes, the audience will probably not be able to tell. Heck, maybe if you hit enough wrong notes you might even be a good jazz player. 



Nevertheless, here are some ideas and tips that you might find useful to just ease those stage nerves:

  • Take nice deep and slow breaths before walking on stage 
  • Interact with the audience; don’t be afraid to wave or smile before you play, it makes the performance feel more relaxed and lets the audience know your not a robot.
  • Practice, Practice, Practice. This is a pretty big no brainer. If you have practised enough, even if a million thoughts are running through your mind while you play, your fingers or arms or whatever you use will naturally do all the work.


Best of luck for the concert and I look forward to seeing you all there.

Alex

2 Comments

Should you be PRACTISING? - emma

22/4/2014

0 Comments

 
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Hi everyone, 
In this issue of our newsletter I would like to discuss the importance of homework.
With our concert approaching fast now is the time to be on top of your homework. 


The reason that a student is given homework is so that they are constantly improving their skills each week and they are not just looking at the task once a week during their lesson. They are studying it at home so that it becomes easier for them each week.
Most of the time the homework given to a student is, to practice their song  as well as new skill that they have learned during their lesson. 
We try our best to make sure homework is fun so that it is not a stressful task for both the student and the parents.


At the studio we believe in a reward based system. Put simply, if the student completes all of their homework each week and does well in their lesson then they will be rewarded with stickers and Class Dojo points which go towards their goal of receiving a Bronze, Silver or Gold medallion at our next event.

We understand that life can be busy sometimes and that you may not always complete all of your homework but as long as you can show us you attempted it then we are happy.


Remember you get as much out of your instrument as you put into it!

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introductions - michael chambers

22/4/2014

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Hi,
My name is Michael Chambers. I am the Sound & Production Director and Teaching Artist for KJS. Most of you may have seen me about over the years as I have been running the production for KJS Concerts for a couple of years now.

I have been involved in the music industry for about 19 yrs, on many levels including, Live Sound & Lighting, Musician, Band Management and Artist Representation, Tuition, Recording and more. I have been playing Drums for about 24 yrs, and have had My Production Company “Monkey Wrench Australia” for 13 yrs.

I have had the pleasure of working with many of Australia’s most talented artists including, The Angels, 1927, Richard Clapton, Ross Wilson, Gangajang, The Radiators, Wendy Mathews, Doug Parkinson, Marcia Hines, The Screaming Jets, Ian Moss, Samantha Jade, Tim Finn and many more… 

My role here at KJS will be varied from Tuition, Production, Recording and Student Development. If you see me around say hi and feel free to have a chat.

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    Teaching Artists 

    This blog contains all of the articles and editorials, written by our Teaching Artists, and our Creative Director, Kalinda Jade. 

    You can also find copies of these articles and editorials in Quarterly Newsletter and our monthly E-Newsletter.

    Creative Director - 
    Kalinda Jade

    Teaching Artists
    Alex - Guitar / Piano
    Ata - Drums
    Charles - Guitar / Bass
    Emma - Vocal / Piano
    Kalinda Jade - Piano / Vocal - Specialist in HSC, University and Specialised Tuition, KJ ROCK
    Mick Chambers - Drums / Production and sound engineering

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" We at Kalinda Jade Studios believe that a knowledge and appreciation of music and the arts is fundamental to the development of each individual's mind, body and soul; and that the arts provide unique opportunities for cultural exchange and community understanding."
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