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practice - it has to be fun! - charles

22/4/2014

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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.

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Are you nervous? - alex

22/4/2014

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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

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Should you be PRACTISING? - emma

22/4/2014

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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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kalinda - It's Concert Time

27/3/2014

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Wow, these come around quicker and quicker every year. This is my favourite time at the studio. The students and teachers are busily preparing their performances. The students are nervous, the teachers are inspired and I am running around like a mad women trying to get organised in time.

At times, I think we must be crazy. The planning, long hours, transposing, arrangements, sound, lighting, dress rehearsals. We get little sleep and live on sugar for about a month. However, every now again, I take a moment to sit back and reflect why we do this?

We do this because it is our job to inspire and create; It is our job to provide safe performing experiences for our students while they are developing their skills and it is our job to teach them that we need to think of others in our community.  We put all of these elements together in our “Rock Of All Ages Event.”

This year, our nominated charity is The Song Room. It is an organisation that I have worked with for the past two years and I am deeply passionate about their mission. I have included lots of information regarding ‘The Song Room,’ in this issue. Please take the time to read it and explain to the students why we are raising money  this year.

I can’t wait to see what the students have prepared for performance this year and to see the supporting faces of our friends and family in the audience
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Vocal Health - Emma's Editorial - Issue 7

6/11/2013

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Hi everyone,


 Well it’s been windy, hot, cold and everything in between and it’s at this time of year that we have plenty of our vocal students turning up to their lessons with crackly and sore throats, although for most of our young students it more than likely this has occurred from all the screaming at a one direction concert, rather than the weather. However, whatever the reason, here are some helpful tips for dealing with a sore, dry throat.

Getting plenty of sleep is important, not just for singing but for day-to-day life. If you’re feeling tired then your body will be exhausted and if your body is exhausted this means your diaphragm will be knackered. Coming to singing lessons tired will impact on how you sing during your lesson. You will not be using your diaphragm to its full potential and you will be ‘chest pulling,’ meaning to pull through the chest rather then push with the diaphragm. This is a BIG NO, NO. By ‘Chest Pulling’ not only are you preventing your throat from healing at all, you are straining and pulling the vocal folds which can lead to vocal damage. So, if you have had a late night the night before your lesson it is important to let your teacher know. 
The next most important thing to remember is to drink plenty of fluids. I’m sure you have heard both Kalinda and myself talk about Pineapple Juice before. Pineapple Juice washes away all of the horrible mucus that shouldn’t be in your throat and it reduces muscle swelling. It is also great for people that suffer with sinus and is an excellent source of Vitamin C. Your pineapple juice should have NO ADDED SUGAR! 

There is no such thing as too much water when it comes to a singer and their vocal health.  However, drinking too much water that is too cold can constrict the vocal chords and contribute to damage within the vocal folds. Room temperature water is the key. 
And thirdly, Honey. Honey has always been known as a natural remedy for vocal health and care. Manuka honey has amazing healing properties and can be used to treat cuts, boils, warts, eczema and a myriad of other injuries or diseases. It has even shown amazing results in the healing of Melanoma. 


Manuka honey is harvested in New Zealand and is rated based on its quality. It is important to purchase the Manuka Honey in its rawest form, with a rating of at least 8+. Manuka honey can be found in a refined form at your local woolies but you are better off popping down to your local health food store to get the purest form with the highest quality rating. 

Manuka honey helps to lubricate the mouth and throat; it provides a soothing affect on the muscles and the repairs damage to vocal folds.. It also allows the voice to recover when it has been damaged from strain. (Cough, Cough) – like one might receive at a One Direction concert. 

Emma :)

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Alex's Editorial - Issue 7

6/11/2013

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As both a guitar teacher and student I have experienced a constant debate between guitarists as to whether sheet music is needed to be a modern guitarist or whether we can now just rely on tablature. Both have their pros and cons, but both are still used greatly throughout the guitarist community. 

For those of you that may not know what tablature or sheet music is, here is a quick rundown.
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Sheet Music: Is the traditional, western form of writing music. It is sometimes called music notation and looks like this.

  
 Sheet music works by having different shapes represent different rhythmic values, which tell us how long to play a note. Depending on what line or space that shape is placed on in the musical staff tells us what note to play



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Tablature: Also known, as ‘tab’ is a way of reading music, which is specific to the guitar.  It works by having 6 horizontal lines, which represent the guitar strings and numbers being placed on these lines, which represent the note that needs to be played. It looks like this.

Tablature is the more common form of reading music known amongst guitarists. This is because it is easier and can often be learnt quickly unlike sheet music, which can take a number of years to learn. 





Even though it can be easier to read tablature, there are some disadvantages. Some of these include things such as the fact that tablature does not show rhythmic values so it can be hard to figure out how long to play certain notes for. Tablature also doesn't allow us to visually see harmony (chords and how they work), which helps when it comes to composing. 

Even though reading sheet music helps us in many ways, some of the greatest guitar players have admitted to not being able to read music notation. One of these includes Jimi Hendrix, who is heralded as ‘the greatest guitar player of all time’.  In addition to this much of the way we learn songs is through listening to the music and seeing what the guitarists fingers are doing. This form of learning the guitar has also become very accessible with things such as ‘Youtube’, where a student can watch what a guitarist is playing note by note.


So is sheet music important and necessary? 

In my opinion, yes it is and so is tablature. Many players today can shred the meanest guitar solo you may have heard but cannot tell you where a ‘c’ note is on the guitar.  Even though reading music notation can be more difficult than reading tablature, once you understand it, all aspects of your playing including technique, improvising and composition will improve. To make the process of learning to read sheet music easier, you might try combining it with guitar tab, For example you might learnt the main riff using sheet music, but the solo using tab.  Remember that even though it can be tricky to learn to read music, in the end it is very rewarding.

Alex
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Warming Up Before Playing - All Good Things Come In Threes- Charles

6/11/2013

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Hello, Hello, Hello,   This is the final stage of our warm-up routine. 

Ex. 3   Ex 1 got the blood down to our hands, and Ex 2 gave our hands that tingly feeling. In this exercise we’re going to do something a little different.

Step 1, We start with our left hand thumb. Open the palm of your left hand and have it facing you, at about a 45° angle, whatever feels natural, then take your right hand, going under your left hand that is facing you, and grab your left hand thumb. The index finger, and thumb of your right hand should be closer to you and your right hand pinky should be furthest away, and your knuckles will be pointing towards your chest in a line.

Step 2, Gently pull your right hand down towards the ground, away from your body until you feel the fleshy part just below your thumb start to stretch. You want to feel a gentle tug, nothing more, then count to five, and let go.

Step 3, Take your index finger, and grab it in the same manner you did your thumb. Again pulling the index finger down towards the ground, away from your body. When you feel that stretchy feeling, stop and count to five, then let go. Carry on and do this for the middle, ring and pinky. Step 4. The first time you do this, your hand may feel a bit funny, so make a fist with your left hand, and squeeze gently, then release to an open palm, and squeeze back to a fist, and open again a few more times. Repeat this whole process for the right hand, using the left hand to stretch with.  

Congratulations, you are now ready to go and practice that great Country and Eastern tune you’ve always wanted to get down. 

cheers
charles

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Kalinda's Corner - Issue 7

6/11/2013

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Every child in Australia deserves access to education in the arts.

As many of you are aware, I work with the charity organisation ‘The Song Room.’

The Song Room is a national not-for-profit organisation that brightens the futures of Australia’s most disadvantaged children with tailored, high-quality music and arts programs, delivered in partnership with schools across the country.

I work with children in some of the most disadvantaged areas in Sydney. I attend their school once a week and expose them to music, dance and drama. Many of the children I work with are at risk youths. Many are refugees or children from unstable homes. They can suffer from behavioural and emotional issues or suffer mild to severe disabilities. Our aim, through the use of music and other art forms, is to expose these children to a form of expression, where they are free to explore their emotions and creativity while also further developing their numeracy and literacy skills.

My role is also to provide professional development to the teachers and other faculty and teach them how to integrate arts into their everyday classroom and lesson plans. The goal is that when I leave the school the staff are then skilled in arts programs so that they can continue the work of ‘The Song Room.’

On average, I spend 18 months in any given school. During that time, I build relationships with hundreds of children and their teachers and I must say that it doesn’t get any easier whenever the time comes, for me, to have to leave one of my schools. However, over the past 2 years I have been able to expose over 1000 children to arts, and hopefully, have inspired and exposed teachers to the importance of the arts in every child’s education.

The Song Room vision is that all Australian children have the opportunity to participate in music and the arts to enhance their education, personal development and community involvement, giving them the best possible start in life.

As Education Minister, Peter Garrett, funded a 3 year study into the benefits of ‘The Song Room’ Programs, the results were astounding.

● 100% of children achieved literacy rates above the national minimum standards
● 65% lower absentee rates in schools
● 45% of children reached the highest levels on Social Emotional Well being index 

● Analysis of NAPLAN tests prove that children’s literacy jumped an entire school year with The Song Room

‘The Song Room, pays for the cost of the entire program in every school they attend across Australia. That’s 15,000 children, every week, that have now access to arts education as a result of their mission.

Now here is the scary stuff:

● 3 in 4 Australian Children have no access to music education. That’s 1.4 Million Children.

The Song Room is an organisation that I am extremely passionate about. I believe in their values and I am compelled to help them with their mission as it is one that we share at Kalinda Jade Studios.

The Song Room relies on donations, grants and government contributions to provide an absolutely vital aspect of every child’s education that is lacking in most schools in Australia. 

It is for all of these reasons that we have chosen ‘The Song Room’ as our nominated charity for next years ‘Rock Of All Ages’ event. We are currently running many different fundraising programs to ensure that we raise as much money as we can for ‘The Song Room.’

I ask that when you consider, about whether or not you are able to help us with our fundraising efforts, to think about the impact music education has had on you and your children; how vital it has been to their personal and social development and how by nurturing their creativity and sense of self expression we help to inspire greatness. Help us to provide that opportunity to the 1.4 million Australian children who currently do not get the privilege of music education..  

Kalinda Jade

“The fact that children can make beautiful music is less significant than the fact that music can make beautiful children.”  - Cherly Lavender


“Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” - Jimi Hendrix


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are you ready to rock?

9/9/2013

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KJ ROCK!
You have all been introduced to our KJ Rock Bands ‘Public Propaganda’ and ‘Deafening Riot.’ Well now it’s time to put your rock star skills to the test and join our KJ ROCK PROGRAM.

The program has been running in Western Sydney for the last 4 years but now it has moved exclusively to Penrith. In the next coming weeks we will be issuing invitations to students who have displayed their rock star skills to join the next round of bands to be formed in KJ ROCK.

The KJ rock program is designed to help students gain an understanding and build skills of the music industry as a whole.  It allows young musicians to gain experience performance, band management, production and recording processes and equipment and songwriting.

Each band is entered into festivals, band competitions and performances throughout the year to help hone their performing arts skills and build confidence.

Each band meets once a month for two hours with a different focus each session. The cost is $40.00 per session. This majority of this covers the cost of the venue hire and equipment maintenance.

If you think that you are ready to join the KJ ROCK team and join a band ask Emma for an expression of interest form and tell us what type of band you would like to be in.

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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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