Making Homemade Instruments

Making a musical instrument is extremely easy. With just a few small steps, you can have your own backyard band! Here are a few options:

Egg Shaker/Maraca

For a shaker/maraca, just throw some uncooked rice or beans (depending on the sound you want) into an Easter egg. Secure it using super glue or something simple as tape if you want to later empty the egg for another use. Once it's secure, shake away!

Sensory Bottle: Rain Stick

A sensory bottle rain stick is easy to make as well. You just need a plastic bottle, plenty of toothpicks, and (optional) wooden skewers. You'll also need an uncooked small grain, such as quinoa or amaranth (these can be found in "bulk bins" at Super Saver and health food stores, so you can just buy the amount you need!) **NOTE** Rice is too big and will not flow freely between the toothpicks to create the sound of rain!

The recommended type of plastic bottle is the tall Glaceau Smart Water bottles -- this gives more time for the grains to fall through and actually sound like a rain stick. Basically, the taller the plastic container/bottle, the better the sound!

Instructions for sensory bottle rain stick:

1. Make sure the bottle is clean, and remove the label if desired.

2. Start filling the bottle with toothpicks. It is optional to place longer wooden skewers diagonally within the bottle to keep the toothpicks from ending up too vertical, however, not a necessary step.

3. Use a funnel to insert the grains into the bottle. 

4. Tighten the lid securely, and enjoy your rain stick!

Optional Step: Once you're sure you have the desired sounds and proportions of "ingredients," you can glue the lid to completely seal the instrument. :)

Popsicle Stick Harmonica

Here's what you'll need:

- 2 popsicle sticks (wide ones will work best!)

- 2 rubber bands, or string

- A strip of paper the same size as the popsicle sticks

- 2 toothpicks cut the width (or just above the width) of the popsicle sticks

How to assemble your popsicle stick harmonica:

1. Place the paper strip in between the two popsicle sticks.

2. Wrap one rubber band (or tie string) around one end until it is snug.

3. Slide one toothpick wedge to the inside of the rubber band (or string).

4. Sandwich the last toothpick to the other end of the popsicle sticks.

5. Wrap that end with the rubber band (or string), again making sure it's tight.

**NOTE** Experienced players of the pospicle stick harmonica have found it works best to place one toothpick on top of the paper and one on the bottom, while remaining between the popsicle sticks of course. Fiddle around with a few options to see what works best for you!

And just how do you use this instrument? It's all about air! Simply suck or blow air into it to see what different sounds can be made. You can also squeeze parts of the popsicle sticks together to project different unique sounds.

Be sure to keep checking back for more homemade instrument options! :)

Explore the Benefits of Music for Children

One reason Harris Academy of the Arts is able to be set apart from other music studios that provide private music instruction is that it provides classes specifically geared towards children. Not only do we have our Children's Music Academy for ages three to seven, but we also provide different Kindermusik classes for children of all ages -- from four weeks, four months, to four years. 

Below is a brief excerpt from Kindermusik's webpage, which explains in further detail the benefits of music education in a child's life. 

And to receive more information on Kindermusik courses offered at Harris Academy of the Arts, please feel free to call our office (402 - 423 - 7121) or e-mail info@harrisacademyofthearts.com to request more information.

Musical Learning Supports Child Development

All over the world, parents bond with their babies through musical sounds and rhythmic movement. They rock and swing their children, put them to sleep with lullabies, make them laugh with nursery rhymes. Parents know instinctively what scientists have now proven: young children thrive on music. It’s one of the best vehicles for learning in early childhood development. Kindermusik takes musical learning to the next level; our curriculum is proven to improve child brain development. And, did we mention it's fun for kids and parents alike?!
 

Music matters

Psychologists, neuroscientists, and experts in early childhood development have demonstrated that music does more for children than bring them joy; it helps their brain cells make the connections needed for virtually every kind of intelligence. Kindermusik's curriculum is built on this research.

When young children are consistently engaged by music in an age-appropriate, socially accepting environment, they benefit at many levels:

• Early Literacy. They gain the phonological processing, spoken language, and comprehension skills that are the foundation of reading.

• Quantitative. They build the spatial-temporal and reasoning skills required for math, science, and engineering.

• Social-Emotional. They develop social and emotional skills that are essential for school readiness—like the ability to regulate their responses and relate to others in complex ways.

• Physical. By moving and dancing to music and playing simple instruments, children improve their gross and fine motor skills.

• Creative. Activities that encourage freedom within a fun and friendly structure spark children's creativity and provide inspiration.

And of course, they develop a lifelong love of music.

This blog post is courtesy of Kindermusik's webpage,
http://www.kindermusik.com/about/benefits-of-music-for-children/

Making Memories

Whether practicing or performing, competing or playing for fun, hitting a wrong note in a piece can be one of the most frustrating experiences for a musician or a student just starting out in music.

When this happens, we then associate this wrong note with the word "bad," and then put it in our heads that our entire performance was thus "bad" because of one or two wrong notes. So instead of focusing on what went well with the piece, we end up focusing on the tiny things that didn't go the way we'd hoped they would.

This can be discouraging, especially to younger students and beginners.

It's important to always encourage your students, and to teach them how to encourage themselves.

One wrong note or phrase in a piece of music doesn't mean the entire performance was "bad," it just means some areas need more work than others.

So instead of always focusing on the little mishaps of a piece, try learning to focus on what went right. And learn to give constructive criticism, whether it be to yourself or a student. Instead of "I hit the wrong note. I did horribly." start saying "Well I did hit a wrong note here, but the phrase leading up to/after that note went very well."

Music performances are about making memories for an audience, and most importantly for yourself.

Do you want your memory to be that one note you hit wrong, or the fifty other notes you hit right?

Practicing Over the Summer - Why it's important, along with tips and tricks.

Your instructors probably tell you this at every lesson (if you aren't currently in a lesson but have played an instrument/sang in the past, you've definitely heard it before, too!): Practice, practice, practice!

But when summer vacation hits and you're free of school, recitals, ensemble work and everything that's weighed you down for the last academic year, it's difficult to find that motivation to keep up with your instrument.

One of the best pieces of advice I was given in college was that over long breaks, I should put my instrument and music away for the first portion of it. So over the two week winter break, put things up for three or four days. For the summer break, put things up for the first two weeks. And so on and so forth.

It's a great piece of advice to sit and take a break from practicing, rather than diving right into learning new music and scales. It gives your brain and practicing "muscles" a little bit of time to relax and rejuvenate, which will enhance your playing when you do actually pick up and practice.

Despite it being a good idea to take a short break from practicing, it is important to remember that practicing is very much something that needs to be done in order to further benefit playing skills. Try making practicing a part of your daily routine -- whether it's ten minutes of scale work or thirty minutes of repertoire work, getting a little bit in every day will prove to help in the long run.

Now for the advice on lost motivation when the weather is warmer and the thought of hitting the pool for hours a day is tempting -- practice first, reward yourself second! Psychologically you will soon associate practicing with some form of reward, therefore eventually wanting to practice every day.

And parents, if you have a younger student, try not to "force" them into practicing -- remember that their experience with music should be an enjoyable activity, not a forced behavior. Instead, try these tips to get them to practice:

1. Don't call it a "practice." Instead, tell them you want to hear them perform for you -- make it more fun by turning your living room into a personal stage for them! Sit and listen to their performance, and provide advice on things they should work on for next time. Performing for someone is much more enjoyable than sitting alone in a room practicing.

2. Even if you don't know a thing about their instrument, try to help them out if they are struggling with a certain part or instrument fingering.

3. Encourage them. If they hit a wrong note over and over, don't let them give up -- tell them how great it will sound once the right note is found, and keep ensuring that they can and will achieve it.

Practicing is difficult. I've played the same instrument for twelve years, and I can honestly say I didn't start really working hard and practicing on a daily basis until I entered college. I personally regret my bad practicing habits from high school. If music is something you or your student really wants to have as a permanent fixture in their lifestyle, practicing is of major importance -- even over summer break.

11 Facts About Music Education

1. 1. Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate in music lessons.
2. 2. Studying music primes the brain to comprehend speech in a noisy background.
   • Children with learning disabilities or dyslexia who tend to lose focus with more noise could benefit greatly from music lessons.
3. 3. Research shows that music is to the brain as physical exercise is to the human body. Music tones the brain for auditory fitness and allows it to decipher between tone and pitch.
4. 4. Children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education.
5. 5. In the past, secondary students who participated in a music group at school reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs).
6. 6. Schools with music programs have an estimated 90.2 percent graduation rate and 93.9 percent attendance rate compared to schools without music education who average 72.9 percent graduation and 84.9 percent attendance.
7. 7. Regardless of socioeconomic status or school district, students who participate in high-quality music programs score 22 percent better on English and 20 percent better on Math standardized exams.
8. 8. Much like expert technical skills, mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to high earnings.
9. 9. A study from Columbia University revealed that students who study arts are more cooperative with their teachers and peers, have higher levels self-confidence, and are more equipped to express themselves and their ideas.
10. 10. Elementary age children who are involved  in music lessons show greater brain development and memory improvement within a year than children who receive no musical training.
11. 11. Learning and mastering a musical instrument improves the way the brain breaks down and understands human language, making music students more apt to pick up a second language.   
12. Facts courtesy of DoSomething.org 
13. 
    

The Health Benefits of Music

In today's market, one thing that many consumers wish to benefit is wellness, be it physical, mental, or emotional.

Music is one activity that can benefit your overall wellness. 

Listening to music has proven to aid in emotional wellness by lowering anxiety levels faster and more efficiently than prescription medications. And the happier you are, the better off your overall wellness will be. Music also assists in keeping one focused on certain tasks.

Music also aids in physical well-being. Almost anyone who exercises regularly is listening to music, whether it's to pass the time or to keep their pace. Also, research has shown that listening to music increases an antibody immunoglobulin A. 

Long medical terms aside, this antibody plays a huge role in the immunity of the mucous system, and also cells that attack invading germs.

So listening to music can help keep you healthy, too! :)

But what about playing music? Other than a fun, productive activity, what are the benefits of that?

In most professional performances, a musician is required to memorize their piece regardless of their instrument. Memorizing anything is a mental process that takes time and focus. It's been shown in research that some people memorize items of speech better when they imagine a rhythm with what they are saying, similar to memorizing a pattern in a piece of music. This helps strengthen muscle memory along with mental memory.

Playing music is also great for breathing. Even percussionists, who are allowed to breathe at all times of playing, need to learn how to breathe with their ensemble in order to effectively hit on proper beats of measures of music. And the healthier you breathe, the healthier you are.

And it all loops together -- the healthier you are, the happier you are. And the happier you are, the healthier you are and so on and so forth. :)

So by taking lessons at Harris Academy of the Arts, you are not only guaranteed to have a fantastic time with your instructor, but you are also benefiting your overall health and well-being -- which is never a bad thing!

Sources:

Medical News Today:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/258383.php

http://www.thirdage.com/mental-health/the-health-benefits-of-music

Parenting Today:

http://www.parenting.com/article/healing-tunes-the-health-benefits-of-music