Espie's Music Education Blog May 2006 Archive

With school ending in a few days and the warmth of summer finally upon us, parents are thinking of ways to keep the young ones occupied. What better way to ... Read More

Here's another percussion instrument that seems like a lot of fun to learn playing. Read more about the steel drum.Music Education In The News: This is certainly good news. Rob ... Read More

I've been getting a lot of emails from folks who've played an instrument in the past and stopped but would love to resume their music education. I think this is ... Read More

Over here where I live school will be out in a few days and as any parent I've been going over several ideas on how to keep my child occupied ... Read More

Father's Day is celebrated all over the world, in the United States Father's Day is observed on the third Sunday of June. This year it falls on June 18. As ... Read More

Memorial Day is celebrated in the United States on the last Monday of the month of May. This year it falls on May 29 and it is a day to ... Read More

For some reason my high school graduation is more memorable to me than the day I graduated from college. Perhaps it's because during my high school graduation we sang several ... Read More

The snare drum is another percussion instrument mostly used nowadays for pop and modern orchestral music. Snare drums have a cylindrical shape and can be played either by hand or ... Read More

A conga drum is another type of percussion instrument belonging to the drum family. It is shaped somewhat like a barrel and is played the same way as the bongo ... Read More

Another type of drum that is mostly used in world music is the bongo drum. Bongos are played by striking the fingertips and/or the heel of the hand on the ... Read More

The bass drum is a percussion instrument and is the lowest and largest member of the drum family. Bass drums are used in orchestral music as well as marching bands. ... Read More

Who says learning to play an instrument is boring? Here are some fun and educational online games which will help kids (and the kids at heart} learn the basics of ... Read More

I started playing the piano very young but stopped when I was around 8 years old. A few years ago, I picked up playing the piano once again and ... Read More

The tuba is deep-sounding and is the largest instrument of the brasswind family. Like the trombone, music for the tuba can either be written in the bass or treble clef. ... Read More

The trombone descended from the trumpet but it is shaped and sized quite differently. It is recommended for children 11 years and upwards and can be easy to master. The ... Read More

There has been much controversy over the book, and now soon to be released film, the Da Vinci Code. But we're not going to dwell on the controversial issues sorrounding ... Read More

The oboe is another woodwind music instrument that is quite difficult to learn. Oboes are recommended for children 11 years and older because of the needed embouchure. Read more about ... Read More

To all you wonderful moms out there Happy Mother's Day! I hope this day brings you lots of music, love and laughter. Here's the lyrics and chords of one of ... Read More

The trumpet and cornet are quite similar; they are usually pitched in B flat, both are transposing instruments and they both have valves. But whereas the trumpet is used in ... Read More

Also known as double bassoon, this reed instrument that belongs to the wind family of music instruments is bigger than the bassoon. It is pitched lower than the bassoon and ... Read More

They say bassoons are complicated to play compared to other wind instruments because of its' structure and fingering. The fingering system used to play this instrument is the "Boehm system", ... Read More

I wish I had lung-power so I can play wind instruments, but sadly I don't. The bagpipe is one of those instruments that requires a musician to have lung-power in ... Read More

Wind instruments produce tone by a vibrating column of air. It is classified into two groups; woodwinds and brasswinds. In Ancient civilization, wind instruments made of animal horns, such as ... Read More

The viola may look like a violin but it certainly has its' own unique tone. It is tuned a fifth lower than the violin and functions as the tenor instrument ... Read More

The ukulele is one of Hawaii's most popular music instrument. It became more widely used during the 20th century and popularized by musicians such as Eddie Karnae and Jake Shimabukuro. ... Read More

The mandolin is another music instrument that belongs to the string family. One of the most popular brand of mandolins is the Gibson, named after the luthier Orville Gibson. Read ... Read More

The string family of instruments are as varied as the sound they produce. String instruments have been in existence longer than other music instruments and it has undergone many changes ... Read More

A banjo is a stringed instrument that is played using different techniques such as the Scruggs-style or the "clawhammer". It also comes in different types and some manufacturers even experimented ... Read More

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the French during the 1867 Battle of Puebla. It is not only celebrated in Mexico but in the US as well. ... Read More

Many songs have been written where mothers are the central theme. Some are upbeat songs, some are melancholy, but most express the positive influence and importance of a mother's love. ... Read More

I've never fully appreciated the meaning of Mother's Day until I became a mom myself. To make Mother's Day more heart-warming, here are a collection of songs all meant to ... Read More