march/april 2017 newsletter

This month’s spotlight is on long time Academy student Randy Findell. Randy is an amazing young musician and producer. We are so proud of all of the work and time he puts in and apparently we are not the only ones impressed with his music. Randy got his 1st record deal and one of his songs was released on a compilation album of up and coming artist titled Rising Tides 005!!!

Randy on developing the style of his music:
“The way i got into this kind of stuff was listening to a lot of electronic music and going down the rabbit hole of experimentation. Getting inspiration from many small artists making similar music on the internet. I’ve been producing for 4 years, and in that time what i have wanted to make has changed drastically, although i’ve always wanted to sing because i think that without vocals, my music would have virtually appeal to an outside listener, and I like singing. I really like making stuff that uses foley, sounds recorded from the real world, because it activates memory of experiences with those objects, and it sounds more human, i like using smooth synthesizers with slow vibrato to make them sound intentionally awed, and I have a lot of other little tendencies that make up my style. And that’s basically it, it’s just an incredibly fun thing for me because it helps me build an identity and make people feel things that come from my mind.”

From all of us here at the Academy, congratulations and we can’t wait to see what’s next!

Student of The Month - Amanda Jones

Q: What instrument do you play?
A: Voice and Guitar
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Q: How long have you taken lessons?
A: Two years

Q: Who are your favorite musical artists?
A: My fellow choir members.
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Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Pasta
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‍What is the coolest thing you've learned in your lessons in the past three months?
A: Breath support
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Q: Do you have any performances coming up?
A: Yes, March 11th, 2017

A parents role in the beginning:
‍The most critical time in any music student’s journey is at the  very beginning. This is when students need the most support and  encouragement from parents. Often at this stage the music is simple enough that parents are able to quickly understand and help their  children with their assignments, even if they have never had any musical  experience themselves. It is a great idea to sit with your child while they practice at the beginning to ensure that they are doing their  assignments correctly. This extra support in the beginning will help develop good practice habits and will pay dividends later on. After  several weeks students can begin to practice more on their own and won’t  require as much help from parents.

‍Young Children:
‍For very young children, ages 3 and 4 years old, parental  involvement is a must. Parents need to be involved with just about every  practice session at this age. There are always exceptions, but as of writing this, I have never met a 4 year old that could effectively  practice on their own.

‍School Aged Children:
‍Elementary aged children typically need a parent to sit in  at the beginning and help them learn how to practice effectively. Over  time parents can back off and let them practice more on their own. Students always do better when parents are more involved, but sometimes  it just isn’t realistic for parents to always help their children  practice. I teach music for a living and even I don’t always have time to sit in with my kids to help them practice. Sometimes dinner has to be made, work comes up, or the playoffs are on tv. I equate it to doing  school homework. 1st graders most likely need a lot of help and follow  up but over time they get it down. A 5th grader might only need sporadic  help.

‍Teenagers:
‍Teenagers are more than capable of practicing on their  own. Often by the time students are in their teenage years, the music  they are learning is far too advanced for parents to be able to help  them much anyway. (unless the parent has had some musical training) The  best thing parents can do for their teenagers is show an interest in what they are learning. Encouragement and support go a long way (even if they don’t outwardly appreciate it). Having a weekly concert or even just dropping in on their practicing once in a  while, are great ways to show them that you are interested in what they  are learning.