MUSIC 4 LIFE, LLC

Motivating teachers and students in the world of music

Monthly Archives: September 2014


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Music Fundamentals are Mentally Fun

Make Practicing Scales and Fundamentals Fun!

Yes, fun! You heard me, learning music theory can be fun, if the teacher can relate to the student and has the creativity and a sense of humor even the most boring of rout scales can enjoyable.

Music teachers and instructors can instill in a love of learning basic music fundamentals by taking a creative approach learning scales, chords and theory can become enjoyable instead of a drudgery.

Music Fundamentals are Mentally Fun! A reminder for music majors, band students and all musicians. Motivational music poster for teachers available from JW PepperMusic Fundamentals are Mentally Fun Poster

Music fundamentals are essential to the development of all serious-minded musicians. Basic fundamental techniques, concepts and rudimentary information in all areas of music such as performance; theory;composing/arranging; recording; etc., must be mastered prior to functioning at a more advanced level.

For instance practicing scales can be one of the most boring parts of practice. What about making it into a game, or a Skittles reward, at the end of the piano scale run you eat a Skittles (obviously this won’t work for woodwind instruments). Or, what about adding a little style and rhythm to your scales with a few staccatos, jazz it up a bit and those scales will start to play themselves.

What Are You Doing as a Teacher to Make Fundamentals Fun?

Leave a comment below on what you do to encourage building basic music fundamentals and what work for you.

Don’t forget, the poster above is available for sale at J.W. Pepper and would make a great addition to a practice room to remind students that yes, fundamentals are the building blocks to every great musician.


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Attitude is Everything

If you want to succeed in the music business or any business for that matter, make sure that you develop a positive; helpful; flexible and friendly attitude. Remember: people like to work with colleagues that are intrinsically pleasant and cooperative individuals.

So, don’t develop a negative, irritable and arrogant attitude that will ultimately damage your career…and your personal life.

Attitude is Everything Poster

This sounds easy and really it is when you think about it, but it cooperation takes practice and a concerted effort.  You must bring these traits in the room with you each time you work with others

Flexible Can Do Attitude: bring to any conversation or business dialog a can do attitude, don’t let obstacles get in your way, but  be the person who can find solutions to the bumps in the road

Care Attitude: truly care about your work, the people around you and the project. If you don’t care the project will not be a success

Friendly & Cheerful Attitude: smile, no one likes to work with people who complain, whine, or show up to the Monday morning meeting with a chip on their shoulder

Honesty Attitude: be honest and sincere in what you do, be truthful and don’t have hidden agendas.

Helpful Attitude: be willing to help others succeed, give assistance, and be the first to offer assistance

Classroom Teaching Moment

Teachers: Use this poster to start discussions about attitude in your class and tie this into the Character Counts lessons at your school.

Band Directors: In so many instances could this poster be used for musical moments and trying times in the band room

  • Marching band horn section is whining and complaining it’s too cold to march outside
  • The students in the Monday morning don’t really want to be in class and therefore play their instrument with little effort

Can you think of others opportunities to use this poster in your classroom, or an attitude problem that could be addressed with a change of attitude? Add them below in the comment section.


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Musical Focus is No Hocus-Pocus

One skill musicians need to learn is how to focus. In every facet of life learning to focus on one task, or prioritizing high payoff activities is a challenge, especially in the social media world in which we live.  Our lives are surrounded by technology, cell phones, instant Facebook notifications, tweets, beeps, and this overload of stimulation makes it a  challenge to stay focused.

Research done by Scientific Reports has proven that listening to music you like actually improves focus. It is ironic that the same trait which make musicians creative individuals also work against us in our struggle to FOCUS. Yes, I said it, musicians and artists have a higher incidence of ADD (attention deficit disorder), but does that really surprise you?

Musical Focus is no Hocus Pocus, Inspiring and motivating posters for music teachers and educators from JW PepperMusical Focus is No Hocus Pocus

Importance of Musical Focus

Musicians tend to fall into one of the following two categories:

  1. Those that maintain their musical focus.
  2. Those that lose their musical focus.

Musicians that possess a bona fide ability to maintain their focus when performing are inclined to play accurately and maintain a high level of musical excellence. These musicians remain poised, relaxed and confident throughout their execution of the music, because they rely upon their training, preparation, composure and ability to remain focused as they navigate comfortably throughout the entirety of the composition.

Alternatively, musicians who for one reason or another have not developed the ability to remain focused during a performance, tend to play inaccurately and are prone to losing their place within the music.

Moreover, when they perform, they are very susceptible to the infamous “crash-and-burn syndrome,” which can totally derail their performance with catastrophic results–something to be avoided at all costs!

In some instances, musicians that fall into this latter category can overcome their lack-of-focus, which often results in performance anxiety and other musical insecurities, with proper training from a skilled professional musician.

In addition to developing more consistent musical focus with the input from an esteemed professional in their field, they need lots of experience performing in front of people in a variety of contexts and venues in order to better solidify this technique.


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When You Memorize Music

When You Memorize Music, You Mesmerize the Audience

Memorizing music enables you to play and interpret music in a more confident, creative and relaxed manner. When you perform, a music stand is no longer a visual barrier between you and your audience. This enables better communication and interaction to occur between the performer and the audience.

Memorize Music, Mesmerize the Audience Poster

This message is not only true of for music students memorizing a piece for a recital or concert but it is essential for any professional musician. Think about it, how often do you ever see a rock concert, or performer with sheet music on the piano or in front of them? Rarely, if not ever. It is part of the mystic and magic of musical performers, just how do they do that? It is how they mesmerize their audience.

Memorizing music for many is not easy, for others it just comes natural, but it does take time. Once you obtain this skill you are one step further in advancing your journey as a musician. Below are some tips to help you memorize music.

Techniques in Memorizing Music

  1. Break the music down into small increments such as one- and two measure segments.  Don’t go on until they are solidified.  Keep progressing in a similar manner.
  2. Visualize the music.  Don’t just memorize with muscle memory as that is an imperfect system by itself.
  3. Memorize the harmonic (chordal) progression as well as the melody.
  4. Simulate performing the music technically without actually playing your instrument.  The music must be secured within the mind above all.
  5. Sing the music to yourself before actually playing it.  Then repeat the process as often as necessary.
  6. Audio-and videotape yourself performing the music.  Then study it and retain it.
  7. Consider memorizing in reverse order.  Work backwards.
  8. Maintain the memorized music by playing it often enough to keep it fresh and current within your repertoire.  Don’t be forced to relearn what you’ve already learned.
  9. Once memorized, don’t allow yourself to ever use a music stand as a “crutch.”  That’s a cop out and it invalidates all your hard memorizing preparation.
  10. Play the memorized music with distractions–TV on; people talking; etc.  It may help you remain focused during problematic moments within a concert.

Do you have any tips that have worked for you? If so please add them below to add to the list.


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Preparation Requires Planning

It has been just two years since I stood outside Steve’s music room in 100F heat hunched over his patio photographing mallets in the blazing hot sun. I had no idea that a year later we would be launching a music poster line with J.W. Pepper and introducing our creations to the music industry. But, all of this didn’t come about without planning.

My initial plan was to create new graphics for Steven’s website that would be “PIN” worthy on Pinterest. I planned ahead of time to bring matte boards of various colors, I planned to create negative space in the photographs for text, and I was prepared when I arrived. The results was beautiful images which incorporated Steven’s “Raybineisms” (words of wisdom) and when we were ready to approach national music industry distributors with our motivational posters I was prepared and called J.W. Pepper

Preparation requires prior planning. Motivational poster for music teachers, business and classrooms from JW PepperPreparation Requires Prior Planning

  • Are you chronically late for rehearsals and performances;
  • Do you forget to pack essential musical equipment when you perform;
  • Do you bring the necessary music to engagements and do you practice your parts in advance of the performance;
  • Do you bring the appropriate clothing for shows; Do you return all phone calls, texts, messages and emails promptly;
  • Are your instruments in proper playing conditions at all times; If you’re a band leader, do you pay your musicians in a timely manner?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these scenarios, you are not sufficiently prepared for your obligations as a contemporary musician. Think ahead and anticipate what is expected of you as a professional musician. Above all, be prepared; be prompt and plan ahead for all musical situations.

How has a lack of planning affected your life?

Did you lose a gig? Where you asked to leave a team, or band group because of your chronic procrastination or preparation for the gig?

If you know of a good way to stay prepared leave a comment below. Share your expertise and experience so others may not have the same fate.