Sunday, December 16, 2012

What's the Use of Wings If You Can't Fly?

This is a wonderful song that I was reminded of lately when someone was talking about a mynah bird. Listen

What's the Use of Wings If You Can't Fly?  by Brian Bedford

I could have been a giant, said the bonsai tree
But someone bound my roots and held me down
I could have reached for heaven, said the snowy owl
But they clipped my wings and kept me on the ground
I think I heard them tell me that they loved me
They would care for me; without them I would die
But what's the use of roots if you can't spread them
And what's the use of wings if you can't fly?

I could have been a singer, said the mynah bird
But they caged me and then told me what to say
I could have run forever, said the pony
But they bridled me and made me go their way
I think I heard them tell me that they loved me
They would care for me; forever so it seems
But what's the use of voices with no freedom
And what's the use of living others' dreams?


Why do people cage the things they love the most
Is it simply that they fear to be alone?
If you give your love its freedom, it may stay a while
If it leaves you it was never yours to own.


I could have found adventure, said the angel fish
Now my world's so small there's nowhere left to go
I could have ruled a kingdom, said the lion
Now the land inside my head is all I know
I think I heard them tell me that they loved me
They would care for me; and tell me it's all right
But what's the use of life without adventure
And what's the use of strength if you can't fight?

Why do people cage the things they love the
most
Is it simply that they fear to be alone?
If you give your love its freedom, it may stay a while
If it leaves you it was never yours to own.
I know I heard them tell me that they loved me
They would care for me; without them I would die
But what's the use of roots if you can't spread them
And what's the use of wings if you can't fly?

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Everybody can sing

I am always saying that everybody can sing...



Thursday, August 2, 2012

Sight Singing lessons on YouTube

I have made a new playlist on my YouTube channel with all of my sight singing lessons in order.  Click here for the link.

If you want to start at the beginning of the lessons on sight singing, then click here for the lessons which precede the video lessons.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Woody Guthrie

Today would have been Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday if he were still alive.  This is my favorite Woody Guthrie quote:

     "I hate a song that makes you think you're not any good!  I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose.  Bound to lose.  No good to nobody.  No good for nothing.  Because you are either too old or too young or too fat or too thin or too this or too that.  Songs that run you down or songs that poke fun at you on account of your bad luck or your hard traveling.

I am out to fight those kind of songs to my very last breathe of air and my last drop of blood.

I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world, and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter how hard it's run you down and rolled over you, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride  in yourself and in your work.  And the songs I sing are made up for the most part by all sorts of folks just about like you."

Here are a few great Woody songs for you to enjoy:

 "This Land Was Made for You and Me" as sung by students from Saint Patrick Elementary School in Charlotte, NC



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Ukulele Crash Course

Saturdays June 23 and 30, 10:00-12:00
$45.00 (includes an instruction/songbook) Ages 14-adult
You will learn basic chords, strumming patterns and how to transpose any song into a ukulele friendly key.

Please contact me to register or for more information.  Space is limited to 8 students.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Sight Singing Part 4

Session 4 of Sight Singing Crash Course is this Saturday, 10:30-12:30 at my house.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Sight Singing Crash Course: Part 3

I will teach part 3 of my Sight Singing Crash Course this Saturday, May 5th, 10-12 at my home in Charlotte.  The cost is $20.00.  You are welcome to come even if you haven't been at part 1 and 2, but you might want to look at these Sight Singing Lessons to see what you've missed.

Overview of Part 3:
*syncopated rhythms (introduction)
*dotted rhythms (practice)
*rhythms in simple and compound meter (practice)
*key signatures (major and minor)
*lots of practice sight singing in various keys and time signatures

Saturday, April 28, 2012

great lead sheet website

I found this really great wiki site for lead sheets, www.wikifonia.org. You can print out a nice clean copy of a melody line with chords and lyrics. The coolest thing about the site is that it will transpose to any key that you choose.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

classes for May and June

I am offering the following classes at my home in May and June.  Please contact me by phone or email to register and/or for more information.

*Sight Singing Crash Course: Part 3 of 4  (See posts below for material covered in parts 1 and 2)
Saturday, May 5, 10:00-12:00, $20.00  
*Everybody Sing: A Class for Shy Singers
Wednesday evenings, May 16, 23 and 30, 7:00-8:30,  $45.00
There is an African proverb that goes: “If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing.” This class will help you find or reclaim your singing voice in a fun and non-threatening atmosphere. Ages 14-adult
*Make a One-String Banjo (rain cancels) 
Saturday, May 19, The project takes 30 minutes to an hour.
Come anytime between 10AM and 1PM.  All ages
$15.00/banjo (includes a song/instruction booklet)
Playing one string banjos
*Singing Harmony by Ear
Monday evenings, June 11, 18 and 25, 7:00-8:30,  $45.00
Learn to use the chordal structure of a song to find and sing harmonies.  The only requirement for this class is that you can match pitch.  Ages 14-adult
*Ukulele Crash Course
Saturdays June 23 and 30, 10:00-12:00
$45.00 (includes an instruction/songbook)  Ages 14-adult
You will learn basic chords, strumming patterns and how to transpose any song into a ukulele friendly key. I can order you a nice sounding Lanikai ukulele for $55.00 if you let me know by May 31st.  

Friday, March 23, 2012

Sight Singing Crash Course - Part 2

I will hold part two of my Sight Singing Crash Course on Saturday March 31, 10am-12noon at my home in Charlotte.  Contact me for more information and for the address.

What we'll cover in the class:
*time signatures (how many beats per measure and how is the beat divided)
*dotted rhythms
*rhythms with sixteenth notes
*rhythms in simple (2/4, 3/4, 4/4) and compound (6/8, 9/8) meter
*C major scale with solfege (do, re, mi,...) and note names
*melodies in major and natural minor that have mostly stepwise motion
*melodies that outline the tonic triad
*hearing the tonal center

Click here for lessons that review what we did in Part 1.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Sing and Ring Along

I will host a Community Sing and Ring Along at my home (7107 Valley Haven Drive, Charlotte, 28211) on Sunday, February 19, 2PM-4PM.  We will sing a variety of songs and accompany ourselves on hand chimes.  This event is for all ages and you don't need to read music.  Children should be accompanied by an adult.  Please let me know if you are coming so that I know how many to expect.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Sight Singing Crash Course

If you enjoy singing or playing an instrument and would like to learn to read music, then this class is for you. Being able to read music is a wonderful, liberating skill that enhances your ability to learn by ear. It allows you to sing or play a new song just as you would read a new book.

Sight singing (as opposed to sight reading with an instrument) is especially useful because you need only your voice to make music. Singers often rely on a piano to play the music before singing it. This is not necessary. Once you learn to recognize the relationships of the notes to one another, sight singing is not so difficult. We will use the moveable "do" system of solfege to learn these relationships. Don't worry if you don't know what this means. The first session will start at the very beginning...You know, just like in The Sound of Music.

The class will meet once a month on Saturday morning, 10-12 at my home in Charlotte (email me for the address) starting on March 3rd. and continuing on April 7th, May 5th and June 9th. This is not a lecture class. We will be making music as we learn about music. Each session will build on the knowledge and understanding from previous sessions, but you can still participate even if you can't make all of the sessions. The cost is $20.00/session and you only pay for the sessions you attend. You will receive a listening CD and handouts that will correspond to what we do in the sessions. After each session I will post follow up lessons and an overview of the next session.

Overview of March 3rd Sight Singing Session (it's a lot...remember this is a crash course)
The musical alphabet (What is a note and why do we name them?)
The musical staff
Note equivalencies (types of notes and how they are all related)
What is a scale?
What is a key and why is it important to know?
Major and minor keys
Steady beat and meter (is it a march or a waltz?)
Rhythms using quarter, eighth and half notes and rests
Songs using do re mi fa so (the first five notes in a major scale)
Songs using so la do re mi so la (i.e. Tom Dooley, Amazing Grace, Swing Low)

Friday, January 27, 2012

How Deeply You're Connected to My Soul

This is a great song.  I am singing the melody and two harmony parts.  Listen and try to hear each of the parts.

How could anyone ever tell you that you're anything less than beautiful?
How could anyone ever tell you that you're less than whole?
How could anyone fail to notice that you're loving is a miracle?
How deeply you're connected to my soul

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Come Follow Me in Bb major

Today's lesson gives you practice sight singing with the round "Come, Follow Me" in the key of Bb major.  This round was written by John Hilton (1599-1657).  It is great for practicing a diatonic major scale (drmfsltd) and also descending thirds in various places (s-m, f-r, m-d, r-t, d-l).

Lyrics:
Come, follow me
Whither shall I follow thee?
To the greenwood tree

Monday, January 2, 2012

Happy New Year!

I filmed this video when I was visiting my family in Emory, Virginia over the holidays.  You'll probably need to enlarge it to full screen or else the deer just look like small dots with an occasional white tail.