Everybody can sing

I am always saying that everybody can sing...

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.

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

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.

Sight Singing Part 4

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

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

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.