Too Old? Too Young? To the Contrary!

As a teacher I have been asked on more than one occasion, what age is a good age to start taking lessons? Am I too old to learn a musical instrument? Well,  I have seen students as young as 4 years and as old as 76! It is never too late or too early to start learning an instrument! Now, don't get me wrong; starting music lessons at an early age definitely gives those a bit of a leg up when it comes to band, orchestra, or personal pursuits! As adults, learning an instrument can be therapeutic and a great stress-reliever. I've had many an adult student come to me to learn songs they can play by the camp fire while the rest of the family sings along. And if you're already playing an instrument, it never hurts to learn from someone at the next level. This is what we do at Matt Burk Music Studio! We offer private lessons for piano, drums, guitar, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. All levels, from beginner to advanced, are welcome here; we customize our lessons to you! So remember that it is never too late or too early to start taking music lessons, especially here at Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!   

1, 2, 3, 4!

It is as easy as that! If you can count to four, you can learn to read music. Sure, there is a lot more to it than just that, but the overall foundation of rhythm is counting! I am fairly certain that I tell my students to count out loud every single day that I go into the studio. Why, you ask? Well, I  find that even in times of high anxiety, perhaps during a performance, that the counting we've done in the past out loud can help our inner count get back on track. I have seen it happen, used it myself, and know it to be true. Understanding this fundamental factor seems like it would be obvious, but for many it can be an "A-ha!" moment. Those are the type of moments we can create here at Matt Burk Music Studio for you! We offer private lessons for Piano, Guitar, Drums, Bass, Voice, Songwriting, and  Audio Production located conveniently in Allen, Texas! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Creativity and the "Outside" Perspective

There is nothing quite like writing music with others that gets the creative "juices" flowing. Sometimes we as composers and performers can get stuck in a writing rut, playing the same chord progressions, repeating the same rhythms, hearing the same melodies! We have to escape "the box" and one of the best ways to do so is to get an outside perspective. Remember, even the Beatles had Brian Epstein to help them write and record some of the most popular songs worldwide! We here at Matt Burk Music Studio can help you do the same! Whether it is vocal coaching, songwriting, learning "killer licks", awesome beats, bringing the low end, or how to "tickle the ivory"; we can give you the positive reinforcement and help you to advance to the next level with your musicianship!

Performance Panic!

I've noticed lately that there are a few students out there who are feeling a bit intimidated about getting up and performing in front of an audience. I myself had horrible stage fright for a number of years and then, something changed. When I look back upon it, I realize that it was a culmination of a few things. It took repeated performances; I mean dozens and dozens of them to really start feeling natural on stage. Increasing practice time also helped immensely. When I no longer had to think hard about what I was doing, I was allowed to get more "into it". Still, nothing was more important that actually getting out and playing in front of an audience. Whether I had my best show ever or completely fell flat on my face, I was still alive after the performance and had learned something from it to use in the future. The teachers at Matt Burk encourage all of our students to participate in our plethora of performance opportunities like Jam Sessions, Showcases, and Recitals!  These allow for ensemble awareness development, opens windows of creativity, and boosts the confidence of the student! And remember, we offer private lessons for drums, guitar, bass, voice, and piano! No matter what your instrument of choice, we can help you achieve your musical goals.  Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, PERFORM!!

2012 Fall Recital and Showcase

We just hosted our fall showcase at the House of Blues in Dallas and our recital at the McKinney Performing Arts Center in McKinney! It never ceases to amaze us what kind of talent we have at Matt Burk Music Studio. It is a real treat for us all to hear so many talented students playing everything from classical to jazz to pop to rock to country and more. We were even treated to a jazz combo of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five." Students of all ages and skill levels had the opportunity to perform songs of their choice on the piano, guitar, bass and drums, as well as to vocal chops singing! There is such a great variety of talented students. At Matt Burk Music Studio, we are proud to offer our students a variety of fun performances opportunities. In addition to our showcases and recitals that we host each spring and fall, we offer regular performances throughout the year. So if you weren't able to participate in our fall showcase or recital - no worries! We have additional performance opportunities coming up soon. Read about our jam sessions and live gigs, and check out a current list of our upcoming student performances (including dates and locations). And be sure to talk with your instructor about preparing for one of these upcoming events, and you'll be on your way to joining in the fun! We encourage all of our students to participate in various performance opportunities with us! Playing with a group, or in front of an audience is very beneficial in a student's musical development.

If your interested in private music instruction and coaching at it's best, please email us. or give us a call at 972-207-9353. We offer private music lessons for piano, guitar, bass, drums, and voice in our Allen, Texas studio. We have students from Allen, Fairview, Lucas, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson, Dallas, and beyond!

Allen Summer Concerts

Are you looking for something fun to do with your family this summer? Check out Allen’s 15th annual Summer Sounds concerts! It's held at the Joe Farmer Recreation Center Amphitheatre. This is a great way to get your family outside, while keeping them entertained. Also, it’s every Monday night!  Summer Sounds kicked off their six-week series on Monday May 21st, so there is still plenty of time to get out there! The music hits on every genre from contemporary, to zydeco, to Beatles tributes. Do you want to hear the best part? These concerts are FREE. So grab a blanket and the little ones and enjoy some great music outdoors!

This Monday, June 4th High Definition will be playing! High Definition is a great cover band. They play the best of today’s hits along with a wide variety of other popular music from the last five decades! Check out www.cityofallen.org for a full list of bands and performers and plan a few nights out with the family!

If you or one of your family members would like to play in a concert like this someday, we can teach you how! Here at Matt Burk Music Studio we teach a variety of musical genres! We offer private lessons for piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production lessons. If you would like more information please visit our website at www.wannalearnmusic.com or give us a call at (972) 207-9353. We would be happy to talk to you about enrolling today!

Where to begin your musical journey

Have you been trying to decide on an instrument to get started with? It’s not uncommon to be unsure of where to start. Here are some good basic questions to ask yourself when you are in the decision process:  What instrument do I really enjoy? Is there an instrument that stands out to you? Maybe a genre of music that you really enjoy that features a certain instrument. This is a good place to start. Find an instrument that sounds intriguing, and go from there!

What instrument do my friends play? Playing in a group is not only fun, but a great learning experience as well! Find an instrument that some of your friends are playing and join them! Or, pick a different one and form a band!

Do I have an instrument at my house? A lot of times families have a piano sitting in their living room as decoration, or an old guitar that has been passed down or given as a present. Look around your house and see what is there!

Instruments are fun and can provide a lot of opportunities. Don’t stress about which one to choose, maybe try a few different ones? If you’re looking for a place to begin private music lessons, check out our website at www.wannalearnmusic.com! We offer piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production lessons. Give us a call at (972) 207-9353 or send us an email at info@mattburk.com to get started!

Free music in Allen

Are you looking for something fun to do with your family this summer? Check out Allen’s 15th annual Summer Sounds concerts! It's held at the Joe Farmer Recreation Center Amphitheatre. This is a great way to get your family outside, while keeping them entertained. Also, it’s every Monday night! 

Summer Sounds kicked off their six-week series on Monday May 21st, so there is still plenty of time to get out there! The music hits on every genre from contemporary, to zydeco, to Beatles tributes. Do you want to hear the best part? These concerts are FREE. So grab a blanket and the little ones and enjoy some great music outdoors!

This Monday, June 4th High Definition will be playing! High Definition is a great cover band. They play the best of today’s hits along with a wide variety of other popular music from the last five decades! Check outwww.cityofallen.org for a full list of bands and performers. Then plan a few nights out with the family!

If you or one of your family members would like to play in a concert like this someday, we can help you get there! Here at Matt Burk Music Studio we teach a variety of musical genres! We offer private lessons for piano, guitar,drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production lessons. If you would like more information please visit our website at www.wannalearnmusic.com or give us a call at (972) 207-9353. We would be happy to talk to you about starting or continuing your musical journey!

Benefits of playing music in a group

Working as a team comes into play a lot through your life. When you are young it could be on a sports team, in grade school it could be working in a group to finish a class project, and later in life it could be learning to work as a team with other coworkers. Studies have shown that playing music in a group could have a significant impact on your life. For example, playing (and sticking with) an instrument can increase the capacity of your memory. In an article on www.effectivemusicteaching.com it states “New research suggests that regularly playing an instrument changes the shape and power of the brain and may be used in therapy to improve cognitive skills.” It continues to say “if you learn how to play an instrument, the parts of your brain that control motor skills (ex: using your hands, running, swimming, balancing, etc.), hearing, storing audio information, and memory, actually grow and become more active.” 

Playing an instrument in a group setting can also be very beneficial. Teaching children (and adults) to pay attention to the other musicians and to be flexible when things go wrong. It’s also very helpful in teaching perseverance and patience. Since learning an instrument takes time and LOTS of practice it can help children, as well as adults, learn to be patient and teaches children that hard work can pay off! If increasing brain function is something you want to try, or if learning an instrument just sounds fun, let us know! We offer piano, guitar, drums, bass, and voice lessons as well as song writing and audio production. If you would like more information on music lessons give us a call at (972) 207-9353 or visit our website at www.wannalearnmusic.com!

{BOOKED} Matt Burk Music Studio Spring Recital and Showcase!

We are excited to announce that we have confirmed the dates for our upcoming spring recital and showcase! Students of Matt Burk Music Studio will get to choose whether they perform at:
1) McKinney Performing Arts Center in a traditional "recital" on Sunday, May 1st, or
2) House of Blues in a less-traditional "showcase" on Sunday, May 15th.

At both venues, all the instruments we teach will be represented - piano, drums, bass, guitar and voice. Also at both venues, performances will begin in the afternoons (around 1:30 pm or later). Exact performance times will be finalized as we get a firm headcount of the students performing at each venue.

Students will receive an email soon with all the details regarding each performance, as well as an opportunity to register online to perform in one of these exciting events!