Which Instrument Should I Choose?

Many people know that they want to start learning an instrument but often they are unsure of which would be the right choice for them. Some find that a certain band or artist is inspiring or they know that they like a type of music but can't settle on whether they want to be the dynamic singer, the fiery lead guitarist, or the crazy, energetic drummer! Students younger than age 7 do very well with instruments like the drums as they are easy to pick up and deal primarily in rhythm reading only. However, voice, piano, and guitar may also be suitable for the enthusiastic youngster! Adults looking for a good hobby find much pleasure playing through their favorite songs on the guitar or singing in a choir. I had a 74-year-old drum student who "just wanted to bang on the drums". It can be difficult to know for certain which instrument is the right one for you. Let us here at Matt Burk Music Studio help you find your musical passion! We specialize in custom private music lessons and have the experience and knowledge to guide you. We offer piano, guitar, drum, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production lessons that are cultivated to your specific needs.

Re-string That Axe!

So you've got a big show tomorrow night. A & R reps will be in the crowd, biggest show to date. You look at your guitar and notice something. Your strings are dull and lifeless; all the bright and slinky-ness has been lost due to corrosion. You need to re-string your axe! Should you take it into your local guitar shop and have the luthier do it for an exorbitant amount? NOPE! Just follow these instructions and you'll be golden! First off, the way you will approach this will differ depending on the type of guitar being re-strung. Acoustics need the tension to remain on the neck to avoid warping or bending. The way to avoid those problems is to begin by removing and replacing the lowest E string. When trying to determine how much slack you should leave on the string for a good wind, try my method. I pull the string taut through the eyelet. Then pull it back through the feed about half a fret's worth of space. This should ensure enough string on the wind without too much excess! Next will be the D string, then the B. Do you see the overall "skip-a-string" method we're using? Once the B has been replaced you may return to the A string (5th largest) and begin the skipping from there: A, G, E). Remember that this is primarily for acoustics, but may be used for electric as well. Electric guitars may be restrung from the lowest to highest or vice-versa without too much stress on the neck. I still don't recommend taking ALL the strings off unless you need to make repairs. This will ensure a straight neck! After all the strings have been replaced, you will want to "stretch" out the strings by bending them on the fretboard (many play through lead lines and use bends for this purpose). This will make sure that they keep their tone when they naturally lengthen from the stress. Well, I hope this was helpful! Knowledge like this is just a small part of what you will learn if you take private music lessons here at Matt Burk Music Studio. We can help you reach your musical goals and relay valuable information on gigging, tuning, rigs, guitars, etc. 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!