Play What You Like

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This is a really simple concept that many of us like to complicate. I have played numerous instruments in a multitude of bands. I have also willingly (and unwillingly) performed music that I wouldn't purchase with my own money, for money. I always find the most satisfaction when I play the music that I like. Always. That is one reason that we here at Matt Burk Music Studio involve music that inspires the student to practice and perform! It is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when we first begin lessons because there are so many basics to cover before we can play through a full and recognizable song . We help students reach their destination by chopping up the song into small, digestible goals that are measure-based and not time-based. Remember, play what you like! Matt Burk Music Studios, Learn, Create, Perform!

Practice: It Adds Up!

Here at Matt Burk Music Studio we encourage daily practice for our students and here's why:  it adds up! Keeping rhythms and melodies fresh in the memory will ensure that you can play it correctly when you recall it. Unfortunately, much of the mechanics of music is learned through what is called Rote Learning. This type of memorization is very weak and needs to be repeated and reviewed often. Daily practice, even for just a very short time, helps solidify the actions in the muscle memory. Think about it like this. You once did not know how to tie your shoes and had to be shown. Now, when you tie your laces do you think about it or do you just let the action happen? I bet you will find that it is nearly involuntary once we decide on the action to perform it. Often music students find themselves saying, "I'll just practice twice as much tomorrow".  They may make good on our promise but often the next day comes and they make the same statement. A week later and they're back in lessons wondering where the time went and why forming the  E major chord or playing the groove fills at the same tempo as last lesson is much more difficult than it was a week earlier!

Luckily, this is totally avoidable with small, easily digestible goals. This is one of our core practices at Matt Burk Music Studio. We find music that inspires YOU! We use songs you like, break them down into chunks and help you move through each until you're playing the song! This is just one of our core philosophies: check out the rest on our website here or stop in to one of our locations in both Allen and Frisco, Texas. We offer customized private music lessons for piano, guitar, drums, bass, and vocals.  Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Time Management

When we are young it seems like we have all the time in the world. Wait, maybe not. I find that even my youngest students have a rich extra-curricular activity schedule and that means time management is essential! When have somewhere to be every night it can be difficult to find time to practice. Still, I have found that if you create a spot on your weekly calendar for practice and only practice, without outside distraction, you can achieve successful progress that can be marked. Let your family know that during your practice time that you're not to be disturbed (except for emergencies, of course) and make that plan stick! Need help getting to a comfortable level of practice to work on your own? Matt Burk Music Studio can show you how to practice in a manner that helps you move forward! We offer private music lessons in piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

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!

Just a Little Push

I am fairly certain that I wouldn't be sitting here typing about the music studio if my grandmother hadn't given me her guitar when I was a young boy. I hadn't thought about playing an instrument before then. She and my grandfather had been in a traveling country band and she felt it was time to pass it to the next generation. Perhaps there is an alternate universe where I bizzaro-me is a CPA and spends his weekends building ships in small glass bottles. Alas, in this universe I am a musician and I have it all to thank from that one little "push" that she gave me so many years ago. As she handed me the case she said, "your fingers are going to hurt a bit at first, but the more you play it, the easier it gets". Sound advice at the time and something I now tell my students who are new to the instrument. Perhaps you know someone that is looking for a hobby, something to relax them from a stressful job, or a way to connect with others. Learning an instrument is, in my humble opinion, is the perfect solution! Maybe they're already thinking about it and they just need that "little push". Are you the person to give it to them? Not sure where to go after that? Let us at Matt Burk Music Studio take over from there. We offer private music lessons for piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. Together we can open the world of music to those whom might have not tried it in the first place. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

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!

Reading Music in the Modern Age

  A  long time ago, before radio and television, families would sit together and play through popular songs that were available as sheet music. Perhaps dad played piano while the rest of the family harmonized with mom. Or brother and sister played violin to counter mother and fathers' viola and cello.   No TV programs for the family to watch, no radio to listen to. People made "conversation" through reading music together. These things still occur, of course, but with a modern twist. Here at Matt Burk Music Studio we have many students who have siblings, parents, and children taking lessons congruently. This allows for conversations about music between family members that may bring them closer together; they might play songs that they're working on, or at least have someone to talk to about music in general and help with tricky rhythms and melodies. Reading music may seem difficult to grasp, but no matter if you take private piano, drum, voice, guitar, or bass lessons with us, we can teach you to read proficiently! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Music Makes You Smarter?

 

I have heard that learning to read and play music at an early age can make certain academic enterprises later in life easier to accomplish. Whether or not this is true is up for debate. In my own experiences I have found that it helped foster an ease with communication, working with others for a common goal, and has made me much more open to learning new things such as songs, chords, rhythms, and ideas. Having a musical background can help with your college admission and finding friends with common interests (I know of a group of doctors that play together in a jazz combo for stress relief). Time and time again I have heard from adult students, "I wish I would have started lessons earlier if I knew how positively it would affect my life!" The best part is, it is NEVER too late to start! We here at Matt Burk Music Studio can help you reach your goals musically. We offer many private lessons, such as piano, drums, guitar, bass, and voice. If you're interested in songwriting and audio production, we've got that covered too! In fact, we can help you write, perform, record, and produce YOUR music! Does music make you smarter? Why not find out? Sign up today! 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!

Metronome: Metro-NOPE!? Keep it Between the Clicks!

CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK. Every musician knows that feeling. . .  We've completed our weekly assignment at our own pace, keeping in mind everything our instructor talked about, and it went swimmingly! And then it happens; we turn on the metronome and attempt the same result only to find frustration between the clicks. Many students find it to be such a daunting task that they simply do away with it. Worry Not! Developing a sense of rhythm takes time! If we allow ourselves to understand that perfection is not necessary (at least to begin with) and that the click is a must when practicing any exercises or songs, it becomes commonplace. Depending on whether you take private drum, guitar, bass, voice, or piano lessons, you can always find ways to involve the metronome. In my lessons, we use it for warm ups with drums, for counting measures when learning chords for guitar, and following the downbeat when playing bass. I have the metronome on so much that I barely hear it anymore! But when I need to, I can sync up instantly with it because I hear it on a consistent basis. The metronome helps us to "see" whether we are lagging (slowing down) or rushing (speeding up). At first the "feel" of playing with it can be off-putting, especially if the student is a beginner. One thing I can guarantee: if you use it daily, you WILL get better at keeping between the clicks! Keep at it and soon you'll see that it wasn't as big a challenge as you may have previously expected. We here at Matt Burk Music Studio can help you straighten out those rhythms, no matter what the instrument! 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!

Amazing effects of music on everyone!

Wondering if it’s a good idea to put your child in music lessons at a young age? What would be the benefits of starting lessons now? In an article about music and the brain, the writers at neuroscience for kids, state simply that “at its most basic level, music is just sound.” To some parents, their children’s music is just noise, however, music affects each individual differently.

Some researchers have looked into the effects of music lessons on children. They found “children who received keyboard (piano) lessons had improvement in the spatial-temporal test” (testing the ability to put puzzles together and problem solving).  Another study, done by Laurel Trainor, proved that “even a year or two of music training leads to enhanced levels of memory and attention when measured by the same type of tests that monitor electrical and magnetic impulses in the brain. In another study by Glenn Schellenberg, it was proved that “actual music lessons for kids leads to a long lasting cognitive success.”

Not only does music help children’s brain functions, it’s been used to help alzheimer’s patients as well! As you can see in this video Henry, who has been in a nursing home for 10 years, was barely responsive but when music was played from his era, Henry came back to life. He was responsive and able to answer questions that he couldn’t before, and put together full sentences! The results were incredible! Music affects everyone differently, are you curious to see how it would affect you or your child? Get them signed up in music lessons today!  We offer private piano lessons, voice lessons, bass lessons, guitar lessons, and drum lessons. If you have any questions on how to get started or how the lessons work, visit our website at www.wannalearnmusic.com, give us a call at (972) 207-9353, or send us an email at info@mattburk.com.

Music Lessons Are Good for the Brain!

Are you thinking about signing your child up for some music lessons? Studies have shown “a strong correlation exists between musical training for children and certain other mental abilities.” Starting music lessons at a young age improves brain function as well as “affect attention and memory, which provides a mechanism whereby musical training might lead to better learning across a number of domains.” A fascinating article from www.livescience.com talks about the affects music lessons, on children from the ages of 10 to 13, have on the development of the brain. Also, different instruments have different effects on the brain! Who would have thought? A few years in piano, or perhaps guitar, could set your child up for success in different areas for years to come!

Do you want to read more? Click here for the full article.

Are you ready to give your child this life-long advantage? We have piano, guitar, drum, bass, voice, song writing and audio production lessons!