Jam Session!

Here I find myself in a familiar situation. Writing out chord charts for our upcoming Jam Session on Friday, February 7th! I always forget that it can be a lot of work to get everyone prepared (including instructors) for something that takes focused coordination. If you're unfamiliar with what I am talking about, we at Matt Burk Music Studio have many performance opportunities for our students. Jam Sessions are a relaxed way to develop what I call "ensemble awareness". It is the idea that it is helpful to play in a group for many reasons. A player must listen when performing with others to keep "in the song". A performer can truly experience the fluctuations that can occur in a group as well. Also, it helps our students meet each other and develop a music community within the studio! While I like to complain about the difficulties of making chord charts (the revisions alone can take days to catch!), truthfully, I enjoy it. I like seeing the students start the songs and hearing what they sound like on the night of the performance. I know they work hard all year but these are my times to literally see the progress! I often end up playing in the groups as a bass player; we have a couple but there's always a bass-shaped hole to fill.  I am impressed by their musicality. I think that everyone, even those with no wish to perform in front of a crowd, should witness the performance at least once to see how Matt Burk Music Studio helps students reach their musical goals!

If you or someone you know is interested in private music lessons custom-tailored to their interests, please check out the rest of our site or stop by one of our convenient North Texas locations in Allen and Frisco! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Show Etiquette

You're wondering, "What is show etiquette and why do I care about it?" Well, let me be the one to tell you that there are a few unspoken rules about behavior at musical events. These keep the atmosphere amicable and ensures that everyone has a good time. Not sure if you've been adhering? Let me help! At live shows where the music is loud, the "rules" are a bit more lenient: talking, singing along, and being loud (when the time is right) are encouraged, especially at rock, pop, and country shows. Performers appreciate a heart-felt applause when the whole room is connected through the music. However, loud talking at quieter shows can become distracting. Take note of the "feel" of the room. Is everybody sitting down, gazing quietly at the stage? Probably not the best time to discuss your favorite Real Housewives of Orange County episode at the top of your outside voice. I've seen more than one performer have to say something in between songs to over-the-top noisy patrons. Trust me, it is always embarrassing!

Let's talk about smart phones. They're wonderful and handy. They have all kinds of features, including a camera and a video recorder! Awesome! But does that necessitate you becoming the next Spike Jonze, recording your favorite band in hopes of making that next viral video? Unless you have been specifically asked to do so, most likely the screen is distracting others. This is especially true if you have your hand up in the line of sight to the band. Of course you should get some memories, but take a few moments to EXPERIENCE the show outside of a screen that is only a few inches wide. I've talked to friends after shows and asked them if they remembered certain key moments and they don't, some going so far as to review their footage, hoping to recapture that magic moment when the performer was really connecting with the crowd!

Thirdly, attendance. Yes, you are allowed to come and go as you please, but if you're paying for three bands, why just stay for one? This rang true to me when I was told by an old family friend that he had paid to see Steppenwolf ("Born to Be Wild" fame) in concert. Well, his friends decided to wait to go to the show just to see the headliner. He went early to see all the groups and happened to catch the opening act. They blew him away and he later found that he had seen one of the first big shows for a little known band called Three Dog Night. Ring any bells now?

The whole purpose of this particular post is to convey ideas that you may or may not entirely agree with. I think everyone is entitled to their own protocol. I've just been playing shows and going to concerts since a very early age and I find by sticking to these "rules" everyone has a good time!

Interested in more information on subjects such as these? Here at Matt Burk Music Studio, we understand not only how to turn students into great performers, but the ins and outs of being a professional musician and spectator. We specialize in custom lessons tailored to the student. We offer private music lessons in piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. Check out the rest of our site or come by one of our locations in Allen or Frisco Texas areas! Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Get In the Session!

Once again we're gearing up for another great Jam Session for the studio! As per usual, it will be held at the Jam Station in Plano, Friday, August 16th, starting at 7:30 pm! We're doing two songs, one new, one old: "Since U Been Gone" and "Walk Away Renee." This will be our first Jam Session with students from both our Allen location and our new Frisco location performing! The other instructors and I have been working out the parts, including guitar/piano lead sheet and drum notation written out from scratch! Now I know I've posted about this before but I cannot stress how much of a positive impact it can have to work with others when composing, arranging, choreographing, and writing lyrics. Take, for example, the older song "Walk Away Renee", which is in the key of A for both recordings we've referenced for the lead sheets. Our version will be in G to be more accessible to both male and female singers. At first we had a very simple four-bar intro all prolonging the G major chord. This was fine for at-home performance but I figured it would be a bit more interesting to the players and the listeners to transpose another harmonically engaging part into the intro. Now, I know for some of you this is a bit too much music jargon but the end result will be that the song sounds good and is fun to play! Since we're doing drums from scratch, I wanted to give the performers a lot of leeway in regards to the beats, fills, and cymbal accents. I have begun creating a "skeleton key" of sorts that shows important areas where the ensemble moves together rhythmically or when an accent or fill is absolutely needed. The rest will really be up to the players taste, which I believe helps with improvisation and listening in the group atmosphere. The players must be more aware of what is happening in order to not become lost in the song. Guitar has been smooth sailing with the help of one of our piano/guitar instructors. We've even been able to revise each other's work to keep mistakes at a minimum (and save some ink and paper to boot!) which makes it that much easier to concentrate on the students' performance and fun!

If you are a current student and have been on the fence about performing in the Jam Sessions, I strongly encourage you to sign up! They are very laid back, with no pressure or expectations. We're just there to have a good time and enjoy playing music together. Still not sure? Then just come by and see what it is all about! Not a current student but you're interested in what we do? Matt Burk Music Studio offers private music lessons tailored to the student! We find out what engages YOU and go from there! We offer lessons in piano, guitar, drums, bass, voice, songwriting, and audio production. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!

Stress Release!

Things have been very busy around the studio lately. Last weekend was our Showcase at the House of Blues on Saturday and Sunday was our Recital at the McKinney Performing Arts Center. Needless to say, anxiety levels were at an all time high. This is something that is totally normal and to be expected. What I think surprised many of my students is the complete sense of relief when their performances had ended. This too is totally normal! Here at Matt Burk Music Studio we harness that anxiety to help with curbing the stage-fright and in turn channel it towards a better performance. Those in the audience noticed a marked difference in players whom may have had trouble in the past. While some have the ability to teach themselves to alleviate that stress, we can coach and mold you into a performer that actually looks forward to that feeling, takes it, and uses it to create show-stopping results. Whether you play piano, guitar, drums, bass, or sing, Matt Burk Music Studio offers private music lessons that not only help you reach your creative goals, but gives real-world experience in the music realm. Matt Burk Music Studio: Learn, Create, Perform!