Performing on the streets of Barcelona 

Barcelona is a city filled with the echoes of history. Embedded in the Roman walls or beneath the cobbled streets. Music has been performed on these streets for centuries and the buskers that play in the shadow of the cathedral or amid the hustle and bustle of the Ramblas continue the tradition. The notes bouncing amid the gargoyles may be different but the atmosphere remains the same. People stop to listen and a coin is tossed or a cd bought as singers pour out their souls and the music drifts up over the rooftops. 

A busker playing his guitar in an alleyway of the Gotic quarter paints such a romantic picture that it has left a profound impression on many people visiting the city. So much so, that performers the world over both amateur  and professional dream of playing live in the streets of Barcelona. Did you know that the word busker actually comes from the Spanish word “buscar” which means to search or explore. And indeed the craft invites people to find new places to play.
So what does it take to play your instrument in Barcelona. What do you need to perform on the streets of Barcelona? Really only a little bit of pluck!  Your instrument of choice, a great place where plenty of people pass by and some courage! 

To play a guitar is easy. Simply pick a spot and start. If you need more sound, perhaps ask a friendly bar or restaurant if you can plug in your amp and turn the volume up! But is it really that easy? 

Street performances are regulated in Barcelona and you may have the bad luck of being issued a spot fine or having your instruments confiscated. If you are willing to risk it, and many do, the streets of Barcelona are your oyster. You could actually end up making some money, according to an article in the Barcelona Metropolitan, artists could earn over 60€ an hour, and this was in 2014!

The Barcelona government issues coveted licenses for street musicians and if you are serious you could look into obtaining one which allows you to perform at the many spots specifically allocated to buskers. 

The shine school of music in Barcelona can rent you a guitar, an amp, cables or a piano even, send us an email to find out more! 
Find more info via these Useful links courtesy the Barcelona Metropolitan Magazine. Read their article on busking in Barcelona here

Associación de Músicos de la Calle (AMUC)

Tel. 93 310 3732 / 660 674 656

www.amuc.galeon.com

The AMUC website has a list of the current regulations regarding playing on the metro and in open public spaces.

Licences to play in a public space in Ciutat Vella are managed at the Centre Cívic Convent Sant Agustí. Details on how to apply can be found at: www.bcn.cat/centrecivicsantagusti

Posted in Barcelona, Guitar, piano | Comments Off on Performing on the streets of Barcelona 

All about the Piano

We sat down one afternoon with one of our Barcelona music teachers, Leandro Avalle, to get acquainted with his instrument of choice- the piano. Both performing and giving private piano lessons in Barcelona for a number of years, the accomplished Avalle was the perfect choice to introduce us to one of the most popular musical instruments for study today.

Relaxing in Estudio Shine amid a mish- mash of guitars, keyboards, the odd accordion and stacks of music notes Leandro told us how he began his piano career. Cutting his teeth on piano keys from an early age, Leandro watched his sisters learn the instrument. He insisted that he receive piano lessons too and was playing at age seven and performing in competitions by age 9. He dabbled in other instruments as well, like the guitar and chello but, “They were not the piano, so…” he ultimately returned to his first love and hasn’t looked back since.

Leandro believes that students should begin to study piano at a young age. Indeed one of his students at the Shine school of Music in Barcelona is only 3 years old. “I think it’s very important for the intelligence, even if most of them will not end up as pianists… It gives you tools to develop your brain, like math or language. I think it’s very important for kids to learn piano.” He explains that children’s motor skills are developed through the use of both hands on the instrument. Leandro has noted a marked difference in his students ability to concentrate as they learn to play and read music notes. “It’s amazing!”

Students at Estudio Shine are encouraged by their teachers to enjoy their instruments while learning and Leandro points out that this nurturing develops their talents even further. “Never get frustrated!” Learning will always be a part of enjoying music and studying an instrument, he continues. “You have to have this mind, where you will always learn.”

This mindful awareness allows for discovering new music and Leandro applies this to his own art. Taking a note from one of his teachers in Argentina, “she’s 85 years old and she keeps learning everyday. She goes to concerts and courses, her brain is amazing and I think that most musicians get to this moment in their life, and yet they still grow. So that’s what’s unique about music I think.”

Avalle advocates a curious mind. Although trained as a classical pianist in Argentina, when he arrived in Barcelona, he found that music continued to give him new experiences, and allowed him to connect with people in ways he did not expect. “I’m Argentinian and although I never played Tango, suddenly I was playing Tango!” In Barcelona, he now performs as part of a tango group. “You can learn like a kid! You will never finish learning!” He smiles.

True to his word Leandro is now discovering contemporary piano music and continues to expand his knowledge and love for music. He plays in a classical duo with a violinist from Chile performing all over Europe. Leandro reflects on performing as a soloist and as a group. “With a classical performance, you have to prepare a lot of pieces and you play once. The moment is unique!” As a group it’s very different, it’s fun, he gestures, playing the same numbers each concert. Traveling biannually to Argentina to play piano, Leandro is also kept busy with his Tango group as they tour, playing up to 20 concerts together at a time. All this while still giving piano classes in Barcelona.

We asked him if he thought the piano was still popular as an instrument. Responding with a grin, he affirms, “It’s a complete instrument. It’s easy and gentle to learn initially.” He goes on to explain that piano has a large range and can be played expressively, from soft to passionate, “so people enjoy listening to the piano in concerts.” Interestingly he tells us that in Barcelona people enjoy understanding the music and the story behind the pieces. He has learned to converse with his audience, drawing their attention to certain parts or explaining different melodies and meanings. This gives people a better grasp of the music he explains, and although he was surprised by this style of concert initially he now really enjoys sharing his knowledge and the history of the piano with his audiences, taking his music teaching out of the classroom.

Teaching piano at Shine Music School in Barcelona for a number of years, Avalle points out, “I think it’s the first instrument that you should learn.” From a technical point of view, if students learn to read piano sheet music, both the treble clef and bass clef gives you a bigger understanding of music. He continues to explain that from this point, students can read any music notation written for other instruments. Studying piano gives a fundamental understanding of music.

“Secondly it develops your sense of harmony and melody at the same time. This is quite unique to the piano. It’s a harmonic and melodic instrument and the repertoire of the piano is extensive.” Piano is a visual representation of music. Learning piano, the keys and notes, show how music is structured, making understanding music easy. The greatest composers, Avalle extrapolates, have been writing music for the piano for centuries. The methods these composers used and history is expressed through the music. Studying the piano affords you a wider, more complete musical base upon which to build. “You develop more accurate methods of study, ” Leandro explains. With the skills gained from learning the piano, it’s far easier to move onto another instrument and to be a successful musician.

You can watch Leandro perform as part of his duo and tango group, by keeping up to date with his piano concerts in Barcelona on the Estudio Shine Facebook page. You can also study piano with Leandro at the Shine School of music. The school has a number of piano courses from intensive piano course to piano courses for beginners. Contact Leandro at the Shine Music School and apply his thoughtful comments on learning and playing the piano to your own study and enjoyment of this classical instrument. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to be invited to one of his private piano concerts in Barcelona!

The Shine School of Music rents pianos and offers piano summer courses. You can study in Spanish or English and we have a range of styles available from contemporary jazz piano to classical piano. The school also offers piano lessons over Skype. Thank you to Leandro Avalle for his time and to Rachel Huffman for conducting this interview.

Posted in Barcelona, Concerts, music school, online classes, piano, teachers | Comments Off on All about the Piano

Annual School Concerts

As the school year winds down in Spain, and the temperatures in Barcelona rise, everyone prepares for the summer vacation. Music exams are furiously studied for and students practice for the annual music concert which takes place at the end of the year. It’s an exciting occasion and one that the Estudio Shine family look forward to each year. Students invite friends and family to come and enjoy all the musical pieces and the day is filled with a fun musical energy. Each year some of our teachers perform too, in an anticipated finale!

Concerts are usually in two parts, with a principiantes show and and avanzados concert, however you are welcome to attend both!

It’s a chance for students to show off their accomplishments from the year and also an opportunity to perform in front of a crowd, which is an important learning curve for students, and an extra skill!

Our concerts are advertised on facebook and our instagram pages, and we make announcements to students via email and at the school before the due dates.

Posted in Barcelona, Concerts | Comments Off on Annual School Concerts

The Benefits of taking a Music Exam

  
Exams can be a tough pill to swallow. Dreaded memorizing left until the last minute, the stress and anxiety of getting everything correct and the controversy of whether exams are a worthwhile medium for judging the aptitude of a student. On the other hand exams offer many benefits too and at shine music school in Barcelona, we like to focus on why taking a music exam with us can be good for your musical development.
As the exams at shine music school draw near, we’d like to take a look at why we think it’s a good idea for students to sign up and complete the graded exams we offer.
Besides offering a scaleable way for teachers to measure the improvement and knowledge of their students, taking a music exam gives the student goals to achieve. The deadline to accomplish certain tasks and the pressure demanded to succeed in the exam creates, for some, the focus they need to practice and advance with their studies. 
We offer our students two exams that they can participate in: the Exams from the Trinity College of music in London and the Royal School of Music. Our students are able to complete a whole host of exams for their particular instrument and style- from Pop and Rock exams to Classical. 

  
Completing an exams gives our students confidence and tools and skills for performance in the future. Receiving a certificate of excellence is something that they can take with them as an accomplishment, and one that can be used to further their musical career. At shine many students have completed the highest grades of musical exams and now can teach music in their own right. The exams have pushed them from perhaps only enjoying music as a hobby into acquiring a means to succeed in their lives. 
Exams take diligence and practice. Taking exams nurtures both of these abilities and even students who may not get the best results benefit from the experience of sitting an exam with a stranger or examiner that they have never met. It prepares them for possible instances in their future where they need to be adaptable and perform under pressure or think on their feet. They also learn to keep going, even if they have made a mistake, a quality that will serve them well. 
Exams may be scary, but doing music exams at the school are not compulsory, and this in itself makes them beneficial as the students choose to make their own goals. The consequences are not as dire, and this allows the student some freedom to prove himself or herself on their own. Perhaps this fact alone makes taking exams at the shine school of music in Barcelona a powerful advantage for the student, as improving and accomplishing a new goal by oneself is hugely beneficial to ones self esteem! 
You can find out more about our exams here.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Benefits of taking a Music Exam

Study in Spain

Study holidays have long been popular in Barcelona, where many people visit the city for longer periods of time on student visas. Barcelona boasts some of the top business schools, a respected Erasmus program and plenty of choices for studying Spanish. Study abroad is both a daunting and exciting prospect for young people, and often a right of passage.

Immersive study is a valuable way to learn and a good way to get to know the history, culture and people of Catalunya and Spain.

Shine school of music offers both extracurricular music lessons in Barcelona to students already in the city looking to expand their knowledge base and students wanting to do intensive courses on flamenco or classical Spanish guitar. Our guitar courses can be taught in Spanish, Catalan or English offering an alternative approach to learning the language. And we offer a host of other instrument courses from piano lessons to singing.

Barcelona is well suited as city for students. It’s generally safe with a large international community. The city is small enough to navigate easily and there are plenty of affordable accommodation options for students from home stays to shared apartments. Students can become involved in the vibrant meetup groups, and there are plenty of free, cheap and fun activities that won’t break the bank. Yoga in the park, jam sessions, exercise on the beach, the list goes on. Besides this, Barcelona has an action packed cultural calendar with festivals and fiestas planned throughout the year.

At shine music school we accept students of any age and welcome the chance to share our love and knowledge of music with the discerning learner. Why not study music in Barcelona with us. We offer tailored courses for individual study as well as group music lessons.

Posted in Barcelona, Guitar, music school, piano | 2 Comments