It’s as if our metamorphosis is almost complete. Stretching our arms and breaking free of our tiny cocoons. The sun is shining and we are able to visit the parks and beaches for exercise. Getting out of our houses or apartments is liberating. It changes our moods and uplifts our spirits, just like music can change our mood, so can a change in our environment. We find ourselves hatching out into a new world. This means we need to look for new and interesting ways to interact.
So why not take your music practice with you?! Smaller instruments are ideal, a guitar or ukulele, a guitalele or bongo drum, so that you can carry them easily. If you sing you only need take along your voice for an acoustic jamming session outside! Find a quiet spot in a park and practice your guitar outside!
With the 10 person gathering allowance in Barcelona, it’s the perfect time to form a band, or put on a tiny rooftop or terrace performance. So check the weather forecast, and plan your musical party! Invite friends who don’t have instruments and get them to sing along in an outdoor karaoke session. We don’t advise you singing along indoors, so while we wait until we can enjoy the outdoor parks and beaches with friends and do some Social Distance Jamming, why not host your own Online Musical Party. Plenty of our teachers have been playing and performing with friends together online. Hosting a zoom party online is not too difficult!
You can have fun decorating your room to create that party ambience and then stream it online. Create your own online invitation. There are various platforms in which you can interact and make music together online. Or perhaps you just would like to do a live DJ stream and chat with your guests. Whichever way you choose, music and interacting with music can connect us in many ways! With just a little Googling you can find plenty of online parties to join. Many djs and performers have transitioned online. Why not join in with some friends via a watch party, or create your own! Here are some tips!
Which Platform Should I Use?
FaceTime: If your whole group owns iPhones or Macs, try using FaceTime. It’s a simple and easy tool to use. If you are on your phone, you make need a phone stand to make your party handsfree.
Zoom has become uber popular during the worldwide lockdowns. It’s great for big groups. And you can see everyone at the same time. If you have a paid account it works even better and you don’t have to worry about “uninvited guests”!
Skype: This app has been around for a while. Perhaps even the original online calling platform. It’s perfect for large groups, and can be used on multiple devices.
Facebook Messenger: If you have a small group, facebook messenger works well. If you have a Facebook account, you don’t have to go through the hassle of setting up a new account and figuring out new platforms
Whatsapp: Whatsapp also works well for small groups. Similar to Facetime and Facebook Messenger, you may find that all your friends already have an account, so it could be easy to hang out together, the only problem is it only works on your phone for calls.
Google Hangouts: Just like Facebook Messenger, the biggest perk of Google Hangouts is that you don’t need to make another account to video chat. Google Hangouts is free to use straight from your Google account.
Twitch TV: You can stream your online DJ set or concert via twitch tv. Or even stream your 10 person gathering and invite more people to join in online. Making an account is not difficult. Log in and set up a stream.
How to Host a Virtual Party
1. Send virtual invite
Virtual invites can be as formal or as simple as you’d like. You can send out a quick group text or if you’re feeling fancy, whip up a virtual party invite and send it out over e-mail. Use free templates for a fun image on the Canva app.
2. Plan together beforehand
No one wants to show up to a party unprepared. Just because it’s online, doesn’t mean it’s boring. Make it a reason to dress up! You can even make a party theme!
3. Designate responsibilities
Get people involved. Often the excitement of preparing for an event can be half of the fun. If you’re having a theme party, designate any tasks and responsibilities out to your friends and family. For example, if you’re hosting a virtual musical night, be sure that everyone has an instrument, even if they have to make one!
4. Let’s party!
Dress up, set up your camera (you can make your own phone stand) and get your party snacks and drinks ready. It’s time to have some fun!
It’s a hot summer day in Eastern Spain. The scent of figs fills the air, cicadas buzz. Somewhere a church bell clangs. A few plucked guitar notes can be heard drifting from a shady plaça corner.
Let’s consider the interesting twists and turns in the life of Francisco Tárrega. Perhaps it’s more legend than truth, but the “father of classical guitar” seemed to have followed a fated path in his pursuit of his chosen instrument.
Even from a young age, Francisco Tárrega knew what he wanted. And more than anything, it was to play the guitar. Let’s imagine him as a small boy, sneaking in to play on his fathers treasured instrument while dad worked as a watchman at the local convent. Or listening avidly while his father played Flamenco. His ear tuned to the chords and notes. It was clear that he had an aptitude for the stringed instrument right from the beginning.
Growing up during the Romantic era, the young Francisco began his adventurous life running away from home. This independent streak resulted in a series of incidents which were to influence his whole life!
Little did he know on that hot summer day as he escaped the clutches of his nanny, what was to follow. Indeed as he ran, the cicadas calling, dust puffing up from his feet, he chanced to look back (at her maybe), and fell into an irrigation canal. His flight to boyhood freedom stalled. Through luck or fate, his future path was cemented.
Tárregas eyes were injured so badly in the fall that his father decided that Francisco was to become a musician. A career in which you didn’t need your eyes. And it was settled. The entire family was uprooted from Tárregas birth town of Villarreal, schlepped across the river Mijares to Castellón de la Plana, so that he could attend music classes.
Indeed the first two of his music professors were themselves blind. A life’s journey was set in motion. Francisco Tárrega began to learn the piano and guitar.
When he was ten years old, the famous Spanish concert guitarist Julián Arcas heard Tárrega play and recognising his talent, begged his father to allow him to accompany him to Barcelona, so that he could tutor the boy. His father reluctantly agreed.
In Barcelona, Francisco was set to continue his study of both the piano and the guitar, but it wasn’t long before the unwatched youngster had run away a second time. Loose on the streets of Barcelona. He was soon found playing his little guitar in coffee houses and restaurants, and taken back under the wing of his father.
Despite his father’s great sacrifices to set him straight and on the path of formal piano playing, Francisco’s fingers itched to play the guitar, and three years later, ran away for a third time at the mere age of thirteen, joining a group of Gypsies in Valencia where he improved his flamenco skills and perhaps his life skills too.
Perhaps Tárrega was feeling responsible for his family, or maybe just finally grown up. Whatever the case, he was able to repay his family’s dedication and worked hard playing the piano and guitar in various villages to aid them. By 1874 and at 22 years of age, his luck changed again.
Francisco entered the Madridconservatory under the sponsorship of a wealthy merchant named Antonio Canesa who had happened upon his playing by chance at a rural casino in the village of Burriano. He brought along with him a recently purchased guitar, made in Seville by Antonio de Torres. Oddly enough it was the self same guitarist Julián Arcas who had encouraged Torres to pursue making guitars as his full time profession. It seems that the guitar was so well made, and it’s sound so suited Tárrega that he rarely played on any other type. This guitar both inspired his music and influenced his style.
At the conservatory, Tárrega studied composition under Emilio Arrieta who convinced him to focus on guitar and abandon the idea of a career with the piano. Despite the current views (and those of his father) that the guitar was only an instrument to accompany singers, and the piano was most popular throughout Europe, Tárrega did not take much convincing. Playing the guitar was something that he had loved since he had been a small child.
Francisco Tárrega
By the late 1870s Tárrega was set up as a professional music teacher and musician and taught (most famous amongst them) Emilio Pujol, Miguel Llobet, and Daniel Fortea, thus passing on his knowledge and all the while fine tuning his work through rigorous study and practice. Soon he was composing his own music and touring the country, giving regular performances. Even transcribing important piano works into pieces for guitar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reJvv2Ob-Kc
His frequent concerts resulted in the meeting of his future wife as well as one of his most famous compositions, “Lagrima” or The Teardrop, which was written when he was touring in London, miserable and homesick for Spain. Upon returning to his homeland in 1880, he was married and eventually settled in Barcelona, not too far from where he had grown up.
Under the patronage of wealthy widow, Conxa Martinez, Tárrega mellowed. No longer running to pursue his dreams, he relaxed into perfecting his art. His patronage allowed him and his family use of a house in Barcelona rumoured to be somewhere on c/ Gignas, where he would write the bulk of his most popular works. Later Conxa Martinez took him to Granada, where the guitarist conceived the theme for Recuerdos de la Alhambra. Tárrega continued to perform live, but he preferred to stay in his native country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOsRMECWKAE
A few years before his untimely death, Tárrega made an important change in his playing. He cut his nails. To a classical guitarist playing on gut strings, the use of ones nails to pluck out the notes was all important. Used similarly to a plectrum on steel strings, the nails are used to play on Spanish or Classical nylon stringed guitars. No-one is quite sure of the reason for Tárregas choice and there appear to be various opinions, but the fact remains that this changed the style and more importantly, the sound of his playing forever. Callouses built up on his fingertips and with these he continued to play. Tárrega loved this new sound so much that he enforced nail trimming among all his students.
César Munera teaches Flamenco, Classical, and Contemporary Guitar (covering both Jazz and Blues, Rock, and Pop) at the Shine School of Music. We asked him some questions:
What was the first thing that sparked your interest in music?
Since I was little I used to watch my Father play the guitar and I started from there.
Who inspired you to make music?
My inspiration began with The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Queen, and Pink Floyd.
How would you describe the music you normally play?
Well, I have been fortunate to study various styles, Classical, Flamenco, Blues and now what I play the most is Fingerstyle or fingerpicking which covers many genres, especially Ragtime, Country and Jazz.
What is your creative process like?
My creative process begins with listening to a lot of music, in addition to choosing the musical pieces that I like and from there I start to create, it also depends a lot on the environment I am in.
If you could choose to collaborate with any musician, who would it be with?
Well I would like to collaborate with many musicians.
If you could choose to open the show of any musician, whose would it be?
With my band it would be great to open for Radiohead and as a soloist I would like to open for Tommy Emmanuel.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
I hardly ever sing in the shower
Which of your concerts have you enjoyed the most and why?
When I played the Aranjuez concert, because it was amazing to experience the orchestra, I felt like I was on another planet.
Where would you like to do a concert?
At the Liceu and in one of the great theaters in New York.
What famous musicians do you admire?
Tommy Emmanuel, Robben Ford, Buddy Guy, John Mayer, Gary Clark jr, Joe Robinson, and I could go on …
What has been the best advice you have been given?
Hmm, I’ve received a lot of good advice, I think the one I like the most is to not compare myself to anyone and express what I have.
How do you think the internet has impacted the music industry?
Internet is a good tool, the sad thing is that almost nobody buys the discs anymore, they download everything or listen to it over the Internet.
If you could change something about the industry what would it be?
I don’t want to answer this question, because maybe I would say a lot of ugly things hahaha …
What would you be doing right now if we weren’t in confinement?
I would be planning a trip for this weekend which is my birthday 😁
Take a class with Cesar and be sure to follow him on Instagram, where he often shares his music and videos.
Exploring the science of sound with kids is both interesting and fun! So what is sound?
Sound is a vibration that grows as an acoustic wave, through a medium like gas, liquid or solid. We interpret these vibrations and waves via our ears and brains. Only acoustic waves that have frequencies lying between about 20 Hz and 20 kHz can be heard by humans. Sound waves above 20 kHz are known as ultrasound and are not audible to humans. Sound waves below 20 Hz are known as infrasound. Different animal species have varying hearing ranges.
Sound waves travel into our ear canals until they reach the eardrum. The eardrum passes the acoustic vibrations through the middle ear bones and into the inner ear. The inner ear is shaped like a tiny snail and called the cochlea. Inside the cochlea, there are thousands of tiny cells that look like little hairs. These cells change the vibrations into electrical signals that are sent into our brains through the hearing nerve. The brain tells you that you are hearing a sound and what that sound is.(source)
With the following fun experiments you can demonstrate sound and experiment with music!
Xylophone Water Glasses
Musical instruments are so much fun to make!
This sound activity shows how different amounts of water in containers change the pitch of the sound created.
Supplies Needed:
4 empty glasses
Water
Wooden spoon
What to Do:
1. Fill each glass with varying amounts of water.
2. Add a few drops of food coloring to each glass to give it a fun twist.
3. Using the spoon, tap the outside or top of each glass. What sounds are being made? Which glasses have the highest or lowest pitch?
Play around with the water levels in each glass and experiment with pitch! You can even add more glasses and try to create your own songs. Try simple songs like “Twinkle, twinkle little star.”
Listen to Sounds Travel Underwater
Sound travels well through air, but it travels even better through water! This easy sound experiment is best outside on a terrace or balcony, or even perhaps in the bath. The best of course is if you can do it underwater in a pool or a beach.
Supplies Needed:
A bucket filled with water
A large plastic water or soda bottle
At least 2 kitchen knives/spoons
Scissors or sharp knife to cut the bottle
What to Do:
1. After filling the bucket with water, take a sharp knife or kitchen scissors and cut off the bottom of the plastic water bottle. Take the cap is off of the bottle.
2. Instruct your child to place the bottle in the water so that the cut bottom is in the water. Your child will then put his or her ear to the top of the bottle to listen.
3. Using the kitchen knives, clang them together to make a sound, but do this in the bucket of water as your child is listening. What does your child hear?
Your child has probably noticed that the sound of the clanging is loud and clear. Sound travels faster through water than in the air, and animals that live underwater are able to hear sound clearly. Whales and dolphins are well known to make sounds and communicate underwater. In fact you can hear whale sounds several kilometers away.
Whales can also emit low frequency sound waves which we cannot hear. These sound waves can travel very far in water without losing energy. Researchers believe that some of these low frequency sounds can travel more than 16,000 km in some levels of the ocean! Imagine being able to hear noises coming from that far away!
If you go to the beach this summer or are in a pool, try diving under the water and having someone make noise underwater. It’s interesting to use your sense of hearing in this way.
In some spas, they even play relaxing music in the pool water using underwater microphones. You can float with your ears submerged and listen to the music.
Paper Cup Classic
Supplies Needed:
2 paper cups
Long string, like fishing line, kite string
A sharp pencil or needle to poke holes in the cups
Scissors
What to Do:
1. Start by cutting a long piece of string of at least 10 meters.
2. Poke a small hole at the bottom of each cup.
3. Using each end of the string, thread it through the bottoms of the cups, tying a large knot so that the string does not fall out of the cup. If you make the holes too large, use a washer or paper clip to hold the string in place so that it does not pull out of the cup.
4. Now stand further enough apart so that the string stretches taught between you. Be sure that the string does not touch any other object and that it remains suspended in air as you complete the experiment.
5. Taking turns, talk into the cup, while the other person listens by putting the cup to their ear. Tell your child to repeat what he or she hears after you have spoken and do the same in return!
After the experiment, explain to your child what is happening: sound waves created by talking through the cup travel through the line to the other end, converting back to sound on the opposite side!
Chladni used metal plate covered in sand which he vibrated with a violin bow, and saw how the sand created various patterns depending on the kind of vibration.
Make your own Chladni Vibration Plate!
Supplies Needed:
A bowl or tub
plastic wrap or wax paper
an elastic band or sticky tape
salt
a mini portable bluetooth or wireless speaker
What to Do:
Turn your speaker on and place it inside the bowl. Your bowl needs to be big enough that the speaker sits inside.
Cover the top of the bowl with your plastic wrap or wax paper, making sure that it is taught and stretched evenly across without any wrinkles. Hold it in place with the elastic band or some pieces of sticking tape.
Sprinkle some salt onto the top.
Choose a song with a lot of bass or use the following video to play on the speaker in the bowl.
Watch to see what happens! Your child should be delighted at the way the salt dances on top of the bowl when the bass vibrates the plastic or wax covering.
Don’t forget, we rent instruments and offer online music lessons! Contact us!
I have been making music since I was very young, and as it often happens, my entry was purely incidental since my parents decided that maybe it was good to do it. From there, little by little I became hooked, when I realised the great power that music to express sensations and feelings.
Who inspired you to make music?
During my life I have been inspired by many diverse artists, from Bach, Schumann, Mark Knopfler, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Frank Zappa, Mr. Bungle, Lachenmann and Scelsi, to mention only a few… One of the incredible things about art is that there are always new artists to discover, each one opens new worlds to you and redirects your way of feeling, thinking and your speech.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
It is difficult to classify what I do, since I change styles and interests quite frequently. Right now I am immersed in Jazz Manouche, a style whose main figure and founder was Django Reinhardt. The history of this guitarist is exciting, since due to an accident he had to change his way of playing, and consequently created a new jazz trend.
What is your creative process like?
The creative process is a topic that I could go on about for ever, since it is the result of who each person is and what they like, and therefore, it also changes over time. Right now I think that to create in an honest way, it is vital to unleash the music that one intuitively wants to listen / sing / express. The brain is often fickle and many times, the best ideas appear at the most unexpected moment, so it’s great to always have a tape recorder on hand!
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
That choice is very tricky, but it would certainly be a privilege to work alongside Jacob Collier, since he has a very broad understanding of music.
If you could open a show for any artist who would it be?
Since I am currently immersed in Jazz Manouche, it would be great to open a show for any of the great musicians work in the style today, musicians like Sebastien Giniaux, Adrien Moignard, Antoine Boyer or the band Les Doigtes de l’Homme.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Of course I sing! The first thing that comes to mind! We all know that everyone sounds good in the shower, and when I shower you are as likely to hear Sabina as Elton John or something akin to John Coltrane
What has been your favourite venue to perform in?
The concerts I enjoy the most are those where I am focused and present in the music, it can be quite a journey. The worst thing that can happen to you at a concert is having your head everywhere except the music you are playing.
Where is the place would you most like to perform?
Anywhere there is a good public!
Which famous musicians do you admire?
I have already mentioned some of my references in previous questions, the truth is that if I had to mention them all, they would not fit on this page!
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
The best advice has been to remind me of my great luck in making music and being able to teach it, since it is something that fulfils me and connects me with others.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
The Internet has impacted all aspects of our lives, music undoubtedly one of them. It has changed the way in which we make it, share it and consume it.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
If I could change something, it would be to boost and facilitate live music. It is incredible to see how in other countries people listen to live music much more frequently, regardless of whether they know it previously or not. Here in Spain people have become accustomed to paying little or not paying for live music (except for the concerts of the great stars, where the price is very inflated), so let’s say that the musician’s salary is affected by profound inequality . It is not only about having places to play, but it is also necessary to foster curiosity, the desire to discover new forms of art and artists, and undergo an experience of discovery, where you may not know where you will end up! This, which was more common before, is being lost in the present, where entertainment is encouraged as a form of escape, not as a channel for discovery.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for lockdown?
I would be giving face-to-face classes with my students (although we are using distance learning (skype/zoom etc) a lot, and it works quite well). I miss them! I am also sure that I would be jamming and playing in the sun with my musician friends.
