UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:
WINTER BREAK - 12/23 to 1/5 (CLOSED), MLK DAY - JAN 15 (OPEN), MARDI GRAS - FEB 13 (OPEN), VALENTINE'S DAY - FEB 14 (OPEN), PRESIDENT'S DAY - FEB 19 (OPEN)
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WE ARE
CLOSED
NOW FOR WINTER BREAK!
WE WILL RE-OPEN ON SATURDAY, JAN 6TH!
Happy, musical, holiday wishes to all! As we wrap up another year, there is no better time to extend a most heartfelt sentiment of gratitude to everyone that reads this. Whether you are a staff member, parent, student or simply got on this list by mistake, it means a lot to me that you are not only taking interest in music education, but you care enough to keep up with this newsletter! 2018 marks my 10th anniversary as "director" of Music Time. We have seen a lot of change over the years, and I can't even imagine what sort of change is in store over the next 10!
For now, let's just look at what is in store in the short term...
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CONCERT PHOTOS & VIDEOS NOW ONLINE
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Looking for photos? Yep, we got 'em. They are on our Facebook page. If you like the photos, please also "like" (as in, click the little thumbs up) the page so that we can look cool in front of all of the other kids. Ok, you have now earned the link. Without any further adieu:
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Congrats to Josiah for earning the Student of the Month honor! He will receive not only priceless glory & endless bragging rights, but also gift certificates to Music Time Academy & Livermore Cinemas.
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Instrument:
Trumpet, French Horn
Teacher:
Adam
Age:
15
Grade:
9th
School:
Granada High School
Student Since:
2016
Hobbies (besides practicing):
Computers, Math, Gaming, Astrophysics
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JOSIAH'S STORY:
Josiah has an incredible passion for music, which he shows whenever he performs live. Last summer, Josiah performed a trumpet solo at the summer Jazz Lab concert at Bent Creek Winery after playing only for a few months. He played alongside the chair of the WSU music program Greg Yasinitsky, who said afterward that Josiah had great promise as a musician, and suggested he attend WSU double major in physics and music. Josiah is very excited about pursuing both music and science professionally.
FROM ADAM, JOSIAH'S INSTRUCTOR:
There is a very peculiar type of discipline needed to excel at the trumpet. One of my very favorite events to witness as a trumpet teacher is the one where one of my students becomes addicted to that type of discipline and then watch as it blossoms into a passion for the instrument. I have had the joy of watching this happen to Josiah as he has channeled his unique blend of passion and excitement into increasing his proficiency on his horn. I look forward to watching him inevitably become one of the Bay Area's up and coming young trumpet players.
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Ian Williams
Ian has been on staff at Music Time for almost 5 years. Although his primary instrument is saxophone, his music career has taken him in many directions, from a heavy metal guitarist to a student of jazz performance, and to making hip hop beats. I hope that you enjoy his story!
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Tell us about how you got started in music.
My whole family comes from a musical background. My dad plays trumpet, which is his main instrument. He also plays piano and is a composer. He writes big band arrangements.
Were your parents full-time musicians?
No, my dad is retired from insurance. He went to Berklee College of music and then became a teacher there. He was writing commercial jingles with my mom's brother - that’s actually how they met! My dad realized that [writing jingles] wasn't the lifestyle for him. My mom was a school teacher in the Bay Area. She used to sing songs and play autoharp. My grandpa and great grandpa played brass instruments, trombone trumpet.
What was your first instrument?
My dad came in and taught recorder for our 3rd grade class. He used to say that I had “30 teeth going in 30 different directions”. Since he knew I would need braces, and since we've never had a woodwind player in the family, the next year we rented an alto sax. The fingerings are close to the ones on recorder, so all I had to do was figure out the ambiture.
Did you only play in school? When did you begin to play outside of school?
I first started lessons with a private teacher in fourth grade at Danville Music, then later changed to Guido Fazio over at House of Woodwinds, who mentored me through middle and high school. He kept my interest in saxophone and showed me about improv, how once you kind of know your way around blowing over changes, you grab a Real Book then go out and do gigs.
Through the high school days, freshman through junior year, I got more into playing guitar with a rock group, playing like the music i was into at the time - pop punk, like All American Rejects and Simple Plan. I actually played with the band Fallujah, that is now a super successful metal band. They tour the world and have a huge following! But It was not my thing, I felt more comfortable playing saxophone, way more connected to it.
Was pursuing music in general ever a question for you?
Senior year, it was not a question. For sure music, nothing else. I was never outstanding at academics. I never felt like i wanted to pursue anything else. Music was one thing I always had. It had always came naturally because I was always around. It.
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What was your next step to pursue music after high school?
I went to Berklee in Boston, but then came back for financial reasons. In a way it really sucked, but I had more opportunities coming back, like the whole idea of gigging. You could gig in Boston, but because there are so many good players, you’re always going up against these monster players.
I understand that now, in addition to teaching, your music career involves making “beats”. How did you get into production & making beats?
6 or 7 years ago I randomly met a guy that was like, “Play sax on some of my beats!” Even though I listened to a lot of pop punk, jazz and metal, I had always liked the vibe the beats in hip hop and was always curious how they did that. I knew it wasn't a real drummer. It always fascinated me how it was made, how it came together. There are different programs that allow you to record midi through your own computer. You load up every sound and play it through the keyboard.
The production side is completely different than everything I have ever done musically. It’s interesting because it doesn’t really follow like when you learn an instrument. When you learn music, you learn technique and theory. With production, a lot of it is heavy sample-based. You sample an old soul or R&B tune, then you throw your own drums on it.
Where do the beats that you make go? Who uses them?
We’re trying to get down the route of licensing and looking for someone represent us to get our music in movies or video games. It hasn’t been lucrative yet, but if we build up a big enough catalog we can start collecting royalties. We started a business & created a publishing company called, “First Class Music”. Also, local rappers and singers will come to us because they want a “First Class” beat.
Have you replaced playing live gigs with this?
I get calls for gigs, but with teaching and paperwork, I’ve been too busy. I used to play in the DVC night band, but they’re not part of DVC. now I’m playing the Chabot jazz band. These beats are the majority of music that I make now. I try to do all original stuff because getting samples cleared is a nightmare. 90% of the stuff i make is original. Having our own is much easier.
Are there issues with making beats if you are not a musician?
It’s interesting, coming for such a musical background. It's so different. My partner, he sits in front of a keyboard and he just knows that all the black keys work together. But he doesn't know how everything works together. Her just goes off of what sounds good. He always had the feeling of beat.
What about with structure or form?
Especially with digital music, it has it all laid out for you. You can change it if you want to, but everything starts in 4/4, so it’s always going to be looped in 4 bars, 8 bars, 16 bars or whatever.
There is a hook and then there is a verse and a hook, maybe an intro or outro, You don’t think of it as a chorus. That’s really the only solid construct that there is to it, but there are so many different options. You don't even have to have verses, it can be the same 4 beats with a different melody. It doesn't follow traditional music, it's completely random. Most producers that don't have that musical background just go off of their ear.
Well then, there you have it - much music can be made, even without years of training. Now go out and try making some for yourself! You’ll never learn if you don’t try. And nobody EVER said on their deathbed, “I am so glad I never tried making music.”
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FEATURED CONCERT:
Who:
The California Honeydrops
Where:
U.C. Theater in Berkeley (ALL AGES VENUE)
When:
New Year's Eve,
Sunday, 12/31
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The California Honeydrops don’t just play music—they throw parties. Led by dynamic vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski, and drawing on diverse musical influences from Bay Area R&B, funk, Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second-line, the Honeydrops bring vibrant energy and infectious dance-party vibes to their shows. They’ve taken the party all over the world, playing festivals of all kinds and touring widely across North America, Europe and Australia. In 2016 the Honeydrops were honored to support Bonnie Raitt on her North America release tour—and in the past have been privileged to support the likes of B.B. King, Allen Toussaint, Buddy Guy, and Dr. John. Whether in those high-profile performances or in more intimate venues where the band itself can leave the stage and get down on the dance floor, the California Honeydrops’ shared vision and purpose remain: to make the audience dance and sing.
The Honeydrops have come a long way since guitarist and trumpeter Lech Wierzynkski and drummer Ben Malament started busking in an Oakland subway station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, street-level feel. Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later at Oberlin College and on the club circuit in Oakland, California. With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury on bass, they’ve built a powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski’s vocals. More like parties than traditional concerts, their shows feature extensive off-stage jamming and crowd interaction. “The whole point is to erase the boundaries between the crowd and us,” Wierzynski says. “We don't make setlists. We want requests. We want crowd involvement, to make people become a part of the whole thing by dancing along, singing, picking the songs and generally coming out of their shells.”
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Every Thursday:
Tim G (guitar) at Tiki Tom's in Walnut Creek
Every Thursday:
Michael Solomon at Live Oak Lodge # 61 in Oakland
Thursday, December 21
Timmy G at Tiki Toms
Friday, December 22
Professor Jones at Boom Boom Room
The UnOriginals at Johnny Foleys
Saturday, December 23
Mama Foxxy at Vinnie's in Concord
Fast & Vengefully (acoustic) at Slainte, Oakland
Thursday, December 28
Timmy G at Tiki Toms
Friday, December 29th
Timmy G Acoustic at Maria Maria, Walnut Creek, CA 6pm
Sunday, December 31
THe UnOriginals at Maggie McGarry's - NYE Celebration
Saturday, January 6th
Tory & the Teasers at Starry Plough in Berkeley
Friday, January 12th
The UnOriginals at Meenar, Danville CA
Meenar, Danville CA
Saturday, January 13th
Fast & Vengefully at Johnny Foleys SF
Friday. January 19th
The UnOriginals at Maggie Mcgarrys, SF
Maggie Mcgarrys, SF
Friday, February 2nd
The UnOriginals at Vinnie's, Concord
Vinnie's, Concord
CHECK OUT SOME LOCAL BANDS FEATURING MUSIC TIME STAFF:
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From the Music Time Academy Administrative Staff:
Anna, Monica, Mike & Adam
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For every new private lessons student that you refer to Music Time Academy, enjoy a 25% discount from your monthly tuition! REFER 4 STUDENTS & GET A FREE MONTH OF LESSONS!
*Offer does not apply to immediate family members or to prior students re-enrolling.25% discount applies to tuition rate for one student only.
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