UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY - 10/9 (OPEN), HALLOWEEN - 10/31 (OPEN), VETERAN'S DAY - 11/11 (OPEN), THANKSGIVING BREAK - 11/23 to 11/25 (CLOSED)
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We hope that you had a relaxing and joyful Labor Day weekend, recuperating from (or preparing for) the "Bach" to school madness. For us, it's been a non-stop rush of instrument rentals, new rock bands, students returning from vacation, and newcomers to both private lessons & Meet Music programs. What a wonderful whirlwind!
So, please forgive the lateness of our "August" newsletter!
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MAKE MORE MUSIC! GROUP PLAY
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Although private lessons are fantastic for getting started on an instrument (and for learning instrument-specific details), this one-on-one setting is only a portion of a well-rounded music education. Once students get to experience how their part connects with others to create a larger whole, music truly comes alive – and perhaps along with it comes some true motivation to practice! Our group music-making opportunists are constantly expanding to include as many different ages and instruments as possible. Here is what we have available currently:
STUDENT ENSEMBLES:
Rock Bands –
Scroll down this newsletter a bit for more info...
String Ensemble (Classical & Folk) – Thursdays @ 7pm
String Ensemble (Pop & Rock) – Fridays @ 4pm
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**NEW MEET MUSIC CLASS** DUET NOW!
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Is your 4-6 year old ready to learn piano?
Private lessons are a fantastic way to learn an instrument, but children under 6 years old are generally not quite ready to truly benefit from the one-on-one setting. We recommend trying our shared lessons in general music, rather than start on an instrument too soon, and running the risk of your child being discouraged.
“Let’s Duet” is a unique class, structured for children to experience the elements of music through a variety of means. Students will be paired with a partner of similar age and skill level. With the support and expertise of their instructor, students will explore the fundamentals of music that will apply to any instrument they may later choose to learn. Class time will be divided between lessons on the piano/keyboard and various percussion instruments, listening/singing exercises and musical notation reading and writing.
FOR MORE INFO, INCLUDING SCHEDULE & RATES, PLEASE SEE:
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WE WANT YOU...TO JOIN A BAND!
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Did you catch any of those exciting performances from the rock bands at our last concert? Well NOW is the time to join a band!
We have openings for: Vocals, Guitar, Bass (we welcome guitar players to try it!), Drums, Keyboards, and Horns (Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone). New bands are forming & current bands are accepting new members. For students 8+ years old, up through adults!
Beg
If you would like more information about joining a group listed above, please click here to fill out our quick & easy interest form. We’ll look over your info & place you in the best fitting group
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Did you know that we rent instruments for school band & orchestra programs?
This year we have a HUGE stock of high quality instruments in need of a loving home. Trumpets, clarinets, saxophones, flutes, trombones, violins, violas, cellos, snare/bell combos & more! It ain't a bad deal either - all repairs are included, payments go towards the purchase of the instrument, and the first month is FREE!
Low monthly rates with rent-to-own options. For details, visit:
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Congrats to Nicolette Dunbar! Nicolette will receive not only priceless glory & endless bragging rights, but also gift certificates to Music Time Academy & Livermore Cinemas.
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Instrument:
Voice
Teacher:
Tim G
Grade:
10th
School:
Granada High
Students Since:
June 2011
Hobbies (besides practicing):
La Crosse, Cooking, Reading, Swimming, Playing with her Dogs and Cats, and Hanging out with her Brother and Sister
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A true musician, Nicolette has big ears for music! She has not only demonstrated love and passion for music, but also strong determination, plus a habit of seizing the opportunities that come her way.
Nicolette originally began drum lessons back in 2012. Still a percussionist, she currently plays in the Granada Band. Previously she was a member of the Mendenhall Marching Band, and also played drum set at several Music Time Academy Concerts - including one of our all-time favorite performances: The Dunbar family band's extra rocking performance of Cheap Trick's Surrender! Nicolette moved on to studying voice and piano, after she noticed a natural ability to play and sing her favorite songs by ear. Since enrolling in lessons on piano & voice, her skills have flourished! She is now able to rearrange her favorite Beatles songs to sing them in her own style.
Back in February, Nicolette waited for 10+ hours in Los Angeles for the opportunity to audition for America's Got Talent.
Although she didn't make it to show, she appreciated the opportunity to perform in front of judges and share her vocal and piano talents. In 2016, Nicolette got to experience singing in a recording studio on a song for her father's album (which ended up being the most popular song - not a surprise to us!).
Nicolette has also sang the National Anthem for Mendenhall Middle School, Granada High Football Games and for the Alameda County Fire Department Awards and Recognition Ceremony. Recently, Nicolette made it to the finals of "Granada Idol" by singing a duet with her best friend. In addition to all of these accomplishments as a vocalist, let's not forget that Nicolette actually started out music lessons as an instrumentalist.
Apparently guitar is the next step for Nicolette, as she has recently picked that up too. Why not?!
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Elizabeth Angell
We congratulate Miss Elizabeth on her recent completion of a Bachelor of Music from California State University, East Bay! And we are happy to have her here at Music Time more often, now teaching Clarinet, Saxophone, Violin, Piano & Voice on Mondays, Fridays & Saturdays. Adam had a chance to chat a bit with her about the experience of studying music in college. We are happy to share their conversation, which gives an interesting insider perspective.
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A: Rumor has it that you are celebrating something rather exciting, a recent graduation! Is that correct?
E: Yes I just graduated from Cal State East Bay, I earned my Bachelors of Music with a Minor in American Sign Language. I also did the two years of Music Education, which was really fun. At Cal State they have an optional Music Education Sequence for credentials to teach music in California Public Schools.
A: Could you tell us a little more about the Music Education Sequence?
E: Sure, so for the first year, every quarter we would take 2 different classes and every class addressed 2 different types of instruments. For instance, one quarter we have a class on low brass and a class on high brass. In the high brass class, for five weeks we studied trumpet, then for the next five weeks we studied French horn. Then, in the Low Brass class for the first five weeks we studied trombone, then for the next five weeks we studied tuba and baritone.
A: So you can play all of those instruments?
E: Well… Haha That’s debatable. Define “play.” Haha. I am equipped with the knowledge of how to hold those instruments and get started on them. I am familiar with the basics of those instruments and I could definitely get students started.
A: That all sounds really interesting. What else did the program entail?
E: We had to take an elementary music class, where we learn nursery rhymes and musical games aimed at the younger students, kind of like what we do in the Meet Music Classes at Music Time. We also took conducting classes.
A: So, really, it was the complete “become a band-teacher” package. What was the difference between that program and majoring in Music?
E: Well, the difference is that you had to keep up with both. I still had to do everything that a performance major has to do. Clarinet was my major instrument. So, I still had to do my Junior & Senior Recital and maintain a high level proficiency for performing. The music education stuff is what I decided to add on myself as an optional sequence. But I actually really, really enjoyed it despite all the extra work because I learned a tremendous amount and I use what I learned everyday teaching my private students. So despite the fact that I was a Performance Major, I benefited a lot from the Music Education Program at Cal State East Bay.
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A: I feel that in modern day, maybe in California especially, the band director gets a bad rap, especially with the shuttering and re-opening of programs and the politics entrenched in the current school system. How were your relationships with you band directors and did this program change your view of the role of the band director at all?
E: I know what you mean, it is really a yes and a no for me. I had a great relationship with my band directors growing up, especially in high school and college. I have always really respected and looked up to my band directors. They were always people, who to me, could play everything, write anything, could do anything, and who knew everything. But I think I gained even more of an appreciation of how much work they actually put into their jobs and their students, and I think that is true of the Music Degree in general. You know, when I went into it, I didn’t really… Not that I thought It would be easy, but I definitely was thinking to myself, “Oh, I love music, how hard could this actually be?” Which was definitely a wake-up call and gave me much more appreciation for musicians in general. So, not only do band directors do all that, they learn all these other instruments as well. Even though I already respected my band directors, I gave me a greater understanding as to why they really do deserve our respect and appreciation.
A: How involved in your High School Band Program were you?
E: Pretty much lived in my high school’s band room.
A: Yes, I know the feeling, I think a lot of musician’s do.
E: I went to high school in Pennsylvania and I loved my band director and I don’t mean to talk bad, but I do think that the musical standard is higher here in California in general. There are a few other states that like that, you know, Texas and New York. They kind of have that edge to them, that higher expectation. That is not to say I didn’t get a great musical education. I had a great band director in high school. You know, I picked up the clarinet when I was in the 4th grade and have played it every year since, Marching band, Concert Band, by my senior year the band director had encouraged me to play sax and join jazz band. He was one of those teachers that really appreciated his students’ abilities and pushed us to be better. We actually had a student who went on to play for the Marine Corp band. He was a trumpet player, it was awesome.
A: When did you know that you were going to pursue music as a career?
E: You know, even with all that, when I went off to college, the first couple of years I thought I was going to be a political science major and would go on to be a lawyer. Haha. Then reality hit and I was like, ‘What am I doing with my life!” and made the switch to music. I mean, I love debating about politics but music and teaching was much more what I was about. I was actually transferring schools, a couple years into my college career already and I realized that I refused to even consider a school if it did not have a band that I could play in. It really made me pause, “Why does that matter so much to me?” So I switched to a Music Major and ultimately had done 2 years of music in Virginia when my family decided to move out to California. And like I said earlier, the musicianship is just naturally of a higher quality in California. When I was on the East Coast we were required to have private lessons in College and stuff like that but it wasn’t all that strict. Really, we just needed to be enrolled in them. But when I came out to college here, there were levels, standards, and you had to meet xyz in order to advance. I almost felt like I was starting from scratch when I got here. But I had decided that I was going to do music and this is where I am going to do it, and I just went at it. And it was a lot harder than I an anticipated. And I was a transfer student, so it made things awkward to the degree that I had only 2 years of class left by my musicianship was not what it needed to be. So I ended up doing 4 more years of college just for private lessons. Which is why I ended up adding the Music Education Sequence and American Sign Language, really tried to spend my time well.
A: Oh, yeah, well that is a lot and it definitely sounds like you used those extra couple of years to your advantage. So, your graduation now behind you, what is in front?
E: It only took me 10 years to graduate, YAY! Now that I have graduated, I am kind of switching things up a bit. There is another facet of education that I am involved in - special education. I have been volunteering and teaching in special education for a while now and will be looking more and more into how music can play a role in educating those with special needs.
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FEATURED CONCERT:
Who:
Turkuaz
Where:
The Fillmore in San Francisco
(all ages)
When:
Saturday. September 16th
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Credible bios are supposed to be objective and not full of superlatives and hyperbole, but it’s hard to avoid gushing when the subject is a funk army of multi-instrumentals and singers that is part freight train and part tyrannosaurus rex, who-even on an off night-can blow away a room on the basis of sheer physics alone. That’s one way to describe Turkuaz, but it doesn’t address the music. In this regard, as with any band, influences are everything. One cannot escape them as one seeks to carve out a unique sound for themselves. Still, there are so many benefits to having Sly & The Family Stone, Rick James, Parliament and Bohannon in your record collection. With this as the basis for a recipe, Turkuaz adds healthy doses of jittery, world-pop-power groove—reminiscent of Remain In Light era Talking Heads—and a passion for Motown and R&B, resulting in a refreshing twist on the funk idiom.
Turkuaz certainly does have sheer size in their favor, but when broken down into the basic components, each stands out on their own. Founders Dave Brandwein and Taylor Shell had the cream of the crop to choose from at Berklee, but making it happen as a large touring ensemble takes more than chops: it takes the right blend of personalities. When Turkuaz takes the stage the chemistry is clear. The special combination of elements—singers in sequined dresses, guys in tails (or sometimes all of them in jumpsuits or other complimentary outfits) horns, keys, guitars, amps and drums and smiles all around… well, it’s easy to get caught up in the explosive auditory and visual circus and find oneself dancing. Despite all of the gear and people on stage, it is becomes clear that it is not the size that matters here: it is performance.
Through constant touring and great festival performances, Turkuaz has built a solid, passionate coast-to-coast fan base that grows with every mile driven and each night on stage. They are currently criss-crossing North America in support of their third independent release, Future 86, and have plans to conquer the world… or at least shake the walls and all the booties in every room they play…
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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, September 7th
Tim Marconett at Boom Boom Room in San Francisco
Friday, September 8th
Professor Jones - A Tribue to CCR (Anna & Mike M) at Ivy Room in Albany
Friday, September 8th
The Unoriginals (Tim G) at Meenar's in Danville
Saturday, September 9th
Lost Dog Found (Adam) at Mary Agatha Furth Center in Windsor
Saturday, September 9th
The UnOriginals (Tim G) at Johnny Foley's in San Francisco
Friday, September 2nd
Tim G at Maria Maria in Walnut Creek
Saturday, September 9th
The UnOriginals (Tim G) at Johnny Foley's in San Francisco
Wednesday, September 20th
Lost Dog Found (Adam) at Union Square in San Francisco
Thursday, September 21st
Tim Marconett at Barrel House in Burlingame
Thursday, September 28th
Tim Marconett at Jam Cellars in Napa
Friday, September 29th
Fast & Vengefully (Tim G & Belinda) at Johnny Foley's in San Francisco
Saturday, September 30th
The UnOriginals (Tim G) at Maggie McGarry's in San Francisco
Friday, October 6th
Muncie (Anna & Mike M) at The Rellik Tavern in Benicia
Friday, October 6th
The UnOriginals (Tim G) at Vinnie's in Concord
Saturday, October 7th
Professor Jones (Anna & Mike M) at Crazy Horse Saloon in Nevada City
Saturday, October 7th
The UnOriginals (Tim G) at Johnny Foley's in San Francisco
Friday, October 13th
Dueling Guitars (Tim G) at Pura Vida Sangria Bar in Livermore
Saturday, October 14th
The UnOriginals (Tim G) at Meenar in Danville
Saturday, October 21st
Lost Dog Found at Monroe Hall in Santa Rosa
CHECK OUT OUR TEACHER'S BANDS ONLINE!
Black Box Radio (Xavier on vocals/guitar)
Brett Hunter Band (Tim M on guitar)
Fast & Vengefully (Tim on guitar/voice, Belinda on fiddle)
LunaSol (Judy on violin)
Push (Tim M. on guitar)
Super Soul Brothers (Neill on guitar)
The Undercovers (Sal on keys, Xavier on guitar/vocals)
Zach Bateman & the Coal Minds (Judy, violin)
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The Music Time Academy Staff:
Anna Cucciardo, Monica Lind, Mike Meagher, Adam Borden
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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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