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The Secret to Finding the Right Music Teacher for Your Child
What do you think of first when you hear a talented artist perform? Do you think, Wow, I bet they really put a lot of time into their Hanon exercises when they were in 5th grade? Probably not (unless you’re a teacher!). But you can bet that somewhere along the line, someone required that artist to practice technique – maybe even when they hated it and wanted to quit. The truth is, we don’t think about all the behind-the-scenes work when we go to a concert. We just sit back and enjoy the result. But along the way, a whole lot of people put in a whole lot of effort to produce the music you’re hearing up on that stage. I recently came across a Facebook post where Amanda Barrett, a veteran music teacher who owns a flute studio in upstate SC, compared teaching to baking a cake: When an artist plays so beautifully, we admire their ability and often credit the work of the teacher or teachers who have put "the icing on the cake." Yet someone stirred the batter, put the cake in the oven and...
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Meet the New Teacher: Katie Bournival
Tampa Bay Music Academy warmly welcomes Katie Bournival to our teaching staff! Katie will be teaching voice and piano lessons with us and brings extensive experience in both fields to the table. Katie studied Music with concentrations in Voice Performance and Piano at Clearwater Christian College and Vocal Performance and Pedagogy at Plymouth State University. After graduating in 2008, she taught private piano and voice lessons and served as the Theater/Musical Director for Northbay Christian...
Why TBMA Uses the Faber Piano Lesson Curriculum
At TBMA, our favorite method series for piano students is the Faber Piano Adventures method. We love this method because it promotes both good technique and musical artistry from the very beginning. In this post, we want to take a closer look at the Faber method, detailing what parents can expect as their children set out on their first musical journey. CLICK HERE to watch a demo video of the "My First Piano Adventure" curriculum used at TBMA with 5-6 year old students. Great Pianists...
Become a Sight Reading Virtuoso
Most musicians understand the importance of sight reading. It’s a skill that will serve you well whether you’re accompanying a choir, playing in a band, or considering solo pieces. But how do you get from here to there? How do you develop the ability to read through a piece of music without practicing first? Let’s take a look at six tips to jumpstart your sight reading skills: Look over the piece before you start. Watch for key changes, accidentals, repeated sections, and musical notations....
Taking the Terror Out of Sight-Singing
When I was studying music in college, my most-feared class was sight-singing lab. Ten or twelve of us students would sit in a music lab with our professor and be graded on sight-singing a line of notes from a book. In solfege. You’ve never heard as many warbly notes and vocal slides (us) or seen as many disappointed head-shakes (the professor) as we did in that class. But the skills I began developing there have served me well over the years, and if you’re an aspiring singer, they’re an...
Five Reasons Piano Should Be Your First Instrument
Choosing an instrument can be a difficult task for a youngster. All those gleaming violins, guitars, and horns beckon, or maybe he has a friend who plays the cello or drums. Piano can seem boring. Everybody plays the piano. But the truth is that starting your child’s musical training with the piano can serve him well later on, no matter which instrument he ultimately wants to play. Learning the piano first helps your child: Learn to Read Music The piano is one of only a few instruments that...
Pictures from our performance at the Citrus Park Mall
"The students of Tampa Bay Music Academy did an outstanding job performing at the Citrus Park Mall on December 15, 2012!" From Christmas Recital at the Citrus Park Mall, posted by Tampa Bay Music Academy, LLC on 12/16/2012 (79 items) Bryce Tracy Bryce Tracy Mr. Tracy giving a pep talk to the performers. Sydnee Haney Mr. Tracy talking to the crowd. TBMA students anxiously awaiting their performance. Cole Haney Cole Haney Parents watching. The Willeke family. Boutilier sisters Madison Haney...
Come HEAR us at the MALL!
On Saturday, December 15, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Citrus Park Mall, you can enjoy the sound of holiday music from our very own Tampa Bay Music Academy students! Join us in Sears Court (in front of Sears Department Store) for some fabulous solo performances. The event is called "Sounds of the Season" and is sure to be one of the highlights of the year for our students! Special thanks to Piano Distributors for partnering with TBMA and providing the beautiful Yamaha grand piano for our mall...
Is It Too Late To Learn An Instrument?
As adults, we often look back with regret at the things we could’ve done, but didn’t. For many, music lessons top the list of those “should haves.” I have talked to many, many adults who lament the fact that they gave up music lessons as a child. These conversations usually take place after hearing an especially moving piece of music played by a talented musician. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not too late! You can still become a competent musician even if you didn’t pick up your...