Joyful Noise Music Instruction

I haven't posted in a while, but I am still here. In fact, I am more ready than ever to help prospective singers discover and learn to fully utilize their voices! Get in touch to discuss how I can help you in your music journey.

Science of Sound tidbit: When you hear a note, you are actually hearing multiple frequencies at once. The lowest note, called the fundamental, is the one that you consciously identify as the pitch. However, there is a sequence of other notes, called the overtone series, which is rolled into the sound. In addition to the fundamental frequency, you are simultaneously hearing those that are twice, three times, four times, five times as fast, and so on.

Maybe you want to improve your singing tone and technique. Could be that the idea of learning music reading and theory appeals to you. Perhaps you just want to make sure you aren't harming your voice when you burn down the karaoke joint Friday nights. Set up a lesson and let's talk about your goals!

Science of Sound tidbit: Many people mistakenly believe that the sound from the strings of an acoustic guitar enters the sound hole and is reflected back out. In reality, the instrument's function is significantly more subtle, and involves a complex series of vibrations through different mediums. When you pluck a string, its vibration passes to the bridge (the small plastic or wooden piece in which the strings are seated) and the saddle, upon which the bridge is mounted and secured against the top plate of the instrument. From thence it travels into the soundboard which comprises the entire "face" of the guitar. In turn, the soundboard vibrates the air within the body of the guitar, creating a full, resonant tone. Meanwhile, the sound hole serves to help focus and project the notes thus produced outside of the body of the guitar.

You can never be too young (or old) to cultivate an appreciation of good music! No matter your age, learning music can have a positive impact on emotional and mental wellbeing, as well as learning and reasoning ability, and even memory. That's just for a start; the full list of benefits is impressive!

Science of Sound tidbit: We measure the pitch of a sound in hertz, that is, the cycles of a sound wave that occur per second. The greater the value in hertz, the faster the sound wave cycles and the higher the resultant note. Human aural perception encompasses a range of tones from about 20 to 20,000 Hz. There are many creatures that are capable of distinguishing a much wider scope of frequencies. Dogs, for instance, can discern those within about 40 to 60,000 Hz. That's the secret behind a dog whistle that you don't hear, but Fido does!

The volunteers had their chance to perform at the Girl's Rock Lab, too! I had a lot of fun playing bass and singing with these wonderful ladies.

The incredible Lady Knights of Girls Rock Lab. These girls just blew me away!

Science of Sound tidbit: Ever wonder why your voice sounds completely different on a recording than you perceive it? That's because the vibrations of your vocal cords follow two different paths to arrive at your ears. The first is sound waves traveling through the air, which is how your voice is received by others, and that recording equipment. The second way is by bone conduction: those vibrations travel through the bones of your face! So you hear a more complex (and typically lower-pitched) version of your voice than anyone else does.

What will your song be? How will it resound in the world around you?