You know that music is something that is very important to humanity as a whole. Have you ever wondered what music is exactly, though? It can be tough to pin it down if you look at it in broad terms, but you can say that music is a combination of sounds that are used to elicit an emotional response. People have been playing music since before recorded history and it has become woven into the fabric of human existence. 

Music is an Expression of the Soul

If you ask many musicians and artists what music is, a lot of them will respond by saying that it is an expression of the soul. People use music as an outlet so that they can express emotions that they feel deep inside. Sometimes it can be tough to find the words to express what you’re feeling, but it’ll be easier to showcase your emotions by using music. Music can be considered another way to communicate and it can be a powerful form of expression. 

Artists and musicians use music to express their feelings and beliefs. People have used music for the purposes of political protests and they have also used music to help people heal in the wake of tragedies. Using music to express emotions is natural and it has led to people being able to relate to each other easier than usual. Music even has the power to bring disparate cultures together in some circumstances. 

Music Helps People to Define Themselves

Music helps many people to define themselves as well. You are probably familiar with different genres of music and you might know that there are different scenes or styles that people relate to within those musical genres. Many people use their tastes in music as a way to help define who they are as a person. Music can be so powerful that it can cause some people to want to identify with that music and weave it into their lives in some way. 

Music Is a Powerful Tool 

You’ll also find that music is a powerful tool that can be used for many purposes. For example, music is used during movies to make people feel a certain way about a scene. Human emotions can be manipulated by using music in specific ways. People use music all the time to manipulate how they feel and you can use this to your advantage. 

Music could be used to put yourself in a better mood after you have gone through a tough day. It could also be used to pump yourself up when you’re getting ready to exercise. Music has a biological impact on humans and this can be helpful if you learn how to use it right. 

 

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Running a family business has the potential to be quite satisfying, but it isn’t necessarily going to be easy. Sometimes you can run into problems with your family business due to fighting with your family and power struggles even occur sometimes. If you want to run a peaceful family business, then you need to approach things properly. Read the following tips to running a peaceful family business so that you can avoid problems. 

Ensure That Everyone Has Defined Roles

If you want to avoid fighting with your family over certain things, then it’s going to be best to designate specific roles for people. If everyone knows what their job title is and what that job entails, then they should stay in their lanes. There won’t be as much miscommunication if everyone has a good idea of what they need to be doing. You want to avoid having family members stepping on each others’ toes, so to speak. 

Put a Succession Plan in Place

Sometimes fighting will occur when there isn’t a clear line of succession for the family business. For instance, you might have multiple children and they all might want to take over the family business when you’re ready to retire or if you were to pass away. Put plans in place to have someone specific take over the family business once you’re not running things any longer. This will keep people from feeling confused and should help to eliminate fighting over the company. 

Keep the Drama Away From the Workplace

All families will have problems here and there. You might have tensions in your family from time to time, but that doesn’t mean that it is appropriate to bring those problems to work with you. If you have family troubles and they’re starting to impact your business, then you’re doing things wrong. Tell everyone in the family that the family drama stays at home and is to be settled outside of work without exception. 

Don’t Just Hire Family Members

It’s also probably a bad idea to hire only your family members. You should have people who aren’t in the family placed in key positions. They can help to balance things out and it will make sure that things move in the right direction. Also, never give key roles to family members when they aren’t ready for those roles. 

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There are many people out there who are interested in pursuing careers as music teachers. Some of them think about music teaching jobs in very narrow terms and just assume that they’ll wind up teaching music at a high school. There are actually several different music teacher jobs to consider. Read on to take a look at the different types of music teacher jobs that are out there.

Teaching at Schools

Teaching at a school is likely what you’re expecting out of a music teaching career. There are many different types of teaching opportunities, though. Some people teach at primary schools and others teach at middle schools. You could teach music at a high school or you could take things further and teach at the university level.

Teaching younger kids will require the unique talent of being able to relate to children so that you can teach them effectively. If you want to teach at the university level, then you’ll need to pursue a higher degree than usual and will almost certainly need a Ph.D. in music education. Teaching at a university is likely going to be the most lucrative type of teaching job that you will find unless you’re talking about teaching at a specific music academy. Some music academy teaching jobs are very prestigious and will pay very well.

Becoming a Private Tutor

Another type of music teaching job that you should be aware of is private tutoring. You could become a private music tutor that will help people to get better at playing specific instruments. Many people who teach at schools take on private tutoring work on the side. This can be an excellent way to make extra money and many fine musicians turn music tutoring into a full-blown career.

Creating Video Lessons

It’s also possible to monetize your music teaching abilities by creating video lessons. Some people have been able to do this by creating beginner-friendly music lessons and putting them up on YouTube or other similar video streaming sites. You could charge people for your video lessons directly as well. If you have the time and the creativity to create video lessons, then it could be another music teaching job opportunity for you to look into.

 

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Many business owners want to be able to scale their businesses as fast as they can. Not everyone knows how to go about scaling a business quickly, though. You might be worried about slipping up and causing your company problems if you scale too fast. Look at the tips below so that you can have an easier time scaling at a steady pace. 

Make Use of Automation

It’s going to be much easier for your business to scale if you don’t have to handle every little process manually. If you can start implementing automation in key areas, then it’ll make scaling more plausible for your business. Consider which parts of your company could be automated to save you time and money. This will allow you to grow your company without putting too much strain on your employees. 

Have Your Customers Help with Marketing

Your current customers are actually going to be an invaluable resource when it comes to marketing your business. Word-of-mouth marketing can really help to attract more customers and it’s also good to provide an incentive for your customers to spread the word. For example, some businesses offer referral programs where customers can earn gift cards or other things by sending new customers to the company. Just know that this inexpensive type of marketing can make growing your business faster more plausible. 

Ensure That Quality Remains Consistent

One of the biggest mistakes that many businesses make is trying to grow so fast that they forget about quality. If your business grows in scope, but the quality diminishes, then you’re going to run the risk of failing. Quality control is of the utmost importance no matter what type of business you’re running. Ensure that you’re maintaining quality standards and never try to push the pace so much that your work starts to suffer. 

Remember That Long-Term Growth Matters

Some companies go for short-term growth and they forget about the long-term strategies that they should have in place. You want your company to be healthy five years from now and you can’t just keep focusing on five minutes from now. Short-term gains can be great and it is possible to scale your company at a brisk pace. Just remember that sustainable growth is what you’re looking for and that you should make good decisions that will allow your company to thrive for years. 

from Carman Dragone | Music & Business http://carmandragone.net/how-to-scale-your-business-quickly/
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Music has a powerful impact on people and it also has the potential to bring people together. If you aren’t sure how music is capable of binding humanity together, then you should learn a bit more about why it is so special. Keep reading to discover why music might be the most powerful tool that humanity has. 

Music Makes People Feel Good

It should come as no surprise to hear that music makes people feel good. Music has the same impact on every human, even if certain people like different types of music. Listening to music that you like will cause your brain to release dopamine and this makes you feel good. Every human can relate to this because music is something that everyone can appreciate. 

Music Can Help People to Get to Know Others

Many people get to know other people because of music or music-related activities. You might participate in a choir or you could join a dance group. Music is very well-suited for social activities and it helps people to make friends with one another. Social experiences with music have the potential to be even more powerful than listening experiences that you have while alone. 

Music Can Bring Different Cultures Together

You might even be able to use music to bring different cultures together. Specific songs can be very powerful and sometimes messages of peace and love can make a huge difference in the world. Music events have been used to promote peace and other positive causes in modern history. You can sometimes bring completely disparate groups of people together on issues by using the power of music to express certain truths. 

Music Can Give People a Sense of Belonging

It’s even possible for some people to enjoy a sense of belonging due to their love of music. For example, there are many people who become a part of a music community due to loving it so much. Their shared love for music, or a specific genre of music, makes it easier for them to relate to others. This could be people becoming a part of the metal community, the hip-hop community, jazz groups, or any other number of different musical fan bases that give them a sense of belonging. 

 

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It’s crucial for small businesses to be able to attract new recruits so that they can keep improving as a company. If you can’t get good new talent to fill key positions in your business, then it’s going to be hard to meet the needs of your customers. Attracting new recruits is a big part of growing your business and there are specific ways that you can make your business more appealing to job seekers. Take a look at the things that you should be offering below. 

Opportunities to Grow

You need to offer new recruits opportunities to grow and advance their careers. Part of doing this is going to involve having training programs in place and you should also offer them the right resources to keep getting better at their jobs. If your small business offers opportunities to move up the ladder and make more money, then that’s also going to be enticing. Remember that entry-level employees don’t necessarily want to stay at that level forever. 

Making Employee Input Count

People are also going to be more likely to want to work for you if they know that their input is going to count. You should ensure new recruits that they will have a voice in your company. This could help to give your business the edge over some of the larger corporations. If employees value being able to play an important role in a company and they want to shape the future of a business, then it makes sense to go with a small business like yours. 

Show Them Your Company Vision

The vision that you have for your company could also make people more interested in working for you. If you have a strong vision and you’re passionate about your industry, then that could rub off on many new recruits. You should be able to bring like-minded job hunters to your side. They’ll be interested in what you have going on and you’ll be able to get the new talent that you need. 

The Best Work Environment

Giving people the best work environment possible will also make them want to work for you. Cultivating a positive work environment matters almost as much as salary these days and people want to be able to enjoy their time at work. Ensure that you have good policies in place and that you provide employees with all of the resources that they need to succeed. Combine this with a competitive salary and you’ll be able to get the employees that your company is looking for. 

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If you’re a band director who is suddenly in a position where you have to teach orchestra, then you might be concerned about how to proceed. This might be completely new to you and you could have very little idea how to move forward. Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks that you can keep in mind that will make teaching strings a lot simpler than it would otherwise be. Read on so that you can do your best to teach orchestra. 

Check Instruments for Common Problems

Your school might provide instruments for the students to use. These instruments could have some common problems that you will need to check for. Open seams and cracks are problems that will become worse if they are not addressed. Check for cracks by giving instruments a thorough visual inspection and check for open seams by listening for a “slap” sound while lightly rapping the perimeter of an instrument. 

Ensure Students Know How to Hold the Instruments Properly

Next, you might want a refresher when it comes to how to play specific stringed instruments. If you’re dealing with upper strings, then these instruments need to be parallel to the floor and should be between 30 and 40 degrees off-center to the left. Students should have their left elbows bent at a right angle. If you have problems with the instrument being too straight, then it’s likely that a smaller instrument is needed. 

For holding the cello, you need to know that the top of the scroll is supposed to be eye-level while the student is standing. Sitting students should hold the cello by the neck upright and keep it at arm’s length. The cello should then be brought toward them while ensuring that the scroll is placed to the left of their heads. Ideally, you want the A-string tuning peg to be at an even height with the student’s left ear. 

A bass should have the nut near the top of the student’s forehead when they’re standing. The right edge of the back of the bass should come into contact with the student’s stomach and groin. The bass should be able to balance on its own as well. 

Holding a Bow Properly

Holding a bow properly might be the most important thing to get right. Practicing by using pencils will allow you to reduce the weight and relieve some unnecessary tension. It can take time to get it right and some students will have problems with thumb positioning. The thumb should curl inward toward the palm. 

 

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We are all living in difficult times at the moment. Much of the world is social distancing, jobs have shut down, thousands of people are sick, and millions more are scared. 

Music can be powerful in times like these. Here are some of the ways that music can help all of us navigate this trying season:

1. Music brings us together (even when we can’t be together).

We may not be able to gather for concerts or shows right now, but music is still capable of bringing us together. When you hear a song that perfectly expresses what you’re feeling, you immediately feel connected to the artist. When a friend sends you a link to a song that made them think of you, you feel a stronger connection with that friend. These examples show that music has a way of making us feel more connected to one another, which is more important now than perhaps ever before. 

2. Music relaxes us and reduces stress.

Music has also been proven to promote relaxation and reduce stress in the human body. Listening to calming music can slow the heart rate and lower cortisol levels, which is the body’s stress hormone. Music can also help you to sleep more restfully for more extended periods. So, if the quarantine has you feeling stressed, anxious, or restless, take some time out of each day to listen to some relaxing music. It might be just the thing you need!

3. Music helps us process our emotions.

Last but not least, music can help us effectively process our emotions during this trying time. Sometimes, our emotions may seem to difficult to deal with. When we can identify what we’re feeling, however, we are in a better position to process our feelings. Creating music can be an outlet for expression while listening to music can be useful in sorting out exactly what we’re feeling. 

Have you ever broken down crying while listening to a song that expressed exactly what your heart was feeling? Chances are, you were bottling up your emotions and not allowing yourself to process them. Hearing the right song at the right time can make those emotions come pouring out, and although that might be uncomfortable at first, it’s important not to keep those feelings locked inside. We all need to be processing our emotions during this time. That’s the only way we can all get around to healing. Fortunately for us, we have music to help us get there.

from Carman Dragone | Music & Business http://carmandragone.net/the-power-of-music-during-difficult-times/
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Are you interested in starting a career as a music teacher? Many people love music and want to do something for work that is related to music. Teaching music is an excellent way to make a living but there are things you should know before you commit to becoming a music teacher. Keep reading to learn more about what it takes to be a music teacher and what you can expect to make.

Education Is Needed

Of course, you aren’t just going to get a job teaching music at a school if you don’t have the necessary education. You’re likely going to want to get at least a bachelor’s degree to teach at the high school level and you’ll also need to pass a teacher certification exam where you’re living. If you want to make the most money possible, then you should consider signing up for a master’s in music education program. This will allow you to get a better job and it’ll help you to earn more money.

Expected Salary

The salary that you can expect will vary quite a bit depending on where you live. Many states have different average salary amounts for teachers. If you average all of the data out to see what the median salary for a music teacher is, then you should expect to earn a bit under $47,000 per year. It’s also good to note that many music teachers earn money on the side by providing private lessons, leading marching bands, and leading orchestras.

You Can Continue to Pursue Your Musical Ambitions

A teaching job is certainly not going to be easy but it will allow you enough time to pursue your musical ambitions. In America, you can expect most middle school or high school teaching jobs to give you the entire summer off. This gives you plenty of time to play music and you might even be able to get paying gigs during the summer months. You could also pursue your musical career on the weekends during the school year.

Teaching Requires Passion

Don’t think that signing up as a music teacher is going to be an easy payday. Teaching kids is a difficult task and it can be tough to teach young adults how to play music too. You’re going to need to be passionate about both music and teaching to make this career worthwhile. If you think that this sounds as if it is something that you’re interested in, then you should look into pursuing the right education to make it happen.

 

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Being a music teacher is something that you have always dreamed about. You have finally finished getting your degree and you’re about to start off on your new career. It’s normal to be a bit nervous because you want to do the best job that you can. Take the time to look at the following seven things that all new music teachers should know so that you can feel more confident going into your new job. 

1. Managing Time Is Important

Managing time might be more difficult than you would assume. It might be easy to get through your classes way too fast without feeling like you ever have enough time to teach everything that you wanted to. Try to keep track of time so that you can teach kids efficiently. You should try to divide your time so that all students are receiving proper attention. 

2. Sometimes the Job Will Be Frustrating

Teaching kids will always have the potential to be frustrating. It might be tough to have to hear that kids didn’t do their homework or that they haven’t been practicing. You have to learn how to be stern without making your students dislike you. 

3. Ask Other Teachers for Help

Sometimes you might need a helping hand while you’re learning the ropes. Your new colleagues should be more than happy to provide assistance. Ask other teachers for advice and they’ll likely have a lot of knowledge that they can pass on to you. 

4. Empathy Is Crucial

It has been a long time since you were learning how to play music for the first time. Try to remember how tough it was when you were just starting out and it’ll be easier to empathize with the kids. Remember that most kids aren’t going to be musical geniuses and that it’ll take a long time to learn. 

5. Be Observant

Being observant will allow you to recognize the various problems that students are facing. You might notice that some kids are struggling with certain notes or that a child’s attitude has suddenly changed. Your observational skills might allow you to help them work through problems and you can try to give extra attention to kids who might be struggling. 

6. Teaching Requires Learning

Teaching isn’t easy and you’re always going to keep learning. Every year you’ll be presented with new students and they will likely provide you with a unique set of challenges. Sometimes it’s going to be tough to keep learning, but you have to keep moving forward while being proud of the good work that you’re doing. 

7. The Love of Music 

At the end of the day, it’s really all about the love of music. Try to keep your love of music alive and keep challenging yourself as a musician. This will help you to stay engaged with the process and your passion can help to get kids more interested in music, too. 

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