You know it is the holiday season when local radio stations play Christmas music 24 hours a day and the malls are filled with Santas ready to hear what’s on children’s wish lists. But there is another tradition for those who follow YouTube viral videos.  You know it’s Christmas when the Holderness family creates their holiday video.   And what a treat it was! The North Carolina family, which includes a mom, dad and two children, became Internet famous with their holiday video

Alive Inside is a documentary that follows social worker Dan Cohen as he creates personalized iPod playlists for people in elder care facilities, hoping to reconnect them with the music they love.  Despondent patients come back to life after listening to familiar songs that they connect with.  Long lost past memories come back to them.  Their mood is lifted and they become more conversational.  In this clip one of the patients receiving the music therapy, Henry, is asked “Wha

Artist Neil Harbisson was born completely color blind.  “To me, the sky is always gray, flowers are always gray, and television is still in black and white.”  But these days a device attached to his head turns color into audible frequencies.  Instead of seeing a world in grayscale, Harbisson can hear a symphony of color — and yes, even listen to faces and paintings.  Now even the way Neil dresses is affected by this device.  “Today I’m dressed in C major, so it’s quite a happ

If you’re lucky enough to get a ticket to a baseball game, you’ll likely participate in some treasured traditions such as eating hot...

We wanted to share an app with you that’s been a favorite of some of our teachers and has been referred to as a “swiss army knife” to many working musicians: iReal Pro . We also think aspiring musicians from The Music Junction can benefit from using this app as well. First, the app is popular among “gigging” musicians because it literally lightens their load and negates the need to bring so much sheet music to the next wedding, bat mitzvah or club. The iReal Pro app has a va

Across religions and countries, chanting has often been used to create spiritual and meditative results for the listeners.  This is another way music has been utilized to create positive effects on our human emotions – in this case to calm the mind and encourage introspection. Catholic monks created the “ Gregorian” chant. “The Gregorian chant originated as a form of plainsong in the Roman Catholic church under the auspices of Pope Gregory the Great. Gregory is depicted in e

Japanese school teacher Junji Koyama has become world-famous for making musical instruments out of fruits and vegetables and posting YouTube performances of his work.  Junji has performed on every kind of fruit or vegetable you can think of – apples, pineapples, strawberries, limes, cactus, carrots, radishes, broccoli, cucumbers – a full orchestra of edible instruments. Originally, Junji’s work was exclusive to vegetables, until the world’s largest self-serve frozen yogurt br

We like when science and music collide, especially when it makes us rethink the meaning of sound. News site Vice published a video story on an artist who ditches the violin and piano and finds her instruments in nature. She also proudly proclaims: “I want to make a mouth for plants.” For this artist, her garden is her symphony! Mileece, a Los Angeles-based artist and environmental designer who goes by one name, attaches electrodes to hearty plant leaves and conducts their bi

We know that live music is a great complement to music lessons but sometimes finding the right event can be challenging as not all events...

Most of us bemoan the state of music instruction at public schools and some of us are compelled to write a letter to the editor or speak...

Umi Garrett is a child prodigy classical pianist. In May 2009, 8-year-old Umi appeared on NBC’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show as her first public broadcast performance . Since then, she has been receiving requests to perform worldwide and appearing regularly with symphony orchestras in the US and around the world. Umi also challenges herself in the international competitions regularly. Now, at the age of 23, Umi has released three solo albums and is set to release her most recent

Los Angeles was recently introduced to French concert pianist Hélène Grimaud, when she graced the Hollywood Bowl stage in early August with two nights of piano music.  As an amazing pianist, and an activist, “she could be called a Renaissance woman for our times.  Hélène Grimaud is not just a deeply passionate and committed musical artist whose pianistic accomplishments play a central role in her life. She is a woman with multiple talents that extend far beyond the instrum

Think levitation is only a magician’s trick? Although you may not have learned this in your high school science class, the ability to make tiny particles float in the air is possible. The ability to rise in the air through the power of sound, also known as acoustic levitation , is not new. Scientists have been performing this act since the 1940s. However, a group of Japanese researchers have recently mastered three-dimensional levitation, making it possible to float an object

A common question from our beginning piano students has nothing to do with the black and white keys but what’s at the bottom of the piano...

We’re dedicating this week’s Music Worth Noting to unsung artists. The may not be regularly recognized for their great work–they may even be insulted by another artist–but they brought a sense of awe to our day. You remember how important feeling awesome is, don’t you?   Father Raps to Son This video had us in tears and based on the numbers of views, we’re guessing that others had an emotional connection to this song. Jayce Correia raps to his son Jared who lives with cerebr

There may be a lot of unknowns in the world of science but one thing that is clear: playing music does wonders for your brain.   The...

Initially a concert musician, Victor Borge soon developed a style that combined comedy with classical music. In 1940 he immigrated to the U.S., where he achieved fame appearing in various venues, including radio, films, concert halls, Broadway, and TV. Though he performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras, his pianistic talent was often overshadowed by his humor. To discover more about his fascinating life and career, check out his biography . Interested in lessons

When most of us describe color we talk about the green hue of the grass and the bright blue tint of the sky. But for a small portion of...

Every spring bees make their way around to all the blossoming flowers to pollinate nature for us – but did you know the key to doing it...

If you’re looking for a love interest this Valentine’s Day, ditch the flowers and candy and crank up the music!   Research conducted by...