January 15th, 2019

1/15/2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 15, 2019

Raw Peanuts, What Eclipse Means to Sashu Machani, and Please Tune Your Instrument

Raw Peanuts

Today I'm going to share a story with you. I'm a Berry College graduate and this is the legend of Martha Berry and Henry Ford.

Henry Ford was asked frequently for donations to every cause imaginable. One day, he meets Martha Berry (at the time Berry Schools were a school for poor mountain children). She asks him for a donation to help her children. Frustrated and probably feeling like everyone in the world wants something from him, Henry Ford reaches into his pocket and hands her a coin from his pocket.

Ms. Berry takes that coin, buys a bag of raw peanuts (or corn seed, depending on who is telling the story), has her students plant and harvest it, and then uses the proceeds to purchase a piano on which she could teach music. She then writes a letter of thank you to Henry Ford for the beautiful piano.

Intrigued, he comes to Georgia to see what she's doing. They become friends and he becomes one of Berry's largest donors.

What does Martha Berry, Henry Ford, and peanuts have to do with Music Authority? Sowing seeds. Some students come to us excited to learn, ready to pick up their instrument and shine. Others are afraid, have had bad experiences, or would rather be playing baseball. And still others come to us because parents don't know where else to go or what to do; they come to us because a psychologist has suggested music might help other behavioral or developmental issues.

With all of these students, our teachers are sowing seeds. Seeds of self-esteem, courage, confidence, responsibility, and hope. We might not see the seeds grow. Our job is to leave the seeds in the ground. Sometimes, someone else farther down the road will till the ground, pull the weeds, and see the plants bloom.

The seeds we sow are more than music. The seeds our teachers sow are the seeds to a fuller life, a more relaxed life, deeper friendships, better understanding of math, creativity, and thinking outside of the box.

Henry Ford's peanut seeds were only the vehicle, not the destination. Let music be your vehicle. See how far you can go beyond the music.

- Melissa A. Loggins, Owner
#MusicAuthorityFamily
#beyondthemusic

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Sashu Machani - What does being in Eclipse mean to you?

Eclipse has given me so much in the last 2 years, I’ve met some of my closest friends and learned what it’s like to do music in the real world. Every time I do a show or assignment for Music Authority, I obtain new skills that I can use not only in music but in my daily life.
(Photo from Sashu's trip to Nashville, 6/29/18 with Chris Mitchell of CMG guitars and songwriter Kent Blazy)

Importance of a "real" tuner

While it isn't necessary for everyone to own a pedal tuner (unless you're playing live, then it is absolutely a necessity), students do need a "real" tuner for their guitar. Phone app tuners are easy to download; but they are impractical in the long run. A tuner that reads by vibration is the best option for most students, at and $20, they're an affordable investment in your musical education.

Available at Music Authority.

Drum tuning 101

You picked up a deal of a drum set online at Christmas, put it together under the Christmas Tree, but now it doesn't sound quite right. Maybe it's because your drums aren't tuned properly. What, you say, drums need to be tuned?

Yes. While drum sets don't usually hold a specific pitch, they must be tuned correctly in reference to the other drums in the set and to remove unwanted overtones. If your heads are too loose, they will sound "floppy." If your smaller toms are tuned "looser" than your floor tom, your fills won't sound correct.

Music Authority's Repair Disco tunes drums. If you're not sure yours are right, give us a call today at 770-886-9066.

Not in Lessons at Music Authority? Sign Up Here!

The Music Authority Teacher Band having some fun at Gone on November 9, 2018 with (left to right) Andrew Loggins, Melissa Loggins, Michael Stewart, Jake Lanni, and AJ Hirsch. Hammer to Fall (Queen)

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January 11th, 2019

1/11/2019

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Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 8, 2019

It's a new year! Let's work together to start fresh and keep those New Year's Musical Resolutions!

Staying on Track

New Years is a week past. How many of you have already fallen off the Resolution Wagon? It's okay, we won't tell anyone.

What we don't want is for your student to fall off the musical wagon, so this newsletter is dedicated to tips and tools for staying focused and making the most of your music lessons. Here are a few of our top tips:

1. Create a Schedule - Set aside a specific time of day for your student to practice. Write down the time on an agreement and have your student sign the agreement. Being consistent in practice time is important. I get up every morning at 6 and write for two hours before work. At first, it took me a while to get in the groove. Today, my brain understands "it's writing time" because I'm consistently doing it at the same time of day. Start that practice schedule and stick to it - results will follow!

2. Find a Carrot - Make a deal. Practice consistently, pass a level, perform in the Spring Show. At the end of a pre-determined time, earn the reward. Maybe it's a new guitar or effects pedal. Use the momentum to set a new goal.

3. Be Realistic - How much time is reasonable for your student to practice at home? Twice their age in minutes daily, and it should be divided into two shift. A ten year old should practice ten minutes twice daily. It doesn't sound like a lot, but we live in a world ruled by short time increments. We don't even ride the elevator without checking our texts today.

4. Perform! Students who perform are more likely to stay in lessons. Retention rates for students who perform jump from 3 months to several years. Performance reinforces lessons learned and shows students why we learn musical language. A baseball player would be bored if he only practiced and never played a game. The same is true for music students.

5. Try it Out Yourself. Try a lesson. You're already waiting around Music Authority while your student is learning, so learn some yourself. Even if it's only one lesson, it will help you understand what your child is doing weekly. We're teaching the language of music to your student, learn a little bit of the language yourself. It will help you understand why they're frustrated and will help you to get them on the right page.

- Melissa A. Loggins, Owner
#MusicAuthorityFamily
#beyondthemusic

Click Here to Log In to Your Lessons Account

The Spring Show Has Begun!

Do you hear that noise around Music Authority? It's Spring Show rehearsals, underway this week. Take a listen and plan ahead to attend the show on March 22. The Spring and Fall Shows are open to all Music Authority students.

Taylor Guitars - Builder's Edition - 614ce

Introducing Builder's Edition, designed to help guitarists play and sound their very best. Taylor master guitar designer Andy Powers has crafted a next-generation Taylor guitar that sets an inspiring new standard of playing comfort and sound.
Available at Music Authority.

How's Your Guitar Playing?

Guitars need love like any other piece of equipment. Just a like a car needs an oil change to keep functioning at it's best, guitar strings need to be changed every 6-8 weeks and a set up should be done every 6-8 months. A set up adjusts the neck, eliminating any warping due to humidity or heat, checks your intonation (if you're playing in tune), and polishes your fret board. Estimates are free, drop yours off for the Music Authority Repair Disco to check out today!

Not in Lessons at Music Authority? Sign Up Here!

Music Authority's Eclipse playing "Bittersweet," one of their original songs, on New Years Eve 2018. The show was a huge success drawing a record crowd throughout the night. Thank you to everyone who came out to help party away 2018!

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January 08th, 2019

1/8/2019

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Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 1, 2019

Happy New Year from Music Authority!

Starting Strong

New Year's Resolutions. What's yours? Eat healthier? Exercise? Pay off a credit card?

How about a musical resolution? Spend six months learning how to play guitar?

The important part is to set a goal. Without a goal, you'll be wandering. A goal will give you purpose and a destination.

What kind of goals can you have in music? We frequently hear from parents, I wish I would have learned to play (insert instrument) as a child. Sign up for lessons! Set the goal of performing in a recital or learning a specific song. (Did you know there are neurological benefits for adults who take music lessons?)

Maybe you've always wanted to be in a band. Sign up for one of Music Authority's performance opportunities! We have a lot of adults to take lessons and participate in our performance programs. You won't be alone!

How would you like to perform on stage with your child? Envision yourself doing a duet. (Many years ago, instructor Jake Lanni's dad surprised him by jumping up on stage to sing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" during a Music Authority spring show. It was a fun experience for the audience and a memory the two of them will have for a lifetime.)

Try something different this year - instead of making a resolution on eating, exercise, and finance, make a creative resolution. Step outside of your comfort zone and engage a part of your brain most adults don't have an opportunity to use regularly. We tend to get bogged down in the "real world" of paying bills, managing budgets, cleaning gutters on our house, raising children.

Instead, be creative. Play guitar. Sing. Remind your brain what it feels like to relax. Start 2019 strong, make a commitment to yourself!

- Melissa A. Loggins, Owner
#beyondthemusic
#MusicAuthorityFamily

Click Here to Log In to Your Lessons Account

Instructor Jeff Gray

"The coolest gig I ever played was opening for Adele at the Greek Theater. Gordon Ramsey and Phil Michelson were there with lots of other celebrities. It was a truly magical experience!"

Jeff teaches bass (electric and upright) on Wednesdays and Saturdays and is the instructor for Music Authority's Revolution at Music Authority.

GEORGIA MADE

Did you know you can buy a guitar made in Georgia? CMG Guitars come out of Statesboro and are sold at Music Authority. This model, the Ashlee , is named for the maker's wife and is their first model.

Come by today and try out a CMG to see what kind of craftsmanship Georgia guitar makers have to offer!

SIGN UP NOW FOR SUMMER CAMP!

Rock Camp (2 Sessions)
Rock Camp, Jr.
Broadway Camp

Music Authority's summer camps always fill up. Sign up today to ensure your student's spot in the experience of the summer! Call 770-886-9066 for more information.

Not in Lessons at Music Authority? Sign Up Here!

The girls from Music Authority's Rock Ensembles performing with Radio 80's at Guston's in Woodstock on December 15, 2018. Audrey Gilley, Morgan Schlapfer, Kennedy Cathcart, Rayna Britto, Sashu Machani, and Savannah Hughes

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January 06th, 2019

1/6/2019

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Music Authority Family Newsletter - December 25, 2018

Merry Christmas from the Music Authority Family

Make a Difference

Service to our community has always been a fundamental foundation for Music Authority. It is something that we try to pass along to our students through both actions and through giving.

Many years ago, through the Any Soldier project, we became acquainted with a chaplain stationed on a a ship in the Persian Gulf. We helped him to provide a special breakfast with ornaments, pancakes, syrup, and other "outside the every day" items for everyone on his ship. It was quite the undertaking, but still is something I think about every Christmas morning.

With the help of the Music Authority Roadies (our PTO), this year we've accomplished a lot. We ran a 5k for CASA of Forsyth County. We supported Music4CHIEF, a non-profit that provides musical mentorship for at risk teens. We sent over 70 boxes through the Any Soldier program, cleaned barns at Barefoot Ranch, collected Easter Eggs for Meals By Grace and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. We collected gifts for Holiday House at The Place and raised money for Alzheimer's research with The Alzheimer's Association.

Within our own four walls, we made a difference in the lives of aspiring musicians, young and not so young. We encouraged parents to step out of their comfort zone and up onto the stage. We helped young musicians find passion - and that there is a place for you even if you don't excel at sports or in school.

What we do, all of us collectively - owners, staff members, parents, students, teachers, Roadies - is beyond the music. Yes, we learn songs and notation. But we learn basics of life - how to get along with each other, how to be positive, how to give back, fundamental courage and self-esteem, how to help those less fortunate, how to make a difference in the world around us.

We hope that we've had a positive impact on your world this year. We hope that we've instilled some of these ideas, or at least the seeds of these ideas, in your student. We'd also like to encourage you to do something in 2019 outside of your comfort zone. Volunteer with your child at an animal shelter or soup kitchen. Play a song with your child on stage. Step beyond the fear. Look beyond the music.

We're grateful for each and every one of you. We're grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our students and life of our community. Thank you for being on this ride with us.

We are, and always will be #musicauthorityfamily. I am reminded of this every time a former student returns to see us after a long absence. We are still family. But in 2019, I'd like to encourage all of us to remember that what we do is also #beyondthemusic.

- Melissa A. Loggins, Owner
#MusicAuthorityFamily

Click Here to Log In to Your Lessons Account

The Adventures of Sparkles

Sparkles is on her way back to the North Pole. She had a wonderful time visiting with the Music Authority Family again this year. Hopefully, she'll get to make one more appearance in 2018 - at Midnight Masquerade, the New Year's Eve Party for Teens in The Backroom. Do you have your tickets? She does! (And a sparkly dress, too!)
Dec. 31, 2018 - 6-10pm
Tickets $15 in advance; $20 at the door

How is Your Guitar Playing?

Do you have an older guitar that you love, but isn't playing quite right any more? Maybe it's time for a fret job. Andrew can remove your old frets and install new ones, making your guitar play like new. Bring yours by today for a consultation and free estimate.

Midnight Masquerade

December 31, 2018
6-10pm
Tickets $15 in Advance; $20 at the door

Don't miss out! Join us for the final show of the year - a teen only New Year's Eve Show in The Backroom!

Not in Lessons at Music Authority? Sign Up Here!

Twas the Night Before Christmas at Music Authority

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January 15th, 2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 15, 2019

Sashu Machani - What does being in Eclipse mean to you?

Importance of a "real" tuner

Drum tuning 101

January 11th, 2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 8, 2019

The Spring Show Has Begun!

Taylor Guitars - Builder's Edition - 614ce

How's Your Guitar Playing?

January 08th, 2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 1, 2019

Instructor Jeff Gray

GEORGIA MADE

January 06th, 2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - December 25, 2018

The Adventures of Sparkles

How is Your Guitar Playing?

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