Music Authority Family Newsletter for September 17, 2019

10/30/2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - September 17, 2019

Staying Organized; Hiring; Ukuleles for Cumming Elementary; Introducing Brooke Sutton; and Acoustic Gigs

Staying Organized

I've been re-organizing the filing at Music Authority. It's a daunting task; we've been open since 2002 and I have storage boxes with files going back that far. I have printouts of every month of lessons since the beginning. If you took lessons at Music Authority in 2004, I still have a paper record of it.

All those records take up space. A lot of space. If any of you have been in the repair shop lately, half of that space nightmare is thanks to the boxes upon boxes of old records. (We also have every paper invoice we've ever gotten - including the very first shipment ever to Music Authority of sixteen Martin Guitars.)

While trudging through the time capsule of old paperwork has been interesting, fun, and brought back some great memories, it's a lot of space and a lot of paperwork to go through in the event someone needs an old record. Scanning to PDF format and saving on an external hard drive, which time consuming, is gratifying. Every trip we make to the recycle bin out back feels like an accomplishment.

Staying organized while taking lessons is just as important, and fulfilling, as me cleaning out old files. How do you keep yourself and your student on track?

Do you put a practice chart on the refrigerator? This works for many young students. Stickers or check marks on the days they practice can be added up for prizes later. After thirty days of practice, we'll go to Brusters for ice cream.

Maybe keeping a daily to do list works better for me. (That's my preferred method of staying on track.) Add 30 minutes of practicing piano to your daily to do.

Or set an alarm on your phone. Every day at at 4:30, we're going to practice guitar. When the alarm goes off, stop what you're doing and pick up the guitar.

We all have a method of organization that works for us. Find out what works for your child and utilize it. Often, the reason for dropping lessons isn't truly boredom or lack of interest. It's often due to lack of progress; progress needs practice time.

Better organizing your practice time will help develop a regular schedule that will help develop skills, engage interest, improve playing, and keep you invested for the long run.

Melissa A. Loggins, Owner

#MusicAuthorityFamily
#beyondthemusic

Click Here to Log In to Your Lessons Account

Drum Room Upgrades

Have you been in the drum room lately? We have a lot of new and exciting gear - in time for you to layaway for the holidays! Shop early. We'll even hold the gear for you until as late as Christmas Eve.

Buy your student a new drum set today!

Hiring! Music Authority is looking for a third administrator to add to our team. Must be available Saturday. Will be handling lessons accounts, recital and concert production, front of house duties for Backroom performances, and ringing out customers at the cash register. 8 hours/week to start with possibility of growth. Bring a resume to Natalie at Music Authority for more information.

Ukuleles for Cumming Elementary

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to help them Music Authority Roadies provide six new ukuleles to Mr. Campbell's music class at Cumming Elementary.

Carol Warren, the Roadies President, and Melissa Loggins delivered the ukuleles on Friday, September 13.

Please follow Music Authority on Facebook; on Instagram @musicauthorityinc; and join the Music Authority Roadies Facebook group for informational articles and to keep up to date with the happenings at Music Authority.

Introducing Brooke Sutton

Brooke has been playing the piano and singing for as long as she can remember. Her love for music was sparked when her granny taught her how to play her very first hymn!

Her first piano lesson was when she was just five years old. She was taking piano lessons from local teachers who taught out of their homes. She mainly learned technique and hymns, but later on, she starting incorporating jazz and classical into her playing as well. Her first voice lesson was in 2012 when she first attended the Alabama School of Gospel Music. This two-week gospel music school, along with the North Georgia School of Gospel Music and the Stamps-Baxter School of Gospel Music, have provided Brooke with most of the experience that she has in music.

Call the front desk to sign up for piano lessons with Brooke today!

Not in Lessons at Music Authority? Sign Up Here!

There have been a lot of acoustic performance opportunities lately at Music Authority! From Rosati's Open Mic to Acoustic Nights in The Backroom; Moonshine Festival and El Rio gigs. This is the show that kicked it off - Rock Camp July 2019. Brynn Hall, Savannah Hughes, and Jackson Warren.

Click Here to see what events are coming up at Music Authority

0 Comments

Music Authority Family Newsletter for September 10, 2019

10/13/2019

0 Comments

Music Authority Family Newsletter - September 10, 2019

Teamwork; Taylor 714ce LTD; Service Day Success; Creative Talent; Music Authority's Beyond

Teamwork

Great musicians are team players. One of the things I've learned over the years of both classical training and life in the contemporary musical world is that the more people you can get along with, the more you'll work.

I've seen incredibly skilled musicians lose gigs because of attitude. Sometimes, it's not a bad attitude. Sometimes, it's apathy.

To be successful, you have to connect with your group. You have to be a team. You don't have to like everyone, but you have to work together. (There was a drummer I sang with for years. On a personal level, I didn't like him. We were too far apart socially, we shared no outside interests, and we were probably equally abrasive to each other. But we left those differences at the door and made great music together for a number of years.)

If I show up to a rehearsal, know all my stuff, nail every single song, but don't connect with my band, I'm going to get fired. Perfection doesn't make great music. Connections do. I have to connect to my band mates - wherever they are in life. We have to meet at point of music and develop the song together. Is the song sad? Then we should cry together. Is it happy? We should laugh together.

We need to figure out what we have in common and build on it. Maybe it's just the music. That's fine, it's a start. It's something we can laugh about, cry about, be angry about. It's a start to tapping the passion that is part of music.

The best feeling in the world is leaving a band rehearsal that didn't accomplish as much as it should have because we were laughing. That's a start to amazing music.

The service projects, social activities, and other opportunities at Music Authority are designed to help build the team. In today's world of texting and ME and other electronic forms of communication, we have to teach our students how to communicate; how to connect; how to be of service to each other.

Being a team player will get your musician father. Not just in music, but everywhere. Come, be part of the team.

Melissa A. Loggins, Owner

#MusicAuthorityFamily
#beyondthemusic

Click Here to Log In to Your Lessons Account

Taylor 714ce Limited Edition

Have you seen the latest limited edition guitar from Taylor? This 714ce LTD has sinker cedar top, rosewood back and sides, and tone for days!

Give it a try the next time you stop by - we don't think it will last long!

Service Day Success

Our service day at Bearfoot Ranch was hot, but successful. Several Music Authority families helped out at the ranch by doing clean up, brushing horses, and moving bales of hay. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day a success!

Bearfoot Ranch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit equestrian center dedicated to providing therapeutic riding lessons and riding activities in a safe, effective, and compassionate environment.

Creative Talent

Melissa Loggins, Music Authority's Ringmaster, published her fourth novel in August. Her urban fantasy series about vampires living in Georgia, is published under her pen name - Anne Schlea.

You can check out the books at Music Authority or online at Amazon.

Not in Lessons at Music Authority? Sign Up Here!

Big Hair at the Fair! Check out one of Music Authority's Beyond's songs from Big Hair at the Fair.

Click Here to see what events are coming up at Music Authority

0 Comments

Music Authority Family Newsletter for September 3, 2019

10/9/2019

0 Comments

Music Authority Family Newsletter - September 3, 2019

Inspiration; Effects Pedals; Bearfoot Ranch; Fairy Tales and Spooky Stories; and Guitar Ensemble

Inspiration

There's an important part of being an artist (whether it's a musician or a writer) that many of us forget about. We get busy making our own art, doing homework for school, keeping up with our day job. We forget to immerse ourselves in our passion - for me that means going to concerts and conferences where I can listen to other writers talk.

I've spent the last two weeks deep in the world of music and art. First, six concerts in seven days (only three of those were Music Authority shows). Then, three days of listening to authors talk about writing, research, the business of being a writer, and more. The result on Tuesday morning is a more focused, newly inspired version of myself that's ready to get back to work.

It's like a vacation for a musician.

The last concert I went to in the series was the Queen show in Atlanta. Andrew and I had seen Queen once before, at Gwinnett Arena, when the toured with Paul Rodgers. But, Queen being one of Andrew's favorite bands, these tickets were a Christmas present.

The show was incredible. Production was entrancing, sets were stellar, costuming, set list, all of it gave the concert-goer an immersion into the band's world.

There's something absolutely eloquent about being in a building the size of State Farm Arena when the lights are down and everyone in the building is singing Bohemian Rhapsody together.

Inspiration is important. Without it, we get bored and move on to other activities. Music gets left behind as our focus deviates to whatever newly inspires us.

The next time your student gives you the indication they're getting bored, go to a concert. It doesn't need to be Queen. There are shows around us all the time. Find a new band; check out a local band at Rosati's, Wild Wing, or 37 Main. Head to the Fairgrounds for one of their festival shows. Tickets to the one on September 7 are only $15 in advance.

Inspire your musician.

Melissa A. Loggins, Owner

#MusicAuthorityFamily
#beyondthemusic

Click Here to Log In to Your Lessons Account

Update Your Sound

Is it time to update your guitar sounds? If you're not ready to invest in a new guitar or amplifier, an effective way to improve and update your sound is by adding effects pedals to your gear.

The most important, and the least exciting, is the TU-3 tuner from Boss. After that, you can add distortion, reverb, or any other effect to customize your sound. Stop by Music Authority to try out effects pedals today!

Bearfoot Ranch Service Day

Don't forget the Bearfoot Ranch Service Day - Sunday, September 8, 2-5pm! Sign up at the front desk and fill out the registration form.

Bearfoot Ranch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit equestrian center dedicated to providing therapeutic riding lessons and riding activities in a safe, effective, and compassionate environment.

Fairy Tales and Scary Stories

Registration is open for the October Classical Department show, Fairy Tales and Scary Stories. This recital is for soloists on all solo instruments - voice, piano, violin, guitar, clarinet, and more.

For more information, or to register, stop by the front desk at Music Authority. Space is limited.

Not in Lessons at Music Authority? Sign Up Here!

Music Authority's Guitar Ensemble, a guitar orchestra, meets on Mondays at 5:30. They're looking for new members. Your student must be able to read music. Contact the front desk for more information.

Click Here to see what events are coming up at Music Authority

0 Comments

Music Authority Family Newsletter for September 17, 2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - September 17, 2019

Drum Room Upgrades

Ukuleles for Cumming Elementary

Introducing Brooke Sutton

Music Authority Family Newsletter for September 10, 2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - September 10, 2019

Taylor 714ce Limited Edition

Service Day Success

Creative Talent

Music Authority Family Newsletter for September 3, 2019

Music Authority Family Newsletter - September 3, 2019

Update Your Sound

Bearfoot Ranch Service Day

Fairy Tales and Scary Stories

Music Authority

Archives

Categories

We Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!

Location

Hours

Telephone