The Playground

  The holiday season is upon us and for many, that means winding down school and/or work and getting ready for some relaxation time with family and friends. So we asked the Simply Music team what makes this time of year special for them, what…

• Written by Mel Karajas on Dec 7, 2015
• music, simply music, tradition, traditional

MUSIC IS A PIECE OF ART THAT GOES IN THE EARS STRAIGHT TO THE HEART We couldn’t find who said this, but we totally agree! So much so, that we took it literally and put together a collection of artworks that feature our beloved piano.…

• Written by Mel Karajas on Nov 29, 2015
• art, music, piano, piano art, pianos in art, simply music

The holidays are fast approaching! This may mean quite a long break for both teachers and students. Whether that’s a scary thought for you or a time you use to spread your creative wings, this group of helpful posts from our archives is sure to keep…

• Written by Mel Karajas on Nov 23, 2015
• concert, music, music lessons, neil moore, perform, performance, piano, piano lessons, recital, simply music, teach piano, the playground

  Many people have the misconception that the Simply Music program doesn’t teach music reading, but as you may have gathered in my recent article asking how important is it to read music?, we consider music-reading a valuable and wonderful tool.  However, that doesn’t mean that…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Nov 1, 2015
• gordon harvey, music, music lessons, musicianship, neil moore, piano, piano lessons, play piano, reading music, simply music, the playground

Halloween is just around the corner, so we thought we’d share some musical tricks and treats to get you in the spirit 😉 How about some ghoulish new lyrics to Night Storm? Here are some ideas from Katie Knipp: “Rolling pumpkins, witches gather, isn’t it…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Oct 18, 2015
• halloween, music, musical, simply music, spirit, the playground, treat, trick, trick or treat

It was interesting to read a recent article by educator Robbie Gennet suggesting that sheet music may not be necessary in music education. Just as enlightening, if not more so, was the reaction in the comments section, a lot of it quite hostile, which prompted…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Oct 11, 2015
• classical, composer, culture, ensemble, learn piano, music education, music lessons, musicians, notation, piano lessons, play, reading music, robbie gennet, sheet music, simply music, solo, teach piano, the playground, tradition

  Music & colour. Of course they have things in common – they can be beautiful, they can trigger memories – but there are other more intriguing connections reported by some people.   Isaac Newton was inspired by music to add to the rainbow. According…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Sep 13, 2015
• Chromaesthesia, color, colour, music, music and color, music and colour, simply music, synaesthesia, the playground

We have all been there, scrolling on Facebook and a quiz comes up “Which US President Are You” (which is more than pointless for anyone outside the USA!) or “What Fashion Decade Do You Belong To?”, of which my personal belief is that denim on…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Sep 7, 2015
• music quiz, music quizzes, procrastination, simply music

Your full name: Daniel William Kielman When did you start and what is your role with Simply Music? I started at Simply Music in February 2012. I’m in charge of all of the video work that happens at Simply Music, which means a whole ton…

• Written by Mel Karajas on Aug 16, 2015
• daniel kielman, disney, grimes, marathon, mikal cronin, outkast, san franciso marathon, simply music, the beatles

Who doesn’t love a good viral animal video? (Me, I have a particular soft spot for horse tricks and dog antics!) I think all pet owners have been in the situation where we are merrily practicing our instruments and our pet decides that their need…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Jul 24, 2015
• animal music videos, animals playing instruments, gretta dunn, instruments, music practice, smithsonian national zoo