The Real Secret to Effective Practicing

The Real Secret to Effective Practicing Suzy S. Bored with your practice routine? Remember when it comes to practicing, there are no hard and fast rules. So mix it up, keep if fresh and have some fun! With these great tips from Burbank, CA teacher Victoria G., youll be looking forward to practicing instead of dreading it To be encouraged to practice, every musician has heard countless catchy phrases, like “Practice makes Perfect.” Often this involves hours of repetition, drills, discipline and sometimes complaining. But practicing doesn’t have to be a chore and, in fact, it should be the highlight of making music! Perhaps the hardest part of practicing is that many musicians, including myself, become so wrapped up in technical matters or how we sound, that we forget why we are even making music. Without emotion or joy, music becomes just black and white dots on paper, and then no wonder practicing seems dull. So to help this, I’ve learned a few tips along the way that I try to pass on to my students. First thing to remember is to relax! Sometimes in lessons I will switch vocal “do re mi” warm-ups for tongue twisters or other silly phrases. Or if I notice students are concentrating too hard on their posture, I will have them walk or skip around the room while singing. You’d be so surprised how much easier technique becomes when you relax your body and mind, and just let the voice take over. Another way to help your practicing is to just have fun! You can start by simply mixing up your practice routine. For example, if you are working on a slow, dramatic piece, practice it at a faster tempo and switch up the mood. This contrast will help your learn different things about the song while also helping you to stay engaged! Of course, you would want to perform it as written, but practicing it differently always helps keep the piece fresher in your mind, and again, allows your voice to be free and create better music. Also, make sure to reward yourself! Not every practice session is going to have a life changing breakthrough moment. But keep in mind that for every day you work hard, you are one day closer to your goals! Sometimes the reward can be as simple as taking an extra five minute break, going on a walk, or trying a different genre of music you always wanted to try. Whatever it is, always take the time to stop and praise your own work, because out of all opinions, your opinion matters most in regard to your music. So, sometimes practicing means relaxing, allowing yourself to have fun, and rewarding your progress! Now, don’t get me wrong I am a strong believer of “Practice makes Perfect,” and I know that sometimes it does take countless hours of hard work to be successful. But every minute of practice should be spent loving the art, and the reward of practicing should strengthen the desire to learn more! Victoria teaches singing lessons to students of all ages in Burbank, CA. Her specialties include opera, classical, musical theater and pop. She joined the TakeLessons team in August 2012. Learn more about Victoria, or visit TakeLessons to search for a teacher near you! Photo by racingthesun.

What Is Social History

What Is Social History Social History: What Does It Entail? ChaptersWhat is Social History?What Are Some Aspects a Social Historian Studies?Social History, Economic History and Political History: ConclusionsGender Studies: Re-Evaluating Social HistoryNot interested in political history and the rise and fall of Empires? Curious about how people lived in ancient societies on a day-to-day basis? Then maybe social history is the thing for you.History of MigrationYou might wonder why the history department of a university would be interested in migration.Migration has shaped history since the Early Man first left Africa to colonize the world. To show you their importance, here are some of the great migrations that shook Europe and the Mediterranean and influenced its cultural history:The Sea People migration in the Bronze Age (1200-900 BC) which contributed to the Late Bronze Age Collapse, during which several large Empires of the time including the Hittite Empire, the Mycaenian Kingdom and the Egyptian Empire of the New Kingdom.The Dark Age migra tions, due in part to pressure from the expanding empire of the Huns, led through a process of attrition to the fall of Imperial Rome. The Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain was a migration - the evidence of archaeology suggests that rising poverty drove them from the shores of Germany. These migrations shaped the world of Medieval Europe.Migration to the New World - with its heyday starting in the seventeenth century - had a profound impact on the native societies and led to the creation of the countries of the modern world.The Saxons came to England during a wave of migrations that changed the political map of Europe. Photo credit: EccyLad on Foter.comModern history is also shaped by migration - as evidenced by the internationally destabilising effect of the current immigration crisis in Europe and the US.Studying the history of migrations is understanding how different cultures shaped and influenced our own both from the point of view of history and that of anthropology, rethinking what we think is “British” or “European” in view of ethnic influences and looking at the world from a wider perspective.Read more about the History of diplomacy.Social History, Economic History and Political History: ConclusionsSocial history doesn’t exist in a vacuum - it is influenced by a lot of factors. Economics is one of them.Whether in the twentieth century or the second, economic factors are one aspect to have influenced social phenomena - and vice-versa. The creation of centralised workshops and the specialisation of artisans as a profession made trade easier, while the increasingly widespread use of banks made it possible to do business on a truly international scale, making the merchant class a true force in politics. Poverty breeds dissatisfaction and revolution (ask the French), while the growing working class during the Industrial Revolution of the Victorian age brought a new type of consumer to the market and a new social stratus ready for reform and eager t o break with tradition - eager for a voice of their own in a democracy.Revolution is often an agent of social change. Photo credit: Crethi Plethi on Foter.comThe Cold War fought between capitalism and communism, a clash of both political and economic ideological views, spurred on the race to the moon and fuelled advancements in technology that, in turn, bolstered the economy, at least for a while.Today, the common conflict throughout American history between the concept of a welfare state and unbridled capitalism, a debate raging since Industrialization came across the Pond in the nineteenth century, is coming to a peak.So when you are studying social issues, don’t shy away from a comparative approach. Whether it be political history or intellectual history, history of philosophy or even archaeology for the material remains - it’s all connected. If you want to study social history, consider taking courses in another social science among the humanities. Sociology is another good discipline to gain a theoretical background that will help you find new approaches for studying social phenomena from an interdisciplinary point of view.Gender Studies: Re-Evaluating Social HistoryGender studies often focus on women in history, but generally observe gender roles in society. Photo credit: Kaptain Kobold on Foter.comAn interesting evolution in intellectual historiography is the rediscovery of the role of women within history. Technically, Gender Studies is the study of the relative roles of men and women throughout the centuries; however, the fact that even up to early modern times the study of history focused almost entirely on the male side of the question (unless the woman happened to be in a politically significant role), means that a great many of the themes of modern gender studies centre around rehabilitating women in history and exploring their narrative - from the queens behind the thrones to the role of domestic production within the economy.