New Piano Juggler Class Announced

Not really…but if we had a piano juggler course, we’re pretty sure all of you would sign up. 😉

“Can Can” you pull this off?

-LAMA Staff

5 Tips: Get a Music Scholarship

LA Music Academy distributed this press release last week to help spread the word about scholarships available to music students for its drums, guitar, bass, vocals and music production departments.

The deadline for LAMA’s Spring 2012 semester is November 15th.

In the press release, LA Music Academy Vice President Mike Packer gives us five tips for your best shot at being awarded a scholarship from the college. Read below:

LA Music Academy Scholarships Available Now

 Application Deadline for Bass, Drums, Guitar, Vocals and Music Production is November 15^th

 Pasadena, CA – October  2011 – Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music (http://www.lamusicacademy.edu) announced today merit-based scholarships are available now for the school’s Bass, Drums, Vocal, Guitar and Music Production Departments; the submission deadline for the Spring 2012 semester is November 15th. The school’s president, Tom Aylesbury, suggests incoming students take full advantage of these financial opportunities which can significantly help lower tuition and financial stress associated with attending high-end colleges.

“LA Music Academy offers various levels of scholarships in addition to financial aid for its performance degree and diploma programs,” says Aylesbury. “In addition to the coveted $20,700 Charles T. Aylesbury Memorial Scholarship and the Al Jarreau Vocal Scholarship ($13,800), each department awards an ‘outstanding’ performance scholarship. Several other performance scholarships, valued anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000, will also be awarded.”

Interested domestic and international students demonstrating exceptional musical talent, ability and enthusiasm can apply now and are evaluated based on essays, transcripts, academic promise, results of the performance audition and letters of recommendation. Aylesbury, however, offers words of caution to interested applicants. “Some of the musicians don’t present themselves to the best of their ability. This decreases the quality of their submissions and chances of being awarded a scholarship,” says Aylesbury. He says the school’s scholarship committee offers five tips for a potential applicant’s best chance at being awarded a scholarship, including:

1. When answering the questionnaire, be sure to draft a clear vision of a future career and how LA Music Academy can help with the journey.
2. Keep in mind that scholarship applications are graded on these three categories.
• Performance
• Transcripts, letters of recommendation
• Essay
3. Performance videos are required, therefore production quality and presentation will affect the decision process. Wear more than just shorts. “No shirt, no shoes, no service!”
4. Essays should demonstrate the dedication of being a future leader in the industry and portray a strong personality.
5. Spend time on the submission, and make sure it is professionally presented and perfect the performance video as much as possible.

The school is known for giving its students big responsibilities from day one; whether playing in ensembles with some of Los Angeles’s finest professional studio musicians and performers or having to make their way through one of the world’s most intense lesson plans. “We are looking for future leaders of the music industry,” says Aylesbury.

The Academy is known for the personal attention that students receive from instructors and its warm and welcoming campus in Pasadena, which is central to many of the entertainment hotspots in Los Angeles. LA Music Academy graduates have gone on to perform with artists such as Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Lifehouse, Ricky Martin, Hilary Duff, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Calling, Sepultura and Airto.

For more information about Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music, visit http://www.lamusicacademy.edu, call 626-568-8850 or e-mail info@lamusicacademy.edu. LA Music Academy is located at 370 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105. Facebook: www.facebook.com/LAmusicacademy. Follow the school on Twitter: @LAmusicacademy. LA Music Academy is on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/LAmusicacademy.

About Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music

LA Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, a suburb of Los Angeles, CA, is regarded as one of the premiere music schools in the world, for students who desire an intimate and friendly, yet serious and rigorous contemporary music education. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the school offers A.A. degrees and diplomas in music production and music performance (drums, bass, guitar or vocals). Founded in 1996, the Academy has provided a solid musical foundation for more than 1,500 international and domestic students. The Academy offers a significant number of real world playing situations with professional musicians, not just peers, setting the school apart from other prestigious music institutions. LA Music Academy gives its students the skills necessary to apply their learning in a wide variety of professional situations in the music industry.

Media Contact:

Dan Grody, Tellem Grody PR, 310.313.3444

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-LAMA Staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LA Music Academy Vocal Showcase @ Noor

This video comes from the LA Music Academy Vocal Showcase at Noor in Pasadena, CA, earlier this year. It features Sam Machado singing I Don’t Wanna Be. LA Music Academy often showcases its students at local venues around Los Angeles and Pasadena. The next artist showcase is November 8, 2011 at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. See the flyer below the video for more information. Will we see you there?

-LAMA Staff

#Drummers! All New Ralph Humphrey Video Quick Tip

Ralph Humphrey, the Drum Department Chair over at LA Music Academy has released his newest video in a series of video quick tips for drummers.  In this video, LA Music Academy Drum Department Chair Ralph Humphrey discusses playing different variations of paradiddlediddles around the drumset.

-LAMA Staff

Video Quick Tip: Afro-Cuban Rhythms for Drumset

LA Music Academy Afro-Cuban/Brazilian drum Instructor Aaron Serfaty has been playing professionally for 20 years. From 1980 – 1990 he was a first call session drummer in his native country of Venezuela. He moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to attend the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Soon after he began touring and recording with Arturo Sandoval and Jon Anderson, and performing with Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi, Oscar Castro Neves, Frank Gambale, Shelly Berg, Juan Carlos Quintero, Rique Pantoja and Don Grusin. Aaron is also the director of the Latin Jazz Ensemble at the University of Southern California (USC).

In this video, Aaron discusses how to apply different Afro-Cuban rhythms to drumset, particularly for a mambo… are you going to give it a try? 🙂

-LAMA Staff

Video Quick Tip: Jody Fisher – Quartal Harmony

LA Music Academy Guitar Co-Department Chair Jody Fisher discusses using quartal harmony:

For more great videos, tips and highlights from LA Music Academy alumni and instructors, subscribe to our YouTube channel here: http://youtube.com/LAmusicacademy

-LAMA Staff

5 Tips: What Not to Do at a Gig

Playing a live performance is a big deal! What you see is what you get. Henry Rollins said “the only way to know for sure” (that a musician is legit) is to see them live.” We have compiled this handy list of What Not To Do when playing live concerts.  We’ve even included documented footage to assist you 🙂

1) PLAYING BEFORE YOU ARE READY

Too many bands think playing a performance is the easiest thing in the world that it will be like mastering Guitar Hero or Rock Band. It will take lots of practice before you are ready to showcase your art for the world. Make sure you are well rehearsed before you expose yourself to the world.

Joaquin Phoenix learned this the hard way with his drunken debut of his rapping alter-ego! It recently came to light that this was all an elaborate ruse but the point remains the same. Make sure you are ready before you premiere your band!

2) NOT KNOWING YOUR LIMITATIONS

Playing a concert is no different than an athletic performance. You need to know yourself and your strengths and weaknesses. If alcohol makes you a little tipsy don’t overdo it! Get enough sleep before your show! And make sure you are hydrated and well-fed. Most importantly, if you know you have physical limitations when it comes to a dance move, err on the side of caution or you could end up like Latin vocalist Juan Gabriel!

3) STAGE DIVE INTO NOTHINGNESS

The stage dive is a long held tradition of musicians of all stripes and creeds. It’s really quite simple— you look out into the crowd, locate a large concentration of bodies, and dive! Musicians: take warning – do not dive where there are no people or you will get very hurt… like this guy!

4) LET YOUR GUARD DOWN

Rock N’ Roll can be a scary business when the crowd turns on you! Just ask Nickelback’s lead singer. After a nightmare concert filled with boos and misunderstandings, the crowd began pelting the lead singer of Nickelback with rocks! A true musician would know to assume the Rock N’ Roll Ninja pose and strike any object that could come your way — or the easier version, get the hell off the stage, and fast! Music is a lot like the real world— if you let your guard down you might get hit!

5) GOING FOR THAT HIGH NOTE YOU CAN’T HIT

Most songs have them at some point: a huge giant vocal note or crescendo. The only recommendation we can offer you is be damn sure you can hit it before you try! Practice it adequately BEFORE the day of the gig so it is second nature when it’s the real thing. One need only check out this video of Whitney Houston to avoid this embarrassment!

These are the immediate 5 suggestions coming to mind — avoid these blunders. With everyone having a camera phone, you can see how easily your limitations can be broadcast to the world! If you are a LAMA student, consider yourself lucky because we have a performance stage and lots of student performances to help you hone your craft. Not to mention, the faculty have easily played a combined 10,000 concerts! If you take only one thing from this article— we beg you, don’t stage dive into concrete!

-LAMA Staff