Meet LAMA’s Ralph Humphrey, Joe Porcaro at PASIC 2012

We’re very excited to head to Austin, TX this week for PASIC 2012! If you are attending, here’s your chance to learn more about LAMA and meet LAMA’s drum department Chairs (and not to mention, they are legendary drummers) Ralph Humphrey and Joe Porcaro. They will be at the LAMA booth (#35) at 10am and 2pm on Friday and Saturday, Nov 2 and 3 respectively. See you in Austin!

-LAMA Staff

Save the Date! LAMA Summer Camp Dates Announced

Every year, LAMA College for Music Professionals opens its doors to the public for its Summer Camp where students write an original song, play in ensemble workshops with professional musicians, record, see their instructors perform daily and have a chance to make many new friends. Mark your calendars for June 22-26, 2013 and sign up today to get your early bird discount!

One of the best parts of camp is being able to record in a professional studio. Here’s a music video featuring Rooftop Crows featuring attendees from LAMA’s 2012 summer camp. All bands get to write, record and perform their original song during camp.

As with all programs at LAMA, our serious yet friendly and personal environment combined with daily playing/singing gives the student the most focused style-specific musical training possible in just one week. For more information, please visit LAMA.edu or email AdmissionsRep@lamusicacademy.edu.

-LAMA Staff

Sean Halley Music Producer Quick Tip – “EQ Usage”

Sean Halley has been actively making a living in some musical or musically technical form since he began playing live club gigs at 17. Years where he played 280+ gigs were not uncommon, in addition to the full-time studio life that began professionally in college. In addition to writing and performing music for himself, he has also spent a lifetime on “both sides of the glass”.

In this quick tip Sean gives a lesson on “EQ Usage” :

Sean has produced a large number of indie pop and singer/songwriter records, sometimes playing all of the instruments but live drums. these projects range in genre from drop B metal and roots country, to torch pop and hip hop, with nearly everything in between (but he hasn’t done a zydeco project yet. anyone do zydeco?).  Sean is the Chair of the Music Producer department at LAMA.

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

Introducing: Gnesa

Watch out Rebecca Black. Here comes Gnesa!

-LAMA Staff

Early Music Lessons Benefit Your Brain

We always thought we were a little bit smarter from all those years of music lessons — now we have some evidence to back it up. According to a recent New York Times article:

When children learn to play a musical instrument, they strengthen a range of auditory skills. Recent studies suggest that these benefits extend all through life, at least for those who continue to be engaged with music.

Is that how all the LAMA students got those musical skills? Seems early music lessons extends to other aspects of their lives beyond the musical, according to Professor Nina Kraus, Director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University:

To learn to read, you need to have good working memory, the ability to disambiguate speech sounds, make sound-to-meaning connections…each one of these things really seems to be strengthened with active engagement in playing a musical instrument.

We love studies like this because we have said over and over that playing a musical instrument is an important skill for many aspects of life. We look forward to a future article that talks about the benefits of attending rock concerts in your mid-twenties.  To read the whole article visit: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/early-music-lessons-have-longtime-benefits/

-LAMA Staff

You Know You’re a Music Student When…

Summer Camp Students at LAMA College for Music Professions

1. You use scales to study music, not to make measurements in science class.

2. Instead of listening to your iPod in between classes you are performing the songs on your iPod DURING classes.

3. Rather than studying in the library you are recording in the studio.

4. Your teacher not only has a PHd but a Grammy as well!

5. While your friends are studying Protons you are studying ProTools!

So musician friends…what other ways do someone know they are a music student?

-LAMA Staff

The Mix is ALMOST Perfect.

Srsly, just a few more minutes and we’ll be done:

-LAMA Staff

 

LAMA College for Music Professionals – Virtual Photo Tour

Just in time for today’s Open House at LAMA College for Music Professionals (2:00pm, Oct. 13, 2012), the Get to the Music Blog got its hands on these photos (by @verofoto) — we’ve turned them into the first LA Music Academy Virtual Tour! 🙂 Click the thumbnail for a much bigger image… have questions? Ask them in the comments below or tweet us at @LAmusicacademy and use #LAMAopenhouse in your tweet! -LAMA Staff

You’ve arrived at 370 S. Fair Oaks Street in old-town Pasadena, home to LA Music Academy!

LAMA’s “Music Production” program makes great use of the recording lab which is a fully functioning music studio complete with three iso-booths and a neighboring drum room.

You can Invoke your inner Dr. Dre or Rick Rubin with our extensive keyboard and synth collection.

Have you ever seen such a clean desk?

Thelonious Monk watches over everything in the LAMA conference room.

The Computer Lab is outfitted with ten 20” iMacs® and a 52” LCD monitor for instructor demonstrations. Each computer is equipped with Digidesign ProTools LE® software and an MBox2® recording interface.

Only thing left to do is drop off your application. Your fate rests with the admissions staff who sit behind these desks.

LAMA students love hanging in the courtyard, even for silly hat parties!

It won’t take long to familiarize yourself with LAMA’s beautiful courtyard and patio at the center of campus. The courtyard is home to good times. Join us for hangouts, jams, parties, BBQs and more!

One of the perks of being in Southern California is great weather year round.

Our favorite concert posters around the LAMA lobby. Bands include – Ween, Beach House and Pennywise!

Over your time attending LAMA, you’ll get to know Pablo who is always there to help and share a laugh! He also helps you get what you need from the student shop. Forget that guitar tuner at home? Let Pablo hook you up!

You’ll probably want to stash your gear in your own locker and don’t forget to catch up with your fellow classmates before class.

We have a number of large, clean classrooms which improve your overall learning experience.

Former Pointer Sisters touring guitarist and LAMA Guitar co-chair Bill Fowler teaching his students.

LAMA has a multitude of complimentary soundproof practice labs for students to use. Just sign up for some time!

Practice rooms can comfortably fit two people if you don’t mind getting cozy 🙂

LAMA at Women’s Network@NBCUniversal Music Showcase

photo courtesy of Iris Alba, LAMA

We are very proud to hear LAMA grads Debi Nova and Will Phillips performed at last night’s music showcase at Globe Theatre for Women’s Network@NBCUniversal. The voluntary organization’s mission consists of fostering professional women’s development to help grow, attract and retain successful women throughout NBC Universal. Raquel Rodriguez from USC’s Thornton School of Music also performed.

Since Debi graduated LAMA, the Costa Rican singer-songwriter has sung with Boney James, Q-Tip, Sergio Mendes, will.I.am and collaborated with Ricky Martin. In 2004, she scored a number one track on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with “One Rhythm” of which was remixed and featured on the soundtrack of the popular EA’s FIFA video game.

To stay connected with updates about LAMA students, teachers and alumni, subscribe to the blog today and don’t forget to follow on Twitter (@LAmusicacademy). All “#LAMAgrad” updates feature alumni news.

-LAMA Staff