Tag: jo-michael scheibe

jo-michael scheibe formosa singers

Jo-Michael Scheibe: January-May 2016

Schedule of Events This semester Dr. Scheibe is on sabbatical. While away from the USC campus, he eagerly anticipates performances and appearances in places near and far, such as Taiwan and Germany. Follow Jo-Michael Scheibe on Twitter @JMScheibe for the latest updates.January 19 : Carnegie Hall, New York, NY January 23 :  Bach’s Cantata “Sleeper’s Awake” with Jeffrey Kahane, Pasadena, CA February 3-6 : Colorado SATB High School All… Read more →

What Makes Bach So Great?

Ah, Bach. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)  is one of the most famous musicians of all time. What makes him so great? Like many famous artists, Bach wasn’t highly regarded in outside of a small devoted circle of fans. He didn’t hit cultural caché until just about a hundred years after his death. In hact, Bach would probably be amazed at his fame today.… Read more →

teaching the recorder

Why Teaching the Recorder Matters

In third or fourth grade, depending on the curriculum of the  school, classrooms of energetic, fidgety, over-excited students will be handed their first musical instrument: the recorder. The recorder can be distinguished by a distinct thumb-hole for the upper hand and seven finger-holes: The instrument was first documented in the Middle Ages, and while sometimes considered an amateur instrument, a range of illustrious… Read more →

A Brief History of Carnegie Hall

This year, Carnegie Hall in New York City is celebrating its 125th anniversary. This architecturally outstanding building has embraced a wealth of talented performers in a variety of arts. So, how did it all begin? The building of this hall was pinnacle of a dream of two friends – conductor Walter Damrosch and industrialist Andrew Carnegie.  Damrosch intentions to build a new… Read more →

Vocal Hygiene: Three Easy Tips

Singing is the art of producing music with one, human instrument: the voice. Singing can happen in many forms, from an individual walking down the street, casually reciting their favorite melody, to large choirs harmonizing to a highly choreographed piece. When our lungs expel air through the larynx, our vocal chords vibrate, producing the sound that we manipulate into song. Pianos… Read more →

Wholehearted Attention, Part 2:

The physical and creative demands of musical education require intense concentration, for both the students and the teacher.  The type of concentration necessary may feel familiar to students active in dance and theater. These activities, like music, require consistent practice combined with a desire to excel.  Any performance, in particular, musical performance, demands the wholehearted attention of the performer. Have you… Read more →

Wholehearted Attention, Part 1:

Teaching and learning tends to occur differently in music classrooms versus other classrooms. Other teachers have difficulty understanding the teaching process and in a standards-obsessed education climate as such, music activity is not always appreciated or understood and ultimately funded. Music classes do not lend to being part of a checklist. This does not mean that discrete objectives do not… Read more →

How Playing Music Affects the Developing Brain, Part 1:

A study conducted in 1993 revealed that college students perform better on spatial reasoning tests after listening to a Mozart sonata. The follow up question then became, “Can listening to Mozart temporarily increase IQs?” The general consensus was yes. In 1998 Zell Miller, the governor of Georgia at that time, proposed the idea of providing every newborn in Georgia with… Read more →

Music Neuroscience

Although it is understood that music has many great benefits for the human brain, such as improving our mood or relaxing our minds, the full scope of music’s effects on the brain are not yet completely understood. There is a growing belief, however, that learning to play a musical instrument does have an impact on the ability to understand emotions… Read more →