We managed to overcome all of the new challenges 2020 brought us and we’re more than pleased to welcome our sixth Summer School to Guernsey. Summer School 2020 managed to be our biggest and best yet – Fifty five students formed Ten bands, performed across the Island at multiple venues, and cut their very own tracks in our professional recording studio.
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This study focused on the brain development of young children (6-7 years old) and in particular, they covered the areas responsible for language, sound, reading and speech development.
The study monitored a group of 37 children from an underprivileged neighbourhood in Los Angeles (LA). Thirteen of the children received music training from the LA Youth Orchestra and practised up to seven hours in any given week.
Eleven of those children were enrolled into an athletic club, either football or a swimming programme, and a further thirteen children were starved entirely of any extracurricular programmes at all.
The research team tracked the electrical activity in the children’s brains, conducted behavioural testing and compared the results across the three groups to look for any differences between their development.
The results proved very interesting, after a couple years a pattern emerged showing that the auditory systems of those children that were enrolled in the LA Youth Orchestra Programme had accelerated faster than the groups of children that were not engaged in a regular music activity.
The auditory systems of young children were greatly stimulated by practising music and could be responsible for the earlier engagement of general sound processing.
It is possible that through the early introduction to music, young children can get a head start in the development of their reading abilities, language progression and communication skills.
Source: https://dornsife.usc.edu/bci/brain-and-music/
Dr Assal Habibi, PhD. was one of the Doctors leading this study and we couldn’t think of anyone better to go into the finer details! In the below video she delves deeper into the procedures undertaken and what the broader set of results could mean for the little people in our lives. Below the video we give SOPM’s final thoughts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1dVbavg9RU
At SOPM we believe everyone should have access to the power of music and the doors it may open both mentally and socially. We provide music classes for all ages and that begins with our SOPM Mini’s! This group is specifically designed to introduce and develop musical skills for young minds.
It has always been our belief that music has a far more profound effect on the development of an individual. Our own evidence brought about through tutoring some of our students for over five years supports the results that Dr Assal Habibi and her team have produced.
But, we believe this is only the tip of the iceberg – yes, we’re very pleased to hear that music does indeed help to accelerate auditory development in young minds, but our evidence suggests that music will continue to provide great value to an individual as they grow into an adult and beyond.
For more information on the services SOPM offers, please explore our website, call us on 01481 244883 or drop us an email [email protected].
SOPM Mini’s: https://www.sopm.gg/sopm-minis/
Have you ever heard a brand-new song and could swear you’ve heard it before? Chances are you have. Perhaps it’s used a well-known bass line and repackaged it into a new arrangement, much like how Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice Ice Baby’ borrowed the distinct bass line from Queen’s ‘Under Pressure.’ Sampling in music is the act of incorporating a portion of one sound recording into a different piece, and can involve creatively manipulating it; for instance, by changing the tempo or pitch.
A sample may consist of anything ranging from a sound effect to spoken word from a movie – often used to set a mood or even comic effect. They can be taken from a pre-existing recording or constructed specifically for the piece.Although sampling has played a major role in shaping the entire genre of hip hop, the use of this technique spread with the rise of electronic music and later, 80’s industrial music. School of Popular Music, music school in Guernsey, takes a look at three bands which differ in style but all have in common the use of sampling in their music.
Founded in 1965, progressive rock band Pink Floyd consisted of a group of great creative musicians who didn’t shy away from experimenting. The band is renowned for its deep, poetic lyrics and beautiful, distinctive sound which makes use of sampling in most of its songs.
The intro of one of their most widely-recognised songs ‘Wish you were here’ sampled Tchaikovsky’s Symphony 4, as well as spoken word, which was picked up randomly from a radio. ‘Another brick in the wall’ features helicopter noises and a man yelling at kids (“You!! Yes you!! Stand still, laddie!”), while in the middle of the song ‘Learning to fly’, the voice of the band’s own drummer Nick Mason – an avid pilot himself – can be heard.
Pink Floyd
Another band known for its heavy use of sampling in music, Depeche Mode – formed in 1980 – has used samples from Kraftwerk, Led Zeppelin and even other songs of their own, such as ‘Strange Love’ which sampled ‘Enjoy the Silence’. The thing that made Depeche Mode’s sound so great is their ability to create one-of-a-kind sounds by creatively sampling things around them. Not to mention their synth skills – few other albums by few other band have influenced music fans’ love of synthesizers quite like ‘Violator’!
Depeche Mode
Many argue over NIN’s genre, but it is generally agreed that this music falls under the industrial category, a genre characterised by its use of samples from horror movies and speeches by renowned political figures. Trent Reznor – the band’s only official member – started studying classical music and playing instruments from a young age and eventually became a studio engineer, teaching himself various computer applications. Considered one of the pioneers of industrial rock, Reznor used samples by the likes of David Bowie, Prince, Queen, and numerous others.
NIN
Regardless of your opinion on sampling, we can all agree that this technique played an important part in creating the distinctive sound of these bands. If you’re looking for a music school in Guernsey, contact us for more information on private and group lessons. We are proud to offer among the best singing, drums, guitar, violin and piano lessons Guernsey has to offer.
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One of the best things about being a professional artist is that you have enough time and resources to explore other areas outside of your main career. Many famous actors in Hollywood have done just this, concentrating their efforts on music or singing when not on a film set. As an establishment that provides music tuition in Guernsey, School of Popular Music has listed some of the most famous actor-musicians in Hollywood.
The Black Widow is renowned for her ability to keep secrets – not least, her singing career. Before she became an Avenger, Johansson released an album in 2008 consisting of 10 cover versions of songs by Tom Waits, along with one original track. The following year, Johansson teamed up with Pete Yorn and released a collaborative album named Break Up. She has also sung for film soundtracks, including “Trust in Me” for Jungle Book in 2016.
This actor’s association with music didn’t stop at Footloose – he and his brother have been part of a band (aptly named The Bacon Brothers) since the late 90’s. They have released eight albums so far, all of which incorporate the genres of Americana, soul, folk and rock. Both brothers provide vocals and guitar, in addition to Kevin on percussion and Michael playing the cello.
When he’s not dazzling humans as a sparkling vampire on screen, he’s dazzling others in real life with his musical talents. Besides composing his own music, Pattinson can also play the guitar and piano. Although he has prioritised acting for the time being, he is set to contribute to the soundtrack of the upcoming film Damsel, in which he’s also playing the lead role.
Pinkett Smith has proven that her husband isn’t the only multi-talented one in the family; back in 2002, she formed a metal band called Wicked Wisdom with herself as the lead vocalist. Influenced by artists such as Metallica and Guns n’ Roses, they have received acclaim from Sharon Osbourne, who said that she was “blown away” by how good their music was after seeing them perform live.
It’s easy to associate this famous actor with cheesy sci-fi and bad Star Trek puns, but Shatner has proven himself to be a man of many talents. His very first album dates back to 1968 featuring eccentric, spoken word renditions of famous tracks like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Tambourine Man”. It’s Bob Dylan, Jim, but not as we know him. (Okay, we couldn’t resist that one).
We hope we’ve inspired you with these actor-musicians! Don’t let all that hidden talent go to waste – contact us at the School of Popular Music for more about our music lessons in Guernsey. Whether you’re a novice or of a higher level, we’re sure we’ve got just the right instructor for you. For the best guitar, piano or even singing lessons Guernsey has to offer, look no further.
In our previous blog, we shared our pick of some of the coolest drummers in the metal world, using skill, attitude and style as the main criteria. The team at School of Popular Music, specialising in music tuition in Guernsey, takes a look at the next batch of jaw-dropping metal drummers – let’s kick it off!
Long-time driving force behind Dream Theater, Portnoy came to be recognised as the archetypal progressive metal drummer, capable of virtuosity and sheer strength in equal measures. He grew up learning to play the drums and is primarily self-taught. Portnoy has received countless of awards, including Best Progressive Rock Drummer, 30 Modern Drummer magazine reader’s poll awards and has been placed in the Drumming Hall of Fame. He’s a master of odd time signatures and double bass drum fills.
One of the millennium’s most imitated and influential extreme metal time-keepers, Chris Adler is known for his highly developed heel-toe bass drum technique, and has been the engine behind Lamb of God’s career success for over a decade. Unlike most drummers, Adler lacks drumming influences as he was trained as a piano player for eight years, followed by instruments such as the sax, acoustic and bass guitar. This perhaps contributed to him developing his own unique drumming style, which includes the unusual approach to double bass playing, mixing toms and cymbals along the way.
Known for his fast, aggressive style of play mastering the double bass technique which has earned him the title “the godfather of double bass” by Drummerworld, Cuban-Born Lombardo is a two-time Grammy Award winning drummer.
If reading about these epic drummers has inspired you to kick behind the kit, we encourage you to try out our drum lessons in Guernsey. At School of Popular Music, learning music is just the beginning; we look to build up confidence and encourage teamwork among our pupils. Our school is a hub for aspiring musicians of all ages, so if you’re looking to take up an instrument or work on singing techniques, we offer a variety of music lessons in Guernsey.
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Music has the power to evoke the most powerful of emotions. So strong is its effect on us that it has both psychological and physiological effects. But does music affect animals like it does humans? Although animal vocalisations such as bird songs have been the subject of intense scientific study for a while, the effect music has on animals in terms of physiology and brain chemistry has remained somewhat of a mystery until recently. School of Popular Music delves into scientific studies which provide evidence that certain types of music may also affect animals!
Researchers found that classical music reduces anxiety in the dogs at kennels, causing them to bark less and sleep more. Heavy metal, on the other hand, had the opposite effect. Cows also seem to prefer classical music, and even produced more milk when listening to slow jams than when listening to music with over 120 beats per minute.
Having gained a reputation for being the (seemingly) more nonchalant species, it should come as no surprise that cats are pretty indifferent to human music. However, two psychologists at the University of Wisconsin and a composer at the University of Maryl teamed up to develop music especially for felines, and research indicates that cats dig it!
Composer David Teie explains that all the music was made using instruments and the human voice and was written specifically to appeal to the domestic cat, thus containing frequencies and tempos similar to the ones cats themselves use to communicate with each other.
The psychologists visited 47 households and played the cats music; two classical (human) songs and two developed specifically for felines. The study, published in the journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science, found that when the cats (particularly young and older ones) were played the feline music, they were more likely to move towards the speaker, or even rub up against it.
Another study conducted by the same researchers indicated that like cats, tamarin monkeys are mostly indifferent to human music – apart from they heard Metallica’s “Of Wolf and Man”, which surprisingly calmed them down! However, they became visibly calmer or more agitated depending on whether they were exposed to compositions made to mirror the pitch monkeys made in calming calls or those made when expressing fear.
A study conducted on white-tailed sparrows found that like humans, the part of the female sparrows’ brain that’s similar to the human amygdala lit up while listening to the males’ song, while the male birds’ brains reacted similarly to when humans listen to music they don’t like.
At School of Popular Music, offering music lessons in Guernsey, we understand that music is without a doubt, a force of nature. So if you’re looking for anything from singing lessons to piano lessons in Guernsey, contact us now!
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A while ago, our team at the School of Popular Music looked at some of the greatest music themes ever created for film. We’re back with more legendary compositions which turned out to be as timeless as the movies they were written for – those of you taking music lessons in Guernsey might even be interested in learning how to play some of them yourselves!
The sweeping score of this wartime romance is as iconic as Rhett Butler’s final, damning words to Scarlett at the end of the film. Steiner created leifmotifs and themes to suit various characters and settings, such as “Tara’s Theme” for the beloved O’Hara plantation and which is now recognised as the film’s most famous music themes. The entire soundtrack took 12 weeks to write and ended up being two hours and thirty-six minutes long.
The Indiana Jones theme is just another accomplishment to add to Williams’ already impressive list of musical achievements. The Raiders score is adventurous, bold, and brassy – encapsulating all the qualities of the film’s titular hero. The triumphant and lilting notes are the emotional bridge that connects audience to Indiana Jones as he successfully pulls off another dangerous and seemingly impossible stunt to save the day.
If you’ve ever sat up late at night cramming for an exam the following morning, or gone to stay over at the in-laws for the weekend, it’s more than likely you were playing this theme over and over in your head. Originally created for the original 1960’s TV series by Argentinian composer Lalo Schifrin, it was then remade by U2 band members Larry Mullen Jr and Adam Clayton for 1996 movie starring Tom Cruise. One of the most recognised music themes out there!
Perhaps the most famous leitmotif from this particular soundtrack is “Lara’s Theme” – a masterpiece carried by an orchestra of violins, balalaikas, horns, woodwind instruments and the glockenspiel. Wistful and romantic, it perfectly sums up the longing felt between Yuri and Lara as they disappeared in and out of each other’s lives throughout the narrative of the film.
A large part of what makes this cult classic so entrenched in film history is its dark yet gripping score by Greek composer Vangelis, which has perhaps made it the greatest in the sci-fi genre. The chilling environment of robotics and machinery in Blade Runner’s dystopian universe is reflected in the electronic, synth-drenched score, at once conveying both stifling alienation and suppressed yet heightened emotion.
If you’re both a film fanatic and music lover who’s searching for music lessons in Guernsey, you’ve come to the right place. The School of Popular Music offers tuition for all kinds of instruments as well as singing lessons. We cater for all levels, including beginners and those with more experience.
Contact us for more information about our music tuition in Guernsey and follow us on Facebook for updates!
There’s talent, and then there’s talent. Learning how to play one instrument is already an achievement in itself – can you imagine being able to play 11 or 17? There are also many benefits that come with multi-instrumentalism: a better understanding of music theory, being able to cover a missing band member and an enhanced music listening experience, to name a few. As an establishment which offers both singing and music lessons in Guernsey, School of Popular Music has put together a list of the most skilled multi-instrumentalists today.
This gifted singer-songwriter is certainly no loser – he can play a stunning total of over 10 instruments, all of which he arranged and played himself on one of his latest albums Morning Phase. The latter included the ukulele, acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, piano and synthesizer, amongst many others. His artistry was recognised when Morning Phase won Album of the Year at the 2015 Grammy Awards.
Even outside his work for Nine Inch Nails, Reznor is renowned for involvement in a multitude of different musical projects. Aside from providing vocals on many of his songs, he can also play more than 13 instruments, including lesser known ones such as the tuba, harpsichord, mellotron and marimba.
Listen to any album by this this indie queen and you’ll hear a variety of different sounds and harmonies. Credited under her real name (Annie Clark) are the guitar, synthesizer, xylophone, triangle and the Moog.
Every member of Radiohead is impressive in their own way, and Greenwood is certainly no exception. Ostensibly the lead guitarist for the band, he has however referred to the guitar as nothing more than a simple tool, preferring to experiment with other instruments which receive less acclaim. To date, he is known to play the viola, recorder, harmonica, the organ and others including percussion instruments.
Harvey’s musical genius extends well beyond her lyrics and her voice – there’s a long, long list of musical equipment that she can play. Besides the piano, bass and the violin, she’s also pretty good with the saxophone, the cello and the trumpet. In her 2010 album Let England Shake, she even wrote and produced songs that featured the autoharp.
If you fancy trying your hand at any instrument or becoming one of the best multi-instrumentalists, contact us at the School of Popular Music for music lessons in Guernsey. Even if you know how to play one already, it’s never too late in life to learn something new! Our instructors can offer the best in guitar, piano, or violin lessons Guernsey has to offer.
It’s fair to say that certain movie music themes and soundtracks have turned out to be as timeless and enduring as the films they were made for. Songs or music pieces can help enhance the production value of a film as well as underlining the main themes and the general mood of the plot. Here is a list of a few of our favourites at School of Popular Music that we’re sure are just as memorable to you.
How could we possibly start without mentioning what is arguably the most recognisable music themes of all time? Rota’s mournful, dark and looming compositions are the perfect accompaniment to the rise and fall of Michael Corleone. The themes of the American Dream and Sicilian tradition within the film merge perfectly with Rota’s blend of jazz and Italian popular song.
Unsettling and eerie as the dystopian society in which the film is set, the music of A Clockwork Orange is a unique mix of classical music and electronic synths. Classical music is actually a major plot point in the film’s storyline; the protagonist’s favourite composer is none other than Ludwig van Beethoven. Having said that, the film’s signature track is undeniably the synthesised version of Henry Purcell’s Funeral March for Queen Mary.
Although the original has been updated for modern times, the soundtrack remains as dashing, classy and dangerous as ever. The composition is derived from a song from the Indian stage musical A House for Mr. Baswas. Norman adapted Good Sign, Bad Sign using nine brass instruments, five saxophones, a rhythm section and a solo guitar.
Sitting down to a new Star Wars movie wouldn’t be half as exciting without the grand, swashbuckling theme accompanying the famously yellow opening titles. Because Williams played the bass when he was young, the theme was composed of strong bass sections; it also followed the same key as the Fox Fanfare (B-flat major) as this piece of music was such an integral part of the final result.
Shore’s score, which was created for perhaps the most famous film trilogy of the 21st century so far, has garnered him worldwide acclaim. It varies from lilting and harmonious for the innocence of the hobbits to dark and foreboding for the evils of Mordor and Sauron. Shore is said to have created over 100 leitmotifs to suit the different cultures and peoples of Middle Earth, creating the most intricate collection of music themes ever recorded in film history.
If you’re interested in learning how to play this music yourself, contact the School of Popular Music for music lessons, guitar lessons and general music tuition in Guernsey. We cater to all levels, from beginners to advanced learners.
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Have you ever felt chills up your spine and got goosebumps when listening to a piece of music? Some of us react more intensely to music than others. Scientists have now unravelled a few theories behind why music has such an incredible ability to trigger such powerful emotions. The staff at School of Popular Music, who offer music lessons in Guernsey, take a look at recent studies that delve into the link between biology and music.
According to a new study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, there’s a deeper reason for some people experiencing chills than them simply appreciating music more than others. MRI scans of twenty students show that the ten who reported experiencing chills when listening to music had a denser volume of brain fibres that connect the sections that process auditory information and emotions.
Not only does having more fibres indicate a more efficient processing between the two sections, it also shows that those with these stronger connections may feel more intense emotions generally, not just when listening to music.
According to a team of researchers, when we are moved by music, our brain behaves as though it is reacting to psychoactive drugs or delicious food. The pleasure experience is driven by dopamine, a chemical which has been linked to addiction, as it produces physical effects known as ‘chills’ that cause changes in the skin’s temperature and electrical conductance. The release of dopamine seems to be greatest when listeners have a strong emotional response to music, with the chemical’s levels peaking just before that special note or chord finally occurs, flooding certain areas in your brain and increasing activity in the nucleus accumbens, which in turn, causes goose bumps or chills.
What is fascinating is that neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp has found that people more often feel such chills or goose bumps when listening to music that evokes a sad feeling or memory, as opposed to a positive one. The amygdala may also be involved in this process, due to the emotions stirred up by certain songs that may be more melancholic in nature.
Researcher Dr Schubert has observed that ‘loudness, tempo and pitch have a measurable impact on people’s emotional response to music.’ Through his study, he found that arousal is associated with a composition’s loudness, and to a lesser extent, its tempo.
Listening to music is therefore a truly abstract form of pleasure. The profound feelings we experience – and the goosebumps music evokes – likely have their origins rooted deep in our evolutionary past. Our staff at School of Popular Music are passionate and offer the best music lessons Guernsey has to offer. We give singing and instrument lessons, so whether you’re looking for piano, drums, violin or guitar lessons in Guernsey, we are the school for you!
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