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So far Academy of Music has created 44 blog entries.

Piano VS Organ

At first glance, an organ and a piano may not seem that different. But once an organist or pianist sits down to play, they’ll notice that the type of music these instruments produce is quite unique. What’s the difference between a piano and an organ? Is an organ just a piano with 2 or 3 extra keyboards? Not exactly. These instruments sound different, have varying mechanisms to produce their tones, and require distinct training to play.  (more…)

How To Tune A Piano

When you purchase a piano, there is one type of maintenance that is essential to its quality and longevity: tuning. It takes time, patience, a trained ear, and a lot of practice to master the art of tuning. It involves a lot more mechanical know-how and precision than tuning a guitar. But by learning to tune a piano yourself, you can save money on hiring someone else to do it. Better yet, you’ll be keeping your instrument in top shape so that it holds the tuning for longer. If you’d like to learn about the process of piano tuning, we’ve put together the basic steps.  (more…)

How To Repair Your Piano

The piano may be your vessel to create beautiful and unique music. If there are problems with your instrument, you won’t be able to produce the elegant sounds that your heart sings with. In this post, we’re going to cover common problems that pianists encounter with their instruments. We will include some basic solutions, but many issues will require that you call in a professional piano repair person. (more…)

The Hardest Instruments To Learn & Why

Mastering an instrument is an incredibly rewarding experience—but some musical instruments are easier to play than others. Perhaps you’ve been practicing for a while, and you’re looking for a greater challenge. Why not step outside of your comfort zone and pick up a new instrument? There’s no shortage of new things to learn in the world; don’t sell yourself short! Almost anyone can learn to play the instruments listed below, even though they’re more challenging than most.  (more…)

10 Best Musical Instruments For Beginners

The journey of learning music can be intimidating – how do you begin when there are so many options to choose from? When you start to play an instrument, you want a beginner-friendly one. To ease this process, we’ve put together a list of the instruments that are best-suited for new players:

 

  • Piano. Nearly every song has the piano in it, which allows beginners to find music they will enjoy playing. This instrument is easy to pick up but challenging to master. If you can’t afford a grand piano, don’t worry! You can use a keyboard instead. 

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Academy of Music Celebrates 30 Years With Online Expansion To Satisfy Increased Demand For Classes

MANITOBA, Canada – The Academy of Music, one of the leading music lesson providers in Manitoba, Canada, is pleased to announce that they are celebrating their 30th anniversary. Formed in Winnipeg in 1990, the company has continued to grow and flourish over the years, and in the process, has taught thousands of people how to play musical instruments.

The passion and dedication of the owners of the company remain undiminished. In response to increased demand for their services, the Academy of Music is now launching an online music lesson service. This new method of teaching, while exciting and forward-thinking, will provide the tutors with some interesting challenges. Every team member is committed to the process and looking forward to seeing where this expansion takes them. (more…)

The Benefits Of Online Music Lessons


This year, online learning has become the new norm. Schools have closed and families have stayed inside in their efforts to maintain physical distancing. But for those who want to further their education during this time, the pandemic might stand in the way of their goals. Thanks to technology, there’s a solution to this problem – virtual lessons. They have risen in popularity since the outbreak of COVID-19. While some students will miss the intimacy of an in-person lesson, online learning has its advantages.
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Online Music Lessons – The Safest Way to Learn!

Online Music Lessons
This year we have gone from “business as usual” to extreme social distancing in only a matter of a few short months. The entire world feels like it’s on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Otherwise known as COVID-19, this virus has taken the world by storm, and has pushed a lot of people into a corner, wondering what they can do to achieve some sort of normalcy in their otherwise shaken up lives.

With “social distancing” being implemented everywhere we look, it’s incredibly important for everyone to do their part in helping themselves and those around them to foster an environment focused on both safety and health.

Many schools are now closed, and students are being homeschooled, mostly by parents. This has been a major disruption for both parents and students alike, since a lot of parents are still working (to some degree) either at home or at their place of business. Social media is full of uncertainty, with the popular question, “who will teach my kids?”

We are extremely fortunate to live in a digitally connected world, from Facebook and Instagram, to Netflix and YouTube. At Academy of Music, we’ve been offering online music lessons for quite some time, but lately we’ve seen a lot of students move from traditional in-person music lessons to online learning.

All you need is a high-speed internet connection, and a computer, tablet or phone that supports video communication, and you have everything you need to be able to take part in online music lessons.

Our music teachers are passionate about teaching their students one-on-one, so taking the lessons online is a smooth transition. The best part about online lessons at this time is you can keep learning, while also maintaining social distancing! With so many people at home, your lesson schedule can also be quite flexible, and be worked around your schedule. Your teacher will work with you to figure out a time that best suits the both of you, and we know it will be something you can look forward to week in and week out.

Another great aspect of taking online music lessons at home, is less travel time for those that would normally have to attend a lesson outside of their home. This time saving opportunity allows for increased productivity, to be able to spend more time practicing, or other activities that help us grow. Plus, when utilizing online learning, you can sign up and start taking lessons with us anywhere in the world! No matter how far away you live, it will be like our music instructors are right there with you in your home – in real time!

The Academy of Music offers music lessons for all ages, and we have a lot to choose from! Just check out the Instruments tab in the top menu and you can see that we offer something for everyone. Our secure payment option is a breeze, and you can get enrolled in just a few clicks, making being stuck at home a lot more enjoyable right now.

This world pandemic has forced so many of us to make adjustments. At this time, it’s too early to tell when life will get back to “normal”, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop everything we were doing. History has proven that music will always play a major role in our lives, even when our lives aren’t easy.

We need to focus on the good, more now than ever, and let our passions flow wherever we are.

Tips for a successful Zoom Music Lesson or a Zoom Music Recital

Here are some important tips for setting up your device for a successful Zoom music lesson or Zoom Music recital. Practice with family and friends before your lesson or recital to test your set up.

1. Internet connection

It is important to have a good, fast internet speed (both upload and download) when using Zoom so as not to cut in and out. You may be required to upgrade your existing plan if you are on a basic plan. Make sure no one else in the home is using the internet at the same time (especially video streaming such as Netflix & YouTube) as this will slow down the internet speed. Here are some other tips about your internet connection for Zoom.
  • Wired connections are better than wireless (Wi-Fi or cellular) connections.
  • WiFi connections are better than cellular (3G/4G/LTE) connections.
Consider Disabling HD webcam video. Sending high definition (HD) webcam video requires more bandwidth than sending non-HD. Disabling HD video will free up more of your Internet connection for other parts of your Zoom meeting. Close other, unneeded applications on your computer or device.

2. Sound

Zoom automatically cuts out back ground noise which is not good for a music lesson or recital. It is best to change the settings to Use Original Audio. Here are instructions on how to change that on a device as well as a computer. You will first need to download and install the Zoom app. Enabling the Original Sound On a Device: a) Open the Zoom App b) Click on “Settings” on the bottom right c) Click on “Meetings” d) Turn on “Use Original Sound”. e) When you join a meeting, you will still need to enable the original sound. Click on “More” (the three dots at the bottom of the menu) and turn on “Enable Original Sound”. Enabling the Original Sound on a Computer: a) Open the Zoom App. b) Click on “Settings” c) Click “Audio”. d) Here you can test and adjust your speakers and microphone. Most important is the section where it says Suppress Background Noise. It will be set to Auto. Change that to Low (faint background sound). f) Underneath you will see Music and Professional Audio. Turn on Show in-meeting option to enable original sound from the microphone by checking the box. It will then give you three options, 1. High Fidelity, 2. Echo Cancelation 3. Stereo Audio. Make sure these are all turned off. g) When joining the meeting you’ll need to “Turn On Original Sound” in the upper left of the screen.

3. Lighting

Make sure to have plenty of light on the student like you would taking a photograph. Try to minimize the light behind the performer as this will cause the image to be darker.

4. Camera Angle

Setting up your device camera angle for a Zoom lesson is different than it is for a recital! For most instruments it is important for the teacher to see the student’s hands as close as possible as well as the instrument. For a Zoom recital it is more important to see the whole person (head to toe) as if you were taking a photograph of the performer.

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