How to Become a Skilled Percussionist My Experience As a Beginner Percussionist When you first get started with your musical career, you’ll never know where it might take you! I spent my entire career as a percussionist, but when I first signed up for band, my plan was to play the trumpet. My braces wound…
White House of Music: Your Local Guitar Shop Why Do Guitarists Often Own More Than One Guitar? There are many reasons a guitarist might own more than one guitar. Guitars come in a variety of colors, styles, and configurations. Guitars have personality. The same make and model can have a different feel and sound so…
Taking Your First Steps Toward Becoming a Successful Guitarist How Do You Learn To Play The Guitar? People always tell me that they wish they could play the guitar. I smile and tell them it is a great experience and you’ll probably play for the rest of your life. You will play at Christmas, around…
The Tangible and Intangible Benefits of Band Participation It’s well known that music students typically outperform their non-music peers academically. Past studies have indicated that SAT students who participated in music scored an average of 31 points above average in reading, 23 points above average in math, and 31 points above average in writing. Researchers…
Protecting Your Instrument From Life’s Little Surprises From the expected to the unexpected, conceivable to inconceivable, we have seen some interesting things happen to rented or purchased musical instruments. Whether it’s the standard wear and tear that occurs as an instrument is used over the course of a school year or your car backing over…
A Parent’s Guide for New Band Students First Steps: Recruitment and Instrument Selection Congratulations! Your student is taking their first step toward a successful musical career. While it might seem overwhelming at first, your student’s band teacher likely has a well-coordinated recruitment process in place to help guide band parents and their students. While this…
The beauty of orchestra is that it’s remarkably accommodating for students of all walks of life. Anyone can participate and succeed as a student musician.
Music Programs for Seniors & Retirees Hello there! I’m Dianne Peterson, a White House of Music employee and New Horizons Band member. I’d like to share the story of how I became involved in our local New Horizons Band and some of the benefits it offers for senior citizen musicians of all skill levels. My…
Our very own Brandon Yahn explains why it’s important to keep practicing throughout the calendar year! Avoid the “Summer Slide” with private lessons and regular practice sessions.
When you give, you get a lot in return. There’s a big difference in 500 guitars a day and 500 a year. While Richard Hoover truly believes “the cheapest guitar can change the world,” he and his team at Santa Cruz Guitar Company have set out to do something very different: craft fine instruments that…