Making Music and Having a Blast!: A Guide for All Music Students

Contents

• Preface: The Long, Winding, and Exciting Road to Becoming a Musician
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part 1. Getting Off to a Good Start
• 1. Tips and Tricks for Fast Success
• 2. The Surprising Truth about Talent
• 3. The Top Mistake New Musicians Can Make
• 4. How to Persuade Your Parents to Buy You an Instrument
• 5. Where and How to Buy Your Instrument
• Part 2. Getting the Most from Your Lessons
• 6. Are Private Lessons for You?
• 7. Finding the Perfect Teacher
• 8. How to Be a Great Student
• 9. Is It Time to Change Teachers?
• 10. Singers: You Are the Instrument
• Part 3. Using Practice Tips for Faster Results
• 11. The Attitude of Success
• 12. Get in Gear with Goals
• 13. How to Fit Practice into Your Already Busy Life
• 14. Quit Wasting Your Practice Time
• 15. Shake up Your Practice Routine
• Part 4. Solving the Mystery of Music Theory
• 16. Note Names on the Piano, Sharps and Flats, and the Chromatic Scale
• 17. Major Scales and Key Signatures
• 18. Intervals
• 19. Minor Scales
• 20. Chords and Arpeggios
• 21. Chord Inversions, Figured Bass, and Cadences
• Part 5. Tune in to Classical Music
• 22. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
• 23. The Baroque and Classical Periods
• 24. The Romantic Period
• 25. The Contemporary Period
• 26. Why Listen to Classical Music?
• 27. Hey, Listen to This!
• Part 6. Becoming a Skilled Musician
• 28. Learn the Tricks to Become a Confident Sight-Reader
• 29. Intonation: You Can Learn to Play in Tune
• 30. Musicality: The Difference between Playing and Typing
• 31. How to Memorize without Having a Brain Freeze
• Part 7. Performing with Confidence
• 32. Put Concerts and Contests into Perspective
• 33. Conquer Your Fear Factor
• 34. Ace the Audition
• Part 8. Avoiding Stumbling Blocks along the Way
• 35. Finding the Middle Ground: A Guide for Frustrated Students and Their "Helpful" Parents
• 36. Student to Student: Advice from Teens
• 37. Brace Yourself for Braces
• 38. Help! I Want to Quit
• 39. Thorny Questions from Students: You're Not Alone!
• 40. Is All This Hard Work Worth It?
• Part 9. Making Beautiful Music Together
• 41. Have Fun and Make Friends When You Play Music Together
• 42. What Can I Do If I'm Bored in Band or Orchestra?
• 43. Concert Etiquette, or Dude! When Do I Clap?
• Part 10. Where to Go for More Info
• 44. So You Want to Be a Music Major?
• 45. Choosing a College or Conservatory
• 46. Getting into the School of Your Dreams
• 47. Preparing for the College or Professional Orchestra Audition
• 48. Music Professions: Ways to Live by What You Love
• 49. Life as a Professional Musician: Is It for You?
• 50. Lessons about Life You Can Learn from Professional Musicians
• Appendix A. Music Theory Review
• Appendix B. The Musical Periods
• Glossary of Musical Terms
• Reading, Browsing, Watching, Listening: A List of References
• Index