The Woodlands Music Blog

My wife and I went for a walk on the Waterway Saturday evening.  As we approached the Marriott hotel we started seeing a lot of people dressed in strange costumes. Tails, armor, masks. It was very colorful. It was the Anime convention.There are a lot of people who are really into that stuff. It’s pretty low budget and kind of cheesy but these kids (mostly high school and college age) seemed to be having fun and they loved to have their picture taken. So, we walked around the lobby taking pictures. There were some people, not in costume, just hanging out. (besides us, that is) There was a guy walking around playing his electric guitar with his little portable Orange amp. He played pretty good, too. He said he was studying marketing in college but he loves music and plays his guitar everyday.  There was a girl with a violin. Robin asked her to play something and she played something from a video game on her violin. Said she played her violin in a band and went to college. After chatting with them a while and listening to them play we walked on down the street. Robin said, “that’s what we are trying to get our students to do”.  And it is. Our goal is to teach people to love playing music and play it past their lessons and past high school, through college and through life. 

This is a journal entry my daughter, Rosie, let me read. I liked it and asked her permission to post it on our blog. Hope you enjoy it! 

Music and memories and wealth

Music. It is good for so many things. Today I realized just how powerful it is in every facet of life. Our interactions with people. The kind of person we were, are, and will become. I forget that some people don’t really have the same associations when they listen to music. They might not think of happy things when hearing grand symphonies or simple lieder. For me, I hear Handel’s Messiah or Holst’s  Mars: The Bringer of War and think of my mom blasting them through the house while we cleaned every Friday when I was little. It is a fun memory. I hear Jessye Norman and remember singing “like” her in the bathtub as a toddler.

The reason I am thinking about this now is because in theory today we were talking about music and associations. When I hear the first movement of Beethoven’s 7th symphony, for instance, I associate it with the fact that I have sightread the viola part for aural skills and have transcribed the first 24 measures of the viola and counter melody also for aural skills.. not the most fun association maybe but definitely interesting. Other people were talking about how they associated it with a funeral march and so on and so forth. Finally our professor started talking about associations that non-music people would have when listening to these pieces with which we, as a class, were so familiar. This is where it got really interesting to me. That was a side of things that I had really never thought about. I have always been so surrounded my classical music that it almost never occurs to me that someone wouldn’t like it. silly, huh?

Our professor made one point that got me to thinking.  He pointed out that some people associate classical music with aristocracy and wealth and very high, snooty, snobby things. -And thus refuse to listen to classical music because they don’t want to become associated with the wealthy. They think that it might taint them and make them elitist. I had thought about the whole snobby thing, and I suppose in a way that might be true of some in the field. BUT WEALTH? ELITIST?  I think that I have picked the wrong field to be rich. hahaha Musicians across the centuries have been poor or at least not terribly wealthy. Some of the very best composers died in absolute poverty. I would not call them elitist… But yes…when you think about it maybe there is a very good reason that music is associated with wealth. But I don’t think that it is monetary wealth.  

I think that music makes the people who love it, and play it,and write it, and feel it, extremely wealthy. My parents are both musicians. There was a time when they ate beans and rice every day because that it all they could afford. There was a time when they had one car. There was a time when my mom had 5 cents left over for a week. When they got married they had $300 and a sofa. Looking back I know that we were probably scraping bottom when I was young. But living through it was the best childhood anyone could ask for. I had everything I needed and more because I had the love and nurturing of my family and the music that they loved so much was shared with me.  Now I go to a top conservatory and although I am a broke college student with pretty much nothing to my name and will have loans to pay back after I graduate, I will always be happy and rich in the life I lead. I plan to starve slowly, the same promise my parents made when they got married. They haven’t starved and neither will I.  

So for those people who think that classical music is elitist:

You are misinformed or naive and should look at the kinds of people who play and love this kind of music. If you resist this you will miss out on a richer, fuller life.

Rosie grew up in a musical home and was raised in a music store. She taught piano for 4 years at Arbor Music and now goes to Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. 

 The other day a customer came in our store and asked, “Why are there so many effects pedals and what do they all do?”

Being more of an acoustic type of player I don’t have the foggiest idea so I say to Travis, our knowledgable sales guy: 

E: (that’s me) “Travis, just off the top of your head without the computer or google or anything, give us a detailed rundown of all the most popular effects pedals in words a novice would understand.”

T: “Sure, uh...no problem. Here are some basic things to understand about guitar pedals in general, with a little history thrown in. With this basic info we hope to help you make an informed decision about your next purchase.”

Distortion: Distortion was originally created by increasing the ‘power supply’ to vintage tube amplifiers. The sound produced was gritty, and heavy. Essentially, one doesn’t need a pedal to make a signal distorted—in the case of low-quality amplifiers, increasing the volume will break up the signal. High-quality amplifiers can endure a much louder volume before the signal turns into distortion.

In the case of a distortion pedal, users are allowed to control the tone of their amplifier while harnessing the sound at lower volumes. In this way, one can play their guitar through the amplifier with a heavy sound, at a lower volume. When performing live, however, there is not always the option of being able to turn the volume of the amplifier up and down—nor would it be recommended to do so. This is why a distortion pedal is important. With the click of a switch, a tone which was warm and bright suddenly becomes that fuzzy, distorted sound which every metal head on the planet loves.

Delay: The delay pedal was actually the first form of guitar effect that was made. Les Paul, in the 1940’s, would manipulate the reel-to-reel recording method of the day to produce a slap-back effect, otherwise known as delay. Today, we store an effect of this kind inside the circuitry of a ‘delay pedal’. Basically, it creates a carbon copy of the notes being played and re-plays them. Think of it as a recorder, playing back what you’re playing as you play it.

Overdrive: Overdrive, as it has come to be known is a smooth, warm, slightly distorted sound, generally associated with the sound made by cranking up a tube amp. It is fat and dynamic, allowing you to vary your tone accordingly.

E:“So, isn’t Overdrive the same as distortion?”

T: “They do kind of the same thing, that is, break up the signal. I would use overdrive for a solo and a distortion pedal for power chords.”

Reverb: A reverb pedal will produce an atmospheric sound, and create a ‘large-room’ effect on your tone. Reverb is a tone-setting that can be used in conjunction with other pedals to create some wild effects (i.e. Mixtures of Reverb, Delay, and Overdrive). This is used widely and is one of the most popular types of electric guitar pedal.

Wah Wah: A Wah-Wah pedal is a strange pedal. The effect was created by accident in a tube amplifier in the 1950’s.  The sound is designed to mimic that of a human voice. It’s called a ‘filter pedal’ and can be used in different ways with different frequencies. This pedal is used most notably in guitar solos, and in styles such as funk, or reggae music.

Clean boost- A Clean Boost pedal does exactly what is sounds like it does.

E: “Ok, so I don’t need one of those. I’ll just crank up my amp just shy of distortion volume.

T: “Ok, if you want to but if you are playing live you will make the sound guy really mad.”

E: Why is that? 

T: The sound guy will do the mix according to the amp volume so it will ruin his mix. 

E: What if the sound guy is a girl?

T: chuckles and walks off.

Phaser- A Phaser is a filter effect that takes the signal from the guitar and displaces it through a ‘filter’ that creates a sort of psychedelic sound. The Phaser is a popular pedal to be used in conjunction with other pedals, and is similar to the Wah-Wah pedal. You might recognize it a lot on the classic rock radio stations. The Phaser differs from a wah-pedal in that it does not feature an adjustable foot-pedal that creates swells in the sound. It is typically controlled by the knobs-feature at the base of the pedal.

E: “Can you sum it up for us?”

T: “Sure, each, if not all, of these pedals affects the way the tone of your guitar works. The tone is the sound of the guitar: bright, warm, dark etc... The tone is the trademark of the player, so you understand why serious guitarists are so serious about their tone. It’s their musical identity as a guitarist. Electric Guitar pedals are an invaluable resource for the player.”

“Here at Arbor Music, we have ModTone pedals—a brand we trust, with options ranging anywhere from distortion to tremolo. They are durable, affordable and sound good. We hope to help you make an informed decision next time you come into the store, and encourage you to purchase a pedal that will increase the potential of your electric guitar playing substantially!”

E “Thanks Travis, that was pretty impressive, the way you boiled it down to where even I could understand it....and off the top of your head to! Right?....Travis?” 

T: “Excuse me, I think I hear the phone ringing....”

“Should I buy a guitar online?” 

It’s a question I get asked all the time. It goes like this:

Customer calls the store:(abbreviated -C) 

C: “I am looking for information about your guitar lessons for my daughter.”

Me: “ Our lessons are one-on-one lessons. They are 30 minutes each week. The rate is a flat fee of $100.00 a month for 4 lessons. On months when there are 5 weeks it is the same price you just get an extra lesson.”.... “Does your daughter have a guitar?” 

C: “No, she does not have a guitar, does she have to buy one or do you provide the guitar”

Me: “You need to buy a guitar for her to practice on.” “We have guitars here at our store that are suitable for beginners” “How old is your daughter”

C: “She will turn 8 at the end of this month”

Me: “That’s a good age to start guitar, in fact that is the age we recommend starting and we have guitars that are a good size for an 8 year old.”

C: Are they 1/2 size or 3/4 size? (I say to myself, “so she has done her homework on guitars for children”)

Me:  “We have 3/4 size guitars that work well for 8 yr. olds.”

C: “How much are your guitars?”

Me: “The guitars range from $109.00 to $119.00 dollars depending on which model you get. Then a gig bag is $29.99. So you are looking at around $150.00 with sales tax. There are other accessories you will need eventually, a foot stool, a good tuner, a metronome, music books and a music stand”

C: “Can you recommend a good brand?”

Me: “ I can recommend our brand (Gregg Bennett brand). We are a teaching store and I am one of the teachers. Our guitars are easy to play and they stay in tune.** Perfect for students to learn on”

C: “Can I get one on the internet?”

Me: “Well, you can do whatever you want but I can’t recommend a guitar that I can’t see or play. You may be getting something that is hard to play if you go too cheap. In the long run the lessons are more of an investment so you want your daughter to have a pretty good guitar.”

And then the caller says thank you for the information and I say thank you for calling Arbor Music and we hang up.

Now, I know that this person has already found guitars online for 50 to 80 dollars. and, lets face it, you can get anything online and get it cheap. And there is a wealth of information on the internet. Consumers are now more informed than ever. They have researched a product  online long before they step foot into a store. And who, these days has not bought online? I know I have. For some things it’s the only way to get it. The other day I went to every office supply store in the area looking for quick drying ink so I could stamp some plastic pick holders with our logo. Nobody had it so I had to buy it online. I bought it from an online store that sold nothing but stamp ink and stamps. With the internet you can do that. It’s called the “long tail” and it refers to niche marketing. Brick and mortar stores (traditional retail stores) have certain product that appeals to a lot of people but it might not have something that fewer people buy. But an online store can specialize because there is a broader market for their niche product. But that’s a subject for another blog.

At Arbor Music we sell instruments, accessories and music but we don’t just sell, we sell so you can learn to play music. That’s our goal. We have been here for 8 years and during that time I have sold cheaper guitars than I have now. I can get cheap guitars, the same ones you get online, but I choose not to. I like consistency of product. If I buy a brand that I have to work on before I can feel good about selling it then I discontinue that product. I don’t want a student coming to a lesson with a guitar that is hard to play and won’t stay in tune. Why? Because it is discouraging to the student and they are not going to practice as much.

What it all boils down to is this. If you buy 2 months of lessons with a good teacher you have already spent more than you spend on one of our guitars. So, it is a better investment to buy a good guitar. Ours are proven and we stand behind them, online, well...you might get lucky or not. 

Other reasons to buy from us? We are local so we  pay taxes and provide jobs in the community. We provide customer service. We have an interest in your child learning to play and we provide opportunities for our students to perform. We want to keep doing what we do because it’s fun!

**I am not saying that you never have to tune our guitars but that they hold their tuning when played and the have good intonation, meaning if the open strings are in tune the guitar is consistently in tune with itself.

It’s Thanksgiving and you know what that means........ It means it is almost Christmas and you know what that means.......It means that it is time for our Christmas recital. We have two recitals each year. Actually, four recitals because we have back-to-back recitals on two different days. One in the winter and one in the spring. Confused? Don’t worry about it. The main thing is that we have recitals. Our recitals are not the usual recital you are thinking of. The ones that go on and on and you only hear one type of instrument or one type of music. Our recitals are eclectic. (no, I did not misspell electric). We have violins, acoustic guitars, pianos, fiddles, banjos, violas, basses, cellos, electric guitars, singing. We have classical music, rock music, country music, pop music, fiddle music, irish music, jazz music, even Christmas music.  

Why have a recital? Here’s my list of reasons: 

1. Music is a performance art so a recital is an opportunity to perform.
2. Performances make folks nervous so a musician should perform ever chance he/she gets to learn how to deal with nerves.
3. It gives the student an opportunity to learn a piece of music from beginning to end at performance quality.
4. It gives the student a goal to work toward. 
5. Increases playing skills.
6. Increases self esteem.
7. Increases practice skills.
8. Lets parents see how their child is progressing.

I could probably go on. There are lots of reasons to have recitals. My goal is to have a building large enough to have recitals more often. We might even call them student showcases or open mics. or coffee houses. The more the merrier. Keep on playing music!!!!

Sometimes you only learn about someone when they die. That was the case with me and Earl Gilliam. I had no idea that a once famous blues piano player lived just down the road in Tomball Texas. Did you know that? He died recently and I saw it in the Tomball Newspaper. Seems he wrote and recorded lots of songs and played with some well known artists like Lighnin’ Hopkins (another Houston area bluesman), T-Bone Walker, Percy Mayfield and others. I’m not surprised, though, since Texas has bred many great blues musicians. (as well as great musicians of other styles of music). 

In fact just north of here in Navasota lived Mance Lipscomb. Ever heard of him? I have some of his records. He was a share cropper who played bluesy ragtime on the guitar. He was discovered by someone from the smithsonian late in life and he toured and made some records as an old man. I know about him because of another blues singer/guitarist named John Vandiver, who lived in Magnolia not far from our store. John Vandiver learned a lot of songs and licks from Mance Lipscomb. (My sister, while working at a Navasota hotel years ago, pulled a drowning man out of the pool. The man said he was a son, or grandson of Mance Lipscomb. Ok, that was a tangent but I had to say it) The point is that from this area of Texas come some influential musicians!!!

Google Earl Gilliam and you will find out lots of information about him. He would have jam sessions and BBQ at his house in Tomball and lots of people would come to play or listen. I guess I’m the only one who didn’t know. 

Here are a couple of links for an article about Earl and one for some music posted on youtube by a fan. Enjoy, and keep your eyes and ears open for the music that is around you, ‘cause there’s lots of it in our neck of the woods.

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2011/05/blues_community_going_to_the_d.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcPTqm2V1ok&feature=related

This is my first blog and I’m excited. Hopefully it will be fun and informative, full of useful information about our store and other musical stuff. Hopefully it won’t be like what happens a lot of times when you start something new. Like when you get that first instrument. You hear someone play a song that really speaks to you and you are inspired. You buy a new guitar or horn or keyboard and take it home. You can’t wait to get started. But, it doesn't sound like you thought it would. (hint: that person you heard had to practice a long time to sound like that) Or find that life gets in the way and it’s hard to find time to practice. So your new instrument goes in the closet or under the bed.

Hopefully, that won’t happen to this blog. It’ll take time to learn how to do it. For example, I have already written this once but I didn’t save it in time. The blog logged me out and I lost all I had written. (and it was pretty good, too) Very frustrating, I almost quit. This time I am writing in Pages so I can copy and paste to the blog. Then I will ask Darren how to avoid losing things I write in the blog. He set up our new website, which is really cool. When I told him I wanted a blog  he said  “if I do this you need to use it” or something like that. And then he showed me some blogs of other clients and the latest entry was in the year 1847. They had good intentions but just didn’t take the time out of their busy schedule to do it.

So, here’s the deal. I will take the time to learn how to do a good blog and you can get that instrument out from under your bed and dust it off. Then bring it to us and we will fix it and help you learn how to play it. Why? Because that’s what we do. We think it’s fun and, hopefully, you will too! 

I am starting my new blog to kick off my new website. Please check back often as I should have some good topics to discuss about music and music instruments.

Eric Williams.