My Upbeat Music Blog

  The Reason Why The Power Of Inspiration At a music school, you teach music lessons. That's a given, right?  But is that the goal for the student? To take lessons as an activity? I don't think so. People don't sign up for Music lessons as an activity like arts and crafts (although I have had some families like this).  People sign up for lessons because they want to PLAY music or they have a goal or vision of what they'll be able to do by taking lessons.  So let me ask you a question. What did you want do be able to do by taking lessons? i.e; "I wanted to ______" Goals Goals are important. Many music teachers understand this. Public, or even private performances in front of others is one of the biggest ways you can motivate students to practice and retain them.  A recital is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. It's an expectation that the student needs to be prepared or accountable to themselves, their family and audience. Now, performing in a

 Is Following "Disneyland's Model", The Key To Business Growth? https://upbeatmusicacademy.ca Before I get started, let me ask you a question. What do you attribute to your feeling of importance?  Let me rephrase that. What do you do to feel important, or what gives you a sense of purpose? For me, being on stage performing, speaking at conventions or helping hundreds of people live their dream makes me feel incredibly important! So let me ask you, are you alone in your feeling of importance? I bet you're not. Could you provide something, an activity, product or service that would give someone else that feeling of importance? You know, fill a need?  If you think about it, that's a model you could use to set yourself apart from your competition or start a business with. For the last 18 years I ran a very successful music school. In 2004, my wife and I started our school with just 88 students. By 2020 we were at 1200+ weekly, private, half hour students making us the

  Music Is Medicine https://upbeatmusicacademy.ca  Why Is Music So Important For Our Health? Playing music is a huge part for many kids lives growing up. Almost a right of passage that parents sign their kids up for Music lessons from the age 4 or 5. But is music actually medicine too? It's been known for years that kids who study music, do better in school. But why? Music is good for your emotional and mental health and can be a huge way to cope with stress, but why do people who play in instrument from a young age and continue playing through their senior years seemingly appear to avoid senility or have improved cognitive function? I know it's a cultural "expectation" and privilege to learn an instrument, but aside from teaching their children a life skill and something they could enjoy for their whole lives, it wasn't until quite recently did we understand how much music could affect their children's health and well being?  I've been a music teacher, st

   They Say You Should Never Meet Your Heros Noel Wentworth https://upbeatmusicacademy.ca Once upon a time, I had a dream. I suppose a lot of people can say that. Since I was 11 years old I wanted to be a famous musician, playing on stage with my hero's or being the hero myself.  In a nutshell, I wanted to feel important through performing and being a Musician. I remember the day clearly. I was in my room listening to the radio when RATT's Round and Round came on. I heard the Guitar part played by someone named Warren DeMartini.  His Guitar parts spoke to me. The movement of the riffs, the fingering and odd chord structures. I knew almost immediately I had to learn how to play the Guitar ! At first, every time that song came on I imagined myself on stage with Warren. I played all the harmony Guitar parts while Warren did what he was meant to do. Play an amazing solo and rock the audience to its very core. Years later, my 11 year old older-self met Warren in California at the NA