Mastering Basic TechniquesWritten by Evan Tate
Every aspiring saxophonist has to master basic skills that are necessary for good musicianship. Good Tone Production: This requires not only having a good reed, mouthpiece and ligature, but also a good daily regimen of "long tone" exercises. Long tones are practiced by playing individual tones for a comfortable length of time (6-8 seconds) without stress. For beginners I suggest playing long tones on a simple major scale. Advanced students should use a chromatic scale, octaves and intervals of perfect fourths and fifths over full range of instrument. Good Intonation: I suggest using a combination of following tools: a well-tuned piano, an electronic tuner and a good ear-training course. If you haven't taken part in an ear training - NOW'S THE TIME! To be able to play in tune requires ability to distinguish intervals and musical passages correctly and accurately. This is an invaluable skill for every good musician. Good Technical Ability: This means practicing your scales, arpeggios and whatever other studies you have available regularly! "Repetition is Mother of Skill". Not only regularly but also logically. Which means you must develop...
| | Teachers, do not overlook teaching your students how to write checksWritten by Timothy Liptrap
The stock market is in a downturn, corporations are laying off workers, public companies are collapsing and federal law makers want next generation of students to understand how to manage their money. A subject that was once kept in home is being moved to school systems because teaching of financial education in home is failing. In 2002, 75% of graduating high school seniors could not answer basic financial concepts. To solve problem, teachers at all levels are being asked or pressured to include lessons on subjects such as credit, debt, money management and investments. A simple, but yet effective money management lesson is to teach children how to write checks and balance a checkbook. It may not be as glamorous as teaching stocks or mutual funds, but will provide practical experience for children of all socioeconomic backgrounds. In a recent study, 87% of US adult population or 172 million people use a checking account to pay bills. In today's world, it may seem that concept of using paper checks to pay bills is falling to wayside with onset of ATM / debit cards, direct deposit and electronic funds transfers (EFT). Do not be fooled. The Federal Reserve Bank is predicting to process 50 billion paper checks in 2003. The Nilson Report also states that volume of paper checks will rise between 2% - 4% each year, through 2020.
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