The Summerglen Files

Music, Creativity, and Everyday Life at Summerglen Music in Raleigh, NC

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Entries from May 2008

The Benefits of Getting Out There

May 31st, 2008 · No Comments

As I said in the last post, since I’ve lived here I’ve always wondered why there aren’t more musicians out playing in public. So this summer, instead of wondering, I’ve decided to become one of those musicians! For the past couple of days, Andrew and I have gone around town scouting for places to play, [...]

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Tags: music business · musical collaboration

My Summer Job

May 28th, 2008 · No Comments

After a relaxing Memorial Day weekend, Andrew and I hit the park to start our new summer “job”, playing outdoors in downtown Raleigh. Since moving to Raleigh six years ago, I thought it was a shame that there were all these nice wide sidewalks and parks in downtown Raleigh, but there was only ONE street [...]

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Tags: a day in the life · Live Music

Something Fun for Friday – A Kitty on the Keys

May 23rd, 2008 · No Comments

Here’s something fun to start your Memorial Day weekend. We are big cat fans here at Summerglen, and even moreso when they can play music! Nora the cat’s playing reminds me of those pointillistic Webern piano pieces from early last century, and she has the beginnings of some very good improvisation techniques. She takes her [...]

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Tags: videos

Insulating the Studio

May 20th, 2008 · No Comments

For a percussionist especially, soundproofing a home studio can be an ongoing saga–and Andrew’s drumset studio here at Summerglen is no exception. Generally, the sound quality in the studio is good, but the house in general doesn’t have much insulation, which leads to lots of sound bleeding outside when Andrew plays. (Our place was built [...]

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Tags: a day in the life · Summerglen News

Bravo to the Governor Morehead School Musicians!

May 17th, 2008 · No Comments

On Thursday evening, Andrew and I took a trip to The Governor Morehead School to check out their year-end band and chorus concert. We first visited the school, which serves students with visual impairments, about a month ago when we led a workshop with their kindergarteners and first graders. The kids we met were so [...]

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Tags: Live Music

The Joy of Chart-Writing

May 15th, 2008 · 2 Comments

For the past few days, I’ve been dedicating large chunks of time to writing charts for my salsa band, The Tropic Orchestra, and it’s been an EXCELLENT learning experience. As a classical musician, I’m used to having my parts handed to me in a folder at rehearsal, or mailed to me a couple weeks before [...]

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Tags: Practice Tips

Christina Gets Interviewed

May 14th, 2008 · No Comments

If you want to know some random things about me, check out this post on Katherine Reschke’s blog, Passions that Pay. Katherine wanted to learn more about the people who visit her blog, so she sent us these fun email interviews to complete. Thanks, Katherine, for the interview!

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Tags: Summerglen News

Summerglen’s May Newsletter – How to Practice in a Healthy Way

May 12th, 2008 · 2 Comments

Our May issue of The Summerglen Times is up and ready to read! This issue of the Times features the second in a series of three articles dedicated to helping you practice more effectively. This article deals with the physical aspects of playing music, and shares tips on how to take care of your body [...]

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Tags: Practice Tips · Summerglen News

Choose the New Summerglen Logo!

May 10th, 2008 · 6 Comments

Having excellent chops is a great way to get your name out as a musician, but having excellent chops AND well-designed promotional material is even better! So, lately we’ve been working with the fine folks at Vigor Creative to update the Summerglen Music logo and website. They just sent us a collection of lovely logo [...]

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Tags: music business

Musical Symbiosis

May 8th, 2008 · No Comments

Andrew and I have been working on getting a new band together, and of course that means making charts! Our first rehearsal will be this weekend, so we set a deadline of today to have charts and mp3s ready for all our band members. Taking a bunch of songs off the record and making accurate [...]

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Tags: musical collaboration · Practice Tips