Steve Burks's Blog (3)

10 Tips for Music-Career Preparation

The following is information I prepared for Career Day students, at the Booker T. Washington School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Dallas.

10 TIPS FOR CAREER PREP

by Steve Burks

Grammy, Texas chapter

Practice a lot now, while you have time. It is said that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master an instrument. Once you graduate and…

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Added by Steve Burks on June 14, 2011 at 12:16am — No Comments

Bridging the cultural gap: music appreciation in urban schools

INTRODUCTION

While on my very first teaching assignment in an inner-city middle school, I encountered a quote in the training manual that always stuck with me. It read, “If students cannot learn from the way we teach, then we must teach the way they learn.” That sentiment couldn’t be more applicable to any educational setting, than it is to inner-city music education. In this age of hip-hop and R&B, inner-city music educators can face a difficulty. How are those students who have… Continue

Added by Steve Burks on December 17, 2009 at 4:05pm — 5 Comments

Developing vocal groups' harmonic skill

INTRODUCTION

A foundational principle of music is relativity. Therefore, when it comes to amateur choirs and groups who learn harmony, there are two things that are crucial to singers' individual and collective success. (1) Singers have to get used to hearing parts that are different from their own, without being "pulled away." (2) During musical rests – especially long ones – singers must develop the ability to remember the sound of the previous note(s) they… Continue

Added by Steve Burks on December 17, 2009 at 3:00pm — 4 Comments