Saturday, October 31, 2009

Look out for Little Timmy tonight!

Happy Halloween Everyone! If this little guy ends up on your porch...you've been warned!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Rookie Rockers

If you have a kid somewhere between the age of 0-5 years old, you probably know a couple things:

1. If there is music, there will be dancing,
2. If there is dancing, there will be laughing,
and...
3. If there is laughing, there will be fun.

Our most popular program, Rookie Rock, is based on these three elements and is founded on the principle that music education in early childhood should be interactive, engaging, and inspiring.

Between 10-11am on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, our school is filled with the combined joy of a room full of little kiddos and their parents singing, dancing, playing and (shhh...don't tell them...) learning!

You probably already know this, but research has proven that kids who are actively involved in rich musical experiences do better in math and reading in school, have better self control and focus, and have increased self esteem.

Rookie Rock is one way to share this experience with your child in a fun and engaging way with other kiddos. At home, there are a number of ways to continue these experiences!

  • Take your child to a variety of live musical performances. Concerts in the park, children's theater, band concerts, and jazz recitals are just a few ways to widen your child's growing experience with different styles and types of music. Check with your local library or newspaper to see what might be available in your neighborhood.

  • Make music a part of a daily activity. You can sing specific songs together every time you are giving your child a bath, or cleaning up around the house, getting ready for school, etc. Soon the song will become a cue to start the process of bathing, cleaning, getting ready, and you might find that what may have been a struggle has become a fun activity that EVERYONE enjoys!

  • Find directions online to create simple homemade instruments using materials you may already have at home to create your own family "band"!

  • Be your child's greatest fan. Build your child's self esteem by watching them play, put on a show for you, or teach YOU a new made up song.

We believe that music in early childhood can have a profound affect on your child's development, but also, we think music is just a great way to relieve stress, connect with other people, and have a blast. We have seen music do amazing things to kids to inspire and help spark creativity and connection, and we invite you to experience this for your child, too!

Come check out Rookie Rock and see for yourself - your first class is on us!

Call us to schedule your visit! (503) 282.9999

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Don't Miss a Beat!

If you are a fan or want to follow the latest news and happenings of our school, make sure to subscribe to our blog. We are updating it constantly and it's a great way to keep up with "The Beat!" ;)

Just enter your email address to get our blog posts sent directly to your inbox!

Thanks!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Teacher Tuesday: JT Locke - Guitar Superstar


With over 21 years of playing and 10 years of touring and recording music, it's safe to say that JT is a total rockstar! When he's not teaching guitar at Sound Roots, you can find JT rocking out with his band, Locke n Load, writing music, or in class himself, working towards a degree in music.

JT takes a personal approach to teaching guitar, and caters his lessons to the student's individual goals, whether it be simply learning the basics or deepening a connection to music through songwriting, arranging or simply rocking out. Many of his students have remarked that working with him has been a sort of "music therapy", as he is passionate about finding that spark within them and bringing it out through music. Whether you are into rock, pop, blues, jazz, metal or classical, JT can bring you closer to you guitar goals!

JT is at Sound Roots on Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs and Sat. Call for current availability.
503.282.9999

Monday, October 26, 2009

We're Looking for a Birthday Party Rockstar Host!

Sound Roots Music School's Rock and Roll birthday parties have become a huge hit and we need to hire a new teacher to help out with the work flow.

To apply for this job, you should be:

~Able to play the guitar fluently and sing at the same time
~Able to learn new songs on a regular basis
~Have a ton of energy and relay that to a group of excited 2-6 year olds
~Have experience in classroom or group management- particularly with the above age group
~LOVE music and have an upbeat, slightly edgy, fun loving, kids-gravitate-towards-you kind of personality
~Be available on the weekends all the time
~Be looking at this as extra income NOT your only source as there is no guaranteed amount of work you may be asked to do (usually 6-10 hours per MONTH).

If this is you, please email us with resume and cover letter. We look forward to hearing from you.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Saturday Stumbling

Every Saturday, I am going to post some mega cool just-for-fun music-focused finds I come across during exploring "StumbleUpon".

This week check out this AMAZING Steel Drum player.



Have you seen the "Free Hugs" campaign? Check this "Free Beats" campaign. Hilarious!



And lastly, have you ever listened to a song and thought it sounded similar to another song? That Song Sounds Like is a blog that compares similar sounding songs to one another...very interesting!!!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Friday, October 23, 2009

New Classes Starting Soon!


How to Choose an Instrument
Tuesdays @ 4:30pm

This is a great beginner level class for kids ages 6-14 who are interested in music but haven't quite decided which instrument they would like to pursue. Over 10 weeks, the class will examine a variety of instruments, how they are played and a history of great players from many genres.

Guitar 101
TBD
Learn the basics of guitar before diving in to private lessons. Beginner Guitar class for ages 7-14.

Call 503 282.9999 for more information
or email soundrootsms@gmail.com


Home/Unschoolers! We can design a special music program for you. Drum Circle? Garage Band? Orchestra group? Whatever your special interests and schedules are, we can custom design a class especially for you. Contact us with your ideas!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Playing for Change

As you probably know, Sound Roots is a music school built on the belief that music has the power to bring people together and unite them with a sense of purpose, passion, and community.

Playing For Change is an organization which is also founded on this belief, and has taken it to a global scale with their phenomenal multimedia project. They travel around the world as a mobile recording studio, searching for local musicians on street corners, subways, dirt roads, from African villages to the Himalayan Mountains, to Native American reservations. What they create is a unique human connection which embraces a philosophy of "Peace through Music". Their videos are emotional and frankly, amazing. If you have a few minutes, go to their website and watch a few.

Here's an intro video:


A large part of want we want to accomplish at Sound Roots is to unite people in a community of music, powered by passion and inspired by connection. To further our mission in this respect, we will be celebrating our first birthday with a "Playing for Change Party", a fundraiser which will not only benefit this inspirational organization, but will also celebrate our first year in business by bringing our community together for music, fun, prizes and the opportunity to rock out (of course!).

Our Playing for Change/Birthday Party will be happening in January after we've had time to settle into our new space. Stay tuned for more details.

In the meantime, consider hosting your own Playing for Change Party, and check out the Playing for Change Band who are on tour right now and heading to Portland to play on November 17th at the Aladdin! Get tickets here. You might see us there!

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Playing for Change. Please leave us a comment and tell us what you think!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Thanksgiving Rocks! Band Camp

Need something to keep your kids happy (and you sane) over the Thanksgiving school break? Kids ages 6-16 are invited to ROCK OUT with us at Thanksgiving Rocks! Band Camp at Sound Roots Music School.

Your kids will get matched up with other kids of similar age and skill level (TOTAL BEGINNERS WELCOME!) and will get to become rock stars in their own band, learning a song to play, write music and even put on a live performance at the end of camp!

Check out our WEBSITE for more info!
Call 503 282 9999 today to reserve your spot- SPACE IS VERY LIMITED!

Videos from previous camps are on the right side bar - check them out!




A different kind of music school

At Sound Roots you can expect a whole new kind of musical learning experience. With over 13 teachers and over 100 years of combined experience, we offer top notch education for every interest, age and skill level.

All of our lessons, classes and other services are highly customized to your personal musical interests and learning style. With an extensive network of highly skilled teachers, we offer instruction in just about any instrument and if we don't already offer something you are looking for, just let us know and we will help find just the right teacher for you.