Music Education

Today we introduce a new series to the Pepper blog, Key People — interviews with some of the most inspiring composers, educators and pianists in today’s keyboard community.

I know what you’re thinking.  How can one scientifically analyze a concept that, by its very nature, is capricious and unpredictable?  Dr. Charles Limb, a faculty member of the Peabody…

Music teacher Julius Brown is making a big difference at KIPP, otherwise known as the “Knowledge Is Power Program.”  There are approximately 99 KIPP educational institutions operating within the United…

Is it possible for music education to expand the minds and imagination, as well as inspire the creative energy of today’s youth? Let’s take a close look at a young lady who is…

Microphone placement?  I just put the mics in front of the performers and everything seems fine.  What more do I need to know?  Well, as outlined in the book How…

Mariachi music has emerged as the primary musical representation of nationalism in Mexico and is growing increasingly popular in the southwest and other areas throughout the United States.

I was pleasantly surprised to come across Carmine Caruso’s Musical Calisthenics for Brass in our online database.  I studied trombone with Carmine from 1968 to 1971 in his small studio…

An important part of choosing the right microphone is considering its directionality, or pick-up pattern.  Have you ever noticed when singing or speaking into the side of a mic, rather…

-This post was updated in January 2019. Definition:  Microphone — or mic — converts acoustic energy into electrical energy, resulting in an audio signal. Rather than going into the scientific…

Here are a few handy tips and some basic information on what goes into setting up and mixing live sound: A “mix” is created by combining the separate audio signals…

In an era where The Arts seem to play…ahem… “second fiddle” to other disciplines in our schools and communities, it’s important we support educators by recognizing those who go above and beyond to…

Chapter 1 of The Basics of Live Sound by Jerry Slone defines a sound engineer as “A person who brings together separate sounds to create one sound.”  Simple enough, right? …

Concert etiquette is important as it shows respect for performers and fellow audience members alike. Musicians who pursue their craft in earnest grow to appreciate the hard work and just…

Before touching on equipment or technique, it is important to understand exactly what sound is and how it works.  While there are far more scientific aspects involved with the subject…

How many times have you attended the concert of a performer that you love and thought to yourself, “Wow, I really wish that I could hear the vocalist better” or…