Profanity In Songs, Keeping It Real or Over The Top?

How many of you enjoy hearing profanity in your music?

Call me old school, but it doesn't really work for me. That's not to say that there aren't songs where it has some context and is used to make a point. But even in those songs, often it just doesn't seem to sing well in my opinion.

The first song that I recall hearing a swear word in it was the Isley Brothers "Fight The Power". I was a little kid when it was released, and when it came on the radio there was a beep to get rid of the offending word. When one of my older brothers purchased the album, I was able to hear the un-edited version.

Now, I was and am a big fan of the Isley Brothers. And "Fight The Power" actually had some context and what I thought was a purpose to their using the expletive in the refrain:

I try to play my music, you say my music's too loud,

I try talking about it, I got the big run around,

and when I roll with the punches,

I get knocked on the ground, by all this bullsh#$ going down

So, the use of the expletive there to me, was in context and made sense. But a lot of songs today appear to be gratuitous. In fact they don't appear to even have any shock value, since a lot of it is almost every other word. Now before any of you accuse me of being part of the morality police, I understand that a lot of people's normal speech patterns are filled with what I recall amusingly from a Star Trek movie as "colorful metaphors". And maybe artists and writers believe that they are just "keeping it real". OK, I get that, as far as it goes.

But I have a hard time hearing the word motherf&^%er sang with a melody, and can respond to it with, "yeah, that really flowed well". Now, I'm sure that it "flows" better in rap/hip-hop, because that's more about cadence with speaking, and lots of attitude.

But really, are you able to listen to that in a ballad without cringing? I can't.

I have occasionally found myself making use of "colorful metaphors" at times, but I just can't bring myself to include that in a lyric. My best friend asked me to make a song I had written about the end of his marriage a little more raw. When I asked him what he meant, he said he wanted me to include some "colorful metaphors" to drive the point home. I told him that I understood his pain, but that just wasn't my vibe. In fact, I would probably break out laughing during the recording if I was trying to sing profanity.

So, what are your thoughts on profanity in music? Does it work for you?

And when you strip away all of the cool sounds and fancy beats, it's important that there's still a song there. A melody that can be sang, and words with meaning.

So, if you care about great songs, let Leemanuel become part of the soundtrack of your life.

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Teacher Trick: Keeping Young Students Focused

After teaching for more than 15 years, I have come to understand that to be a good teacher, you have to be able to adapt and change your teaching habits and techniques as students and circumstances change and grow. As of late, most of my students consist of younger elementary school children, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. While teaching the younger students is enjoyable and fun, it requires a different approach than teaching older children and adults. One thing I have realized is that younger children's attention spans are not that long. Each child is different, ten minutes is a great amount of time for an activity. It is important to remember while young children may be enjoying what we do in lessons, they cannot stay on the same task for long. So I have come up with a few things that help keep them engaged while learning new concepts and reviewing things they have already learned.

Using different books:

While I use specific curriculums for the most part, I have discovered that supplementing with other books (even if it is only in lessons) helps to change things up. One of the books I like to use as a supplement is Klav-Ear for kids. This curriculum offers a completely different approach to learning the piano when compared to other curriculums I use such as Alfred's Premiere Piano Course or Little Mozarts. This method helps kids learn concepts with hands on experience and pictures they can understand rather than teaching concepts through verbal instructions and traditional music notation. Another important feature is the full exploration of the keyboard, rather than specific hand positions. I use this book with a CD in class, where they play with the CD. The songs are very interesting and fun for the children. For instance in one song they are the siren of a fire truck as it comes closer and then drives away. This is a great way to teach how to play Forte (loud) and Piano (soft) as well as Crescendo (getting louder) and Decrescendo (getting softer). I call this a game instead of an exercise to give it a different feel than just playing from another book.

Using Props

Using things other than the piano and the child's books helps to change things up as well. For instance, I use the Little Mozarts characters Beethoven Bear and Mozart Mouse for almost all my students in the beginning, regardless of the curriculum they are in. Mozart Mouse sits at the top of the Piano and Beethoven Bear sits at the bottom of the Piano to help the child visualize which side has higher sounds (the mouse) and which side has lower sounds (the bear).

Additionally, I use blocks with letters on them to drill the students on the Music Alphabet, white keys on the piano, and even reading the staves. In one activity, I place the blocks in a bag and have them draw them out one at a time, as they pull out each letter, they place that block on the piano where that key is, and then find all the keys with that same name.

Finally, I use is a small draw erase board. The kids typically love to use the board and markers. We use this to review theory concepts such as reading and rhythm we have learned in our books. I can do something as simple as asking them to draw a picture of something loud then soft, or printing the staff on the board and having them fill in notes.

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Keeping the Music Alive in Your Body and Soul: The Benefits of Playing Upright Pianos

Playing the piano is an art that requires utmost diligence, passion and patience to learn every single piece and play it melodiously. An individual does not simply become a piano player because he or she memorizes each note; rather he or she becomes a devoted pianist when he or she is able to take the essence of the music and communicate it to those listening. Hence, being a pianist requires time to hone the right skills and attitude to attain one's full potential.

Benefits of Playing the Piano

Improvement in Test Scores Among Children. It was shown that middle school children who played at least one instrument had higher scores in standardized tests in comparison to children who don't. The study construed that listening to music stimulates the brain to concentrate and memorize better. Thus, children who play or practice with their musical instrument more often, develop better concentration and discipline which they apply in their studies.

Better Concentration. Research has also shown that music training has a profound impact on learning speech, language and emotions. The brain's auditory cortex becomes sharper and sensitive to sound when constantly exposed to melodious music. That is why most musicians are able to incorporate sound patterns into words and comprehend speech in a noisy place. Playing an instrument helps people suffering from dyslexia to facilitate their understanding of speech in noisy surroundings.

Better Overall Wellness. People who play musical instruments like upright pianos experience less loneliness and adapt more positive and calming attitudes. Being able to play an instrument to one's desire, increases self-esteem which makes a person feel better about him or herself. Moreover, developing exceptional playing skills can also boost your image as a musician as other people often associate playing the piano with sophistication and intelligence.

Reduces Anxiety and Stress. Above all, playing or listening to music improves the overall mood of a person. Relaxing music helps relieve a person's body and mind from stress by soothing it with melodious sounds. Luckily, owning an instrument need not be expensive as some music stores offer affordable upright piano prices. You can also opt to purchase a used piano which works as well as new pianos.

Some scientists have also found out that creating music with a used upright piano, increases vitality among older people. Moreover, music also aids in healing people's emotional brokenness by consoling it. Indeed, the benefits of playing pianos or any musical instrument gives physical and emotional benefits that contribute to a person's well-being.

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