Click Image for YouTube Page
music+connect
www.music-connect.net
My current project, music+connect, is a YouTube channel which aims to provide free, structured, and annotated practice video tutorials for beginning musicians.
With music+connect, I’ve created a systematic series of music tutorials which not only provide instruction to budding musicians, but also give them a structured environment in which they can practice their music; where one could sit in front of the television and have a productive practice while watching a single video. They are able to play their instruments alongside a professional musician, read the music on screen, and easily repeat a section that they need to practice more.
The genesis of this project was in the summer of 2014 when I taught the cello at a music school in rural Costa Rica. This school, the Escuela de Musica Cóbano SiNEM is a publicly-funded music school that provides instruments and a musical curriculum to at-risk children in the local area (similar to Venezuela’s El Sistema). Because of its lack of funding, the school isn’t able to hire a regular music teacher for the children. Instead, the music director, Jorge, individually teaches over 50 students–with each student often getting instruction once every 3 weeks at best. My initial goal of music+connect was to find a way to keep the young musicians engaged during the long periods of time between lessons. Since the students had access to the internet regardless of their socio-economic status, I decided that YouTube would be the best medium to pursue this project.
With music+connect, I’ve created a systematic series of music tutorials which not only provide instruction to budding musicians, but also give them a structured environment in which they can practice their music; where one could sit in front of the television and have a productive practice while watching a single video. They are able to play their instruments alongside a professional musician, read the music on screen, and easily repeat a section that they need to practice more.
The genesis of this project was in the summer of 2014 when I taught the cello at a music school in rural Costa Rica. This school, the Escuela de Musica Cóbano SiNEM is a publicly-funded music school that provides instruments and a musical curriculum to at-risk children in the local area (similar to Venezuela’s El Sistema). Because of its lack of funding, the school isn’t able to hire a regular music teacher for the children. Instead, the music director, Jorge, individually teaches over 50 students–with each student often getting instruction once every 3 weeks at best. My initial goal of music+connect was to find a way to keep the young musicians engaged during the long periods of time between lessons. Since the students had access to the internet regardless of their socio-economic status, I decided that YouTube would be the best medium to pursue this project.