Much of modern life is emphasized by music. How often do you use streaming apps to listen to music?In 2021, the total number of on-demand audio music streams in the US will reach an astronomical 988.1 billion, according to one study. That’s an increase of nearly 100 billion year-over-year, reaching a record number of streams. The power of listening to music is undeniable, but the power of playing and performing music is undeniable.
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In generations before ours, it was common for families to have pianos and for family members to gather together to play and sing. is hiding But the facts remain the same. Playing music or joining a music group can help you relax and de-stress. The collaboration and teamwork required to perform with others has many benefits. Studies have shown that music affects the brain, reducing anxiety, blood pressure, and pain, and improving sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. It helps improve listening skills and creates a sense of belonging and security.
Project Best Life invites Griffin Brady, ethnomusicologist and founder of the SlyBoots School of Music, Art and Dance; Dr. Robert Strauss, artistic director of the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus; I heard about your performance in music. Lessons, buying an instrument, the power and importance of playing music.
Griffin Brady discovered the healing power of music firsthand. After he lost a close friend of his at the age of 16, he proposed to him to see Bernard He Woma, a famous musician from Ghana, perform. “My teacher thought this guy was clearly into music as therapy and was skipping all his classes and hanging out in the bandroom, perhaps he could benefit from meeting. . [Bernard Woma]That encounter changed Brady’s life. “I had an out-of-body experience. Everyone in the room disappeared and I felt connected to this music. I knew there was
Brady attended Fredonia State University and studied percussion education under Woma. After he visited and studied with Woma at the Dagala Music Center in Ghana, Brady hosted the Ghanaian Sakum Dance Company in Buffalo. This visit inspired SlyBoots School.
“[It was] It was basically created to make working with Bernard easier. [Saakumu Dance Troupe] I had to come up with something to move the company from school to school. So I bought a short school bus from eBay Motors and converted it into a tour wagon. Whenever we weren’t out, there was the SlyBoots School of Music, Art, and Dance where we all stayed and where we did community classes. It was not a “real official music school”, but rather a “slightly sly” school. The idea was that dreams don’t have to be just dreams, they have to be a little ‘sly’, they have to be smart. Had to cut some corners. I showed up because I needed it. To bring together cultural representatives from Ghana and elsewhere to share, entertain, educate and inspire music and dance, and ultimately to promote positive social change through cultural arts, education and performance. I needed an institution. “
Slyboots now offers Tuesday night classes featuring juggling, drumming, and African dance. The three skills are taught step by step and build upon each other. Brady said,
I often hear that people who thought they couldn’t do any of it finally really enjoy the whole process. When it comes to coming together as a community, especially when it comes to what we’ve been through in the last few years, it feels good to get together with other human beings.
Slyboots School of Music, Arts & Dance
700 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14203 | 315-771-1414
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The Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus is a Buffalo institution that has existed since 2001. The group is now headed by Artistic Director Dr. Robert Strauss. BGMC is a choir of LGBTQIA+ members and straight allies who aspire to be one of the best her LGBTQIA+ focused choirs in western New York, but with levity and their work balances seriousness. According to their website, “The Chorus is a great place to meet people and make new friends while doing something fun and worthwhile.”
Chorus members attend rehearsals once a week. Dr. Strauss possesses all levels of skill and musicianship, from seasoned readers of sheet music to beginners in choral singing.Dr. Strauss says that during some rehearsals, “some people practice vocal techniques, others arrange notes and rhythms, read texts and talk about the meaning of texts. They also do drilling.” [vocal] Since it is divided into parts, there are many variations of rehearsals. We sing the notes and the rhythm, but we also sing the meaning of the text. “
Dr. Strauss said: Perhaps the mission of the group is one way, just by interacting with other humans with similar interests, such as singing. and think carefully about how you are breathing. “Why do we feel like we’re singing these words?” or “What does it mean for a group like us to sing Abba’s Dancing Queen?” Even in the context of people who have a lot of debate about what it means and who probably have a lot of the same ideas, we will learn more about each other and empathize more with different perspectives.
Playing for an audience has a positive effect on the chorus members as well. Dr. Strauss said that the choir members “love to look out and see people laughing at the result of our concerts. The concerts are meant to move people, and they move.” If so, it also affects the singers: the chorus is so proud of what they’ve achieved, and it makes them feel happier and more accomplished.
Group rehearsals begin on January 10, 2023. Anyone who can sing tenor, baritone or bass, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, is welcome and encouraged to audition for the group.
533 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14207 | 716-883-1277
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Allentown Music owner Joe Maniaci describes his shop as “a full-service combo music store that sells many guitars, amps, drums, keyboards, violins, and all kinds of instruments including brass, woodwinds, and orchestras. and sell accessories. [instruments]We try to cover as much as possible what musicians may need.We buy, sell, trade in, and handle new and used items. [instruments], rentals, repairs, guitar, bass and piano lessons. “
Maniaci said, “It makes me happy when people come to our shop. They had a tough day at work, but then come to see the instruments and forget some of their worries.” We are here for people like that, we provide a store where they can go and buy locally. I’m here. [an instrument] No need to connect to the internet or be far away. For some, it’s almost a cure. They are welcomed when they come in and the instruments make them feel welcome and happy. “
Allentown Music is a great place for first-time instrument buyers. Shopping on the Internet can lead to disastrous results as you can purchase an instrument without even touching or holding it. Maniaci feels it’s important to get a feel for the instrument, and his team is well-informed and offers suggestions to keep buyers happy and satisfied with their purchase. So I don’t know if the instruments are being played, some of the instruments online are just wall decorations, they are not really designed for play. Going to the store is important, emailing back and forth is not the same as talking to someone.”
Allentown Music is now offering lessons in store.
Playing music makes me feel better. Practice and progress will make you feel better. You don’t have to practice 10 hours a day. 10 minutes a day is best to start with. Ten minutes a day is much better than an hour a week for him. Music has a daily therapeutic effect. The more you play, the better and more fun you will get.
497 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14207 | 716-886-8742
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This series is sponsored by Project Best Life. Buffalo Rising and Project Best Life have teamed up to create a series of wellness inspiration and advice to guide readers to the people, places and experiences inside and outside Buffalo that will help them achieve their health, nutrition and wellness goals. Did. For more information on how to live your best life, subscribe to the Project Best Life newsletter.
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