The Playground
The Simply Music blog
Simple Things Done Well – Pt2
Previously, I talked about the benefit of making the most of simple activities and valuing the journey as much as the goal. But how? As a Simply Music student, your teacher will be regularly on your case about keeping your Playlist alive. Of course, you…
A Study in Songwriting – Pt 4: Gordon Harvey
Songwriting doesn’t have to be done balancing pen, paper, guitar and coffee cup on your lap. In fact, most modern pop music is constructed on the computer from the get-go. Gordon Harvey outlines this process through the example of a song by his band Aquiline.…
A Way of Listening – Happy Songs: Pt 1
Recently I read an article by music educator and prolific blogger Ethan Hein called The Happiest Chord Progression Ever, citing The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” as the example of a triumphantly happy song, made so in part because of its irresistibly funky groove…
Make Your Buds Blossom
Although music is generally considered a social activity, I also treasure the personal experience of private listening. One of my favourite times to listen is when I’m out walking. Music always takse me to another emotional place, even while strolling my familiar neighbourhood. It’s only…
A Study in Songwriting – Pt 2: Sue Lopez
After our Songwriting Tips from Simply Music Friends – Pt 1 post, we asked contributors to give us a more in-depth insight into their process of creating songs. You’ll find that there are as many ways of writing a song as there are songs to…
Discover New Music in the Streaming Era
If you’re as old as I am, you might remember a now largely vanished delight: walking into a record store and being instantly struck by something fantastic being played over the speakers, or seeing a cool-looking album beckoning to you from the new release racks.…
Songwriting Tips from Simply Music Friends’ – Pt 1
Our wide-ranging and talented community of Simply Music Teachers and associates include an array of gifted professional songwriters and composers. We asked a bunch of them to share a little about how they work. We found that there are as many ways of writing a…
Doing Simple Things Well – Part 1
My teenage son makes an awesome cup of coffee. He bought himself a ’70s percolator and spent a considerable time experimenting with different techniques, grinds, brewing times and who knows what else. Now that he’s got his chops down, it’s almost as rewarding for me…
Lynn Kleiner – A Lifetime of Musical Beginnings
At Simply Music, we are committed to music as a whole-of-life experience, starting from birth, and even earlier. Although the focus of the Simply Music Piano program is obviously about playing the instrument, children don’t need to wait until their brains and fingers are ready…
The World of Music in a Few Clicks
I previously wrote an article for the playground discussing how the way you listen to music compensates the artists that create it. But putting aside that issue, streaming music services are worth exploring if only for the huge selection of music they offer you, the…
