4 Reasons Why Every Singer Should Own a Keyboard

4 Reasons Why Every Singer Should Own a Keyboard Suzy S. When youre learning how to sing, having the right tools  is essential. Among those should definitely be a keyboard or piano continue reading to find out why in this guest post by St. Augustine, FL teacher  Heather L... Ive met singers over the years coming from all sorts of backgrounds and with all sorts of ideas of what being a singer really means and what tools it takes to stay good. Opera singers, rappers, folk singer-songwriters and everyone in between have crossed my path. I can say with certainty that the most successful of them owned keyboards. That doesnt mean that all of them studied or even played the piano. It simply means that they had easy access to a keyboard where they lived or created music. As a teacher, Ive encountered quite a few students who wish to take voice lessons with me, but have no piano knowledge or background at all. I almost always end up teaching a bit of basic piano fundamentals in these lessons. It is virtually impossible, except for those rare few singers who possess absolute pitch (formerly called perfect pitch), to learn and practice singing at home without using the keys. Now, some will say that a guitar or a harmonica works just fine, and for some, it does. But the piano has some distinct advantages over most other modern instruments in terms of ease of sound production, being an aid to both sight reading and songwriting, relative ease of maintenance and tuning, and being a great warm-up buddy. Here are the specific reasons that having a keyboard or piano is so great to have around as youre learning how to sing. 1. Ease of tone production Compared to other instruments, like the trumpet or the clarinet and even the harmonica, the piano is easy to create sound with. The sound is created simply with a heavy arm. A little muscle and joint warm-up is all you need to prepare to play. Theres no need to work tirelessly on creating a clear, pure tone. Its there at your disposal, which is perfect when all that you need is a starting pitch. 2. Aiding music reading and songwriting Music theory can be seen so much more clearly and in such a more linear fashion using a keyboard. Notes that are adjacent, or as I like to describe to my students, right next door to each other, in written music are also adjacent to each other on the piano. This helps to make learning sung music easier. In a similar way, that same set up facilitates writing music with both melodies and chords, something almost impossible on the guitar. Having a keyboard is the easiest way for a singer to deepen his or her theory knowledge. 3. Relative ease of maintenance and tuning As opposed to a guitar, for example, which sometimes needs daily tuning and monthly string changes, pianos need a yearly or twice-yearly tuning. Keyboards will sometimes need an electronic calibration, but thats very occasional. Plus, either one will get its own spot in your home. Unless youre gigging out and taking your keyboard in a case, then theres no need for daily storage like there is with a guitar. 4. Being a great warm-up buddy The keys are a tangible, simple group of notes are your fingertips, a very useful tool when it comes to warming up and exercising the voice at home and backstage. Sure, singers can get by with their voices alone, but it can be tough, especially if youre studying a particular book of vocalises or sight singing melodies. Youll need that tangible, simple group of notes on the keyboard. These are the best, albeit not all, reasons to own a keyboard as youre learning how to sing. Singers will find its user-friendly nature makes it the ultimate companion instrument to the voice. I want to thank Dave Isaacs of Music News Nashville for his insight into this topic. Please read more at his blog. Heather L. teaches singing, piano, acting, and more in St. Augustine, FL, as well as through online lessons. She is  a graduate of the prestigious Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and has performed with the New York and Royal Philharmonics, the New Jersey and Virginia Symphonies, the American Boy Choir, and the internationally renowned opera star Andrea Bocelli. Learn more about Heather here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  taymtaym

The Best Asian Food Blogs

The Best Asian Food Blogs 5 Asian Cooking Bloggers You Should Be Following ChaptersChina Sichuan FoodThe Woks of LifeMy Korean KitchenJust One CookbookNo RecipesAre you a fan of Asian food or would you like to learn how to cook but don’t know where to look?Do you have friends coming over to try your Peking duck or are you just sick of the restaurants in your town?There are plenty of blogs around the internet where you can learn to make chicken curry, sushi, crispy prawns, caramelised pork, or even Vietnamese bo bun like a professional chef.We’ve chosen some of our favourite blogs for you. While some deal with Asian cooking in general, others are more specialised and deal with the food from a given country in Asia. There’s a large selection of recipes as well as tips and tricks for how to cook better Asian food.After you’ve read a few of these blogs, you should be able to prepare a few Asian dishes to impress your friends. Whether you want to eat shrimp with a bit of spice, crunchy spring rolls, pad Thai, sticky rice, green curry, sweet and sour pork , or just some noodle soup, whatever the dish, you're bound to find something in these blogs. GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsChina Sichuan FoodWhile this is a blog on Chinese food and eating culture, there’s a particular focus on the Sichuan province (also known as Szechuan), which is famous for its spicy food. Don't worry if you don't like the taste of spice, there are plenty of other delicious recipes, too.If you can't make i t to Sichuan province, you can take your taste buds there. (Source: Playon0209)You can also find out more about the techniques used to cook, how to make a hot pot broth or vegetable noodle soup, or just the herbs you should be using.In addition to all the recipes available on the site, you can also check out the “pantry” to learn more about the ingredients used in the dishes you’ll be making. Whether you’re using coconut milk, sesame oil, soy sauce, crab, bamboo shoots, fish sauce, oyster sauce, spring onion, hoisin sauce, nuts, honey, or caramel, you can learn about what you should be picking up at your local Asian supermarket.There are also videos available. These are great for watching on a tablet on your kitchen bench while you’re making something. They’re all available on the blog’s YouTube channel, which you can get to via the blog or just by searching on YouTube itself. With each video you watch and meal you make, you’ll get a little closer to mastering Chines e cooking.The Woks of LifeAside from a brilliant name, this blog includes post from a family talking about travelling and cooking.A wok is a good idea for anyone wanting to cook Asian cuisine. (Source: Bellessence0)There are so many recipes on the site that they’ve had to separate them into different categories including:Chinese New Year RecipesChinese Bakery RecipesChinese Dim Sum RecipesChinese Vegetarian RecipesYou’ll find stuff like:Plenty of Chinese recipes as well as western dishes with a Chinese twist. If this sounds beyond your skill level, don’t worry, there are also plenty of “quick and easy recipes” for those needing to gain a bit of confidence in their cooking before moving on to fusion cuisine. They’ve also got a whole section dedicated to recipes for vegetarians.Fancy an eggplant string bean stir-fry? Who wouldn’t?There are plenty of “how to” articles, too. These cover techniques for preparing food that you’ll need to master if you want to fully ben efit from all their great recipes. There’s an article on how to make chili oil, which is great for those who enjoy the spicier side of Chinese cooking, especially Sichuan dishes.There are articles on the ingredients you’ll be using for your dishes and how to get the most out of them.Got a load of beef and garlic in the house?  Have look and see if there's anything that takes your fancy!If the prospect of eating delicious international dishes has you yearning to travel, don’t forget that this site also includes articles on travelling (often while also cooking!).We’re recommending this blog because it’s one of the more heartfelt sites on the internet. You can tell the whole family enjoys contributing to the site and their approach is more personal than some of the flashier websites you’ll come across during your search for Asian cuisine.Find out more about cooking tutorials around the UK. GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Hali maCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsMy Korean KitchenInterested in cooking Korean food rather than Chinese?Then this is the blog for you. Love meat? Even better!In addition to Korean cuisine, there’s also plenty of recipes fusing Korean techniques and ingredients with western dishes. There’s bound to be something for even the pickiest eaters.Korea is home to some beautiful sights as well as some delicious dishes. (Source: Gwons)The recipes come with step-by-step photos that make each step easier to follow. If this isn’t enough, then don’t worry! There’s also a YouTube channel with video recipes for you to follow. No more takeout for you!The blog’s author, Sue, started the blog to help people living in Korea learn more about the country’s food and culture. However, most of her readers turned to be living outside of Korea and she had to shift her focus. It’s a good thing she did as now you can access this fantastic award-winning blog!The site’s easy to navigate and recipes are organised into useful groups such as appetizers, side dishes, desserts, drinks, and by main ingredient.Just One CookbookThis Japanese blog and cookbook is great for anyone interested in the food from the Land of the Rising Sun. There’s far more to Japanese food than sushi, after all. The blog’s author, Nami, started the blog to make a record of and share her favourite Japanese recipes with her friends and help them cook Japanese food. The goal was that by the end, she’d have one cookbook to pass on to her children.  Since then, Just One Cookbook has turned into more than just a simple cookbook.One of the best things about the site is how the recipes are organised. You can pick a recipe based on how much time you have to cook it, whether you want a starter, main course, or dessert, or the main ingredients used. Additionally, you can find meals based on dietary requirements and sections with healthy, gluten free, vegetarian, or vegan recipes.Like the other blogs on this list, Just One Cookbook also has a YouTube channel where you can watch video recipes.If you’re really feeling adventurous, why not give the “Surprise Me!” button a click and see what it suggests?No RecipesDespite what the name suggests, this is a great site for those looking for recipes. No Recipes was founded by Marc Matsumoto to help people of all levels create amazing Japanese dishes. However, Marc prefers to cook without using recipes and hopes his readers will do the same.So how does he do this?By educat ing readers on different techniques and ingredients used so that they can cook instinctively without the need for instructions. Don’t leave just yet, though. The site actually includes over 1,000 different recipes.Throw away your cookbook, you won't be needing it! (Source: RitaE)The more recipes you follow, the less you’ll need them, though.  The recipes on the site are not only excellently explained, the accompanying photography is bound to whet your appetite long before you’ve finished preparing it.Since Marc is a TV chef, you won’t be surprised that his blog also has a YouTube channel with a few videos. However, there aren’t as many videos on his channel as you can find on some of the other blogs we’ve mentioned.Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list and there are plenty more great Asian cooking blogs around the web for almost every style of food.In short:Asian food is rich and varied. In terms of finding information about it, you’re spoilt for choice when it come s to blogs on it. In any case, whether you’re making a simple chicken noodle soup, tasty stir-fry noodles, or caramelised pork, it shouldn’t be hard to find useful recipes and tips and tricks on how to correctly prepare the food. We could be on for days with all the great blogs (we didn't include any about Thailand, for one!) so if none of these are for you, don't give up!There are plenty of blogs by people of Asian heritage who speak English and English speakers living in Asian countries so you’ll not have to worry about the language barrier. If you’re looking for information about cooking Japanese food, look for a blog by a Japanese person living in the UK or another English-speaking country, for example.Since food and culture go together, you can learn a lot about a country by learning about its food. The more you learn about Asian food, the better you'll understand the menu at the next restaurant you go to.Find cooking classes near me on Superprof.Cooking classes LondonC ooking classes GlasgowCooking classes ManchesterDiscover why Asian cooking is different from Western cooking.Easy Asian recipesAsian cooking with a WokChinese recipes

Start Off - Phrasal Verb of the Day

Start Off - Phrasal Verb of the Day Todays phrasal verb of the day is: Start OffInfinitive form: Start OffPresent Tense: Start Off/ Starts Offing form: Starting OffPast tense: Started OffPast Participle: Started OffStart Off can be a separable or inseparable English phrasal verb. It can be used in four different ways:When an event or activity begins or when you start an event or activity by doing something to get things started [separable]1. The audience went wild as Justin Bieber starts the concert off by showing his abs.2. Rumor has it that the principal is starting the event off with a dance number. This ought to be an interesting one!When something or someone starts a certain way in the beginning, but noticeable changes can be seen [inseparable]1. Their relationship started off really well, but got really bad in the end.2.  The movie starts off well, but now it has become quite boring that I want to stop watching it.When someone begins a career, life, or existence [inseparable]1. Did you know that Tom Welling, the guy who played superman, started off a career as a construction worker before he became an actor?2. Our manager himself started off as a salesperson. He got promoted two years later.When you begin a journey [inseparable]1. The mountaineers had to start off early so they could reach the mountains peak by noon.2. We have to start off early for our road trip. I promised the folks well get there before 10 A.M.Exercises: Write your answers in comments and we will correct them.Fill in the gaps from the video above:Complete the sentences below with the correct form of Start Off.1. The members usually ____ the ceremony ____ by singing the National Anthem.2.  Kelly said that they _____the program ___ late so everyone still has a chance to catch up.3. The event is usually _____ ____ by fireworks.4. Ms. Anderson _____ ____ as an assistant in this school, now she is at the top.5. If you wanna make it there on time for the party, then I suggest you leave now.  Trust me, youd want to leave now and ____ ___ early.Change the example sentences above to negative sentences (or positive, if the sentence is already negative). Then change them to questions.

Parental Pressure on Children and Students - Private Tutoring

Parental Pressure on Children and Students BobbiM Mar 6, 2013 Do you sense that you might be adding undue parental pressure on your children? If so, please know that you’re not alone. It only makes sense that you are deeply interested in the welfare of your children and, hence, you’ll be emotionally invested in their success. But, that interest and passion for their success can actually backfire if that pressure is unhealthy or is viewed by your child or your student as too much. To learn more about the root cause of your feelings and the psychology behind them, and what is driving you to in turn drive your child with undue pressure, let’s explore the role of feelings and how feelings drive behavior. Parental Emotions and Feelings These emotions I am about to describe are natural reactions to an event or to stimuli. I emphasize “natural” because they are part of our human makeup and are neither good nor bad. They are part of what it means to be a human. Anger: Anger is a natural response that lets us know that a want or a need we have is not being met or hasn’t been met in the past. Other forms of anger are rage, frustration, hatred, and boredom are forms along the spectrum of anger. Fear: Fear is another natural response to perceived or actual physical or emotional danger. This might also be described as panic, terror, or anxiety. Sadness: Sadness is often a response to loss, either of a person, possession, or status. Excited: The word “Excited” is often used to describe the feelings of anticipation of something good that is about to happen. Happy: Happiness is often attributed to the feelings one has when something you wanted or needed is obtained. Repressed Feelings Leads to Parental Pressure on Children When most of us were young, we were likely taught that some of the feelings above were “bad” and that so we repressed them. Even worse, rather than repressing them, we actually used what I call “substitute” feelings such as: Guilt Resentment Envy Shame Jealousy Depression These substitute feelings are often the culprit of negative behavior and are likely the cause of most parental pressure. Examples of Repressed Feelings Let’s take a few examples to demonstrate the impact of repressed feelings on our decisions later in life. When you were hurt as a small child, you became angry (natural). But, you were told by your parents not to be angry (repressed). When you were a child, you were forced by your parents to share your toys with others (not natural), without understanding that we all must feel like we own something first before we are willing to share (natural). These are just but a few examples. Emotional Dysregulation and Parental Pressure Let’s get back to you and your child. Now, having reflected on your past and how you’ve dealt with circumstances and the emotions that accompany them, can you discern whether your parental pressure today is at least a byproduct of your upbringing? Is your parental pressure on your child really more about you than it is for the welfare of your child? In order to break the negative family patterns and cycles in your family, I encourage you to reflect on the pressure you’re putting on your child. Maybe reconsider it. I think what you’ll find is that your child will succeed even more than you realize. Give your child some breathing room. You won’t regret it.

Learning Jungle International School Cambodia

Learning Jungle International School Cambodia Learning Jungle International School Cambodia Learning Jungle International School is a proud provider of quality education and care for children and families in the communities it serves. Guided by our centre policies and procedures that are rigorously implemented, our centres provide the highest Canadian standards of quality education and a learning environment that continually exceed the most stringent requirements of local legislation. All Learning Jungle Schools are licensed and monitored by the local authority responsible for enforcing legislation for schools and learning centres. This ensures that our centres comply with very specific rules and regulations from the local Public Health, Fire Department, Department of Education and Childrens Services. The teachers at Learning Jungle School meet and often exceed the necessary qualifications required; with each room having a qualified E.C.E. (Early Childhood Educator) or teacher with a Bachelor of Education. We actively support and encourage professional growth for all our staff. In addition to our high standards reflected in our teachers, centre environment, programming and services, we are distinct from other elementary schools and early learning centres through our commitment to delivering a differentiated parent involvement experience supported by our technology. In a Learning Jungle School, parents are alwaysIn touch, Never away and Always connected, providing the constant assurance and confidence that their child is being taken good care of.

Rockies English School

Rockies English School Rockies English School Rockies is a Canadian owned and managed group of English language schools. We also run a business management and consultancy company to offer services to partnership schools, Rockies franchise schools, and joint venture schools. Among these include, privately owned training schools, public and privately owned kindergartens, public schools, and international schools. Rockies was formed under the regulations of the State Council and is authorised to sponsor foreign experts to be employed in our numerous schools throughout China.Rockies was founded in 2001 and is based on a Canadian model. We have close relationships with the Calgary Board of Education, with the purpose of establishing an international standard in English language training for domestic Chinese students and those who wish to study abroad in the future.In addition to our comprehensive graded English language curriculum, we also offer specialised courses in Business English, English exam preparation, and tailored language courses for individuals, groups, and businesses.

Fitness Trackers Not Tracking What You Think

Fitness Trackers Not Tracking What You Think Photo Via: http://techfaqs.net With the Fitbit and Bellabeat LEAF available for consumers at reasonably expensive prices, it’s safe to say that we expect them to do exactly what they say they’re going to do: track our fitness. However, a recent study has revealed that this isn’t exactly the case. In fact, fitness trackers are actually glorified pedometers. This new study suggests that rather than tracking the energy we burn, fitness trackers are actually only good at counting the steps we take throughout the day. In the study, according to NBC, scientists pitted these fitness devices (12 in total including the Fitbit Flex and Jawbone UP24) against “proven methods of monitoring energy expenditure locking people in a room to assess every calorie consumed and burned, or asking people at home to drink specially treated water that makes it possible to detect energy output with a urine test.” The first experiment (locking people in a room) showed that fitness trackers were deviating from lab results by both underestimating and overestimating the amount of energy expenditure. The fitness trackers would underestimate by as much as 278 calories and overestimate by as much as 204 calories. In the second experiment (the urine tests) the fitness trackers ranged from 69 to 590 calories lower than the urine tests. While neither of these deviations seem all that threatening, they are at the very least troubling figures. For one thing, when fitness trackers are overestimating the amount of calories burned, those in need of more exercise run the risk of not getting enough because their tracker is misrepresenting what they’ve already done. This also could cause problems down the road, as this could increase the risk for obesity and other health problems, as their daily exercise routine isn’t quite up to par with what they should be doing. On the other hand, underestimating exercise can be just as dangerous. According to Dr. Adam Schoenfeld, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, “It could be quite dangerous if someone with heart disease had inaccurate recordings of their activity and exercise that was being used to make medical decisions.” Both over and underestimating have repercussions that depend upon the user, and the gravity of these results vary, but at the very least, it means that users aren’t exercising the way they think they are. While healthy people that use fitness trackers probably aren’t at risk if the information is a little off, those that are unhealthy and using it to change their way of living aren’t getting the information critical to their health. Still, according to Schoenfeld, “Even for healthy users, it may be difficult to promote health and wellness if these devices are proving inaccurate or variable feedback.” In another test on the accuracy of fitness trackers, scientists asked nine men and 10 women ages 21 to 50 to wear twelve different fitness tracking devices while participating in the two aforementioned experiments. These devices included: Fitbit Flex, Jawbone UP24, Misfit Shine, Epson Pulsense PS-100, Garmin Vivofit, Tanita AM-160, Omron CalorieScan HJA-403C, Withings Pulse 02 and the previously tested Panasonic Actimarker EW 4800, Suzuken Lifecorder EX, Omron Active style Pro JKA-350IT, and ActiGraph GT3X. In experiment one, the participants entered a metabolic chamber (or room designed to monitor calories consumed/burned over a 24 hour period). There, they were fed three meals, worked at a desk, exercised on a treadmill, watched TV, did housework and slept. To measure energy expenditure, scientists used indirect calorimetry (which measures the carbon dioxide production and oxygen consumption). When compared with the measurements taken by the fitness trackers, it was revealed that half of the trackers were underestimating energy expenditure. The rest overestimated it. In experiment two, the participants wore the devices for 15 days and collected urine samples eight of those days. In this experiment, each fitness tracker underestimated the energy expenditure. While there’s of course room for error, such as people taking off the devices (whether to charge the battery or to bathe) as well as the chosen participants, who weren’t obese/didn’t have health problems (so that their ability to exercise wasn’t inhibited), the findings are still pretty concrete. But that also means that the fitness trackers currently out there aren’t as accurate as we’d like to believe, and are probably giving us false information. In other words: there isn’t a reliable fitness tracker at the moment. According to Schoenfeld: “It is currently quite challenging to tell which fitness trackers are accurate and reliable and which are not since there aren’t much data available. These studies demonstrate that even the most popular applications and devices may be inaccurate or highly variable.”