PopSugar

Inspired: Play Me I'm Yours

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:00:23 -0700

I'm a fan of street art, especially when it involves music, so I'm especially inspired by the "Street Pianos" project, which placed 30 pianos on streets, public squares, parks, train stations, and markets around London. After July 13, the pianos will be donated to local schools and community groups.

Even if you don't have room to put a piano in your home, you can still add some musical notes. You can start with this Mondrian Broadway Boogie Woogie Poster ($129).

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Do You Have Musical Instruments in Your House?

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:14 -0700

Growing up, I diligently practiced Mozart on a spinet piano, which was compact enough to fit snugly in a corner in the living room. My mother-in-law practices Rachmaninoff on a gorgeous grand piano by a picture window that overlooks downtown Seattle. While we don't have a piano in our home, I'd love to get one. I settle for playing Tchaikovsky on an open-holed flute instead. Do you have musical instruments in your home? If so, are they a part of your interior design scheme?

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Name That Pop Song!

GiggleSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:00:00 -0700

How pop music savvy are you? Step right up, click here, and see if you can name that tune. But wait, there's a twist! The songs have been butchered by some piano playing lounge employee. Ooooh! So if you're a glutton for ear torture and guessing games, then "pop" on over to this site and get your game on because-- oh, baby, baby, we've already given you a head start...

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CES 2008: Learn How to Play and Read Music With Piano Wizard

GeekSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:15:18 -0800

So maybe you don't really learn how to play an actual guitar when playing Guitar Hero, but I did come across a game at CES that will teach you how to play the piano. Piano Wizard is a neat video game that can teach anyone how to play the piano and read music. A four-step, color-coded method paired with a stimulating video game is said to be easy enough for a 3-year-old and challenging enough for an experienced musician. The Piano Wizard can be used on both Mac and PCs.

Oh, Snap! Tickling the Ivories on London Streets

TresSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0700

29 pianos, customized individually by artists, have been placed around London landmarks for the public. Signs that say "Play me. I'm yours!" invite closet musicians to let loose. Fun!

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Super Mario Theme on Piano

GiggleSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:00:00 -0700

If the cool jazz sounds from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood met the Super Mario Brothers theme, this is what it would sound like. How many variations of this will they come up with?!

Friday Morning Musical Interlude!

GiggleSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 02:02:00 -0700

This morning's interlude is inspired by Tom Hank's classic film Big. Remember that memorable movie moment when Tom made music with his feet on an oversized walking keyboard in FAO Schwarz? The actor was nowhere near as skillful in that scene as these dudes are in the following clip, so you're in for a treat! (Thanks, College Humor!)

Cute Alert: Concerto in Cat Minor

TresSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Remember Nora, the piano playing cat? Well, apparently she's hit the big time, because here's a video that shows her in front of an chamber orchestra, mixing it up with a little atonal modern music. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Purr-actice, purr-actice, purr-actice!

Book Bag: The Girl's Guide to Rocking

TresSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0700

"When I fell in love with music (ninth grade), I soon fell in love with the idea of making it, too. I didn't want to listen to songs; I wanted to participate. When I went to shows, I wanted to be onstage, too."
- Jessica Hopper

“I want every girl in the world to pick up a guitar and start screaming.”
- Courtney Love

Whether you're in a band, want to be in a band, or you're like me and just really love music, The Girl's Guide to Rocking simply rocks.

Written by Jessica Hopper, a writer and music critic who's been connected to band culture since she was 15 (playing in, managing, and publicizing bands), The Girl's Guide to Rocking is clearly a labor of love. It's part motivational manual for those about to rock, part mini-history of rock 'n' roll with an emphasis on its female icons, and part in-depth guide to almost every aspect of making music, from tips on choosing your instrument to how to read the fine print of a record deal contract.

To find out what else the book offers and to see a video of Hopper and friends providing advice, read more.

Depending on where you are in the process of making music - just thinking about it or actually in a touring band - Hopper provides useful tips. The chapters are organized around finding/choosing instruments, writing songs, things to consider when forming a band, recording, performing, touring, and actually marketing your band.

The book's got a little something for everyone: I know a touring musician in a successful band who took a look at the book and was really impressed by the technical information it provided on recording music and choosing amps. I used to play the piano, but I'm really interested in learning how to play the guitar, so I'll definitely make use of her tips on buying a starter guitar. And her detailed instructions on how to use GarageBand made me want to stop everything and start composing!

Women and girls are so often encouraged to see themselves as muses or groupies, but The Girl's Guide to Rocking invites them to hog the stage themselves. As more and more rock camps for girls spring up, teaching them not only how to rock with instruments but also to see the whole world as their stage, this book will be an invaluable primer. Plus, who doesn't love awesome quotes from Patti Smith, Blondie, and Nina Simone?

Here's Hopper, Monika Bukowska of Brilliant Pebbles, Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, and Heart Shaped Hate in a cute promotional video for the book.

Music Soothes the Soul but Can It Heal the Heart?

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Music has the power to touch our souls. Since listening to certain types of music soothes the mind and reduces anxiety, hospitals all over the US are trying out music therapy on patients suffering from ailments such as brain disorders, heart problems, and cancer, and are discovering it's helping speed up recovery time.

Dr. Claudius Conrad, a senior surgical resident at Harvard Medical School and a gifted pianist, says, “Research has already shown that if you play a piece - like Mozart - at a certain slow beat, the listener will adapt their heart beat to the beat of the music.” Critically ill patients were able to take fewer sedatives when listening to classical piano sonatas, and their blood pressure and heart rates eased. Patients also had a 50 percent spike in pituitary growth hormone, which is known to stimulate healing. So it's not the fact that a song can make us smile - music can actually affect how the brain and body functions.

Classical music has been a top choice for doctors and surgeons since according to researchers at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute in New Jersey, "vibrations of stringed instruments in particular are said to mesh with the energy of the heart, small intestine, pericardium, and thyroid and adrenal glands." Not everyone loves Beethoven and Chopin though, so it's recommended to listen to joyful music that brings out a natural high and gets your endorphins and blood flowing. Tell me, if you were sick or in recovery, what type of music would you want to listen to?

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