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New Longmont Location and New Logo

We are pleased to announce that Front Range Academy of Music’s main piano and trumpet studio has moved from Berthoud to Longmont. With the move, all four of our instructors now reside in Longmont.

The new piano/trumpet location will allow us to continue serving our beloved families in Loveland and Berthoud while reaching new families in Firestone, Frederick, Erie, Lafayette, Louisville, Boulder, and other communities in the north Denver metro area.

We are also pleased to publicly unveil our new logo (see below). The new logo retains the blocked “FRAM” acronym with the “F” stylized to look like a sixteenth note. The only change is the addition of our slogan: “Train your mind. Feed your soul. Enrich the world.” We are convinced a solid musical education accomplishes all three of those statements, and the change to our logo helps us share that conviction.

Announcing the Spring 2021 Faculty Recital

Front Range Academy of Music is pleased to announce that our spring faculty recital will be held at 6:30 PM on Thursday, May 6! The recital will feature performances by Dr. Maria Kurchevskaya (piano), Dr. Kellan Toohey (clarinet), Dr. Katarina Pliego (cello), Mr. Mitchell Spencer (piano), and Mr. Thomas Currey (trumpet).

The program includes two trios with Maria, Kellan, and Katarina; solo piano works performed by Maria and Mitch; and the first movement of the Stölzel trumpet concerto performed by Thomas (with Maria accompanying).

Please join us for the recital online through the event on our Facebook page. See you there!

Trumpet or Cornet?

One of the earliest choices the parents of any trumpet player make is whether their child will begin playing on the trumpet or cornet. Sometimes that choice is a foregone conclusion: Little Johnny was given the trumpet or cornet that was gathering dust in your Uncle Herbert’s attic for 40 years, so naturally that’s what he will play! However, when give the choice, parents should at least consider starting their child on the Bb cornet instead of the Bb trumpet.

Why start on the cornet instead of the trumpet? And what is the difference between a trumpet and a cornet in the first place? For the purposes of a young beginner, the trumpet and the cornet are virtually indistinguishable. Plenty of excellent trumpet players began on the trumpet, and plenty began on the cornet. That said, the trumpet does have disadvantages that can lead young beginners to develop certain bad habits. In many cases, those bad habits are very difficult to correct and could have been avoided by starting on the cornet.

In what ways are trumpets and cornets similar?

In many aspects, the Bb trumpet and cornet are virtually indistinguishable. They both have a mouthpiece of about the same size and shape, and their metal tubing is about the same length to produce a similar range of pitches. Trumpets and cornets have the flared bells characteristic of all brass instruments, and, in the United States, nearly all trumpets and cornets have three piston valves (as opposed to the rotary valves more popular in Europe).

In what ways are trumpet and cornets different?

Compared to the trumpet, the cornet is more compact and held closer to the body than the trumpet. The bore (internal tubing diameter) of the cornet is also more conical than the bore of the trumpet, which is more cylindrical. As a result, the cornet has a mellower, less penetrating tone than the trumpet. If you’d like to see and hear these subtle but important differences for yourself, please watch the following video:

(Download video: Tpt_v_Cornet_Part1)

 

Should I start my son or daughter on the trumpet or the cornet?

As mentioned, plenty of excellent trumpet players began on the trumpet rather than on the cornet. Thus, parents should not fret too much about the “trumpet vs. cornet” issue if they already have their hands on a good beginning instrument for their child. However, because starting on the trumpet can lead to certain bad habits, we at Front Range Academy of Music recommend starting aspiring trumpet players on the cornet whenever possible.

Because the trumpet is held farther out from the body than the cornet, some young people have a difficult time holding up the instrument for extended periods of time. As a result, young beginners often hold the trumpet at an angle that droops too far to the ground, leading to embouchure problems. Young beginners may also squish their elbows in towards their chests to support the trumpet. This restricts breathing, an obvious problem for any brass player. For a visual demonstration of these problems, please see the following video:

(Download video: Tpt_v_Cornet_Part2)

 

If you have any questions about renting or buying a trumpet or cornet for your son or daughter, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would also be happy to schedule a free trial lesson. Happy practicing!

Summer 2020 Group Lessons

Front Range Academy of Music is proud to announce the launch of a new, five-week music theory and history course for the summer of 2020! Click here to download the course syllabus.

We believe that to excel at any instrument, it is also necessary to be a good musician. To be a good musician, it is necessary to know music theory and history. Thus, we view this course as an important supplement to individual private lessons.

Tuition is an affordable $15 per week per student ($75 total for all five weeks). The course will be held via Zoom, which will facilitate the group setting even during the ongoing pandemic situation. Our goal is to make these classes fun, interactive, and enriching. We will provide optional ear training assignments, and the history classes will include votes for the class’s favorite composer.

Students will be formed into small groups according to interest, age, and ability. If you are not a current FRAM student but would like to enroll, we will discuss your child’s level with you so he or she can be placed into the most appropriate group. Lessons begin the first week of June, so please contact us soon if you have questions or would like to enroll.

Music As Family Pastime

Before the Internet, television, and radio, the family pastime was music. Since so many of us have been spending a lot more time at home due to the public health situation, this is the perfect time to breathe new life into that long-standing tradition.

For our part, we have had a lot of fun with a book we found of 4-hand Chopin waltz arrangements by William Scher. We hope you enjoy listening, too. This particular waltz is in A Flat Major, Opus 70, Number 2.

Click here to download the .mov file if the video will not play in your browser: Chopin_Waltz_Op70No2.

Music Education During the COVID-19 Situation

The recent public health situation has presented numerous challenges and opportunities in nearly all aspects of life, and music education is no exception. At Front Range Academy of Music, the health of our students and their families is our top priority. We are also committed to following the law. Accordingly, since the State of Colorado’s “stay-at-home” orders have gone into effect, all of our students have made the jump to online lessons.

We are very grateful for the opportunities that modern technology affords when it comes to online lessons. For example, less time in the car means more time to practice, and it is much easier to reschedule lessons if you or one of our instructors has a conflict. Even during normal times, online lessons minimize the need for rescheduling if, for instance, heavy snow has clogged up the roads.

Most significantly, however, the recent “stay-at-home” situation presents enormous opportunities for us all to focus on undistracted self-improvement. In that regard, there is no better time to devote yourself or your child to a holistic music education than right now.

Please take some time to read about our experienced instructors and to set up a free trial lesson. We look forward to hearing from you!