Nicktoons Character Review - Leopold The Tutor

Nicktoons Character Review - Leopold The TutorLeopold the tutor is a new character in the franchise. He's one of the friendliest of the Nicktoons characters, and is the big brother to another character who doesn't talk much but is the best friend to Leopold.Leopold the tutor first appeared in the first episode of the series, 'The Road To Leadville.' In this episode, Nick was on a road trip with his friends and found that he would have to let his star pupil Leopold go for the whole season, since he had so many more important things to do. When Leopold finally left, Nick couldn't be happier and wished that he had the ability to say the exact same thing but instead told his pals 'let's spend some time together.'Nick later reunited with Leopold and allowed him to stay with him for the whole season. He thought it was best for Leopold to stay, because it would help him focus on something. He also noticed that Leopold was starting to become quite distant from him and instead needed to be ar ound people he knew well, because he simply couldn't go out into the unknown all by himself anymore.When Leopold returned for the second season, he spent more time with his father, who was driving Leopold's truck. He often made a lot of mistakes on the road, which annoyed Nick. One time, after a tree got stuck between them, a frustrated Nick threw a branch from the tree into Leopold's face, which caused Leopold to bleed profusely.It wasn't until the third season, however, that Leopold's relationship with Nick had more depth. The two had formed a closer bond since they started working together and he appreciated that Nick treated him with respect and had to be taken care of.Nick and Leopold would regularly go off on adventures together, either to go fetch cookies or to investigate something. In the end, though, they both returned home, telling each other how they truly felt about each other. As the series went on, Nick got a better understanding of what Leopold was feeling, but the t wo still continued to work together.Leopold and Nick are very close to each other, and he has feelings for Nick as well. Although they can't be together romantically, they often engage in a friendship and have a lot of fun.When the fourth season began, Leopold and Nick had fallen out of contact, but when the fifth season began, they reconnected and were much closer than they had been in the past. Unfortunately, their relationship never progressed past that point, but the two remain good friends and have been together ever since.

How to Choose Between Early Action and Early Decision

How to Choose Between Early Action and Early Decision When applying to college, there is generally arange of application timelines and options to choose from, including early action and early decision. Many students may lean toward the regular decision timeframe,butif youd like to get a leg up on other candidates, find out your application status early, and have the time and desire to do so, you may wish to considerapplying early action or early decision. If youre unsure how to choose between early action and early decision, ask yourself the following questions to help determine what's best for you: 1. Do you feel strongly enough about a specific school to apply early action or early decision? If youre dead-set on a specific school, apply early decision if its offered. Early decision locks you into attending the school once youre admitted, so youd need to withdraw and/or decline other offers of admission. This option is desirable if youd like to be over and done with the application process, and more importantly, if you feel strongly about one school. Keep in mind that you can only apply early decision at one school, which means youre prioritizing it over others. Alternatively, apply early action if youre interested in a school, but dont want to make your choice right then. This would give you time to: plan a campus visit get in contact with current students or professors ask advice of people who know you and whom you trust Its also a more appropriate path to take if you have a few schools you like, but cant decide between them. 2. How will early action or early decision affect yourfinancial assistance? If youre asking questions about financial aidand seekingfinancial assistance, whether through scholarships or FAFSA, early action might be better for you. Offers of financial assistance often are not made until the regular decision season is over, and sometimes, even later in the spring. If you have your heart set on one school, but dont have the means to pay for it, early decision might be temptinghowever, it will commit you to the school before you know all of your financial options. In that case, it may be wiser to apply early action so you can still look for and hear back from scholarship opportunities. This advice is most relevant to students whose ACT and SATscores, grades, and qualifications are high. If you are hoping to bring your grades up in the first semester of your senior year, you may want to wait to apply regular decision. 3. Which schools offer which early action versus early decision? Not all schools offer early action or early decision. For example, your dream school might have early action as an option, while other schools you feel lukewarm about may offer early decision. In such a situation, you might seethese asreasons not to apply early decision. You can apply all early action if youd like, or apply for other schools later during regular decision. Also, some schools offer a single-choice early admission, which means you can only apply early to that school. Check with the specific school about their policies; it varies from school to school, and you dont want to have missed out because of the fine print. Below are five schools, from a report via U.S. News World Report, that had some of the highest acceptance rates for early action and early decision applicants in fall 2015, compared to those who applied regular decision. School Percentage of Early Action/Decision Applicants Admitted Meredith College 100% University at AlbanySUNY 94.50% St. Lawrence University 90.40% Denison University 88.20% American University 87.20% As you decide whether to apply early action or early decision, keep in mind that you may change your mind during the application process as you learn more about the school, yourself, and your wants and needs as a college student. Ask your current teachers, your school counselor, an older friend, or a family member for insight. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us atblog@varsitytutors.com.

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Student in Your Life

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Student in Your Life With the holiday season fast approaching, you may find that the student on your list is the hardest to shop for. With the high costs of tuition, textbooks, and life on a college campus, there may be countless things your student needs. How do you find a present that is both practical and still a gift? These holiday gift ideas for the student in your life will not only show him or her that you care, but can help your student power through his or her remaining semesters. An Amazon Kindle or tablet Save your students back (literally) by taking his or her textbooks digital. An Amazon Kindle or other tablet can allow students not only to access all of their textbooks in one location, but can also be a great note-taking tool. There are hundreds of great apps to help students in every aspect of school, from connecting with peers, to flash card assistance, to study help for their next big test. Does your student already have a tablet? Tech accessories are a great way to increase functionality and add a bit of flair to any tablet. Consider getting your student a wireless keyboard, a stand up case, or a lightning charger. [RELATED: 3 Ways to Better Utilize Your Electronic Textbooks] A pair of noise canceling headphones Finding a quiet place to study can be difficult, and during hectic times like finals, finding a seat in the library can be impossible. A pair of noise canceling headphones allows your student to study anywhere, from the campus union, to his fraternity house, to a shady spot on campus grounds. Your student can study to his or her favorite tunes (or white noise if thats his or her style) without worrying about unnecessary distractions. A decorative planner or calendar Make sure your student stays organized in style. With classes, homework, student organizations, and part-time jobs, keeping track of everything is no easy feat. You might recoil at the idea of gifting an organizational tool, but daily planners are the lifeblood of college students and come in extravagant, and even designer, patterns (like these Lily Pulitzer planners or Gallery Leather planners). You can also personalize planners through monogramming, adding whimsical charms, or including colorful dividers. Complement the gift with stamps, stickers, pens, and highlighters to ensure that no task is forgotten. Want to make the gift extra personal? Add some of your own motivational notes throughout the planner, providing an extra surprise as he or she uses it throughout the year. A fitness tracker With all of the responsibilities associated with school, it can be tough to keep track of personal fitness. A wearable fitness tracker can help your student stay healthy while in college. Devices like a Fitbit can track calories, steps taken, and distance walked per day. Some of these devices can also monitor sleep patterns, helping to ensure your student is getting the correct amount of sleep per night. A tracker is an easy way to help your student remain conscious about his or her health while juggling all of the other responsibilities that come with college life. [RELATED: The Importance of Sleep] A coffee maker Late nights and early mornings are common occurrences in a college students life. Help make 8 a.m. classes a little easier with a nice coffee maker for your student. Whether its a single pot maker, a coffee press, or a Keurig, early-rising students will appreciate the boost of caffeine. Add a variety of creamers, a personalized to-go thermos, and a fancy mug for your student on the go. A private, one-on-one tutor Of course, we couldnt leave this out of our holiday list: The gift of understanding is perhaps the most valuable present you can provide this holiday season. Quality private tutors can be difficult to come by, but Varsity Tutors can simplify the process of selecting and connecting with a talented and experienced instructor. Provide your student with the foundation for success this holiday seasonand watch as improved understanding leads to academic success.

Piano Playing 101 Chords

Piano Playing 101 Chords All about chords: Superprof's essential tips for improving your piano game ChaptersThe major and minor piano chords4 indispensable piano chordsLearn piano chords with a private instructorBefore all else, learning to play the piano is about self-expression. This is the same no matter the genre â€" from jazz piano to classical piano â€" and method. But getting there is the result of years of training to read sheet music, understand music theory, learn solfege and tempo and play chords.When you begin to learn to play on the piano or keyboard, you’re faced with â€" like every absolute beginner â€" a seemingly unattainable goal: coordination between the brain and the right and left hand. Then there’s the challenges of sight reading and improvisation. And how to find that middle C…But you don’t have to be a great piano virtuoso like Bach or Schubert to take pleasure from piano playing: with some basic chords, you’ll be able to play pieces by the greats. To play a Bach Prelude, for example, you only need to master a relatively easy arpeggio of chords! An d with determination and practicing, you won’t be far off from Beethoven’s Clair de Lune sonata!In this article, Superprof is focusing on learning the basic piano chords â€" they may seem difficult to new beginner piano players, but they are easier than you think. Soon you’ll know how to play a chord perfectly. Get your metronome ready!Get out your metronome: we're watching you.. LouisPiano Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlisonPiano Teacher £32/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BarbaraPiano Teacher £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Chi yuenPiano Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TomPiano Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ErenPiano Teacher 5.00 (5) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValtiePiano Teacher £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielPiano Teacher 5.00 (5) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe major and minor piano chordsTo learn the basic pia no chords, there’s no need to study solfege in an intensive piano class.  You can easily retain several chord progressions, because the fingering doesn’t change much. Although taking a piano course is not usually a bad idea! (But stay away from free piano online lessons.)Generally, on the piano, the left hand plays the chord, while the right hand plays the melody. The melody comprises notes in the scale in which the chord is played. If this seems difficult to understand at this point, just remember one thing:  playing the melody means juggling with notes played by the left hand.Ok but how can you learn, recognize, and play minor chords and major chords? These are things you could find out in a private piano lesson or an online piano tutorial too!The major piano chordsPop quiz: do these notes belong to the minor chords or major chords?The major chords are what bring certain “joyful” sounds to the ear. You know what tunes we mean!They’re not as hard to play as you might thin k. But you’ll still need to learn a few solfege basics first, notably concerning the note intervals. How well can you read music or play by ear?Always start from the tonic note to play a perfect major chord. Then, increase by two keys to find the major third. Then, go one and a half pitches higher to find the minor third, the last note in a three-note chord. For example, a major C is played as such:  c, e, g. that’s the perfect chord of C major, composed of a fundamental (c), a major third (e) and a minor fifth (g).If you follow this, you can play all the major chords of a major scale:C: c-e-gD: d-f#-aE: e-sol#-bF: f, la, cG: g, b, dA: a-c#-eB: b-d#-f#This gets a bit more complicated when playing flat and sharp major chords: you’ll need to move your fingers on the black keys by counting the note intervals.But be careful! Always be sure to remain two pitches between the tonic and third chord, and one and a half pitches between the third and fifth. (No one said it was easy to le arn how to play piano!)The minor piano chordsThe minor chords add a more melancholic sonority to a piano piece, creating a sadder atmosphere.Now that you know how to play a major chord and have started to train your fingering, finding the minor chord will be a piece of cake!Really?Yes, because to find the minor key of a piano chord, you just need to lower the major third by a half key: the one that becomes a minor third is played on the flat (often a black key to the left) of your note. It’s the same process for the major chords: a minor C becomes a c-e flat-g. And this time move one and a half key between the tonic and minor third, then two keys between the third and fifth. If you’re interested in improving, consult a basic chord chart to learn other basic chords! Next you’ll be playing arpeggios and octaves on the piano keyboard in your sleep!4 indispensable piano chordsOne major advantage of playing piano is that once you know the basic chords, you’ll also know how to imi tate the basic guitar or accordion chords. From your beginner piano lessons you could be an accordionist one day!Scales are often repetitive in music.Was it Michel Audiard who said that “The piano is the accordion of the rich”? Well, both have black keys at least!A main instrument of music instruction, the piano is often called the “noblest”  of all the string instruments. Once you’ve learned all about sharps and quarter notes on the piano, it will be easier for you to pick up any other instrument!And yet,  playing a “functional” melody doesn’t call for many chords. To do this, you need only learn four chords, the magical whole chords:C majorG majorA minorF majorThese chords are called magical because they are found in a vast range of music, from the Beatles and Pink Floyd to Elton John, from today’s pop and variety hits to classical music of the past.Magical chords are piano chord progressions that “sound” good to the ear, and are constructed in the same struc ture (in  musical harmony, the seven degrees of a piano scale). How well can you read music?Magical chords are often composed as such:A major chord in the first degree (the first note of the scale),A major chord to the fifth degree (fifth note of the scale),A minor chord in the sixth degree (sixth note of the scale),A major chord in the fourth degree (fourth note of the scale).Creating melodies with the suit of C major, G major, A minor, F major, are favorites that always work well! You’ll be a great piano player soon enough!The hardest part isn’t actually playing the chords, it’s finding a melody that works well!Thanks to this degree hierarchy, if you want to change the key of the piano degrees, just change from where, on the keyboard, you played the first chord. For example, if you begin by an E major:  E  major  (e, g#, b),  B major  (b, d#, f#),  C sharp minor  (c#, e, g#),  A major  (a, c#, e). It’s easy to do this on the keyboard because the interval between each note is the same. Who said it was difficult to learn piano?If you are having trouble, here is a trick: count each note of the scale of C (do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do) on your fingers and find the chord progression. All beginner pianists will be happy to discover that many a song is constituted of the same magical whole chords. Music is not as hard as you might think, so start practicing those piano keys!Learn piano chords with a private instructorWith a private piano teacher (perhaps one found on Superprof?), every beginner musician wanting to learn to play piano will benefit not just from a tailor-made pedagogical piano method, but also by regular follow-up.Don't forget that a music teacher might be the most important tool for learning piano.So make sure you assess your progress and future goals at each piano lesson with your teacher. What to revise for the following week: Für Elise, Bach’s Prelude or something more contemporary? Your posture, an octave, or something more advanc ed?In a private piano lesson, a piano teacher will create progress plan and target the student’s weaknesses. In this way, the piano lesson will be adapted to your level: is an initiation necessary, does the student need to revise solfege basics, learn to read sheet music, work on right/left hand coordination, or pass directly to playing a piano song?Whether the lesson takes place in the piano student’s home or in a music school, the student needs an environment that’s conducive to chord training. That means spending the necessary time on applying music theory, learning how to form chords with the intervals of notes, perfecting fingering, etc.The piano teacher should also provide students with a chord chart to work on at home.After having reached a certain level, the student could also ask his or her music teacher â€" a personal trainer for the piano â€" to teach him or her how to play songs by the big composers, like the Nocturne Opus 9 No. 2  in E flat major by Frederic Chopi n. No more Mary had a Little Lamb for you!Other than reading sheet music and learning piano tunes, the student can also ask his or her teacher to play different music genres, such as jazz piano, blues piano, tango or classical music. Why not do a bit of research on the Internet, where you’ll find plenty of videos and free piano tutorials to teach you about music styles!Lastly, private piano classes are a powerful tool of motivation, especially for kids and adolescents.If I had to learn the piano on the internet alone when I was an adolescent, there’s a strong chance I would have abandoned playing. In contrast, my 5 years of private lessons in music school during my primary school and high school years allowed me, almost 15 years later, do chord progressions that actually still sound good, and not feel completely inept in front of a keyboard!You might enjoy that same feeling by employing a Superprof piano teacher, rather than doing an anonymous search for piano lessons London...

Why Bother Playing the Guitar Here are Some Benefits.

Why Bother Playing the Guitar Here are Some Benefits. What are the Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument Like The Guitar? ChaptersWhy You'll Never Regret Learning How to Play Guitar.It’s a Scientific Fact: the Guitar Brings Pleasure  Playing Guitar Releases StressThe Guitar Takes Away Pain.  The Guitar Boosts Brain ActivityGuitar Playing Improves Your HeartThe Guitar Boosts Your Self-ConfidenceGuitar Playing Improves Your Creativity and Your ConcentrationThe Guitar Increases Your Power of SeductionHave you ever asked yourself why guitarists seem so relaxed and at ease on stage?  What is it about the guitar player that is so zen - playing guitar chords like it's the easiest thing in the world?  Some guitar players even appear immortal, like Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.Is it that they have better doctors than us normal folk? A healthier lifestyle? Surely not….So read on to discover how playing a chord on a Fender can stimulate your gray matter, wipe away your stress and even boost your sex-appeal! Because a guitar teacher isn't just unlocking your knowledge of tablature and the pentatonic, bu t is doing you all sorts of favours that you'll appreciate later on!Whatever the time period,  the guitar has always been an attractive, even captivating, musical instrument. It’s the ideal tool for seducing as well as for expressing oneself freely through one’s own compositions or playing classic guitar tunes.There is no ideal age for playing the guitar: whether you’re 8, 18, 38 or 68 years old, age makes no difference. From the moment that you feel the urge to play the guitar, once the motivation is there, well that’s the right moment to get started.What’s more, you can play all the musical styles that you want to on the guitar, like blues, rock, pop, reggae, funk, punk or even classical music. You do have the acoustic guitar, the electric guitar, and the classical guitar for a reason!You just have to choose the appropriate guitar. This advice will help both absolute beginners and even more advanced players.All the same, to be certain that the sounds you’re making aren ’t tempting your family and neighbors to cry, we recommend learning the basics of this instrument by taking guitar lessons and watching guitar videos. Don’t, obviously, forget to tune your guitar. But you'll have to learn a bit of everything - from power chords to the major scale, from fingerpicking to advanced guitar tricks - to ensure you are getting everything you can out of your new guitar.Whether they are online courses, guitar lessons with a private instructor, or classes in a music school, the training should correspond to your individual needs.Once you’ve acquired the guitar basics, from learning to read music and develop a fingerstyle and strumming patterns, you’ll happily discover that you can play several pieces of music. From easy songs, basic chords, and barre chords, you’ll soon make your way to more advanced guitar solos!But, beyond that, whether it’s from the pleasure of playing or copying tunes, playing the guitar has numerous other affects, notably on o ur wellbeing and health.It’s a Scientific Fact: the Guitar Brings Pleasure  Let’s be clear, it’s not just the guitar â€" all musical practice brings real pleasure.According to a neuroscience study at the University of McGill in Montreal, Canada, listening and playing guitar liberates wellbeing hormones like dopamine, the hormone of happiness as it’s popularly known.Guitar playing makes you happy!According to this same study, playing the guitar and listening to music triggers the same chemical process at the level of the brain as having a sexual experience.So while it sounds strange, some say that playing the guitar is a sort of musical masturbation.The word comes off a bit strong, but the facts have proven it: the more you listen to music or play the guitar, the more pleasure you take from it, as your brain secretes the hormone dopamine. Time to get started on those guitar scales and octaves!So forget all your preconceived ideas about the guitar! It's not all chord progressi ons, guitar tabs, and songs to learn. Or, at least, it is - but it's a lot more than that too.Playing Guitar Releases StressWe all have really full days from time to time, and whether it’s in our private sphere or professional milieu, some are more stressful than others, right?Between your boss who aggravates you, bills that come at the worst time, traffic jams, bad weather, terrible dates, there are a thousand and one reasons to be stressed during the day.Need to take a moment for the self by playing guitar?Fortunately, once you have your own Gibson Les Paul guitar or your Telecaster, plug it into a  Marshall guitar amp  and you strum those first guitar strings, the stress will fade away in no time at all.Wit a few indispensable guitar accessories like a  pick, capo, and metronome  you are ready to go! You’ll be playing like Clapton soon enough…Whether you take guitar courses with an instructor, follow an online guitar course, or you play alone in your room, the effect is the same: you’ll loosen up by playing those six strings  (and this goes for all styles, be it on a classical bass, acoustic bass, blues guitar, rock guitar, or rhythm guitar). Whether it's jazz guitar you play or the chord progression of your favorite songs by Hendrix you practice, all of this will help.According to a double study led by Loma Linda University in California and its School of Medicine, stress is significantly reduced as soon as one plays an instrument like the guitar.And these virtues have been recognized since the origins of the guitar!This manifests itself on a genetic level: musical vibrations impact our blood pressure and immune system, which helps us fight viruses.The guitar is good for the health! If that's not a reason to learn how to play the guitar, I don't know what is!The Guitar Takes Away Pain.  If you have chronic pains, or are suffering physically or psychologically, learning the guitar and listening to music allows your spirit to disconnect, considerably reducing pain.Enjoy playing the guitar.By focusing on intonations, musical vibrations, music theory, or on memorizing guitar songs, you’ll focus less on pain, allowing your body to relax and your spirit to escape.A study at the University of Utah  with the Center of Pain Research illustrated these  effects of music on the body. PeterGuitar Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EdgarGuitar Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PaulGuitar Teacher 5.00 (12) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToddGuitar Teacher 4.75 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamueleGuitar Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KurtGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RyanGuitar Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Guitar Boosts Brain ActivityA recent Scottish study illustrated that if y ou play the guitar â€" true for any musical instrument â€" you are more able to sharpen your cerebral functions and activity.Playing the guitar heightens mental alacrity! Photo Visual Hunt.This is notably beneficial for the fight against mental degeneration in the short and long terms.So, “fret” no more! Stop taking pills for increasing your cerebral activity, and instead tune a guitar, take guitar lessons, consult your tablatures, study and play scales, and your brain will thank you. Are you fantasizing about that fretboard yet?Guitar Playing Improves Your HeartDid you know that rockers have rock-solid cardiovascular systems?Indeed, Dutch researchers have discovered that people who practice a musical activity like guitar playing for at least 100 minutes per day have significantly reduced blood pressure and cardiac rhythm when compared to those who don’t play music.This fact was included in another study by Boston’s Berklee School of Music led by the chair of the Music Thera py department, Suzanne Hanser.Playing music has real impact on our health, especially for the elderly as it slows down the heart, and lessens stress, anxiety and depression. Time to start researching those free guitar lessons…While you’re completely rapt up in your guitar playing, left in a trance by your music, your blood pressure falls to normal levels, and you feel more relaxed.And if you learn to sing at the same time as you play, this will also have a positive effect on your lungs, by making them work to their full capacity of oxygen.The Guitar Boosts Your Self-ConfidenceThe guitar is an excellent outlet.While singing brings an immediate health benefit, in general, playing and creating your own music allows you to freely express yourself, your emotions, ideas, and you who are to others.Find your confidence by playing those 6-strings! Image Visual Hunt.In expressing yourself completely and without censure on your guitar, you will liberate a strong emotional charge, which wil l heighten your self-confidence.Singing a song or playing a piece of music may prove to be easy for some, but creating, composing, and inventing one represents an entirely different personal challenge. As soon as you’ve done it, you will have gained an enormous amount of confidence in yourself.Every songwriter has the knowledge that he or she is fully capable of inventing something unique.Haven't you heard? A confident person is almost as sexy as guitar music!Guitar Playing Improves Your Creativity and Your ConcentrationSimply start with Guitar 101. The more you play guitar, the more your brain accumulates information: as soon as you’ve acquired all the guitar basics like the main chords, playing with a pick, finger placement to pull off chords sequences or play your first solos, you’ll realize that you want to keep on learning.It’s as though you put your finger inside gears and it’s impossible to get out of them.Bring out your creative potential by taking guitar lessons! Image: Visual Hunt.Once you’ve mastered the techniques by taking guitar classes, for instance, you’ll be able access the more creative part of guitar playing.According to an important study from the prestigious University of Cambridge, musicians and especially guitarists continue to be creative even when they’ve stopped playing their instrument.They’ve invested so much into their music that their entire environment becomes a pretext for composing or making changes to their music.It’s often during a walk, or during an evening with friends, when you hear a sound, a rhythm or that you feel a certain emotion that you want to put to music.The Guitar Increases Your Power of SeductionYes it’s a cliché. But it’s also a scientific fact.The guitar reinforces your power of seduction. Ah  to be a guitarist! It’s a whole other world, isn’t it?Researchers in psychology have made music-based studies that illustrate how women more freely associate musical capacity with intelligen ce, commitment, determination in work and physical prowess.Learning to play the guitar can make you really quite attractive.Why do women love guitarists, who are unrivaled in comparison to other men?Here are three reasons that show why the guitar is ideal for flirting:Guitarists are seen as being more creative and imaginative than other people. This also has to do with the amount of charisma they give off.The neuroscientist Daniel Levitin explains that music played on the guitar draws most of the lobes of the brain and the emotions that it generates. In sum, guitar music connects with our deepest emotions that are impossible to control.The myth of the bad boy/girl: it’s pretty much a fact that the guitarist is synonymous with freedom, even at the expense of social rules. Ever heard of the famous saying “Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll”? Enough said!And what if we said that learning guitar is a remedy for aging?In conclusion, we can affirm that the guitar is the best medicine ag ainst ennui and depression. So what are you waiting for to buy a guitar?It relaxes guitarists and brings numerous physical and mental benefits.So be kind to your neurons by strumming the strings of your Gibson or Fender Stratocaster like the famous guitarists!Take your daily dose of serotonin, endorphin and oxytocin by getting that guitar out!You can even give lessons eventually!

College Waiting Lists

College Waiting Lists Many students who are on the bubble of being accepted into a college will be placed on a waiting list. Students will have to sweat it out for months while that college makes its final decisions. Students can opt to stay on waiting lists; however, less than 30% of wait-listed students will eventually be accepted, according to The US News World Report. Also, students chances are significantly lower for Ivy League Schools and other elite colleges. Recently, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has accepted anywhere from 0-40 students from its waiting list that is usually comprised of several hundred students. A recent New York Times article also does not offer much hope to students who have been placed in limbo. The US News World Report highlighted five suggestions for students who are placed on colleges waiting lists. 1. Explore other options: Students need to be realistic about their chances of being accepted from a colleges waiting list. Students should consider attending other colleges and even send letters of intent to those colleges in case they do not get accepted from the college that wait-listed them. 2. Ask the college about your chances: Colleges have different waiting lists systems. Some colleges analyze and rank their wait-listed students by their test scores and high school GPAs. Students who have lower scores and are farther down on the waiting list have a small chance of being accepted. Other schools will be pulling students to fill voids. For example, if an accepted student athlete declines a colleges offer, then that college is likely to accept another student athlete from its waiting list. This system makes it nearly impossible for a wait-listed student to inquire about his/her chances of being accepted. 3. Show interest in the school: This can help some students chances of being accepted from a colleges waiting list. If a school has an essay in its application on why you want to go there, then fill it out, even if its optional. Also, it might help to go on a college visit. This could show the college that you are truly passionate about going there. Most admission officers understand that the students who want to attend that college more will perform better. Therefore, showing strong interest and maybe even sucking up a little could get a wait-listed student accepted. 4. Be pleasantly persistent: Students should send the colleges admissions office a letter updating their recent achievements and progress since submitting their application. Students can show a little creativity with this. However, students should avoid being obsessive. Dont send gifts of food or drink. Traditionally, sending anything with monetary value is a bad idea. And please do not send a shoe, highlighting that you are trying to get a foot in the door. 5. Dont stay on the colleges waiting list for the sake of doing so: Many admissions officers appreciate students who notify the college of withdrawals, especially if students are happy with their offers from other colleges. This makes admissions officers jobs easier. Also, if students automatically stay on a colleges waiting list, they could essentially be taking another students spot.

Review A Must-Have Resource for Classical Singers

Review A Must-Have Resource for Classical Singers Suzy S. Classical singers, listen up! Heres a resource you absolutely shouldnt miss, reviewed by voice teacher Molly R If you teach  classical voice, you are probably aware that one of the biggest challenges is accompaniment! We can fake our way through standards and simpler Disney tunes for our other students, but this is not usually the case when it comes to Mozart or Verdi. And if you are a classical soloist, it’s every bit as frustrating. It can get very  costly to hire an accompanist whenever you need to run through your arias and songs. It can also be  time-consuming to find someone and schedule rehearsals, find a space,  and so on. So, whats a classical singer to do? My Online  Resource  Recommendation This is where Your Accompanist comes in. This amazing resource is the classical singer’s dream come true, allowing you to download accompaniment tracks for practically everything you need. I had the opportunity to check out the site, and after spending some time browsing with a few of my voice students, I wondered where this site has been all my life (and my students are asking the same thing!). How I  Use the Site in My  Lessons Your Accompanist  has downloadable  piano accompaniment to almost every aria and art song you can think of! Even better still: many of the art songs are available in various keys to suit a wider variety of voices. Heres how I used the tracks in my lessons: I needed a particular French song for a young soprano student, and we were both so pleased to see they offered it in a key suitable for her higher voice! This is already coming in handy for her as she prepares for a big singing contest. We were also able to find a large number of other things she’d be needing in future lessons, including art songs in German and English. Oratorio is also available, and thank goodness for that! A young countertenor I work with was able to get the aria from “Messiah” he needed instantly, so we could polish it for his upcoming performances. A mezzo student of mine was relieved to finally find the Barber opera aria she needed. I also found several “staples” (classic beginner Italian arias) to download that I  knew  I’d be using for students later on. And I’ll admit it: I got a few things for me to sing along with, too! In fact, I had a hard time narrowing it down. I wanted to get every mezzo-soprano aria on there! Since this site is based out of the United Kingdom, old music hall and parlor song favorites are on the site, too certainly not something you see every day! I was delighted to see such a variety. A  student also noticed that the site offered holiday classics. Right away, I knew I needed a few, as December concert time will be here before you know it! There are a few art songs that I could use, but did not see on the site. However, there’s an option to request that they record what you don’t see. After discovering this option, my students and I started getting together a brief list of songs we may ask for in the future. Downloading Tracks from Your Accompanist Downloading and paying for your chosen songs is extremely easy, and playing them back is just as simple. When we found the Faure art song that we needed, all I had to do was  press a few buttons and it was in my iTunes library and ready to play for my soprano to sing along to! My countertenor was a bit worried that his oratorio aria was going to be either too fast or too slow but before we downloaded we were able to listen to a very helpful sound sample. Now  he can rehearse with confidence: with me in the studio, or at home on his own! As for the accompaniment tracks themselves? Absolutely beautiful! All of the tracks I have used have been sensitively phrased and played most musically. Sound quality is top notch. As my students were singing along, I felt that they were supported by the playing, and not at all overpowered. It’s also so incredibly nice to be able to focus on my students’ singing instead of worrying about my piano playing abilities. Why This is a Must-Have Resource One singer of mine told me that she felt that using the Your Accompanist  tracks is  as close as you can get to having a live accompanist right there with you. How right she is. As I tried some of the accompaniments myself, I felt like I was in my very own recital hall! So again we ask: where has Your Accompanist  been all our lives? Thanks to the Internet, we classical singers and teachers have a tremendous resource available to us. Check it out and see what you think! Readers, what other websites and singing resources do you use to download accompaniment tracks? Leave a comment below and let us know!   Post Author:  Molly R. Molly R. teaches online and in-person singing lessons in Hayward, CA. Her specialties include teaching beginner vocalists, shy singers, children, teens, lapsed singers, and older beginners. She joined TakeLessons in November 2013.  Learn more about Molly  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