Life & Learning

I see evidence every day that playing music fosters and encourages valuable tools for life and learning - self-expression, leadership, communication, creativity, self-esteem and confidence.  Bands and orchestras can only be successful if there is focus and dedication from each and every member of the team.

So it was encouraging last week to read the results of the 18 month US study ‘Reinvesting in Arts Education’.  

Art, music, drama and other creative activities deserve an "unambiguous place in the curriculum" American researchers said, “Creative subjects lead to significant and lasting benefits for pupil achievement and should be put at the heart of education reforms”.

In addition to gains in student achievement, the report also identified increased motivation and engagement, and improved problem-solving, critical and creative thinking skills as key benefits of arts education.

Decades of research show strong and consistent links between high-quality arts education and a wide range of impressive educational outcomes.  

The key findings of the research were:

- Arts education helps increase academic achievement, school engagement and creative thinking.

- Integrating the arts into the teaching of other subjects can dramatically improve results and close the 'achievement gap'.

- Schools that are 'arts-rich' uniquely reach out to disengaged learners.

- Creativity is best developed through arts education.

- Research about the value of arts education is positive and consistent.

Most of us are lucky - our schools recognise the importance of music and the arts but there are also many who don’t or don’t have the resources to deliver what our children deserve.  If your school doesn’t offer strong music education, take responsibility yourself to ensure your child gets access to quality music instruction elsewhere.  It is a powerful gift which will have spin-off in many areas of their life and learning.

Miranda Rocca |  Manager - Lewis Eady Music School

Martin Enthusiast Behold

Greetings enthusiast, I’m pleased to bring forth good tidings in the form of new additions to our 'Top Shelf' room. In between torrential Auckland downpours it seems that the heavens have opened for a fleeting moment of magic and delivered neither three, nor four… but five new Martin acoustic guitars, making Lewis Eady Music your one stop tone shop in New Zealand for premium quality acoustic guitars. Come and enjoy the balmy 21 degree warmth of our 'Top Shelf' room, relax on the couch and strum yourself to a brighter place. In the interim, here is a brief on each of new arrivals.

OMJM

John Mayer. Ladies love him, men want to be him, and Martin made a guitar for him. And we have it! The OMJM John Mayer Special Edition is a beautiful instrument that is as lovely to look at as it is to play. The 000 body size sat comfortably in my lap and the 1 11/16” neck width felt more like a Stratocaster than Martin acoustic near the nut. Matched with a low profile Select Hardwood neck and Ebony fingerboard it makes for very smooth, fast and responsive action all the way up the neck. Martin have pulled out all the stops here, Solid Engelmann Spruce top, Solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides. All of these contributing to the OMJM producing some of the most even sounding tones I’ve heard in a while. The lows aren’t overbearing, mids are punchy and highs are crisp and clear. The Paua rosette, Gotoh open back butterbean tuners, grained binding and signed twentieth fret give this guitar a vintage vibe with a personal touch. 

M-38

Sporting a 0000 body size the M38 is renowned for producing Dreadnought like volume with a little less bass. The shallow body width (16 inches) makes for quicker decay and more tonal balance overall, not to mention a very comfy feel. The top is Solid Sitka Spruce and has been treated with a very nice vintage toner, giving it that aged look that will only get better as the years go by. The back and sides are high quality East Indian Rosewood and show a very impressive grain that when framed with the white Bolteron binding, looks quite smashing indeed. To play the M38 has a very forgiving feel in that each strum seemed to seep into the next and voicing chords became very flowing and effortless. Individual notes sustain delightfully to create lush overtones giving the M38 a voice all of its own.

D-18

The name Dreadnought was originally given to the guitar in reference to its large shape, likened to the predominant battleship design of time that boasted the same name. Where this model differs from other Martin Dreadnoughts is in its Mahogany back and sides as apposed to Rosewood which both the D-28 and D-35 both feature. A weightier piece of work, this is largely due to the fact that it doesn’t have scalloped bracing. This could be good for the heavier handed folks out there, as I found that laying into the D-18 produced some excellent sound. It’s fairly stock standard in its look, matching black body binding and scratch guard and simple dot inlays. The Rosewood neck has a nice earthy feel to it.  

OMCPA4

Part of the Performing Artist Series, designed to incorporate the traditional Martin feel with the convenience of a modern acoustic-electric the OMCPA4 comes ready to roll with a Fishman F1 Analog pick up and built in tuner. Its cutaway design means that even when reaching for those top frets the player still has oodles of space to work with. This is an all solid wood guitar (neck included) which also comes with a case and the price is lower than you think… I found it to be very forgiving in its playability and responsive to a number of different techniques. Whether strumming through some cowboy chords, bending single notes or picking folk styles the OMCPA4 delivered each time.

DC-1EL

Now I did my best Anika Moa impersonation to try and get a handle on this guitar. Because it’s left handed and I couldn’t really play it that well, but hey, I gave it a go. It’s an all solid Sitka Spruce top with solid Sapele back and sides. The pick up is a Fishman Presys which incorporates a tuner as well, so it will appeal to those that are gigging and not wanting to carry extra gear (i.e. stage tuner). Features a plain black body binding, and scratch plate.

Post by Edward Castelow (Lewis Eady)

Contact Edward for more info...

Emerging Artists Big & Small

Christchurch aftershocks and cancelled flights due to Chilean ash clouds didn't stop 16 year old pianist Stephen Watson from performing in Wednesday night’s Emerging Artist Series concert to a packed house at the Lewis Eady showroom.

Stephen provided an impeccably prepared programme of Beethoven, Chopin, Janacek and Schumann demonstrating his significant technical abilities and a musicality that belied his years.

Stephen’s parents made a last minute decision to drive the route to Auckland instead of gambling on the airlines - a decision which proved to be prudent given the circumstances.

The audience were also treated to a ‘musical aperitif’ in the form of 3 ½ year old pianist 'Harry Qin' who entertained a spell bound crowd with a half a dozen well chosen musical lollipops.

We will be keeping a close eye on both Stephen and Harry and watching their careers develop.