by Madeline Baumgart | Dec 27, 2019 | Blog
Written by Trinity Grewell On Friday, November 30th, I attended Orchestra Hall in Downtown Minneapolis with my mom, Kathy Petersen, and my younger brother to see the Disney Pixar film Up, with the music being performed live by the Minnesota Orchestra. (If you...
by Madeline Baumgart | Dec 18, 2019 | Blog
Written by Trinity Grewell Pop music is taking a turn toward a more alternative perspective, and one amazing example of alternative pop music is Melanie Martinez. A native New-Yorker, Melanie grew up singing and playing guitar as well as writing her own songs....
by Madeline Baumgart | Nov 30, 2019 | Blog
Written by Trinity Grewell One of the most controversial musicians of the 21st century is American Singer-Songwriter Billie Eilish. When her solo debut Ocean Eyes released in 2016, Billie was only fourteen years old. She became the youngest musician to hit...
by Madeline Baumgart | Nov 15, 2019 | Blog
Written by Trinity Grewell As a viola player, I often face backlash from the musical community simply because the viola is an “inferior” instrument. My way to cope with this backlash is with humor, specifically memes that are related to music. I have an entire...
by Madeline Baumgart | Nov 5, 2019 | Blog
Written by Ethan Teel, Instructor and Writer for Opus Music Academy On May 31st, 2014; my alternative rock band, The Owl-Eyes, had our first live gig in front of an audience. At the time of our first gig, I was excited to see that after months of searching for...
by Madeline Baumgart | Aug 27, 2019 | Blog
In a busy, fast moving world filled with a variety of activities and opportunities, it’s understandable that music sometimes gets pushed aside. We often get preoccupied with other things in our lives, especially things our society and culture tend to value more than...
by Madeline Baumgart | Aug 1, 2019 | Blog
Music is known for how it can evoke deep emotions from its listeners; from sadness, to love, to loneliness, to happiness, and everything in between, music undoubtedly expresses human emotions in a very profound way. What is music therapy?Music therapy is the...
by Madeline Baumgart | Jun 7, 2019 | Blog
Have you ever struggled to focus while practicing your instrument? Most of us would probably answer yes. Whether it’s due to the noisy sounds outside, to thoughts of everything you need to get done, or to any other distractions we may experience, these hindrances can...
by Kathy Petersen | Jan 20, 2019 | Blog
By Kellen Baker, Instructor at Opus Music Academy A lot of beginning guitarists and people new to making music wonder: is it really necessary for me to learn how to read music? After all, neither Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, or Jimi Hendrix ever learned how. Many...
by Kathy Petersen | Jan 7, 2019 | Blog
You don’t have to travel to a music class or facility to take lessons. You can easily join other Twin Cities Area music students just like you who are enjoying music lessons in the comfort of their own home. Although in-home lessons isn’t the preferable option for...