Micek Music

Mute the sound and imagine the possibilities: 1) 0:00 - 0:32  Rocket in flight 2) 0:33 - 0:55  A real rocket? 3) 0:56 - 2:13  The first ride 4) 2:14 - 3:08  Lemonade stand 5) 3:09 - 4:41  Bag of coins/Final ride 6) 4:42 - 5:14  End Credits  Participating students will compose several short instrumental pieces to accompany the above video. We will work together to record the music and then place the musical cues in the appropriate places, linking sounds to the images. The deadline for completion of this film scoring project will be the end of August.

Mute the sound and imagine the possibilities: 
 1) 0:00 - 0:34  Happy cleaning day
 2) 0:35 - 1:12  Wine spill crisis 
3) 1:13 - 1:48  Cleaning all over again
 4) 1:49 - 2:26  The wash is done 
5) 2:27 - 2:39  Red resolution
 6) 2:40 - 3:18  End Credits   
Participating students will compose several short instrumental pieces to accompany the above video. We will work together to record the music and then place the musical cues in the appropriate places, linking sounds to the images. The deadline for completion of this film scoring project will be the end of August. More information can be provided upon request.

Mute the sound and imagine the possibilities: 1) 0:00-0:34 The busy city 2) 0:35 - 1:01  Walk sign/Cars take back the streets 3) 1:02 - 1:31  A beautiful tree 4) 1:32 - 2:03  Bird encounter 5) 2:04 - 2:35  The rebellion begins 6) 2:36 - 3:08  Renegade green lights  7) 3:09 - 3:45  Team Green takes over! 8) 3:46 - 4:03  Traffic jam 9) 4:04 - 4:21  Life in the country 10) 4:22 - 4:44  End Credits Participating students will compose several short instrumental pieces to accompany the above video. We will work together to record the music and then place the musical cues in the appropriate places, linking sounds to the images. The deadline for completion of this film scoring project will be the end of August. More information can be provided upon request. This project is not for everyone -- some of my students are too young for this type of work and others won't be able to make the time commitment required --...

The Back to the Future trilogy of movies is one of the most beloved film franchises in American cinema history. For anyone unfamiliar with this series, this link will tell you everything you need to know . The second movie of the trilogy famously featured the lead characters Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveling to the future year of 2015. Viewers are treated to a wild collection of futuristic conceits: flying cars, hoverboards, self-lacing sneakers, and the Chicago Cubs being baseball world series champions! Since we now find ourselves in the year 2015, I think it would be interesting to consider the Back to the Future trilogy once again and imagine a fourth film in the series. Back to the Future IV would be set in the year 2045 and... the rest is up to you. The challenge for my students is to compose a musical theme for: Here are some guidelines: - the completed piece needs to be a minimum of 12 measures long - the final draft needs to be notated using eithe...

1) 0:00 - 0:15  Opening credits 2) 0:16 - 0:40  Peaceful farm at night 3) 0:41 - 1:05  A blue beam of light 4) 1:06 - 2:01  Alien in training 5) 2:02 - 2:14  The student has a meltdown 6) 2:15 - 2:51  Let's try this one more time  7) 2:52 - 3:21  Success? 8) 3:22 - 3:54  The Master steps in 9) 3:55 - 4:44  Flying home 10) 4:45 - 5:04  End Credits

-- Lessons during the month of July will be uninterrupted. -- At the end of August, there is one week I will not be teaching. Here are the dates when there will be no lessons:  August 20th through August 25th -- This summer I will be undertaking a cartoon film scoring project with select students. Each student will compose music to accompany the Pixar short "Lifted".  You can watch the video and find a cue list here . -- The Song of the Month for July & August is "Good Day Sunshine" by The Beatles. Have a happy day, Jesse

Monkey Spoon Egghunt Lifted

-- I will not be teaching during the last week of August, running from  August 26th through September 2nd . Normal service will resume on Tuesday, September 3rd. -- The summer cartoon film scoring project continues this month. Each student will compose music to accompany the Pixar short "For the Birds".  You can watch the video and find a cue list here . -- There will be no Song of the Month for August. Have a happy day, Jesse

1) 0:00 - 0:15  Opening credits 2) 0:16 - 0:54  Small birds gather on the wire 3) 0:55 - 1:15  Big bird appears 4) 1:16 - 1:47  All birds move to center of the wire 5) 1:48 - 2:27  Big bird hanging precariously 6) 2:28 - 2:38  Big bird falls, little birds fly up  7) 2:39 - 3:01  Feather-less little birds plop down 8) 3:02 - 3:22  End credits

-- I will not be teaching on the Independence Day holiday Thursday, July 4th . Also, I have a vacation week scheduled for July 20th through July 27th , and there will be no lessons that week. -- At the end of August, there is another week I will not be teaching. Here are the dates when there will be no lessons: August 26th through September 2nd -- This summer I will be undertaking a cartoon film scoring project with select students. Each student will compose music to accompany the Pixar short "For the Birds". You can watch the video and find a cue list here . -- There will be no Song of the Month for July & August. Have a happy day, Jesse

Monkey Spoon Caminandes Egghunt Banarun Merbabies For the Birds

-- My teaching schedule during the month of September will be uninterrupted, save the observance of Labor Day on Monday, 9/5. -- The  Summer Film Scoring project  is nearing completion. Several individuals have already composed and recorded their contributions. Others need to really buckle down and get to work during the upcoming weeks, because September is the final month for this project.  -- I am planning to offer a wider variety of music web games to my students in the upcoming year. In particular, I'm eyeing the Theta Music Trainer and Music Learning Community offerings. More details are forthcoming. -- The Song of the Month for September is "Someone Like You" by Adele. The chorus sounds like it would fit in perfectly with this song medley by Aussie comedy outfit Axis of Awesome (hint, hint). Have a happy day, Jesse

-- My teaching schedule during the month of August will be uninterrupted. -- Effective August 1, the lessons fees will be raised for my Fremont  students. Please note that I have not been consulted with regard to this fee rise; the store I rent a space in one day a week in Fremont sets the rates for all the teachers who work there. I will continue to work hard at providing the best service I can. ** Lesson rates are unchanged for my Castro Valley students. -- The  Summer Film Scoring project  is up and running. I have about 20 students participating and it has been an educational experience for all. I'm learning more of the features of the iMovie program. Students are learning about the joys and challenges of linking music and sound to visuals. This project will continue through this month and then to at least mid-September. Everyone will receive a copy of their work in some form when the projects are complete. -- There will be no Song of the Month for August. There's...

I am attending the annual Music Teachers Association of CA (MTAC) convention at the Marriott hotel in downtown Oakland this weekend. Here's a summary of the events I attended today: "Practicing Performing" lecture by Fred Karpoff: - Mr. Karpoff's whirlwind presentation this morning focused on wisdom he's gained from two prominent performance coaches: Don Greene, Ph.D. and Robert Caldwell. I say that the presentation was "whirlwind" because Karpoff was allotted a mere 45-minutes to deliver a bushel full of material. He was speaking so fast at times that I thought steam would begin surging from his ears. Unfortunate that he was forced to rush, because he had much vital material to share. Upon reflection, the most striking thing he said this morning was that we spend too much time practicing the wrong things. We should seek to stimulate performance scenarios more frequently in order to become more comfortable with the tense sensations inherent in that endea...

This is a project I've wanted to present for awhile now, and I think this summer is the time to make it happen. Here's the short animated film I selected to inaugurate what I hope to be an annual project for my students. Mute the sound and imagine the possibilities: Participating students will compose several short instrumental pieces to accompany the above video. We will work together to record the music and then place the musical cues in the appropriate places, linking sounds to the images. The deadline for completion of this film scoring project will be the end of September.  More information can be provided upon request. This project is not for everyone -- some of my students are too young for this type of work and others won't be able to make the time commitment required -- but those who get onboard will enjoy a unique, rewarding musical challenge. Jesse