Join the Band® - Where Everyone Plays

Tue 20 Apr 2010

Join the Band 71st Session Concert Weekend. Spring Break Jam 2010

Posted by munkeeman under Performances
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Hello Everyone

Great shows on Saturday and Sunday.

Adult concert at Harper’s. Join the Band returns to the new Harper’s. We had eight bands perform for a lunch time crowd and everything went very well except for a tardy sound man. (30 minutes late) John wasn’t impressed with that. (I sound like Bob Dole). Harper’s is a very typical room for a gigging club band. The relaxed atmosphere was a great fit for our adult Band Members. I received a lot of positive feed back from our Band Members. For myself I would like to see them improve a bit more on the sound. Since the club just opened they are tweaking and making adjustments to really get it right.

Kids and Teens concert at the Roxy: Another great concert. Well attended and everyone did a great job. 28 bands! Whew! Thanks to my staff of teachers and stage managers. Tom, Scott, Perk, Rosh, Ryan, Julie, October. We also had a big improvement in the sound this time. We requested a different sound crew for this show and the Roxy obliged  us. The result was much better that  last time. It makes a difference when somebody cares about the job they do. (-:

Note regarding kids and teens show: We did have to stop allowing cameras backstage. It was creating a lot confusion and we couldn’t get the kids focused on getting ready to play. For the next concert we will prefer to only have the kids backstage with our Band Leaders unless there is a medical reason why they should be escorted by a parent. If any parents want to volunteer to help us manage the backstage area that would be great too.

Also. Parents. Refrain from lifting the curtain up at the shows to talk to your kids while we are getting them ready to play.

  • One. It is dangerous if you somehow get snagged on it while it is raised.
  • Two. If the Roxy staff see’s you doing it they will throw you out of the club.
  • Three. It is very distracting to what we are doing to get the kids ready. We know what we are doing. Let us do our job. (-:

GENERAL NOTES:

Once again our Band Members delivered great performances. Band Members  from 6-60 years old performed on our JTB stage. Was everyone perfect? Not really. Mistakes happen and everyone handled the glitches quite well. Did everyone try their best? I believe so. And at the end of the day that is what matters.  The stage experience everyone receives from these shows will only create more confident musicians. Our goal at JTB has always been to teach our Band Members about setting goals, teamwork, supporting each other and having fun. Having said that, you also need to be realistic about songs you want to play and learn in a seven week period. (-:

JTB Etiquette. I was also glad to see that we had good attendance at the end of both shows. All of our Band Members deserve the same support. Thank you for making that happen.

JTB TEENSTARS

We featured our JTB Teenstars at the Roxy Show and they delivered a great set. We traditionally haven’t singled out any one band in JTB but felt it would be fun to showcase some of our top teenage musicians with some very challenging material to inspire our younger Band Members. I hope everyone enjoyed their set. Special thanks to Joanne Paratore for working with our singers on Bohemian Rhapsody. It was a tall order but all the work and time paid off with a great performance.

NEXT SESSION

We look forward to seeing you all in our next session!

Schools Out session starts April 26th

Schools Out concert weekend is June 12th and Jun 13th.

Music lessons. Remember Join the Band has an excellent staff of university trained and experience private lesson teachers. Call us to reach you music goals. 818-345-8950

Lessons for Guitar, Piano, Voice, Drums, Bass Guitar and more! Serving Los Angeles area. Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Studio City and Encino areas.

Keep on jammin’

Jammin’ John Mizenko

Program Director

Join the Band

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Mon 22 Feb 2010

Join the Band – Marathon Jam 2010 – 70th Session Concert Weekend!

Posted by admin under Performances
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Hello Band Members

Marathon Jam 2010 – Saturday Feb 20th and Sunday Feb 21st, 2010

70th Join the Band Session Concerts- Wow!

We will be posting photos on our face book page very soon. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Join-the-Band/26577922293

Don’t forget our next session starts March 1st. Concerts April 17th and 18th.
Call us now to register. 818-345-8950

Awesome concerts! A big thank you to our Band Members and Parents that supported the show over the weekend. We couldn’t put on these concerts without the help of our JTB staff.  Ryan Gelber, Trent Stroh, John Marx, Rosh Roslin, Tom Neely, Scott Gilbertson, Perk, and all of our  private lesson teachers.

I would say this concert weekend was one of the best ever. We saw a lot of improvement from many of our Band Members and the support was great.

ADULT CONCERT – SATURDAY – at THE MINT
Our blues workshop bands set the tone for the show with great performances all around. We also had a band of new Band Members that did very well on their first gig! Welcome to JTB! Our veteran Band Members had fun sets as did our jazz fusion teen band.

The only drag on the show was the lack of support for the last two bands. Please remember that the final bands are there to see and support your set. Make plans to stay and support all of our Band Members so they share in the experience.

KIDS AND TEENS SHOW – SUNDAY – at THE WHISKY A GO GO
What can say about this show? Absolutely great! The show opened with our youngest ever JTB band (6 year olds) and they were just awesome. (We are starting a new “kinder-rock” program for toddlers through kindergarten. Call us at 8181-345-8950)

The day progressed from kids/early teens to our teenage performers and we heard great sets  from everyone. The attendance was strong all day and it created a lot of energy in the room.

NOTES:
Of course with all the energy comes a few “hiccups”,  but learning how react to anything on stage is what creates great performers. The more preparation and stage time you have the better you are able to handle situations as they arise. Remember, it’s not what happens as much as how you react to it. Preparation is key but things happen. Your guitar string breaks, your fingers freeze and you forget a part, you drop your drum stick, you forget the words, your amp sounds wierd, your singer comes in to early or late etc… You can choose to be upset, flustered, worried etc.. Or you can take a mishap for what it is, learn from it and make the best of it. “What did you learn from the experience?” At the end of the day most people won’t even recognize a mistake unless it is a total “train wreck” or you telegraphed it to the audience.

Playing live is the most challenging part of playing music. There are no 2nd, 3rd, 4th, takes, no “copy and paste” performances, no pitch correction etc… It’s you, your instrument, your band and the audience. At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about. Sharing your music with others. And if you should make a mistake along the way, so be it. It does happen, Most musicians I’ve talked with are never totally satisfied with their performances. Like most artists we are all striving for a perfect take, perfect solo, and we dedicate our time practicing to achieve that goal. Before the kids in my sons karate school exit the mat. The sensei asks, “Did you try your best today?” The kids respond with a “yes”. That’s all we can ask for. Do your best.

All of our Band Members put it out there and they can be very proud of what they accomplished over the course of this last session. We also noticed higher comfort levels on stage, and as performers the only place you can learn that is by being on stage in front of an audience. At JTB we don’t try to “coach” kids into awkward stage moves. There are techniques we share with the kids but overall we have found that the kids and adult Band Members do much better when they are given time to grow into their stage personalities. It produces a more natural stage performer that is comfortable in their own skin.

ODD MOMENT…
In the middle of “Full Counts” set at the Whisky, smoke started to appear on the stage. I actually thought something was burning on stage and a few parents showed their concern too. YIKES! It turned out to be a fog machine gone awry. I must say for a moment there it was freaking me out.

See you at the next show!

John Mizenko
Program Director
Join the Band

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Fri 5 Feb 2010

Guitar Lessons Join the Band Music Lessons Studio

Posted by munkeeman under Lessons, Uncategorized
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GUITAR LESSONS IN LOS ANGELES serving Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, Van Nuys, Tarzana, North Hollywood, Northridge, Woodland Hills.

CALL NOW TO START PLAYING TODAY! 818-345-8950

14801 Oxnard St. Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks area

JTB

Where do I find a guitar teacher?
What age is a good age to start guitar lessons?
I have small fingers. Can I learn guitar?
Should start with an acoustic or electric guitar?

All of these are common questions to anyone starting guitar lessons.

I’ve been involved in teaching guitar lessons for over 30 years and I’ve seen just about everything.

Find a great guitar teacher by doing your homework. Call 3-5 music lessons studios and find out the qualifications of their teachers. Are they schooled musicians? Or are they kids just our of high school trying to make money by showing quick fix methods that will slow you down in the long run.

If you want professional results hire a professional. Find someone that has been teaching guitar lessons for at least three years. Find guitar teachers that can read music and understand how to teach. There are great players that don’t communicate ideas well and less skilled musicians that teach very effectively. Ideally you want a great player and a teacher in one package. It may take a few attempts and trial lessons to find the right teacher but it is worth the effort.

I have found that between 8-11 is a good age to start guitar lessons. Though I’ve had younger students the lessons are not very effective because of dexterity issues with young kids. Plus younger kids tend to lose focus very fast. Of course there are exceptions but they are just that exceptions. Overall I’ve more success starting kids at age 10-11 than any other age.

The size of your hands will not hamper your ability to learn guitar. If you want to play you will find a way. Avoid making excuses. They just keep telling your brain you can’t do it. Disregard negative thoughts and just go for it. One of the greatest guitarists of all time had the fingers on his left hand so badly burned in a fire that he could only play with two fingers. His name was Django Reinhardt. Four finger guitarist still struggle with his solos today.

Start with a guitar that will get you excited to play. Find a friend or hire a guitar teacher to come with you and recommend a great guitar. Better a friend or teacher than a salesman on commission.

At our Join the Band Music Lessons Studio we teach guitar lessons to kids and adults of all ages. We feature lessons in all styles of music. From rock, blues, jazz, country, swing, classical, folk, heavy metal and more. Our instructors are university trained and experienced to help you get the most out of your guitar lessons.

The Join the Band Music Lesson Studio serves the Los Angeles area including: Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, Van Nuys, Tarzana, North Hollywood, Northridge, Woodland Hills.

CALL 818-345-8950 to start you guitar lessons!

John Mizenko

Program Director

Join the Band Music Lessons Studio

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Tue 22 Dec 2009

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from the Join the Band Music Lessons Studio

Posted by munkeeman under Uncategorized
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Happy Holidays from the Mizenkos and Join the Band

We wish everyone a wonderful

Holiday Season and Happy New Year.

In the past year our studio was filled with music and we are very thankful to our students and families for supporting our program. We have a great community of students and watching their growth over the year(s) has been amazing. I never tire of watching the kids/adults at our concerts. The look on their faces before they get on stage is always a thrill and the warm reception they receive from our JTB community is just wonderful.

In 2010 we look forward to continue offering want you want in a music program. Private lessons, Band Classes, Concerts, Camps, Recording, Workshops and more.

All the best in 2010

John Mizenko and the JTB staff

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Mon 14 Dec 2009

Music Lessons Los Angeles / Join the Band Roxy Show

Posted by munkeeman under Performances
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Welcome to our new Join the Band Blog page.

We will be using this page to update you with news on our Music lessons program and our Join the Band band classes which have become very popular in Los Angeles. http://jointheband.com/

Next session news – Sign up now for the next session. 818-345-8950. Classes start January 4th, 2010

Concert dates are Saturday, February 20th and Sunday February 21st.

HOLIDAY JAM 2009

Our Holiday Jam concert on Sunday, December 13th was our 69th concert and our first show at the famous Roxy Theatre. Though we did have a few bumps during the day our show ran well.

We also received nice gifts for our Toys for Tots drive. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for all the support our Band Members received at the concert from family and friends. We had a great turnout throughout the day and it really makes the day exciting for everyone.

I hope everyone had a fun experience. The energy level in the room was high all day and we had great performances from our bands. Playing on a new stage at any level of your playing can be tricky. The sound is different, the club staff has their own way of “doing things” and everything feels different.

Performing live is one of the most challenging parts of being a musician. There are so many variables and you are performing in the moment.  Unlike recording music and/or writing there are no “do overs’ or re-writes. What you play in the moment on stage is the keeper. The more shows you play the better you will get at adjusting to live performance. There is no substitute for playing live. You can rehearse four hours a day, buy all kinds of cool equipment, and get coached by great teachers, but the moment you get on stage it’s just you, your instrument, the audience and all the “unknowns” that may come your way. How you react to the “unknowns”  is what makes you grow as a musician and performer.

Those of you that know me have heard me say/write this before… There are doers and there are those that talk about doing. I am very proud to say that our Join the Band, Band Members are doers. Being an “arm chair quarterback”  is one thing… but actually taking a snap from center and staring down a middle linebacker that wants the football is a totally different experience. (-:

Thank you to our Join the Band team. It was a long day and everyone held together. Without them our shows would not run as smoothly as they do. You were all awesome at the show.

We are splitting the show next time and having bands play on Saturday and Sunday. The marathon concerts are fun but they do take  a lot out of our staff.

Next session starts January 4th. Concert weekend is February 20th and 21st.

Sign up now! 818-345-8950 email info@jointheband.com

All the best!

John Mizenko

Join the Band

http://jointheband.com/

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Thu 10 Dec 2009

Music Lessons Los Angeles Guitar Piano Bass Drums and Voice / Singing

Posted by munkeeman under Articles
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http://jointheband.com/ Call Today for Music Lessons 818-345-8950

My name is Louis Hoffman I am your typical band teacher; I play a bit of most everything and am always looking for new and exciting learning opportunities for both my students and myself.

One of the toughest challenges for and young and old musicians is finding a place and a reason to keep playing. Music is such a solitary pursuit, with hundreds, even thousands of hours of practice time. It can be boring, disheartening and monotonous and without some kind of an outlet, many if not most beginning musicians just stop playing.

For most people I know they learned the piano, guitar or maybe they even dreamed of singing, but they never got out there and just played live in front of audience, performing music they loved and wanted to play.

In general, traditional music education centers around the musical genres of classical, folk and jazz, but most contemporary styles (blues, r & b, rock, funk, punk, pop, disco…) are simply not address in our schools.

So, many a budding musician heads down to their local music store and learns some basic techniques on their instrument of choice, a tune or 2, but by-and-large it ends there.

What’s missing is MENTORSHIP… and that’s what Join The Band offers. A professional and gifted musician and teacher in the studio, guiding a group of likeminded individuals through the rehearsal process, comminuting in a performance at real venue. Having a goal, a performance date, in an appropriate learning environment with quality instruction makes all the difference.

This is the real deal!

By the way, I am not just a fan, but an active member too. I am now on my 3 workshops, made some great friends and am having an absolute blast just making music.

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