We all have different learning styles. Some can learn from texts as dry as the dust kicked up by the Curiosity rover and some from tutors whose style is similar to reading actuarial tables.
Still others are born with natural talent (something I personally consider quite unfair) and have the innate ability to matriculate from almost any source and excel.
As for myself, a 65 yr old Musiah "Apprentice", I am a very peculiar, particular and exceptionally unexceptional type of learner.
In my many attempts to learn music, despite completing countless Schaum's music workbooks, private lessons attempted and abandoned, or watching internet music theory presentations, nothing could help.
Then through either perverseness of personality or kismet I happened across the Musiah website. It was as though I had found the right antenna, cleared the static and tuned into the correct station.
Prior to finding the Musiah website I was filled with confidence — confidence that I could never learn to read music and that I would never, ever, be able to play music with both hands.
However during the first lesson, frustrations and mental blocks were being taken over by a tremendous feeling of satisfaction and the surprising feeling that, "Hey, I can do this!"
Learning to play music is rigorous and requires discipline. It demands concentration, practice and patience.
Unfortunately most current teaching methods seem to put their emphasis on these very areas, making learning even more tedious ensuring the whole process is out of reach.
By contrast, Musiah's absorbing adaptive multimedia approach does make learning engaging and fun, however the formal rigors and challenges of learning still remain.
But what is unique about the Musiah approach is that it levels the sometimes uphill battle learning can be and turns the playing field into one that seems much less intimidating.
Often, when I am having trouble learning a new lesson I go to the practice area to gain confidence. The practice area is my refuge. I am in my own world, no fear of judgment, no self-reproach.
As the years begin to accumulate, so has my lack of enthusiasm and energy to invigorate mental neurons. And although Musiah makes learning quite fun, it continually challenges me mentally in a way similar to stimulating atrophied muscles, bringing to mind the maxim, "No pain, no gain!"
But Musiah really does make learning just plain fun. I look forward to practicing and the feeling of competition that learning a new piece brings because I feel I have the tools to win.
I am an enthusiastic Musiah advocate. I have recommended Musiah to sooo many people that they are quite surprised I don't present them with a Musiah business card.
I believe the Musiah multimedia adaptive method can be a model well suited to many other educational disciplines.
In addition to teaching indispensable music basics during each session, at the end of each, Musiah supplements them with an extremely helpful learning technique. It consists of adding background instruments that accompany the student while playing the current lesson thus giving the feeling one is playing in an actual band.
The ensemble arrangements are extremely creative and help deepen the level of understanding of each song learned. I can't stress how unique and beneficial this aspect of the program is for me.
Additionally, the online documentation was a fantastic help in not only introducing me to Musiah but also in getting me up and running quickly and easily. It was a pleasure to find online materials current and up to date.
The design of the Musiah program itself is wonderfully intuitive. All aspects of it work flawlessly: from lesson beginnings through Performance Challenges. Program updates are applied without needing any special technical knowledge or intervention from the student.
And the customer support is timely, reliable and very courteous.
Plus, Musiah is also an excellent source of vitamin C and calcium (just kidding on this one! :))
I really don't have any innate talent and consider myself as just plodding along, but without the genius of this program I would never have even gotten this far.
Many thanks, Musiah!
Edward F - Richardson, Texas, United States
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