Our family toys :) Stay healthy!

Hi Friends!

During this crazy time of Covid, our family has discovered our passion for tennis.  Since there are no live concerts we have dedicated our time to perfecting our drop shot! haha!  It's a great way to get some exercise as a family while being safe and following guidelines...plus it's super fun!  Vamos Nadal!

See you at the next US Open!  ha!

Upcoming Concerts!

Dear Friends,

We are excited to have a couple upcoming performances!  Hopefully you can join us....we will be playing some new pieces by Almer that we are planning to record this summer!

Saturday, January 27th
222 East Plaza Concert Series
Glendale Central Library
11am
FREE
more info:  CLICK HERE

Sunday, February 11th
St. James Presbyterian Church
Spring Concert Series
4pm
more info:  CLICK HERE

JULY 2017 STUDENT OF THE MONTH: TREVOR!

JULY STUDENT OF THE MONTH

TREVOR

We are extremely proud of our Sierra Madre Music July 2017 Student of the Month, TREVOR!  Trevor is currently a drum student of Danny.  He had his heart set on participating in a Summer Rock Camp session but all the drum slots were taken!  So, instead of giving up, he accepted Almer's challenge of learning the bass guitar!  This musician-extraordinaire learned to play bass in a WEEK!  He rocked the final concert with a flawless performance!  A smile never left his face the entire week and he was up for any challenge. It was truly an amazing feat!  GO TREVOR!!!!  With drums and bass under his belt, he can now officially OWN the rhythm section :)

A little bit about Trevor: His favorite band is Led Zeppelin but also loves Vivaldi :)  He enjoys listening to music because it makes him feel happier!  His favorite part about being a musician is the point where you can really get into the song you are playing.  We also all discovered at Rock Camp that he is also an expert chef.  He and his sister Coco brought in cookies to share that they made from scratch! Delicious!

Trevor's Practice Tip:  Always work on the hardest part first before you get too tried :) And...if you love the song you're playing it won't seem like work!

Great words of advice from this Renaissance Man.

Student of the Month: Evan!

We are excited to announce our Sierra Madre Music, January 2017 Student of the Month:

EVAN! 

Evan has been a guitar student here for a few years already and has blossomed into an amazing musician! He is a founding member of the rock band "The Golden Aces" where he plays lead guitar alongside his band mate Charlie.  They are an amazing duo within the group....working together like real side-by-side guitarists, trading riffs, having fun and encouraging each other.  Evan studies with our master guitar instructor, Tyler.  Tyler is always impressed with Evan's drive, focus and positive attitude.  He is a Sierra Madre Music SUPERSTAR!!!

We had a chance to speak with Evan and here's a little bit more from our Student of the Month!!!!


Q: WHAY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR INSTRUMENT?
A: When I was 8 yrs.old I chose the guitar because I felt like it was an instrument that really stood out and felt it was important to music.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR INSTRUMENT?
A: I love th freedom and the diversity to be able to stumble upon something new and create a whole new sound.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE STYLE OF MUSIC?
A: Classic rock like Led Zeppelin and older pop/rock like ELO

Q: HOW HAS MUSIC CHANGED YOUR ROUTINE/ DAILY LIFE?
A: It has given me an appreciation for the opportune city I have to play guitar and learn more about music.  I also have met some great friends like my bandmates and teacher at Sierra Madre Music!

Q: PRACTICE TIPS???
A: This can always be something I could do more of!  Make the time to practice...it's the only way you can become better because you can always improve!


AWESOME!  THANKS EVAN!

And the Coolest Kid Award goes to...... KASEY!!!

One of the wonderful things about running music school is the opportunity to get to know so many amazing young people!  Aside from being musical, the amount of talent and achievement in all areas is astounding!  I was yet again taken by surprise when one of our favorite pianists, Kasey,  came back from a trip to NYC.....little did I know the trip was because she and her production partner Makenna tied for second place in the 9 to 13 category in the Peace in the Street Global Film Festival Competition for their video, KINDNESS. They were invited to the UN for the award ceremony which took place on October 28.

Please take the time to celebrate with me this amazing accomplishment by CLICKING HERE to watch her creation!  It will give you hope for a better world to come with a whole new generation of young people already making their mark and creating their positive future!  

Kasey, you are a ROCK STAR!!!

September 2016 Student of the Month: Violist, CLAIRE!

We are especially excited about this month's Student of the Month!  Claire is a VIOLIST...not a VIOLINIST....the viola is the alto voice within an orchestra and right now, Claire is our only viola student.  She has been taking lessons regularly for over a year and is extremely committed to her craft and choice to be an amazing violist...and she is well on her way.  We would like to share a few things she said about being a violist and musician:

1. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE VIOLA?
I was really drawn to the sound...it wasn't as screechy as a violin :)

2. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE VIOLA?
The rich, dark sound.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE STYLES OF MUSIC?
 Rock!!!  I love Evanescence!  It's especially cool that the lead singer is a woman!

4. HOW HAS MUSIC CHANGED YOUR DAILY ROUTINE?
I feel like it's great to know how to play any instrument...that makes me proud!  Plus, I feel like my ears are better and I am developing my sense of relative pitch.

5. ANY PRACTICE TIPS?
Practice early!  Don't wait until the end of the day when you are already tired.  If you are tired, take small breaks instead of just powering through!

How cool is this violist!?!?  What great advice from a budding musician who respects and loves her art but can still rock out to all sorts of music!!!!

Do I see Rock-Viola in her future?????????

Congrats, Claire!!!!!

Tickets to Europe and more!

Dear Friends,
I wanted to introduce my friend Jazmir's company. It's called TRAVELBIH.COM He is had been my travel agent since I moved to the USA and always helps me find great tickets to go on tour! Give him a try and he can help you get the best deal out there!

Here is the website: http://travelbih.com/

Thank you Jazmir!!

The best Indian food in town!

Jessica and I are not native Pasadenians...but it is places like the New Delhi Palace that make us feel at home.  This is the best Indian food on the planet and it is run by the most friendly and kind people.  Every time we come to this great place we are greeted like family and we just wanted to share this with you all.  If you're ever in Pasadena and not joining us at our house for Jessica's culinary adventures in Bosnian cuisine (more to come about this later....), then be sure to treat yourself to New Delhi Palace.  

We recommend the Chicken Tikka Masala and and Channa Masala with garlic naan and rice. For the beer drinkers, Almer takes the KingFisher LARGE!!!

Here's the link to their website and directions: http://www.newdelhipasadena.com/

Enjoy!

Guitar on BBC!

Great stories about guitar legends featuring videos of them sharing their guitar licks, techniques and secrets to their unique sound. Check this link!