70th Birthday Surprise for Mom
By: Becky Steenhoek Customer Becky Steenhoek shares her story of planning the perfect surprise birthday gift for her mother, a life-long piano player. Becky and her family lead her mom on a scavenger hunt that ended at her very own grand piano at West Music Des Moines...
The Harp – An Overview
Did you know that the Jalisco Harp was the original bass instrument in the mariachi ensemble? The Jalisco Harp was the instrument preferred by the mariachi harp players in southern Jalisco and Michoacán. One reason the Guitarrón eventually replaced the mariachi harp...
The Guitarron – An Overview
What is a Guitarron? The Guitarrón is a large bass guitar. Guitarrón translates to large guitar – the suffix means big or large. It has 6 strings - 3 that are nylon wound with a nylon monofilament core or nylon fibers, and 3 that are steel, bronze or copper wound with...
Violin in Mariachi Music – An Overview
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The Basics of Rhythm
You might have heard that with rhythm, you either have it or you don't. Not only is that not true, rhythm is fundamental for beginner musicians to learn so that they can progress with their music. In this article, we cover the basics of rhythm and the best ways to...
Coralville March 2018 Musician of the Month: Prabhas Gupta
Prabhas is in 2nd grade. He has studied piano with Dorothy Thomas in the West Music Lesson program for over a year, and is making great progress on his instrument! His teacher has this to say about working with him: "In this year of piano, Prabhas has been able to...
Starting a Ukulele Program in Your Classroom: Part 4 of 6
Which Ukulele Method Should I Use? There are many options for learning ukulele, such as a great ukulele method, online courses, apps, etc. But some curriculum options and supplements specialize in comprehensive applications for classroom teaching. Here are some great...
Extraordinary Associate of the Month: Patrick Downing
Whether face to face in the store, out on location, working the phone or feverishly typing on his computer keyboard, Patrick exemplifies true professionalism! He has quickly become the face of West Music Quad Cities piano division and works tirelessly to provide total...
VH1 Save the Music Grant Awarded to Cedar Rapids Schools
Coralville, IA – December 13, 2017– Just in time for the holidays, Cedar Rapids (CR) schools were awarded a Fall 2017 VH1 Save the Music Grant. VH1 Save The Music provides brand-new musical instruments to public elementary and middle schools that demonstrate a need...
Starting a Ukulele Program in Your Classroom: Part 3 of 6
Which Ukulele Model Should I Choose for My Classroom? There are many different models of ukuleles available, so how do you which one you should choose for your classroom? You will want to make sure to choose a quality instrument that will play in tune and produce a...
Make Thanksgiving More Fun with Music & Song
FACT #1: Thanksgiving brings whole families together like no other holiday. FACT #2: Turkeys take a very, very long time to cook. Put those facts together, and it’s clear that you’ll need some fun activities to keep the whole family engaged. What better way to promote...
Why Choose Lessons for Your Child?
Every day we are surrounded by facts about the amazing life benefits of music education. A multitude of studies confirm that children experience extremely positive academic, emotional, and developmental boosts from engaging in musical activities. We embrace the fact...